I blink. “Seriously?”
“I can’t do this alone. It’s too complicated, and without my father, the wheels are coming off the bus. I have no clue how to keep them on.”
I can see he’s trying to be strong with his words, but the pain in his eyes is unmistakable. And I know exactly what I would be doing if I were in this situation; I’d be in complete denial that anything has happened to my family. I would remain that way until I had reason to believe otherwise. So, logically, given how similar Henry and I are, I know that’s exactly where he’s at—trying to keep the wheels on the bus, just like he said.
Still, my heart weeps for him. This has to be tearing him up inside.
He continues, “Elle, I need someone I can trust to help me while I focus on finding my family.”
“Of course. I’ll help any way I can. What about school?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I’m going to have to drop out. The companies my family owns have all come to a grinding halt because my dad was too stubborn and paranoid to rely on anyone for the big decisions.” Henry begins to laugh and covers his face. “It’s so damned ironic. My father’s probably dead, and somehow he’s still managed to keep me from living my life.”
I touch his strong arm. “No, he hasn’t, Henry. Just give me tonight, and I promise I’ll find a solution.”
“I don’t even know the problems yet. The lawyer is supposed to send me a summary tonight. Plus he’s pushing to call off the search and have my family declared dead, which would trigger the will to take effect and leave me owning everything.”
“That sounds complicated. And…really expensive. Henry, you would lose half of the assets just trying to pay the inheritance taxes.”
“Fuck. I hadn’t even thought of that. But it explains why he wants to go that route. He and his friends probably want to buy pieces of our companies below market.”
I can see the look on Henry’s face. He’s frustrated and pissed and tormented.
“Henry, you focus on finding your family. I’ll take care of everything else. Okay?”
“I just need help finding another lawyer—one I can trust.”
“I can do more than that, Henry. I have the equivalent of over thirty degrees. Still, I recognize that I’m no expert because I don’t have experience in real-life applications. That said, I know enough to be dangerous and ask all the right questions so I can find capable people to do all of the work.” I throw my arms around his neck. “Just trust in us.”
His eyes soften, and he gives me a gentle kiss. “I’m lucky to have you, Elle.”
And I’m lucky to have him. “Got time for a quickie?”
He chuckles. “Sadly, I don’t.”
“Awww…too bad, because I found my stash of birth control pills. Already been on them since last weekend.” I’d originally got them after I started sleeping with Henry, but we ended things so quickly that we never made it past condoms.
“I’ll be free in one hour,” he says.
I smile, and it’s because his face, though sporting the tired circles under his eyes, has a bit of a glow to it. I can already see his back is straighter and shoulders are squarer. I’ve lightened the load.
“I’m in love with you, Henry. I really am.” And I’m in love with the idea of us, what we can accomplish.
“We can conquer the world together.”
“My thoughts exactly! But why stop there?” I kiss him gently. “Because before I die, I am going to build a tele-transporter.”
“You’re so nerdy,” he says. “I love it. Promise you’ll talk math to me later?”
“Just as long as you show me your big jock muscles.”
“Deal.” He takes in a breath. “You know, I was expecting that when I fell in love, it would be like getting hit over the head with a giant hammer.”
“And?”
“This wasn’t like that. This is real. Not a movie or some big fantasy living in my head.” His eyes gloss over a little.
“You’re thinking about winning the Super Bowl, aren’t you?”
He blinks. “How’d you know?”
I grin. “A wild guess.”
“We’re going to make a good team, Elle. I don’t even mind having to give it all up as long as you’re here with me.”
Silly boy. I’m not going to let that happen. In fact, while we’ve been standing here, basking in the sweet triumph of our unlikely union, my brain has already done what it does best. It’s given me an answer.
I got this.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HENRY
I haven’t seen Elle since yesterday, but she’s been texting me at all hours of the night with words of encouragement. “I think I’ve got a solution, Henry! Can’t wait to tell you all about it!”
It’s a new chapter for me. Having blind faith. In her, in me, and in the hope that the terror in my heart is for nothing. I can’t handle thinking about having lost my family, especially my sisters. Little Georgie. Oh, God. I can’t stomach the images of her screaming as the plane went down. She had to be so frightened, and I wasn’t there for her.
I quickly push aside all of the emotions and morbid thoughts, locking them safely away for the time being. I’ve got to be strong. I’ve got to focus on finding them and not allowing thousands of people’s lives to go to hell because of my father’s incredibly stupid choices.
If I ever see you again, Dad, I might have to strangle you. I won’t ever forgive him for this or for putting my sisters on that fucking plane.
Sadly, however, there’s been no news on my family and the Coast Guard is now telling me that they can’t do much more. They’ve searched thousands of square miles between here and the last place the plane made contact near Miami.
“Knock, knock!” It’s six a.m. and Elle’s head pops through the door of my father’s study, where I am going over the paperwork from Larson. Elle’s seen everything too, and I’m sure she’s come to the same conclusion. Save the big picture or save my family. If they’re even still alive.
I can’t think of a worse situation.
I paste on a brittle smile. “Good morning, princess.”
She steps into the room with a bounce to her step, wearing a light orange dress and white sandals. Her hair is braided into pigtails and she’s wearing her usual chunky glasses with tape in the middle.
“Henry?” With a giant grin, she swoops her hands together like she’s praying for a miracle. “I have a big proposal for you. And before you say a word, I only want to say that I’ve been up all night and may or may not have consumed ten Red Bulls, interfering with my motor skills and the ability to control the pace of my speech.”
“Errr…okay?” I set down the pen in my hand on the desk. “I’m listening.”
“Good! Listening is good! Because what I’m going to say will sound crazy. Like…Fruit Loops on a weekend bender kinda crazy.”
“Elle,” I interrupt, “please.”
“Okay.” She holds out her hands. “Okay. Well, I’m sure you’ve reviewed your father’s assets and have come to the same conclusion as I have. He may have been a not so nice person, but he was a rock-solid investor and businessman. I’m actually kind of impressed.”
“Please don’t praise the man. I’m not ready to go there.”
“Oh. Sorry.” She takes a rapid breath. “Well, he’s been working very hard to diversify into many areas, such as solar, hydro, algae farming, pharma, and even recycling and sustainable lumber. His portfolio is his blueprint for an empire situated to make money as much as solve the world’s biggest problems. Which is really cool, but at the same time makes your job of running everything completely impossible. The learning curve is too steep. For you, that is.”
“Why do I feel like you’re about to insult me?” I grumble.
“Oh, no.” She holds out a hand. “I’m not sure I could take it on either. Which is why I talked to the head of legal studies at our university and then I talked to the head of the business department. And then I spoke to
the heads of the environment studies, chemistry, agriculture and computer sciences.”
“That’s a lot of people.”
“Right? But I told them all about your situation and then they called an emergency board meeting at three a.m. and now they’re all standing outside this door.”
I jerk back my head. “Why?”
“We—I mean—they have a proposal for you. According to Professor Boomer, the head of the finance department, there is no way to circumvent the fact that you’ll have to raise money to pay taxes when the companies transfer to your name.” She holds up a finger. “But…but! Because the companies are not public, you get to choose who you sell the shares to and for how much. That means you can donate up to ten percent of the shares to the university.”
I’m not sure I like giving away ten percent of twelve billion dollars, but I’m unsure I have a whole heck of a lot of choices.
Elle holds up a finger. “You gift ten percent to the university instead of selling all of the necessary shares. This way, the deduction helps to wash out some of your tax obligation and they will give you free consulting as part of their owning a stake in everything. Okay, and you allow them to create exclusive internship programs with each of your companies to support the academic programs in various departments. Okay, and you’d have to give me one hundred percent control of everything so that you can go back to school, finish your business degree, and play for the NFL.”
“Elle, that dream is dead. I can’t—”
“Whoa, cowboy. You can. You just have to decide if you want to be like your dad or let go of control and trust your wife to run it all.”
“My wife?”
“Well, I did have a prenup drawn up so that if we don’t work out, you keep everything you came into the marriage with, but the tax burden will be slightly less on your inheritance if we marry and file jointly. Plus, legally, it’s easier for me to take control of the companies. The only question is whether you want to trust me.”
“Of course I do, Elle. That’s not a question.”
“Then?” she asks.
“There’s nothing to share unless my parents are declared dead.”
“No, Henry. Not true. That sleazy lawyer lied to you. As the sole inheritor and with the fate of so many jobs and families’ well-being on the line, the court can have everything put into a temporary trust and appoint you the executor. You can run things until you feel like all efforts have been exhausted. Then the transfer of ownership can happen later.”
Jesus, I love this woman. With a few precise words she’s saved my soul from a lifetime of torment.
“Are you sure about all this? I mean, didn’t you want to go into physics and math or something?”
“Like I said before, I am a woman of many passions. One is clean energy and you already know your father bought a few companies in that arena. Desert algae is so sexy! Okay, plus, I’m totally going to start a company so I can build a tele-transporter. And we’re going to find a way to make cancer medicines affordable. But this is a chance to do something big, a challenge worthy of my brain power.”
“Then yes,” I say.
“Yes, what?” she asks.
“Yes, I’ll marry you. Today.”
She rushes around the desk and throws her arms around my neck. I can’t say I’ve ever been big on hugs, but Elle’s touch feels like a ray of warm sunshine on a very dark and stormy night.
“Oh, Henry. Mr. Nucleus is going to be so happy to have a legal daddy!” Her big brown eyes tear up.
Yeah…um…okay. I’m marrying you to make the cat happy. “I thought you wanted to do this because you love me.”
“There’s that, too.” She kisses my lips.
“I love you, too,” I say, trying not to laugh.
“Green light, everyone. Henry said yes!” Elle claps her hands and the room fills with people, including Tass and Hunter, who’s holding Mr. Nucleus’s cat carrier.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask.
Tassie steps forward wearing a white suit. Weird.
“After you hear what these nice people have to say,” Tassie says, “we’re going to take you and Elle down to the courthouse for your license. Then I’m going to marry you! I got my pastor certificate online yesterday.”
And weirder.
“Sounds great.” I look at this room filled with a dozen people, including the president of our university. The idea to have them own some of the company is insane. Brilliant and insane. We get access to some of the best academic minds in Texas, who know almost everything about different aspects of these companies, and they get access for their students for some incredible real-life learning. I suspect we’re going to be hiring a ton of interns.
My only regret is that my family won’t be there to watch us marry. And, even though I know my father wouldn’t approve, his absence will be noted because for all his shortcomings, I know deep down inside that he loved us. He just had one hell of a way of showing it, as did my mother.
“You okay, Henry?” Elle asks.
I give my head a shake and glance up at all of these smiling faces. I realize that I am okay, or at least I will be. Because loving Elle is the best decision I’ve ever made.
“Yeah. I’m symbiotified. All the way.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ELLE
Two Months Later.
“Oh, wife. I’m home!” Henry returns from practice, smiling, charged with pheromones, and ready to hump me into the next galaxy.
I set down my pen and push away from the desk in the little corner of his room that now serves as my office. “Looks like someone had a good practice.”
“Yes!” He rips off his shirt and immediately starts shimmying down my shorts and panties, nearly tugging me off my chair.
I love how he makes love to me now that the season is officially over. He ended on a high note right before Christmas, signed the contract with his dream team, the Texans, and now just has a few more classes to finish for graduation in May.
“Oh,” I say with a saucy voice, pulling off my shirt and bra, “does that mean I get the Henry special?”
He slides off his pants and kicks them into the corner of his room, in the apartment we now share with Hunter and two other guys despite Henry being the tenth-richest man in the US. He said he wanted to be surrounded by his other family and the location is convenient since it’s close to campus, but I think he also just wants to grow up in his own time, on his own terms, and savor every last moment of college. Exactly how life should be. Living each moment to the fullest.
“Don’t you worry, little woman. I’m going to give you the Oh-Henry special, with a few extra Os thrown in.” He grins with a dimply smile, and I can’t help thinking how lucky I am. Life doesn’t get much better. My mother’s health seems to be improving every day, Henry is back in school and playing football, and I am working with some of the smartest, most determined people I’ve ever met. So while I might be officially overseeing all of these companies, I’m really just learning how to leverage smart people and raise them up to their fullest potential. We’re going to do good things for this world. Really, really good things.
As for Henry’s family, the search and rescue teams never found a clue. Not one little piece of wreckage or a body or anything. Henry’s entire family simply vanished into thin air and there’s not a day that goes by where he doesn’t think about them. Some days are better than others, of course, but I try to remind him of the future where it doesn’t hurt so much and how everything we’re doing would make them proud. Even his disturbingly smart dictator of a father. Okay, no, it wouldn’t. That man is probably going ballistic in his grave. I mean, he didn’t want Henry to marry anyone but Candice. He definitely didn’t want Henry going pro. And he would absolutely loathe the idea of a stranger without a college degree running his empire, not to mention giving partial ownership to a university. No. Henry’s dad would not approve one little bit. But what else were we supposed to do? Do everything to make his fa
ther happy after he’s moved on?
Henry scoops me up in his arms like I weigh nothing and then flops me down onto the bed. I love the hungry look in his green eyes and how on the outside he seems so intimidating and strong, but on the inside he’s got a playful heart of gold. Of course, he’s still able to kick some serious ass and is as stubborn as a mule half the time, but he always makes the right choices in the end.
He lays himself between my thighs and kisses me with a ravenous passion. He’s already hard as hell and nudging against my entrance, but I know he’ll wait. He’s got to warm me up a little to take him.
His hand starts to roam and makes its way to my breast, pinching my already taut nipple. His hips begin rhythmically grinding into my c-spot, igniting that throbbing sensation deep inside. I instantly lose myself in his sweet smell, the softness of his lips and warmth of his naked body covering mine. He was right, we work. Every inch of our bodies and our souls just work like some sort of magical recipe for happiness.
I feel the head of Henry’s thick cock nudging a bit deeper, testing my wetness for him.
“I’m almost there,” I say, panting my words.
“Oh, God. I just need you so badly.”
“Mmmm…I like the sound of you begging.” I return to kissing him, placing my hands on his cheeks, savoring the bristles of his short whiskers.
“You want me to beg? You know what you have to do.” His voice is gruff and sexy, which makes me amenable to anything he wants.
“Okay, but this is the last time, Henry.” I take a breath. “Two plus two is four. Four plus four is eight—”
“Oh, so nerdy.” He chuckles. “I can’t take it, Elle. Let me fuck you.”
“More begging. I want more. Eight plus eight is sixteen—”
His phone rings in some strange high-pitched sound resembling a siren. His entire body freezes.
“What’s that?” I ask.
His face sheds all color. “That’s the ringtone I set for the police.”
Oh, Henry Page 16
