Page 156 of Love Unspoken

"You'll lose your job, son."

Hugh obviously had no sense of self-preservation. He was one of those entitled rich white men who thought he had more influence than he did.

"I don't give a shit," I informed him. I had enough money in trusts to live several lifetimes, never worrying about a thing. "In fact, get someone else to do that thankless job. I'm sure the board will thank you for relieving me from my duties."

The board had a significant financial interest in LPC, and there was no way they'd want to lose the CEO who had brought so much prosperity to the company and increased their investment considerably. Hugh was living in some fantasy land where he thought he could threaten me.

Mama stood up and walked to me. She put a hand on my cheek. "Lucas, honey"

I stepped away from her touch. "Mama, I need you to listen to me carefully. My relationships are none of your business. They're not Covington family business. Don't interfere in my life again."

She gasped, and I knew she was shocked. I never spoke to my mother this way. I was the polite son, the considerate one who kept everyone happy. What had it gotten me? I was one unhappy son of a bitch who drank at night so he could sleep and worked all day so he'd be too tired to think about the woman he loved and lost.

"You both should go." I walked out of the living room toward the front door.

Hugh and Mama followed.

Hugh was angry. Mama was hurt, wiping tears. I hated hurting her; hell, I hated hurting anyone, but in protecting my mother and sister, I had caused Amara pain time and again. I had to man up and point out bad behavior when I saw it and not excuse it.

Mama walked out of the house, but Hugh waited at the doorstep. He leaned closer. "Don't think you're better than me. I will destroy you."

"You know in the movies where they say if you wanna shoot, shoot, don't talk? If you wanna destroy me, go ahead and do it; just stop talking about it." I tucked my hands in my pockets to stop myself from punching him on his angular hawk nose. "Oh, and let Kath know that if she steps over the professional line by even a millimeter, I will fire her on grounds of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior."

I didn't wait for Hugh's response. I slammed the door shut on his face. Too bad he wasn't close enough to have gotten the heavy mahogany to knock him out.

I sat back on the couch and called the LPC General Counsel, Gene Lombardi.

"You in jail?"

I laughed. "No. Sorry, I know it's late."

"What's up?"

"Hugh is making a lot of noise that he's going to get me removed as CEO."

"Hugh is dreaming. The board members can vote you out if you go to jail—and someone can take over if you die, but outside of that, between Rena and you, your voting share is high enough that no one will fuck with you."

"Thanks, Gene."

"Why is Hugh being a hard ass?"

I sighed but didn't say anything.

"He's upset that you're not panting after Kath now that she got dumped by Mercer?"

I stilled. "She told me she left him because he was having an affair."

"Nah, man. He left her because he found out that…you really don't know?" Gene sounded perturbed by that.

"No."

"Well, I guess you wouldn't since you and Mercer probably haven't talked since."

Mercer had tried to reach out in the past, but I'd rebuffed him. He stole my girl, and I was pissed. Now, maybe I should send him some of those Cuban cigars he liked and say thank you.

"You guess right," I remarked.

"You know that he and Kath had a drunken one-night stand when y'all were together." I didn't, but I let him continue speaking. "She got pregnant."