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“Please. Take charge,” I said. “I’d love nothing better.”
“I would if I could,” he said, “but you heard the attorney. We do it Dad’s way, or it all gets sold off.”
“Then let’s sell it off,” I said. “The four of us split the profit. Sounds good to me.”
“Weren’t you listening at all?” Riley said.
Hell, no. I’d been dreaming of fucking Lacey Ward. A dream I’d just made a reality…and I wanted to repeat it. Badly.
“The proceeds from the company and all the real estate go to charity,” Lacey said.
“For God’s sake,” I said. “Which charity? The Wolfe Foundation?”
“No. Your father figured if he left it to his own foundation, the four of you would find a way around his will. It will go to The Coalition for the Homeless.”
Reid led out a sarcastic laugh. “Dad hated the homeless. Thought they were all losers.”
“He’d rather give losers his fortune than his own kids,” I said, scoffing. “Unbelievable.”
“He is willing to give it to his kids,” Lacey said. “As long as you take your place here. Look at it this way. Your father wanted you back in the family business. Back in the family fold.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “That bastard never once tried to contact me after I left the state. He hated me, and he knew I’d hate this. He put me in the position of making or breaking everything for my brothers and sister. If I do what I want, my siblings lose. This was his last laugh. He didn’t do it to get me back in the family fold. He did it to punish me, and I hate him for it.”
“You can’t hate a dead man, Rock,” my brother Roy said.
Roy was usually quiet. This was only the second time I’d heard him speak since I got to town.
“Yes, I can, Roy. I’ll hate him until the day I die and every day after that too.”
“Turn the tables on him, then,” Lacey said. “Become CEO of the company and do a better job than he ever did.”
Reid laughed again, and I darted him a stink eye.
“Come on, Rock,” he said. “You don’t know anything about running a business.”
“He’s right,” I said to Lacey. “I don’t know anything about it, and I don’t want to know.”
“You’re going to have to, or you’re all screwed.”
I didn’t give a shit if I was screwed. I didn’t want anything from Derek Wolfe. But my siblings deserved better. I turned to Reid. “Will you help me?”
He nodded. “Not like I have a choice.”
“Great. Then I’ll be the CEO in name only, and you can run the fucking business.”
“No,” Lacey said. “You need to be involved in day-to-day operations. It’s—”
“In the fucking will. Christ.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “Fine. I’ll do it, but only so the three of you aren’t screwed. The only one who’s screwed here is me, and that’s exactly how the fucker wanted it.” I signaled the waitress. “Another round here.”
“Count me out,” Lacey said. “I have to get back up to the office.”
“Hell, no. You’re done for the day.”
“Uh…no, I’m not.”
“You want me to do this? To become CEO of my father’s corporation? Then you’re going to help me.”
“I’m happy to help in any way I can, but I’m a trusts and estates attorney, not a corporate attorney. I don’t have the knowledge or resources to help with this. The company has a full legal staff. They’ll be able—”
“I want you.”
“Rock,” Reid began.
“You heard me. If that bastard is going to control me from beyond the grave, I will at least have the staff I want. You, Lacey Ward, will be my personal counsel. I’ll double whatever you’re making at the firm.”
She reddened. “I’m not qualified—”
“You’ll learn.”
“Rock,” Reid said again. “This isn’t helping. We have a great legal staff, and I’ll show you the way around the company.”
“That’s right. You’ll be the COO, Reid. Chief operating officer. That’s who really does all the work anyway, right? Did our esteemed father issue any other edicts?” I nodded to Lacey. “What about Roy and Riley? Are they mandated to be involved?”
She shook her head. “The only mandate is that you head up the company and take a day-to-day role.”
“So if I do this, Roy and Riley can do whatever the fuck they want with their lives and still get their quarter share of everything?”
“That’s correct,” Lacey said.
“That asshole.” I downed my second bourbon.
“None of us are happy about this,” Riley said. “If you want…I’ll stop modeling and work for the company. I’ll do my share.”
I eyed my baby sister. She was beautiful, a female version of Roy, who was considered the best looking of the Wolfe brothers. And she had a successful career ahead of her as a model. I couldn’t take that away from her. Not after what she’d been through, what I’d tried like hell to protect her from. She hadn’t seen me in over a decade, but she was willing to make a sacrifice for me. I always knew I’d done the right thing all those years ago, trying to protect her, but her selfless gesture further cemented it.
