AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Considering his request, the words tumbled out of my mouth. “Upon the death of the Duchene, the spare will step in and take the place of the Duchene until such time as the heir comes of age. The spare is responsible for the continuation of Duchene International and all its subsidiaries along with the care and well-being of the heir until the heir reaches the age of eighteen. Oh god. I have to run the company.”
Vicious nodded as he allowed me to remember my training. I mean, I knew what I was supposed to do about the children, but I totally forgot about Duchene International. The company technically ran itself, except for one department.
The contract with the Lapidaries.
It was the Duchene’s job to oversee and handpick gemstones that the company would gift to certain heads of states around the world. It was a time-honored tradition. Davy was working closely with two Lapidaries for this year’s gift before she died.
“I mean, on some level I knew. Mother trained me alongside Davy my whole life. I just never thought. I mean, I knew subconsciously when Davy died, everything landed on me, but I concentrated on the girls. They needed me more than the company. How can I run a company I never really cared about and take care of three little girls? They need me more. I don’t have time to run the company. I don’t want to.”
“It’s not that simple Linsey,” Vicious stated, leaning close covering his hands with mine. “This goes beyond what you want and you know it. This is about your family’s legacy. Adrianna’s legacy that she will someday inherit.”
“But I don’t want it!” I shouted, getting to my feet, “I never did. That was Davina’s legacy. Not mine. I’m just a schoolteacher, a nanny who wants a family of her own. I don’t want to run a multi-billion-dollar company. And we don’t know what Adrianna will want when she grows up. She may not even want the company. That’s why I distanced myself from all this crap. I thought the legacy was a burden. Full of crap. My sister wasn’t given a choice how her life was going to go and it killed her. I won’t do that to Adrianna or the other girls. They will have a choice and if they decide to walk away from the company, I will support them.”
“You have every right to believe and think that Linsey, but for now, you have limited options. The regent of the Duchene is you. You must protect yourself and the girls. To do that, you must return to New York City. While there, only you can make the changes you desire, but understand that it will upset many people. People who are already angry that you are in control. The fact of the matter is you have a bullseye on your back and until you do whatever it is you want to do, there are people out there who will try to stop you using any means necessary. You and the girls need to be protected, and the Golden Skulls can’t provide the type of protection you will need.”
“You are asking me to walk those girls into the Viper’s Den.”
“Yes, I am, only this time you will have the protection and support you need.”
“How?”
“For starters, Elizabeth and I will go with you to New York. Second, I will assume my place once more in my grandfather’s company. Van Otto Lapidary will once again become the sole lapidary for Duchene International. In doing so, I will work side-by-side with you, not only in a business aspect but also as your personal bodyguard along with a few others of my choosing. You and the girls will be safe.”
“You want to leave the Golden Skulls?”
“It’s not about what I want at the moment. It’s about what I must do. I got word that I’m the owner of my grandfather’s company once more. Like you, I have no choice in the matter. I made a promise to my grandfather and I will never go back on my word. So, I can’t stay either.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t.”
“This is all too much,” I whispered, taking a seat once more. My head was spinning with everything that Vicious had just said. I didn’t want to believe him, but I knew he was right. If I stayed here, I wouldn’t be able to run the company. I wouldn’t be able to institute any kind of change so Adrianna could have a future of her choosing. In the end, the girls and I were wealthy. There was no way to ignore that fact. I didn’t need to have it spelled out for me. I knew what certain people would do for the kind of wealth I had. Money meant squat to me, but I had seen firsthand what greed could do. I didn’t want that kind of life for the girls. Maybe Vicious was right. Maybe we would be safer in New York City. The last time I lived there, I was still young. I remembered my mother and father showing Davina and me around the company and all the fun places they took us to.
In New York City, I could still give the girls the life I dreamed of for them while adhering to my responsibilities to the company. Protection would be paramount and that meant I would once again have to trust Vicious. That was going to be hard to do, knowing how he felt about me. I heard him clearly. He wanted nothing to do with me. Looking at the man now, I still didn’t know what to make of him. I found it hard to believe that a man could completely change his mind in a matter of days. One minute he was loudly shouting his disdain for me and now he wanted to whisk me and the girls off to New York City to protect us. I didn’t buy it. If he thought I was some obligation, some penance for his words, then I needed to let him off the hook.
“You don’t have to follow. I understand the severity of the situation. The company contracts with a security firm. I can use them to protect me and the girls. I don’t need your help.”
“I wasn’t offering Linsey. You and I are going. I will be by your side every day until I settle this matter. You and the girls will be safe. I guarantee it.”
“You hate me. You said it clearly the other day. I’m sorry Vicious, but I find it extremely hard to believe that you’ve changed your mind so fast. I may not be worldly, but I understand words and their meanings. You were very clear. While I appreciate your need to help, I must decline. As you said, I am the spare. It is my job to look after, to care for and to protect the heir of Duchene International. I have never shirked my responsibilities and I won’t start now,” I stated, rising to my feet before finishing, “So, no. I don’t need or require any help from you. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have arrangements and a trip to pack for.”
Ten
Vicious
“You’re acting like a little bitch.”
I narrowed my eyes at the fucker sitting in the chair behind me. It wasn’t him standing on this pedestal, getting poked and prodded with pins as the fucking tailor fitted him for a fucking suit. Instead, he was sitting in a comfortable chair, thumbing through the New York Times paper, wearing comfortable jeans and a t-shirt.
I’ve been in New York City now for close to two weeks. Linsey wasted no time after the impromptu meeting and had the girls packed and ready by morning. When a driver showed up at the gate causing all kinds of problems, it was Remi who eventually intervened, saying that Linsey was a grown ass woman and capable of making her own decisions. Though several of the brothers hated the idea, when I recognized the driver, I didn’t stop her from leaving. I wasn’t sure how that bastard knew, but I had to give him props. He moved fast.
Reaper was right about their only being one particular person in New York City with the capabilities to protect Linsey and the girls and I knew the man personally. A bastard to the core, there wasn’t a motherfucker alive in the big apple who didn’t know the name Montana Stone. What made him a cut above the rest was that only a very few knew that Montana Stone was also the President of the Soulless Sinners Motorcycle Club.
The Soulless Sinners Motorcycle Club was an eclectic bunch of brothers, each with a certain set of skills that set them and the club apart from everyone else. Not only were the Soulless Sinners different from every biker club I knew, but they were also businessmen to the core. It just so happened that Montana and I were sort of friends. Mainly, he wanted me to join his M.C. and stop being a nomad. I knew when I called him a month ago when Reaper went on his bender that I inadvertently pissed him off, but if he was still angry, I’d never know it. The fucker was good at hiding everything, even his anger.
“I could have just gone to Nordstroms.”
The tailor stopped what he was doing as he looked up at me, disgust written all over his face. Bastard looked like he just swallowed three-day-old rotten fish. I got it. Fucker wanted the sale. The chance to fit and dress the new owner of Van Otto Lapidary. Prestige was everything to people in this fucking city. Appearances mattered.
