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“The man at the end of the table is Jason Calloway, known as Storm. I’m told you two have already met.”
I leaned over and shook the man’s hands. “Hi Jason. I had planned on visiting you while I was here.”
The beautiful man winked. “Doors always open Linsey.”
“And this old bastard doesn’t need any introduction.”
Turning, I smiled brightly as I released Vicious’ hand and jumped into a set of arms I hadn’t seen in years. “Grandpa!”
“My baby girl,” he cooed, holding me tight. “God, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Where have you been? I needed you. I still need you.” My arms tightened around him as I cried.
“I’m here now, sweet girl. Ain’t going nowhere again.”
“Linsey, there are a lot of things you don’t know about your family, the company and, well, us, for that matter. That’s why I had Vicious bring you here, so we could explain everything.”
Releasing my grandpa, I looked about the room at men, most I already knew, but something interesting caught my eye. Looking at the wall behind Montana, I saw an emblem. Not just any emblem. A reaper consuming a soul. It was a distinct emblem, one I’d only seen only a few times in my life. Even living in Denver, I knew that emblem, or should I say patch. They were like the Golden Skulls, but not. They were bigger, stronger, more dangerous. Feared. I looked at the men before me standing stock still, saying nothing, waiting for me to either condemn or accept them. Even Vicious said nothing. I now understood. Well, at least I thought I did. Vicious wasn’t wearing his Golden Skulls cut out of respect for Montana. He wasn’t wearing it because he was no longer a brother of the Golden Skulls. He gave up his allegiance to them to protect me. “You are the Soulless Sinners.”
“Yes,” Montana said, stepping closer, “and we would appreciate it very much if you would never say that aloud in public. Our anonymity is particularly important to us, some more than others,” he said. Looking back at Malice, I understood what he was saying. If the world ever got wind of who these men really were, their lives would be over. They weren’t just big businessmen. They were Soulless Sinners. That knowledge alone was enough to condemn them all to hell.
“Please take a seat Linsey. We have a lot to discuss.”
Sitting between Vicious and my grandpa, I listened as Montana began, “Linsey, there is a lot to go over but I think for you to truly understand what you are facing, you need to listen to your grandfather first.”
Looking at my grandpa, I reached for Vicious’ hand.
“Baby girl. I never wanted to leave you or your mother. Please believe that, but there are things that the board of directors has been keeping from you girls. My wife and your mother have been fighting the board for years because certain board members want to do away with the legacy clause. And when your mother and grandmother shot them down, they killed them.”
“What?”
“As you know, the legacy clause states that upon the death of the heir, the spare will assume control, but nowhere does it say what will happen if something happens to the spare. Someone within the board has systematically and patiently been removing any claim to Duchene International. The threat to you is real. If they kill you, my grandbabies will go to the company and the board will appoint a custodian. If that happens, my grandbabies will disappear and the board will take over Duchene International. Certain board members want control of Duchene International. They never liked that one person, the heir, controlled all the power.”
“The heir is only three years old, grandpa. The company falls on my shoulders. I’m the spare. The regent to Adrianna until she comes of age. Besides, I’ve already updated my will. If something happens to me, the girls go to Vicious.”
“What?” Vicious shouted, sitting up. “When did you do that?”
Smirking, I whispered, “When you gave up your bedroom to me back in Tennessee. I don’t know why I did it. It just felt like the right thing to do. I saw how you were with Elizabeth. You are such a wonderful father. I knew you would protect my nieces.”
“It won’t matter, Linsey,” Montana stated, leaning forward. “Everyone in this room has gone over the bylaws of Duchene International. Nowhere does it say that you have the power to direct the heir to anyone. In fact, it clearly states that if no suitable regent is available to the heir, the company may appoint a person of their choosing as regent.”
I shook my head. “No. That’s impossible. Mother would never allow that. Neither would Davina. I’d rather give the girls up for adoption before I allowed the board to decide their fate. I’m not Davina. I never wanted this crap. I don’t want to be regent and I sure as hell don’t like the idea that Adrianna’s life is not her own. She’s a little girl. She has the right to choose. I won’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”
“Fury, it’s time. She needs to know,” Montana said, looking at the man that looked remarkably familiar to me. I said nothing as he nodded.
“Your sister was doing just that,” Fury added. “That was why she was in town for the Met Gala. It wasn’t for fun. We were talking to her about her options for the company. She agreed with you. She didn’t want to burden her daughters with the same legacy. Only someone found out what she was planning. You should also know that her husband, Peter Blackwell, is not the biological father of her girls.”
“Excuse me?” I gasped, as I stared at the man, then asked, “What are you saying? Who is the girl’s father?”
“I am,” Fury admitted, carefully holding up his hand before I could say anything else. “Davina never loved Peter. She only married him because the board found him suitable. When she didn’t get pregnant right away, the board insisted on testing. Only Peter refused, saying that nothing was wrong with him. That the problem lay with Davina. Davina knew that Peter only married her for the money. So, to make damn sure Peter never got a dime, Davina came to me and asked me for a favor.”
“Oh God,” I gasped, as the implication of what he was telling me rattled around in my head. I didn’t want to believe it. I knew Davina wasn’t happy with Peter, that they fought all the time, but my sister would never have an affair. She would have told me. We never kept secrets from each other. We told each other everything.
“And before you ask, I have no intention of ever interfering in their lives. I may have donated half of their DNA but I am not their father. I am not ashamed of what I did. Linsey, I cared for Davina and only wanted to help. If I’d known what would happen, I would have taken her away from that bastard. However, if the board succeeds in doing what they have planned, I will stand up in court and claim those girls as my own. The board may think they can push you around, but I’d like to see them try that shit with me.”
The information overload was too much. I couldn’t concentrate on anything anymore. The board was trying to kill off my family. My sister lied to me and had an affair with one of the wealthiest men in New York City, systematically getting pregnant three times by that man. Someone wanted me dead. The board wanted me controlled and under their thumb and a man I once admired and loved was alive and well. I couldn’t do this anymore.
Slowly getting to my feet, I whispered, “I need a minute.”
