He frowned, and his blue eyes—which mirrored his mother’s—narrowed. “She’s with Sam. I swear that kid just knows we’re trying to make another baby.”
I chuckled deep in my throat. “Just like you were when I was trying to make your brothers.” I laughed harder when Carter’s face crumpled up in disgust.
“The last thing I ever need to hear about is you and my mother …” He broke off, shaking his head.
“Grow up, son. You’re a father and husband yourself. You know what it takes to make babies. Your mother and I—”
“Lalalala,” he began singing, sticking his fingers in his ears.
“Alright, alright,” I stated in between laughs. “What are you calling me for while your wife’s taking care of your youngest?”
“I know there’s more.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that look. More to your and mother’s relationship. You both said at dinner the other night that while you were getting married there were those plotting against you. I want the details.”
Insistent little fucker. All of my boys were. Aaron had called me earlier that morning with the same question, but he’d quickly been called away for a work issue before I could get the story out.
“How do you know we weren’t just making that up?”
He gave me aget realexpression. “I know there’s something more to that Jack guy. And Cohen. I know Mother’s ex just didn’t walk away so easily.”
I nodded. He’d hit the nail on the head.
“It’s why you taught all of us to kill a motherfucker if he threatens our family.”
I pitched forward in my chair, my arms folding over one another on the hardwood desk I sat at in my home office.
“You bet your ass it is.”
“Then spill.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t take orders from you.”
“Father—”
“Alright, alright.” I nodded. “Here’s the story …”
****
Then
Robert
“The leaks are still happening,” my father snapped, his voice pissed off, as he stood at the corner of the room. He stared down at the city some twenty floors below us.
I cut my eyes in his direction. “What did you expect?” I was beginning to loathe my father.
“Not this!” He grunted, turning to face me.
I was unfazed by his antics. He was an empty suit. I’d been the one running the company over the last few years. But I was powerless when it came to implementing the changes I really wanted to make. Which included getting to the bottom of the leaks, and tapping the board to let us pursue greater research and development funds in new technological advances and different forms of energy. However, they all saw my father as the helm of the company still, and they deferred to his assessments when it came to what changes to approve.
The problem was, my father was envious of me. I’d felt it all along, since I was a teenager, really. I was smarter than he was. I had more insight into the future. But instead of being proud of that fact and letting me pursue my ideals, he held the reins of the company tighter. At least, he tried to.
“This is your fault,” he charged, jabbing his finger in my direction.
I sunk my hands into the pockets of my suit pants because they were growing itchy at the sight of his fucking face. And I while the thought of punching my father didn’t necessarily repulse me, I would not do it in the office.
