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“I spent a lifetime doing this job.” His father caressed his chest. “I wouldn’t take me more than a week to set it straight.”
“Okay.” Wilder smiled. “Remember that you spent a life building this company. No, not a company… a legacy. Who the hell are you handing that legacy to?”
Awkward silence filled the office. His parents looked at one another, but did not answer his question. Wilder rounded the desk and strode out.
He hadn’t made it past Frey’s empty desk when he heard,“Wilder!”
He froze. Turning to see his father at the doorway, he lifted his chin, ready to take the emotional blow if it came.
“The chair’s yours.For now.”He paused. He rubbed his chest again, frowning. “I can’t tell how the rest of the board will react… but I’ll try to smooth feathers.”
Another grand‘fuck you’lingered behind his lips, yet—he had Avery and his child to consider. He’d made promises. Promises he intended to keep. “Thank… you?”
“Don’t drive my company into the ground.”
“Interesting. Given that your father’s father started it, I’d always seen it as afamilycompany.” Wilder eyed his father before retreating to find his brother.
Vaughn was already packing his desk.
Wilder rapped on the door to get his attention. “He’s not firing me. For now. No idea what the board might do.”
Vaughn stopped what he was doing, staring. “I’m ready to go. Do my own thing, outside of this ancestral bullshit.”
“Can I be selfish?”
Vaughn paused, eyeing him.
“I need you here,” Wilder said. “Although, Iamsurprised to learn you begged our father to allow you to run things.”
Vaughn smiled wickedly. “Hey, that was before we had our little talk.”
“That one talk changed everything?” Was his brother making a power play? Could he truly trust Vaughn?
Vaughn shrugged, the deviousness lifting from his face. “Did one talk change everything? No. But getting all that out in the open… it was a start. The only way we can build a relationship as brothers is to stand up for each other when it counts.”
“Okay.” He eyed his brother. The words sounded good, but he needed more. “Do you think you might run this company better than I could?”
“At times, I think my way is better. You likely think the same thing about the way I managed the team in your absence. We have different styles, that’s all.” Vaughn smiled wanly. “Our talk simply opened a door. Allowing us to try this brotherhood thing a different way than we always have.”
Wilder nodded. “I like to think you’re right.”
Vaughn dropped into his chair and sighed. “I’ll stay for as long as this ride lasts. Fuck the board. They can take it if they want.”
Wilder was stunned to hear his brother say that. “Were you serious about us starting something new? I mean… you just said we have such different styles.”
“I don’t know. I think I wanted to scare the old man. Shake him up.” Vaughn grinned. “They could use a little shaking up in their lives.”
“True.”
Vaughn spun his chair from side to side, watching him intently. “You know… we could. If this all goes to shit. Start something on our own. We might be different, but perhaps that might work to our advantage.” Vaughn’s smile grew. “But I’d be the CEO.”
“Oh?”
“Of course. You need a big picture guy in that chair.”
“Or maybe,” Wilder murmured. “Knowing there's someone I can trust at my side… might allow me to view that big picture better?”
Vaughn chuckled lightly. “Maybe.”
