“Okay, I get it.”Kiernan sighed heavily.“Just don’t lose who you are.”
“I’m not,” Grant snarled.
Kiernan’s brows lifted in question.
Grant drew a breath.He softened when he looked at his little brother.He always had.Kiernan was the only person Grant had ever trusted without question.They were a team.Every dollar Grant made helped them both.They shared everything.Grant was the face of the company, but Kiernan was just as important to the success of Pickens Systems Inc.Grant bounced all his ideas off his brother, and Kiernan shared his thoughts.They dreamed up the company together.Grant was the one who made it happen, but Kiernan was right there by his side for every step of it.
“We’ve both seen what happens when people lose sight of who they are,” Kiernan whispered.
The reminder of their mother was an unwelcome one.The woman never showed that she cared about either of them.Her priorities included drugs and alcohol and enough money to get both.She regularly spent all her money feeding her addictions instead of her sons, leaving Grant to steal food to keep him and his brother alive.
But he shielded Kiernan from most of that.He never wanted his little brother to know how bad things were.It made everything harder when their mother finally died, though.Kiernan was lost in his grief, unable to process the lifetime of addiction and mental illness that finally claimed her.Grant was relieved with one less mouth to feed and two less addictions to cater to, but Kiernan was crushed.
It didn’t matter that it had been two decades since she died, the little boy who lost his mother still ached when he thought of her.Grant could see the pain on Kiernan’s face.Pain Grant had never known.“I’m not like her.”
Kiernan held his brother’s gaze for far too long.
Grant resisted the urge to shift in his seat, afraid of what his brother was seeing reflected in his matching eyes.
Kiernan finally tore his gaze away and stood.“Want me to take care of Paul?”
Grant shook his head.His brother wouldn’t have the guts to do what needed to be done.Grant wouldn’t hesitate to make the tough call, and he needed to protect his brother from that truth.“I’ll deal with Paul.You check in with Roger.”
Kiernan nodded.“Okay.”
Grant watched as his brother let himself out of the office.When the door closed silently behind Kiernan, Grant swallowed his groan.He hated keeping things from Kiernan, but he was still too sensitive.Too good.Grant knew when lines needed to be crossed and didn’t think twice about crossing them.But Kiernan couldn’t handle it.Kiernan was the good one.
Grant thought back over his morning and the woman he met.He was sure Harmony Gibbs was involved.She went on a research trip a few months ago, putting her right in the middle of the region of South Africa where the mine was.His research made it appear she was working for his partners.Ex-partners.
Either she was a really good liar or she was innocent.Either way, Grant wasn’t sure he could risk one and believe the other.
What were the chances she was the one who saw Kiernan, Roger, and Paul breaking in?They planned every step of the whole thing to minimize exposure.
It didn’t feel like a coincidence that she was there.They were later than planned, but it felt like a setup.Like she was there to catch the whole thing and grab more of his money.And she did.She didn’t get the diamonds, but she got a million dollars from him.
Grant needed to find out more about the woman in the middle of his plans.Who was she really?And what did she know?
He unlocked his desk and pulled out the phone that only had one number stored in it.
“Yeah.”
“I need information about Harmony Gibbs.”
“The witness?”
“Yes.Everything you can dig up.Dig deep.”
“Yes, sir.Anything else?”
“Paul is thinking of talking.Change his mind.”
“On it.”
Grant hung up the phone.He made sure it was on silent and locked it back in the hidden desk drawer.
As soon as he knew Harmony Gibbs wasn’t going to cause more problems for him, Grant would reach out to his buyer and confirm delivery.Then he would sit back and collect his millions.
And enjoy his revenge.
