Page 40 of The Tempo of Truth (The Monsters Duet #3)

Alistair agreed with a nod but stopped me from getting up and going back to work with a hand on my shoulder.

“What’s going on with the Byrd merger? I thought everything was smooth sailing and you just needed to sign on the dotted line.

Oliver put up a hell of a fight to get his company’s top brass on board. ”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s more interested in playing social games than focusing on long-term business cooperation.

I don’t know what he promised aside from the merger, but I feel like he wants to negotiate his way into my bed more than he wants to be my business partner.

” I sighed and reached for my phone to look at the message that just came through.

“I may have led him on a bit at the beginning to keep the press off of Ky’s ass.

When it didn’t work, I made it clear I wasn’t interested.

I’ve told him several times that things need to remain professional between us for a successful partnership.

The warning went in one ear and out the other.

Oliver’s been getting progressively forward each time we meet. ”

Alistair leaned on the table and gave me a serious look. “Do you need me to intervene? I was the one who brought the Byrds to the table.”

I shook my head. “No. If you get involved, it’ll seem as if I can’t handle difficult business associates on my own. If he can’t properly conduct himself, Helio is always around to mediate if I need help.”

Win got to his feet and tapped the table with his knuckles.

“Byrd’s gonna be a problem for more than one reason.

Your boy, Ky, already has a bad feeling about him.

Those two are going to clash eventually, and you’re the one who’s going to end up in the crossfire.

Everything is always going to blow back on you. ”

I snorted and replied to the message from Ky asking if it was all right for him to come by the brownstone later.

He’d been spending a lot of time with me and Lowe lately.

I wanted to believe it was so we could all bond as a family, and while that was a factor, I knew his current state of unemployment was more than likely why he was constantly around.

I’d asked him numerous times if he wanted my help finding him something temporary, but he always turned down the offer.

He was still helping Lev train his fighters, but it wasn’t profitable enough to support him long term.

And while he’d taken the money from the night at the hotel to pay off his buddy’s medical bills, he hadn’t asked me for a dime, even though he was struggling.

I knew his pride was going to push him to take any job that seemed profitable.

I wanted more for him than just getting by, but I wasn’t in a position to offer him advice in that area.

He had to figure out his new path on his own.

Otherwise, he was only going in the direction I guided him and not on the journey he was meant to travel.

All I could do was silently hope that whatever road he walked, he would end up where Lowe and I were waiting for him.

I spun the phone around on the table by flicking the corner.

I looked at my Uncle Win and told him, “If Oliver was the one who arranged for the dead body to fall at Ky’s feet the night of the retirement party, he’s got better connections than I thought.

His people found the guy Ky fought with at the basketball court and took him out, all within a handful of hours. ”

Win patted my shoulder and warned, “Don’t take either of them lightly. Protect yourself, Winnie. You and Lowe are always the top priority. I don’t care if this entire company goes bankrupt.”

I laughed lightly. “I won’t let that happen. I won’t give the board of directors the satisfaction. I want to run Halliday Inc. my way. That’s my name on the letterhead, and it’s not going anywhere. This business has to be here if one of the kids decides they want it in the future.”

Alistair playfully winked at me. “We’re family, so we fight whatever comes your way together.

” He bumped into my shoulder as I rose to my feet to follow them out of the boardroom.

It was nice to know they had my back while I tried to shatter glass ceilings and climb mountains wearing designer heels.

Before we parted, he pointedly mentioned, “I know the Hallidays are no strangers to the untimely demise of others in an attempt to disrupt your plans but maybe try not to be so nonchalant about it. Murder as a form of manipulation makes me sick to my stomach.”

I was callous when Win told me Ky got picked up by the police because he was found standing over a dead body in the park.

I knew he didn’t do it, so I didn’t allow myself to get too invested in the victim.

Especially since he jumped Ky and hurt him during that unfair fight.

He was a victim of circumstance, but that didn’t mean he should suffer the ultimate loss, or that his friends and family deserved to suffer and grieve over a loved one because of something that wasn’t a huge deal until people with scary ulterior motives got involved.

I didn’t want to be someone who was that cold and indifferent, like my grandmother was.

Facing a murder was nothing more than a slight inconvenience for Colette Halliday.

Alistair’s reminder was a wake-up call I definitely needed to hear.

I couldn’t make reparations without making it look like I was covering up a major wrongdoing involving my baby daddy.

What I could do was make Helio work for his exorbitant paycheck.

He should have the means and the connections to find out what happened between the brawl at the basketball court and the ambush at the park.

We parted ways at the elevator, and Jeremiah immediately handed me a tablet with a list of tasks awaiting my attention and a reminder that I had a videoconference in twenty minutes.

I got a touch of whiplash from having my skills and integrity questioned, only to once again be captaining the massive ship.

That evening, I was a little late leaving the office, and then I got stuck in traffic trying to get home.

I messaged my Aunt Channing to let her know I was on my way to get Lowe and was surprised when she replied that Ky had stopped by and taken him to my brownstone already.

She sent them to my place with her housekeeper and extra security.

I wasn’t as concerned about making sure Ky was supervised when he was with our son, but Lowe was still a handful and Ky had no experience taking care of a child.

Since he didn’t mind the supervision, there was always someone on hand to make sure he could see Lowe.

I really appreciated the way my family stepped up to show Ky that they were supportive of him getting to be part of his son’s life.

They might have been less on board with him and me being in a relationship because of our complicated history, but as long as I was happy, nobody was going to make unnecessary trouble.

When I got home, I kicked off my heels and dropped my laptop bag on the entryway table. I took off my boss-bitch blazer and uncoiled the French twist from the back of my head. It was like I was a snake shedding its skin.

When I stepped into the kitchen, I was greeted with the sight of my son sitting on top of the island, covered in flour and laughing hysterically as Ky danced around in front of the chef-grade stove, trying to avoid the hot, popping oil.

I took in the chaotic scene with wide eyes and asked Lowe, “Didn’t Aunt Channing send Lola over with you?” The housekeeper next door was an excellent cook and would never let Lowe end up looking like a little ghost.

“I want fried chicken. Ky said he could make it Korean style. Lola is in the laundry room. She said she’ll be back in a minute or as soon as she smells smoke.”

He tossed back his head and laughed like a little maniac again. Ky looked at me over his shoulder, and I froze.

He had a baseball cap on backward, a black tank top, and a gingham apron he got from God knows where. My kitchen never looked better.

“I know what I’m doing, believe it or not.

My buddy, Mino, has a Korean restaurant.

I grab a shift in the kitchen here or there when the budget is extra tight.

” He pointed at Lowe with his chin. “That was all him. I told him not to play in the flour, but once the oil was hot, I didn’t want to leave it unattended.

Lowe went to town making a mess. I’ll clean it up once dinner is done.

I didn’t know someone so small could make such a big mess so quickly. ”

“Welcome to parenthood.” I laughed as I walked over to scoop my son up, immediately covering my designer suit in white powder. “How about we both take a bath before dinner?” I poked his dusty cheek and returned his mischievous grin.

“I was helping, Mommy.” Lowe wrapped his arms around my neck and rested his head on my shoulder.

“I’m sure you were.” I met Ky’s dark gaze over the top of Lowe’s head and realized he was looking at me holding his son the same way I looked at him standing in front of the stove.

We looked like we were starving and ready to devour something other than the fried chicken that was making the house smell like a fast-food restaurant in the best way.

I turned to take Lowe into the main bathroom with me, telling him in a whisper, “There is nothing better than coming home to you and your dad.”

Lowe nodded and slapped his grubby hands on either side of my face while staring into my eyes as seriously as a five-year-old could.

“We’re happy you’re home, Mommy. Ky said it’s our job to take good care of you after a long day because you work really hard.”

I sighed and set him down on the vanity to wipe off his face and pull off his filthy shirt.

“I do work hard, but it’s worth it because it’s all for you.”

I hope he remembered that as he got older and started to understand just how hard it was being a Halliday.