Page 35

THIRTY-FIVE

RHYS

W e get in the car and it’s just the two of us.

“Where’s Colin?”

“This is family business,” Owen replies, folding his hands in his lap.

Well that sounds fucking ominous.

“What happened?” I can’t imagine anything being an emergency that’s not someone dying. But I also don’t want to say that and seem like an idiot. Who fucking knows the kinds of emergencies rich people have.

“The board is moving to undermine Oliver with our company. They are trying to force a sale.”

“What?” I took a minute to process his words. “Can they do that?”

“If they have enough votes.” Owen turns in his seat, meeting my gaze. “This is what he was warning you about. Why you have to stand firm with us at all the board meetings. Because if they see any weakness or any way to push us out they will.”

I hate it. Already. I’ve only been to one board meeting, and it was already too much.

Why the fuck would my father do this to me? Was it to make a fool out of me like he had my mother all those years? He left his daughter out of all of this and just gave her money. He could have done that for me.

He fucking raised Owen and Oliver for this and what did I get? Shoved into it.

“So what do we do?”

“We have to be a united front.” Owen turns away. “I know this isn’t what you signed up for and I know Oliver isn’t your favorite person, but I promise you he knows what’s best for this company.”

“Won’t we get paid out if the company sells?” I ask, feeling like I know nothing.

“Not even close to what the company is worth, and then we lose control of it.”

“You mean we lose the power,” I say and I don’t have to ask. I know what the truth is.

“That’s part of it.” Owen isn’t going to sugarcoat this, which I prefer.

“Why does he even want to keep doing it?” I can’t wrap my mind around it.

“What do you mean?” Owen asks.

“Even if we are paid out pennies on the dollar it’s still more money than we can spend in a lifetime. We’d be set and we wouldn’t have to deal with any of this anymore.”

Owen laughs but it’s oddly sad. “He likes it—no, it’s more than that—he loves it. He’s good at it. He was born to play the game and at times he’s hated it but once he was allowed to step into the part fully with his husband by his side he embraced it. He doesn’t want to lose that.”

“And if I want out?” I ask, needing to know what Owen will say before we’re in front of Oliver.

Owen shrugs and looks at his hands. “I don’t know if he’ll forgive you but I will.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyes suddenly burning.

He nods. “It will kill him, and I’ll hate it because he’s half my soul. I can’t change that but I get it. You don’t owe us anything and our relationship isn’t based on what you can do for me. I don’t want it to be. I want you to be my brother.”

I pull him into a hug. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.”

We pull back and sit the rest of the drive in silence.

As we’re getting out of the car, I grab Owen’s arm. “Do you want to keep doing it?”

He searches my face. “I do. It doesn’t take a lot away from me nor you. I trust Oliver to do what’s best for the company and protect our money. I can’t make that choice for you, but if you do trust him, it would be easy to keep yourself out of it and just do as he asks when he needs it.”

We walk into the Godfrey building which just feels weird to even think that my family owns a block of Manhattan. The wealth in that alone is something I have a hard time imagining. I don’t even know what the company really does. Is it a good company?

Maybe I’ve been sticking my head in the sand about this too fucking long.

We take the elevator to the top floor. Seventy-three fucking floors up with sprawling three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views of the city, the Hudson, and even Jersey. When we walk in, Oliver paces the massive office, looking the most disheveled I’ve ever seen him.

He gestures for us to sit. “Can I get either of you a drink?”

“Coffee.” Owen asks and looks at me.

“Sure, I’ll take a tea..”

Oliver hits a button on his phone. “Can you bring my brothers coffee and tea?”

“Of course, sir.” A man on the other end replies.

Oliver takes a seat with us. “Did you speak to him?”

“I did,” Owen pauses before asking, “Does Isaac know your assistant is a guy?”

“He’s forty-six and a professional. I thought it was a better look than all the young women who applied.”

“But is he hot?” Owen asks.

Oliver rolls his eyes. “He’s hardly my type but I would keep Colin away from him if I were you.”

Owen narrows his eyes. “Why?”

Oliver hits the button on the phone on the coffee table in front of us. How many phones are there in this office? “Frank, can you bring the drinks in here instead of having one of the assistants do it?”

“Sure,” Frank says, then walks in a moment later—the embodiment of a leather daddy—he even has a mustache. He sets the tray of drinks down on the table, giving a great view of an ass you can bounce a quarter off of.

I fake a cough to cover my laugh.

“Yes, sir?” Frank says with a huge smile.

“I just wanted you to meet my brothers,” Oliver says with a knowing smirk.

“Fuck you,” Owen says to Oliver before turning to Frank and holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Frank. We’ve spoken on the phone a lot.”

“I recognize the voice.” Frank shakes Owen’s hand then offers me his.

I take it. “Nice to meet you, Frank. I’m Rhys.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Is that all, sir?” Frank asks Oliver, after giving me a quick smile.

“Yes, thank you, Frank.” Oliver takes his coffee, sitting back while crossing an ankle over his knee. “And?”

“And what?” Owen asks, adding a ton of sugar to his coffee.

I add a packet and then some milk to my tea, happy not to have to explain myself.

“Please refrain from the games. I don’t have the mental energy for it.”

Owen shrugs. “I don’t know how he feels about it. All I did was explain. You’re going to have to ask him yourself.”

“Thanks,” I mutter.

“I’m not getting in between you two. This is like a hostage situation and I’m not the fucking trained negotiator. I’d shoot you both or myself.” Owen holds up his hands.

I laugh.

Oliver scoffs. “Good thing you didn’t have the privilege of being the first born.”

“I definitely would have killed myself. So don’t fucking tempt me.” Owen says earning no reaction from Oliver.

“Care to elaborate on your opinion, Rhys?” Oliver asks at length.

“I’m not sure. Can I get more information?” I hedge.

“Of course. Do you have a lawyer who can walk through things with you?” Oliver gets up, coming back with a three-inch stack of papers, which he drops on the coffee table in front of me. “It’s a rather complicated offer that sounds better than it is because of some of the clauses in sub section 41d. There is also some tricky language in amendment K, L, and X1.7.”

Asshole.

I pick up the massive document and my stomach drops. I wouldn’t even know where to start. “I guess I’m going to have to find a lawyer.”

“I can send you some names.” Owen puts his hand on my forearm.

“Thank you.” I set the document back down. “How long do I have?”

“A day, two at most. They will force a vote as soon as possible. I can only buy so much time.”

How the fuck am I supposed to digest this all in one day? Let alone deal with mid-terms this week, and Tobi? Fuck.

I leave with a promise Oliver will send a copy to my lawyer once I retain one.

I get to the street and don’t know what to do with myself.

Between this and Tobi, I’m so fucking lost.

All I know is I want to see Teddy and just have him hold me.

Not The Enemy: I booked a hotel. Meet me there.

Double Stuffed: y we have rooms

Not The Enemy: I want you to myself tonight without any risks.

I brace for the misunderstanding, my thumb hovering over the button to call him.

Not The Enemy: I really need this.

Double Stuffed: ill meet u there