****
Present
Robert
“Jesus Christ! A pig farm,” Tyler sputtered as he, Joshua, and I sat outside on the back porch at Townsend Manor. We’d brought the conversation from earlier back home, once Joshua’s work day had ended. They both begged me to finish telling them the story. And I’d made a vow long ago not to lie or hide any part of my life from my boys once they became of age. Besides, they’d all inherited some aspect of my revenge streak.
“Does Mother know she’s been married to a psycho all of these years?” Tyler quipped.
Joshua snorted. “You’re one to talk. Didn’t you tie a guy to a tree and use him as a punching bag? Or is my memory failing me?”
Tyler looked over at his brother. “That was different. That fucker came into my house and attacked my wife and children. And don’t get on me when you’re the crazy nut who fights underground and—”
“That’s enough,” I intervened, waving my hands as if to wipe the slate clean. “The point is, we all do what we need to do to protect the women in our lives. That’s my job first and foremost.”
“One you’ve done well, I might add.”
All three of us turned to see Deborah standing at the opened glass sliding door, arms folded as she peered at us. Her eyes hit mine and my body instantly reacted. Hers likely did as well because a few seconds later, she was strolling in my direction, wrapping her arm around my shoulder as she slid into my lap.
“You were eavesdropping on our conversation, princess?”
“Ah man, here he goes with thatprincessstuff,” Joshua mumbled.
Deborah giggled as she glanced over at our two youngest. “You two leave your father alone.”
“All we want to know if is you realize you’re married to a crazy man?”
Instead of directly answering Joshua’s question, Deborah turned to me, smiling as she gazed into my eyes. “I’ve been married to this man for forty years. There isn’t one thing I don’t know about him.”
I turned my head upward and she lowered, pressing a kiss to my lips. Tightening my arm around her waist, I pulled her body into mine as she turned to look back at Tyler and Joshua.
“Besides, he hasn’t even told you the entirety of the story yet.”
“There’s more?” Tyler asked, wide-eyed.
“A hell of a lot more,” I responded.
“Do tell.”
Deborah turned back to me. “Might as well finish this part of the story.”
I nodded and began telling them about how I finally came into power at Townsend Industries, and the repercussions that move brought about.
****
Then
Robert
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Rick questioned me as we sat across from one another at the diner.
I lifted an eyebrow. “You have doubts?”
He blew out a breath, shaking his head as if something was weighing heavily on him. “Some.” He leaned in. “We got the guys behind the leaks. It’s been in the papers the machinations of John Lassiter and his son who ran away to Europe. That’s all wrapped up in a pretty little bow. And, between me and you, we know your father knew John was behind these leaks but didn’t want to jeopardize his position so he sat on the information for longer than necessary. You take that to the board and they’ll oust him and move you in as CEO.”
I nodded as Rick laid out the plan as we had already discussed. However, his mind was still working. He believed there was more, so I remained silent until he spoke again. I was learning Rick was intelligent enough to not verbalize his concerns until he was certain there was an issue to be concerned about.
“Your father. It’s not adding up why he didn’t oust John himself. Sure, John could’ve then started talking about the shakedowns he helped take part in, but that explanation doesn’t feel right. There’s something deeper going on.”
