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Fuck.
No way was he leaving Avery alone. Rohan would likely be at the board meeting. Gray had his hands full with a newborn. He dragged out his phone and dialed Lake.
The teenager picked up on the third ring. “Avery okay?”
“Yes… yes, he’s fine.”But I might not be.“I have an emergency at work… Can you come and sit with him while I take care of this? It hopefully won’t be more than a couple of hours.”
“Sure. I’ll grab a trolley.”
“No, no… I’ll have a car pick you up. Be ready in about ten to fifteen.”
“Okay.”
Once the call ended, he dialed his driver and got the car en route. Then he called another number. His brother’s.
No answer. Shit.
He knew full well that his brother was aware of the meeting and might be aware of what the emergency was. Vaughn always seemed to know things he had no business knowing. Of course, Wilder imagined it was all about him. Between his actions, which had caused them to lose business and vendors, and the time he’d been away, he realized his days as CEO were numbered. Maybe that was why Vaughn wasn’t answering.
Had they convinced him to step into Wilder’s shoes, after all?
A half hour later, he rushed toward his office, unshaven and wearing the same clothes he’d put on the day before. He likely looked like a vagrant to the employees he passed. Even his assistant gave him a double-take.
“What have you heard?” he asked as he approached Frey’s desk.
Frey jumped up and followed him into his office. “Rumors swirl that they’re voting you out. I'm unsure how true that is… I haven’t been here long enough, so my ins at the water cooler are limited.”
“I expected as much,” he said, opening the narrow closet where he kept a fresh suit in plastic for emergencies.
“Sir… you might want to shave before you change?”
Wilder reached up to the beard that Avery had enjoyed earlier. It needed a few more days to grow in correctly. He didn’t want to appear like a wild man before the board. He could always grow it out while he was looking for another job. Snatching his new electric razor from his drawer, he entered the bathroom and took too long shaving it off. When he was done, he gave himself a quick wash from the sink and changed into his suit. One last glance in the mirror and he realized nothing would hide the impact of the events over the last weeks. Dark rings circled his red-rimmed eyes. His face looked haggard, narrower. He hadn’t been eating well. It showed.
“So be it,” he said to his reflection.
He exited the bathroom, and Frey gave him a nod of approval. “Good luck.”
Wilder summoned a smile. From where, he wasn’t sure. He realized the board’s vote might affect Frey’s future. He had to find a way to protect his employee in some fashion if they ousted him from his position.
He kept the forced smile on his face as he walked the long hallway toward the conference room, even as he sensed he was approaching the guillotine. Giving a polite nod and the air of confidence to the handful of employees he passed, he acted as if nothing was wrong. There was no reason to add to the concern among the thousand employees under his leadership. Not before he learned which way the wind blew.
Pausing at the double doors, he took a cleansing breath before walking in.
The entire board had convened. Not included was Vaughn. Where had his brother gone?
“I was informed there’s a meeting. Assuming it might be about me?” Wilder said, eyeing the head of the table and his seat. His father was now seated in it. Unwilling to give in before their decision—hewasthe CEO until they voted—he strode toward the head and wheeled a chair to sit beside his father. “Is everyone here?”
“I asked your brother to be here,” Warden replied. “I couldn’t get ahold of him.”
Wilder frowned.
“Vaughn isn’t a member of the board,” Amberth Harris said. “We can begin without him.”
“But Vaughn sits in my stead if I am unavailable,” Warden remarked. “He has been sitting in on these meetings for months now. I would like for him to be here, so I can confer with him if needed.”
“No more stalling, Warden. It’s past time we held this vote, and you know it,” Amberth barked. He cast a glance around the table. “We're all aware of the game you’re playing here.”
Several of the other members murmured their agreement.
