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He pauses trying to come up with a response. "Heh. Well, I guess I could try to hit the company gym more than once a year."
He's so dumb, he doesn't even know that I'm mocking him.
"What do you want, Gerald?"
"Gerald! Remember when you used to call me Uncle Gerry?"
"I'd rather not. Look, I'm about to start a meet—"
"You can't take a minute to talk to your boss?" he interrupts.
My teeth gnash so loudly, I'm sure he can hear me. Your boss. That's the phrase he likes to throw around when he's feeling like we've got the upper hand, whether it's because he can't understand what we're trying to explain about a business report, or when he thinks someone else in the conversation prefers us to him.
"What would my boss like to talk to me about?" I say, dripping with condescension.
"Well, I was just wondering, last week you mentioned that you were working on making a deal with Yin Tech about Watch. Any update on that?"
I curse my past self for having brought it up before something was set in stone. "When I have one to give you, you'll get it."
He clicks his tongue. "Yin Tech is an ally of Baxter. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
“I’m more than aware of Yin Tech’s relationship to Baxter. It’s my relationship. I am the Baxter to whom Nathan Yin has the relationship.”
“Yes, well, it’s more than just your little friendship with Nathan Yin. We have other networks with them. Like the one that tells me that Yin Tech is more than willing to sell Watch. So, if you can’t make this happen, whose fault is that going to be? Not one that the board is going to take too well, I think.”
It’s good he’s on the other side of the phone or else I’d lodge my phone right up his ass. “Is that a threat?” I hiss. I know without an ounce of doubt that it was, but there’s something about making it clear to him that we always know what he’s doing.
“Not at all,” he says, with a voice thick with sarcasm. “It's just a little friendly reminder from your dear ol' uncle."
I've never wished more that Dad was an only child.
"Well, I think you can imagine what I'm going to do with that unsolicited reminder, Uncle," I add, matching him for sarcasm. I'm the youngest Baxter brother, and if he thinks he should be aiming for me to be the weak link then he doesn't know a damn thing about us. I'm the one who doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks, in or out of the business. And the one who will defend his brothers with his last breath because I know they would all do the same for me.
"Okay, well, that's all I wanted to say. What meeting are you having now?"
"Read your fucking memos for once," I snap and hang up the phone, fumes threatening to waft out of my ears
The conversation was worse than I had expected. I don't know who his source is at Yin Tech, and I am going to have to do some digging, but he was obviously angling to swoop in and rip the acquisition right out of my hands.
Over my dead fucking rotting, stinking body.
Watch is my baby, and the only reason I want to bring it under the Baxter umbrella is because I need the capital to take it to the stratosphere. But it will still be under my control. And if the board doesn't agree to that, then I will sell every organ I have, to keep it for myself.
The cab stops outside my apartment building and I tuck a wad of notes into the driver's hand and jump out of the cab. Despite the heat prickling my skin, I shiver, the lingering effects of my conversation with Gerry still trickling through my veins like liquid hydrogen. He's a piece of work.
We are going to have to keep an eye on him.
Just another thing to worry about.
sixteen
Kiara
I don't know how long I'm standing outside my apartment holding Kylian's car key in my hand after he turns the corner and I can no longer see him. His words, however, echo in my brain over and over like a broken record, singing my favorite song ever.
I had never thought that him sharing our inexplicable attraction that night in London had been anything but physical, and that what had happened the other day had been anything but him wrapping up unfinished business, a boost to his male ego, or a little combination of both. I had never thought that he'd wanted anything more to do with me than some bragging rights. But to say what he just did… everything has changed. Every cell in my body had screamed to grab his hand to stop him from leaving.
And now he was gone.
