“Axis Management is going to need a new department just for these hostile takeovers,” Ares said.
Xander glared at his brother. “Then we’ll make another department. Wearelosing the Personal Threat Assessment and Division department.”
“Yes, the bodyguard assets. I have that final bid right here. Just sign.” Alicia held out a pen and passed the document to Ares.
“Are you sure?” Ares asked.
Xander pushed his chair back and walked the length of the room. When he’d first started Axis Management, it was because he wanted to help people. He wanted to provide top-notch security services, across all different areas and hire the best people he could find. The bodyguards kept them afloat for their first years in business. The Mulberry Stevens’ case had brought so much business in, that it had helped to pay for this building. But he didn’t want to just guard celebrities. He wanted to rescue people who needed rescuing; he wanted to know the people who needed a highly trained team of former military personnel and needed those services could count on him, not to have his name highlighted in the press each time they took on a high-profile client.
Damn, he was going to miss the people. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Standing next to his brother, he scrawled his name and passed the paperwork back to Alicia.
“God help anyone who messes with you two,” Alicia said, pushing her chair up. “Anything else?”
“No.”
“See you later.” Alicia grinned and waved at them, as she strode out of the conference room.
“This doesn’t bring back Jordan,” Ares said.
“No, but I won’t have people fuck with us, Ares. I will destroy Dorian Martin. I will take everything his great grandfather built and make it as if that company never existed. He could have told Theo to fuck off; instead, he handed over his technology, either knowing what Theo was doing or not bothering to find out,” Xander said.
“The story about Theo being abusive to his paraplegic sister has been leaked. What did Harper say in her statement?”
“I don’t know,” Xander said.
“She’s such a strong woman. I don’t know how she has the strength to keep going.”
“I don’t know either, but I got to figure out who from her family is looking for her. I am not resting easy about that. So far Erik hasn’t turned up any leads about who that man is who filed the report.”
“What’s happening with the show she auditioned for? Is she going to go through with it?”
Xander shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Didn’t she come home with you last night? There’s a lot you don’t know about the woman you’ve looked after for all these years.”
Xander brought his fist down on the table. “Got a point here, Ares?”
“Yeah. Why did you walk out on Harper?”
“Because it was time. Because I am too old for her. I’m too Dom for her. Because I don’t want to break another woman to have her brother come at me years later, okay?”
Ares held his hands out. “Okay. I was only asking.”
Xander shook his head at him.
“We still haven’t figured out how Theo knew Team Stealth was there that day,” pointed out Ares.
“Working on it,” Xander said.
“Is this your new office, then? Should I have tech people bring down all your equipment? I mean, I’m sure it’s going to be hard not to see Harper every day.”
Nobody goaded him like his little brother. “I’m going to check on R&D. Want to come with me?”
“No. I trust that we are going to make a mint with SolCan. Thanks for letting me acquire.”
Xander shrugged. “It’s a good idea. We can’t always just rely on people.”
“You would know,” Ares said. “See you later.”
