This was a joke, right?
That’s what I wanted to say, but instead, I forced an equally plastic smile on my face. These kinds of people couldn’t see you weak; they would exploit it.
“I’m doing great, considering I found my father’s head blown to pieces like confetti in his office a week ago.”
The woman didn’t even blink as she nodded her head. Like all of this was small talk. “I heard the news. Your brothers have been having a rough go at it. Would you like me to walk you up?”
I shook my head. “No, I can get to their office on my own, thanks.” It took every ounce of willpower tonotpunch the elevator button.
My brothers’ firm was on the fiftieth floor. I didn’t know what happened on the other floors, and I didn’t know if I wanted to. The golden elevator doors dinged open, and I was let out into an extravagant sitting area. The door was barely left ajar, which told me they were in a meeting with someone else. I sat on the edge of the couch, pressed up against the dark green walls, and folded the stack of papers in my lap.They wanted totalk numbers,they’d said when they called me the previous day. Wanted to make sure I was settling in on my money okay. But Jacob’s voice had been tight, and Jones sounded bored. There was something else they wanted to discuss.
I didn’t usually care about the business dealings they got caught up in, and keeping my head in the sand had only done me favors, but when I heard my name, I tilted my head towards their doors. They had to know I was here, right?
“Poppy doesn’t need protection,” Jones scoffed, and his chair creaked as I was sure he was repositioning himself behind one of the desks in there. “Mrs. Cristof, you have to understand, Poppy hasn’t caught anyone’s eye.”
Mrs. Cristof?
She cleared her throat. “You misunderstand, then. Poppy is now a multi-billionaire, Mr. Fairchild. Your father had a hit on his head. Now he’s gone.” There was a pause. “You have amped up your security, I’ve noticed, but you do not worry over your own sister who just inherited a small fortune?”
It was Jacob’s turn to chuckle. “All of that will be taken care of soon enough; you both don’t need to worry. She is going to be in good hands.”
Good hands? What did that mean? What were they planning?
“We don’t want payment, but we would like to ensure that she stays protected. She’s a sweet girl. We would hate for something to happen to her,” another woman’s voice chimed in. “All we ask is that you think about it. She issingle, worth billions, and has a brain within her head. She will be a target, if she isn’t already.”
“Who would you assign to her? You have private security, I’m guessing?” Jacob asked.
“We have someone who would protect her with his life. He is special forces and has an impressive roster.”
Jones clicked his tongue like he always does when he’s getting annoyed. “We will consider it. Thank you both for coming; the proposal was a nice touch, and so was the thoughtfulness to our sister.” Both desk chairs squeaked as I imagined my brothers dismissing the women by standing.
One of the women laughed. “You misunderstand. The proposal is only on the table if you accept that Poppy is looked after.”
Something smacked one of the desks. “Why do you two care so much?”
Mrs. Cristof answered, “We had dealings with your father, as does our son. You’d been mindful to remember that we make sure things aretaken care of.”
“Have a wonderful evening, boys.” The other woman practically sneered as the doors were opened by two heavily armed men I’d never seen before.
I blinked in surprise as two older, sophisticated women walked out of my brother's office. One wore a white fur coat and heels that looked incredibly too high for her age, and the other wore more sensible shoes, but her dark brown fur coat dragged on the ground behind her. They were not little old ladies. They were forces to be reckoned with. They were a storm brewing as they set their sights on me. One of themsmiled at me with all of her teeth, her red lipstick a stark contrast to her creamy complexion. “Poppy Fairchild, what a pleasure.”
The other woman regarded me with a raised silver brow. “We will be seeing you.”
And before I could respond, they were gone in the elevator and I was being ushered into the office that my brothers shared. Jones was pinching the bridge of his nose, and Jacob was standing by the massive windows behind their desk. He had his hands shoved into his pockets.
“Do I need to come back another day?”
Jones sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “No, you are right on time. We just went over a bit. That meeting took an unexpected turn.”
I nodded my head, not wanting to give anything away. It would do nothing. They didn’t need to know that I’d overheard all of that; it would complicate things, and I so desperately wanted normal. I knew it was far-fetched, especially after eavesdropping but I could at least pretend.Maybe.
“You wanted to see me about my financials?” After overhearing what I did, I didn’t feel so inclined to share. I was glad I’d folded up the papers so the numbers weren’t visible. I’d never trusted my brothers before; I didn’t know why I would think anything had changed now.
Jacob turned away from the window and raked his fingers through his dark hair that was now streaked with silver. He’d always been so meticulous about covering up. I wondered what changed.
“Yes and no.”
My gaze bounced between the two of them. Though they were barely a year apart, you couldn’t tell. Besides Jones not having silver in his hair, they looked identical. The only difference was that Jones’s shoulders turned in slightly, and Jacob was more confident in his stance. Their dark eyes watched me.
