She looked at me with skeptical eyes.
“You have the rest of the day off?”
She nodded.
“Stay here.”
“What?”
“At the fire station. Don’t go anywhere until I get back.” I was already pulling her back to the entrance of the firehouse.
“Sean!” I called.
Sean’s dark head popped out from the kitchen.
“Michelle’s going to remain here with you guys until I get back. I have to run an errand. Family matter,” I answered the confused look he gave me. “Just make sure she doesn’t leave.” I pointed at him. “And keep her away from Don!” I added, turning eyes on a stunned Michelle before turning and slamming the door behind me.
Each passing second saw me growing more and more pissed. I mounted my bike, not even worrying about my helmet. My only motive was to get to my brother, and even the knowledge that I wanted to put my fist through his face didn’t stop or scare me. Townsend Industries was completely on the other side of the city. On a good day, it should take at least thirty minutes to get there from the station in all the Williamsport traffic. I made it there in under twenty minutes. I parked in the underground parking garage that was strictly reserved for the family, and made a beeline for the elevator, punching in the code that would allow it to go directly to the thirtieth floor. I hadn’t been to my family’s business in so long I wasn’t sure whether or not the code had been changed, but when the elevator began moving without any problem, I realized that wasn’t the case.
The elevator doors parted and I stepped off into a glass partition that separated the lobby of the top floor from the areas where the five administrative staff members on this floor worked. I looked around while pushing through the office doors. The normal sounds of business rattled the air, people talking, the keys of keyboards clicking, the flat screen televisions that hung in the opposing two corners of the office were on a low volume to a twenty-four hour business news channel. I took all of this in, in just under two seconds, and I breezed past the male assistant who smiled and attempted to greet me.
“Hello, can I help–”
That was a much as he got out before I barged through the closed door that read “Aaron Townsend, CEO.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” I demanded, turning cold eyes on my brother, who was evidently in a meeting.
Three heads turned, stunned at my intrusion, but I wasn’t fazed. Coincidentally, neither was Aaron, he coolly turned in my direction from the foot of his long conference table. The fucking schmuck had a damn conference table in his own office.Whenever possible, make your competitors come to you ?one of the mottos our father taught us growing up in running a business. Aaron obviously took it all to heart.
“You’ll have to excuse my brother, gentlemen,” he stated, giving me a flat look.
“They don’t have to excuse shit.Youneed to explain what the hell you think you were doing this morning,” I demanded.
Aaron stood, buttoning his suit jacket, and I moved closer, fists clenched.
“Get out,” he ordered with a wave of his head. But he wasn’t talking to me, he was looking at the three men he’d been meeting with. I wasn’t sure if they were employees or outside partners. I also didn’t give a shit either. Townsend Industries wasn’t my business, but Michelle Clarke was. Even if she hadn’t come to realize it yet. And Aaron had fucked with what was mine.
“I assume that woman came running to you.” The boredom in his tone made me see red.
“Look,” I growled, grabbing him by the lapel of his suit jacket, “you shameless, scarred son of a bitch.” I smiled sinfully, narrowing my eyes when his own eyes sparked angrily at my comment. I’d hit him in the gut with my scarred reference. “I don’t give a fuck what your job title is. I don’t give a shit that Father put you in charge of this entire company. Idogive a shit that you think it wields you some ability to affect the people I care about.”
“The people you care about?” he huffed, pushing at my chest.
I freed him, only to put some distance between us. I was ready to take his head off.
“We’re your goddamn family!” He wasn’t yelling, but was damned close to it. “Have you no shame? Sleeping with a woman who was our damn event planner at Mother and Father’s house no less?”
“It’s none of your goddamned business!” I yelled.
“That’s what you want to believe, isn’t it? That whatever you do is nobody’s business, but your own.”
I peered at Aaron’s darkened gaze, his chest rising and falling with his harsh breaths.
“If you have something to say, get it off your chest,” I growled.
“You may think your life is your own but it’s not! Who was the one here comforting Mother and Father when you were off at fucking war?”
“So this is about you? As usual, it’s all about poor Aaron.”
