“After spending three days in a Turkish prison, I vowed to never step foot in that country again,” said Chase.
“How many times are you going to tell that story?” asked Justin. He rejoined the conversation and placed his phone faced down on the table.
“Hey, don’t fault me because I’ve led an exciting life.”
“Ladies, Chase was not thrown behind bars because they mistook him for a notorious jewel thief, it was because he had gotten into a drunken bar fight.”
“Okay, so I embellished a little.” He shrugged, followed by a smile.
“A little?” Meg laughed.
“Only for entertainment purposes.” They all laughed.
Chase turned to Meg and whispered in her ear as Justin and Ava looked on. “Do you guys mind if I speak to Meghan inside?”
Justin shook his head. “Sure, go ahead. We’ll entertain ourselves.” He watched as they pushed their chairs away from the table and disappear indoors. “Do you think they’re going upstairs?” he asked Ava.
“Oh yeah, they’re totally headed for her room.” She smiled.
“Since we’re alone, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay, why the serious tone?”
He let out a breath. “I received a text from Tom Meyers. They moved up the meeting.”
“To when?”
“Monday.”
“Wow! So soon.”
“If Tom follows through on our plan, this feud between my father and me will escalate fast.”
“Any regrets?”
“None. My father didn’t get to where he is without control over everyone and everything around him. He’s accustomed to using his name and wealth to intimidate people into doing what he wants. I accepted it, and at times benefited from his actions. What he doesn’t know is he made a crucial mistake when he tried to eradicate you from my life with those same intimidation tactics. A mistake that’s about to cost him dearly.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Without a second thought, Justin stood in front of his dressing room mirror and adjusted his collar over his tie. It’s something he has done hundreds of times. He would pick out his suit, along with a coordinating tie and sometimes a pocket square. Nothing that required a contemplating thought. But today was different. He deliberately chose the blue and gray Stefano Ricci silk tie. His father had gifted it to him the day of the opening of his first hotel. When his father handed him the gift-wrapped box, he’d said every successful businessman owns at least one insanely expensive tie. In a closet full of hand-tailored suits and hand-crafted Italian leather shoes, it’s the tie that represents power and class and separates you from everyone else. Justin didn’t believe any of his logic, he only thought it was a nice tie.
He formed a knot in the medallion-designed tie, adjusting it, so he didn’t feel as if he was in a chokehold. Justin gave himself one last once-over before he grabbed his briefcase and headed downstairs. The sound of the blender crumbling ice cubes grated in his ears. In the kitchen, Ava stood at the counter filling his travel mug with a kale smoothie. He placed his briefcase on the kitchen island and slid his arms around her waist from behind.
“Oh!” She almost jumped out of her skin. “How is it you always manage to sneak up on me?” she asked.
He moved her hair off to one side and placed a single kiss on her neck. “Because you prance around with those earbuds in your ear. What are you listening to?”
She turned around, removing the wireless buds. “A stock market podcast for beginners.”
“That sounds interesting. Has Meg left for the airport?”
“Yes, I offered to call her car, but she said Chase had offered to give her a ride. Something is definitely happening between them.”
“They’re two consenting adults, therefore I’m minding my business.” His thoughts moved to the day ahead as he placed the lid on his mug.
“How are you? You tossed and turned most of the night.”
Justin released a sharp exhale. “It’s not a good feeling knowing I’ve put something into motion that will hurt my father. But he left me no choice.”
Ava’s soft eyes lingered on him. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she took him into her arms and embraced him with a hug. “Whatever happens, I’ll have your back.”
“Thanks, babe.” He pulled away and kissed her cheek. “I have to get going.”
“Maybe you should work from home. We can wait for the news together.”
He stroked her left cheek. “As much as I would love to stay home with you, I have a teleconference scheduled and pending contracts from legal that requires my signature. I’ll call you the moment I hear from Tom.”
Justin’s thoughts raced as he waited for the red light to turn green. His next move had to be executed perfectly, but first, he had to make sure Tom hadn’t gotten cold feet. “Call Tom Meyers,” he said to his car’s bluetooth system. Seconds later, the sound of a ringing phone filled the cabin of the car. “Hello?”
“Tom, it’s Justin. I wanted to touch base and make sure you’re still on board.”
“I’ve already reached out to the other committee members, and they understand what needs to be done. We shouldn’t say anything further unless we’re in person.”
“Understood. One question before you hang up. Have you seen my father since we last spoke?”
“No, but Lindsey and I have discussed her situation. She admitted everything and begged me to continue to support him. I told her I would.”
“Perfect. Okay, Tom, I’ll wait to hear from you later today.”
“Oh, one last thing. She moved in with him.”
“Lindsey is living with my father?”
“Yes.”
∞∞∞
Justin could hardly keep his mind on business during either of his teleconference meetings. When he met with legal, his mind zoned out several times, all he recalled, was a problem with the verbiage of a pending contract. With each fail attempt to concentrate, his eyes would wander to his phone to check for a missed call from Tom. When he saw there was none, he would next think of Lindsey. He couldn’t believe his father allowed her to move in. After his mother had left the family, Chris never remarried nor moved another woman into the family home.
It was ten after twelve when Justin sat alone in his office, and his cell phone rang. “Tom! How did it go?”
“As expected. Three of Steele Pharmaceutical drugs were not approved because of unfavorable results during the clinical trials.”
“Three? I thought only the heart medication was up for approval?”
“One cardiac, the two others were for multiple sclerosis and erectile dysfunction.”
“Son of a gun!” Justin shouted in elation. “I won’t ask how you pulled it off, but I’m sure my father is not happy.”
“Who gives a shit!”
“Your part is done. Thank you for your help, Tom. Talk to you soon.”
Justin made a quick call to Ava to give her an update and let her know he planned to stop by Chris’ office. Once he reached his car, he called his father’s assistant to verify if he was there. She informed Justin he’d just left for the day.
He raced to his father’s home as anxiety rushed through every cavity of his body. Once he drove through the gates, he saw Lindsey’s Porsche parked out front alongside his father’s car. Justin entered the home, and to his surprise, James did not meet him at the door to ward him off. Next, he rounded the corner, knowing exactly where to find Chris. But when he reached his father’s study, he wasn’t there. Raised voices in the distance caught his attention. He followed the intense sounds towards the opposite end of the hall. The further he ventured, the clearer the voices became. There wasn’t a doubt of the two involved in the full-blown argument. Justin halted at the door of the chess room. As a boy, Chris would forbid him from entering his private sanctuary and it became a place he entertained business associates with women, booze, and cigars.
Justin remained outside the r
oom with his ear perched forward, while Chris and Lindsey continued their verbal brawl.
“Get your father on the damn phone and have him explain what the hell happened!”
“Chris, I promise you he had nothing to do with it. He said he would support us, and I believe him.”
“Forgive me if I lack faith in your beliefs. This is all your fault. If you wouldn’t have opened your mouth to Justin, none of this would’ve happened. I can see it now, he scurried straight to Tom, like a weasel in the night.”
“So, what if he did? Daddy didn’t seem upset to learn about our relationship. He’d said I was a grown woman entitled to my own choices.”
“And for one second, you didn’t think he was playing you. If I’d learned my golf buddy had fucked my daughter, I would kick his teeth in. You could’ve waited until after the committee convened to clear your fucking conscious.”
“Justin had already figured it out. Aren’t you ready for everyone to know we’re in love, and I’m carrying your child? I’m sick of hiding.”
“Why did I involve myself with such an immature cunt?”
“What?” she whimpered.
Justin had heard enough. It didn’t matter how he felt about Lindsey’s deceit, she didn’t deserve to be disrespected. He moved to the open doorway and cleared his throat to get their attention. They both turned around. His father stood with a scowl on his face, while Lindsey’s eyes were red with wet black streaks streaming down her cheeks.
“What are you doing here?” spat Chris.
“Lindsey, can you leave us?”
She straightened her posture as she wiped and lowered her eyes. “Justin, it’s not a good time. We were in the middle of something.” She reached for his father’s hand.
Chris snatched it away. “Get out of here!” he yelled. “I’m sick of looking at you.”
“That’s enough!” Justin moved forward and in between the couple. “Lindsey, please leave.”
She rolled her eyes and stormed out of the room.
“You can exit right behind her. I have calls to make,” said Chris.
“I’m not leaving until we talk.” Justin faced his father.
“I have nothing to say to you. You made it perfectly clear where your loyalty lied.”
Justin’s lip curled upward in disgust. “What happened to you? The man I knew would have never conspired against me. You led me to believe I fathered a child that was actually yours. And for what? So, your arrangement with Tom wouldn’t be exposed.”
Chris glared at his son. “Lindsey and her big mouth. She said she admitted to you about the baby and nothing else.”
“I know more than you realize,” he said with a certain smugness.
“What do you think you know?” Chris asked, narrowing his eyes.
Justin stepped closer to his father. He stood firm, with his shoulders back, and chin jutted forward. “I know three of your drugs did not meet approval.”
Chris crossed his arms with doubt in his eyes. “Who’s your source of information?”
“Did you think I would forgive your attempt to destroy my relationship with Ava?”
“Son, what did you do?”
“Do you recall what you said about Ava? That it wasn’t a coincidence we met, but something she put into motion with an expected result.”
“Vaguely.”
“Well, Tom and I had a chat. He wasn’t too happy to learn about your relationship with his daughter. At my request, he convinced the committee to vote down your request for approval. I thought it would be the one drug, but I guess Tom is more pissed at you than I thought, because two of your other drugs were also denied.”
Chris didn’t respond, he instead reached for his phone and dialed. Justin watched as his father spoke in a hushed tone, and the longer he remained on the call, the tighter his jaw became, and a redness blanketed his face. Moments later, he slammed his phone against the table.
“Son of a BITCH!!!” In one swoop, Chris knocked over the glass chess pieces off the table causing them to shatter on the tile floor. He sprung towards Justin with his lips tight, and both hands balled into a fist. “This is your family’s company… your legacy. You are purposely destroying it! What’s wrong with you?”
“You left me no choice!”
“You go against your family for a bitch who only cares about the Harrington name?”
Justin grabbed his father by the neck of his shirt and pinned him against the wall. He raised his fist mid-air and held it there. “If you weren’t my father…”
“Go ahead, son. I dare you, but we both know you lack the balls to do so.”
Justin glared at Chris. He wanted badly to ram his fist into his mouth but couldn’t. He released him from his grip. “You will always be my father, but the relationship we once had is over. You are now the enemy who made the first strike against someone I care for, and we both know I fiercely protect the ones I love.”
His father straightened his posture and pulled at the hem of his shirt. “If you think this minor setback is enough to destroy me, you have a lot to learn, son.”
“This is just the beginning. I have much more in store for you.”
Chris smirked. With a sudden calm and ease, he poured himself a drink. “You’ve forgotten who I am. The one who knows all your secrets and cover-ups. If you insist on this juvenile pursuit of vengeance, I’ll be forced to reveal what I know.”
“What are you talking about?”
Chris brought his glass to his lips and drew in a long sip. “Not what, son. Who?”
Justin shrugged. “I’ll play along. Who are you talking about?”
“Your brother.”
His body went cold and limp. He had to catch his balance on a nearby chair. His mouth lacked moisture as he spoke. “Why are you bringing up Jack?”
“You called me the enemy, but you want to destroy what your grandfather built with his bare hands! If you take another strike against me, the world will learn what you and your mother did. There’s no statute of limitations on murder, son.”
Chapter Twenty-three
The last thing Justin wanted to do was exit the car. He was not ready to face Ava, because he’d promised her no more secrets, and the one he had to share would probably scare her away. He mustered enough courage to enter the house. His legs felt like a wobbly plate of jello as he inserted the key into the lock. He opened the door, and within moments she began her questioning. “So, what happened?” she asked him. He diverted his eyes and rushed past her. He couldn’t bear to look her in the face. Justin sought refuge in the powder room off the hall. He turned the lock and viewed his reflection in the mirror. I look like shit! His face was pale, and nineteen years of guilt plagued his eyes.
“Justin, are you okay?” her soft voice asked from the other side of the door.
“Yeah, give me a sec.” He splashed cold water over his face and crept open the door.
“Hey, you don’t look so great. What happened at your father’s?”
He drew in a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “Before I get into that, there’s something I must tell you.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. He reached for her hand and sat her down in the next room. She watched him intently, as he searched for the right words to begin. “I’m afraid to tell you because I know it’ll change your view of me.”
“Impossible.”
“You haven’t heard a single word, yet.”
“What is this about? Why are you so shaken up?”
He gritted his teeth and raked his hands through his hair. He kept his gaze towards the floor. “Years ago, when I was seventeen, something horrible happened. It was bad enough, my mother, swore me to secrecy.”
Her eyebrows drew together along with a look of confusion. “So, this is something Corrine has done?”
He shook his head. “It concerns my younger brother.”
“Jack?”
“I don’t speak of him often because of how he died.”
“I’d
asked once about the tattoo on your arm. You’d said it was to honor your brother who had died, but nothing else.” A year after Jack’s death, Justin had accompanied a friend to a tattoo parlor. While there, he chose to honor his younger brother with a permanent place on his arm. Across his bicep, Chinese letters spelled Jack’s name.
He turned his body towards her and wiped the tear that had fallen from his eye. “I never intended to keep what I’m about to say from you. When I think of Jack, the memories are full of pain and guilt.”
“When you told me what your tattoo meant, I could see the pain in your eyes and chose not to push. I figured you would share what happened to him in time.”
Justin drew a deep breath, closed, and reopened his eyes. “We were three years apart, and I loved him dearly. Most older brothers treat their younger siblings like they’re some sort of nuisance. Not I, we were practically inseparable.”
“The picture,” she said.
“What picture?”
“The one at your father’s home. I saw a photo of a young man who appeared to be in his teens. Someone inscribed the frame with ‘Remembering You’.”
“That’s Jack.”
The corners of her lips fell as she reached for his hand. “I’m glad you want to open up about your brother now, but I wished you’d felt more comfortable before now.”
“When something horrible happens that shatters your entire existence, it affects every aspect of your life. As time passes, you tuck it away into a crevice in the back of your mind.” Her soft fingers stroked his hand. “It’s easier to keep it tucked away, instead of dealing with the torment of the memories.”
“You know I can relate to your experience, because I shared with you about the loss of my father and the guilt I felt. I wished you’ve told me about your brother at that time.”
“I couldn’t, Ava. If I had, you would’ve had questions I couldn’t answer. Jack’s death revolves around a secret that’s not completely mine. There are other people involved.”
“And your mother is one.”
Deceived by You Page 13
