Catching Fire

by T. N. King

  She then calmed down a lot. This was the life he had and she would stay put. After he professed his love and need for her, she’d decided to tough out whatever came. No more running, no more fear.

  She glanced up and out of the window, thinking she saw someone pass near the limo. She feared the press might find a way in here.

  Ellie then spotted man who stood leaning against a Bentley, two cars away.

  Her eyes narrowed. Was it someone who worked for Hunt? The man looked familiar.

  Standing straight, as he pushed away from the car, the tall rather thin man gave her a wave.

  Her eyes rounded as her throat closed up. Ellie could suddenly hear her heart pounding in her ears.

  Hillborn!

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Mr. Hunt!” another reporter shouted, as Morgan fought to get through the doors.

  “Fuck!” he hissed as he nearly stumbled through the double glass doors. He halted and straightened his tie then smoothed his hair back. Looking at the security guards, he sighed. “Do your jobs and get rid of that mob.”

  The men all looked at each other.

  “What? You don’t know how to safely clear the entrance to Hunt?” he yelled. “What do we pay your sorry asses for?”

  “Morgan.” Chance walked over from the elevators.

  “Did you see that mess?” Morgan motioned his head at the crowd.

  Chance sighed. “They just told me about it.”

  “Well, it was about our supposed felonies,” Morgan informed him in a low voice.

  Chance paled. “W-what?”

  “Yeah, got your attention now does it?” Morgan huffed. “They accosted poor Ellie. Just when I told her she would be safe with me.”

  “What were they asking?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  Chance bit at his lip looking as if he really didn’t.

  “They wanted to know if I kidnapped a girl, raped her.”

  Chance actually gasped at this. “Shit!”

  “Shit is right. How did this get out?”

  “You can’t keep arrests from the public record. Believe me I had this same debate with Chaz.”

  “Fuck Chaz. He should have had those charges cleared by now. He is well paid. Overpaid, in fact.”

  Chance shook his head. “He’d better or when we go to court…” He motioned to the pressing crowd of the press. “This will seem like a small carnival. Barnum & Bailey will be coming to town if this makes it to the trial.”

  Morgan stepped close. “Get your men on this. Use our Fubar fund.”

  “Dammit, Morgan don’t mention the Fubar fund in public.”

  Morgan stepped even closer. “What does it matter, too much is already out in the public. We need to throw money at this and quick.”

  Chance grunted.

  “So is this what the meeting is for?”

  Chance shrugged, as he pulled out his phone. “Not sure.”

  Morgan sighed. “If it isn’t for this, it will go on the pile.”

  Chance glanced up at him. “That shit pile is getting fucking huge, Morgan.”

  “Yeah, maybe you ought to cut loose from me there, Mr. Givens.”

  Chance raised a brow at him. “What? And lose all the time, money and effort I have already leveraged into Morgan Hunt incorporated?”

  Morgan laughed though he felt no amusement really. “Well, I’m going up. I intend to face this bull head on.”

  Chance stared at him. “No red flag waving at the bull, buddy. We’re in enough hot water.”

  Shrugging, Morgan turned toward the elevators. “I could give a shit.” He went up and headed into the boardroom.

  Yes, all the players were seated. More like lying in wait. Like a bunch of wolves. A pack of crazed but sane looking buzzards. His mother, his asshole father, and the Yearwoods. He really shouldn’t include his mother, Melanie, but she was from the elite rich after all. Then his steely gaze centered on Daphne. And then there’s the stupid bitch who has yet to be taught a real lesson. He paused. I bet she’s behind the little reception I just got downstairs. Something has to be done about her.

  Nodding at Daphne in particular, he sat in his seat and leaned back.

  Daphne looked scared and avoided his gaze.

  Yeah, bitch. You know your last straw had been bent last week. None left.

  Funny, how he felt no worries about this. No care. He really felt nothing. This game was old and stale. In fact, it made him sick, if he really faced the truth. At one time and for most of his life, he’d cared more than anything. This company was center in his world. All his drive, all his deals and there had been plenty. All the women that fell into his lap because he was a Hunt. He represented part of the billions of dollars that had run four generations.

  Now? He could give a flying fuck. He wanted to be a decent human being. A real person with faults with a fairly normal life. With Ellie.

  Chance rushed in and sat in his seat.

  Edwin Hunt raised a brow and glanced at his watch.

  Morgan wanted to roll his eyes. It was 9:45 and the meeting was at 10. Really dad, so anal.

  “I’m glad you boys could join us,” Edwin muttered.

  “I have an excuse,” Morgan quipped.

  Chance looked nervous at this opening statement.

  “Really now?’ Edwin barked.

  Nodding, Morgan replied, “Someone fed another story to the press and a mob is at the front of Hunt, accosting any and all who pass.”

  Edwin raised a brow. “Yes, I was informed.”

  “I imagine you were and the hot story is about me as usual. But someone tipped them again.”

  His father stared at him. “You look unconcerned.”

  “I am. There was a misunderstanding and it will be cleared up soon.”

  Edwin stood up and braced his hands on the table. “Well, not soon enough!”

  Morgan’s mother looked upset as she stared up at her so-called husband.

  “W-what is this story about?” Mr. Yearwood asked.

  “Does it matter?” Daphne spoke.

  Unwise to even speak at this point, you dumb bitch. “It does to you, apparently. I happen to know you have been following my life a bit too closely.”

  “It certainly isn’t hard to do. You’re plastered all over every paper, every website and news outlet.”

  “Yes, because of you and your big mouth!”

  “That is enough! It doesn’t matter how all this got out. It matters that we clear it up immediately.” Edwin glared straight at Chance.

  “And why are you looking at Chance? What does he have to do with it?”

  Chance squirmed a bit in his seat.

  Morgan was reminded of the last meeting they had right here. The feeling he got that his father had something on Chance or there was something going on between them.

  Edwin turned his hard glare at his son. “It isn’t up to you where I look, young man.”

  Morgan shook his head. He decided he would float through this dumb useless meeting then go back to his real life…Ellie. Just the thought of her calmed him. Focused him and his emotions evened out. Who gives a fuck about any of these people? He glanced at his mother. Except for his mom and Chance.

  Then his mother spoke, “What happened Morgan?”

  He raised his head. “Uh?”

  She gazed back down at her a laptop. “Kidnapping, assault and—?”

  “It was a mistake.”

  “A huge one,” Daphne sniped.

  Morgan glared at her. So much for the peaceful calm. “It was your doing, Miss Yearwood.”

  Daphne had the good sense to know what his tone meant and she shivered a bit. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  Morgan narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t intend on replying. He wouldn’t explain a goddamn thing to anyone here. Maybe just to his mom later on. “I’ll tell you in private, Mom, okay?”

  His mother nodded and shut her laptop.

  “Well, why not
tell us all, son?” his father taunted. “We all deserve to know why our stock has fallen 20 percent in just a day.”

  Morgan sighed.

  Chance finally spoke as he raised his head from his phone, “Our lawyer just got the charges dropped.”

  “Charges?” Mrs. Yearwood squeaked.

  “Yes, mom,” Daphne answered. “It appears Morgan kidnapped some woman and beat her up.”

  Morgan turned his glare to her, but he kept his rage in check. That’s how he used to play this game. Hold all your cards, play them when the time was right. No folding. No being goaded into a mistake. “So father, was that why you called this meeting?” he asked, as he didn’t take his burning gaze from Daphne.

  She had enough sense to look away.

  “Yes and no.” Edwin stood up.

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense here,” Morgan taunted.

  His father stared at him his eyes almost bulging with rage. “How can you sit there acting like you don’t care?”

  Morgan shrugged. “It doesn’t make a damn bit of difference if I cared or not.” He stood up to face his father. “You will control everything anyway. You’ll order us all around. Or use us like puppets. So why should I care?”

  “Oh, my,” Mrs. Yearwood muttered.

  “Morgan!” his mother called out to him.

  “No, mom. You know this. We all do.” He turned to look at his father. “Please just announce whatever it is and let’s be done with this.”

  His father’s knuckles turned white. “You disrespectful little shit.”

  “I give respect when I’m treated fairly. I assume that this meeting is about me in some way. Am I correct?”

  His father kept glaring at him.

  “So, yes it is,” Morgan supplied the answer.

  “We are contemplating removing you from your position as CEO,” his father announced.

  Melanie Hunt stood up. “What?”

  Edwin nodded his head at her.

  Chance stood up as well. “For what reasons?” He then looked as if he regretted that question.

  “There are many,” Daphne added.

  Chance stared at her. “Well, I can tell you the reasons against such a move.” He flipped his laptop open and hit a key then read the stats aloud, “1.1billion dollars for Hunt from the Japanese deal. 300 million from the Harper deal, 500 million from the Caster mining deal, 50 million for Dunbar…” He looked up at Daphne. “And it would have been another 300 million for Helix, if someone hadn’t interfered with that deal. Morgan had them signing when your little press flop happened. All of this was just since January, all deals brokered and made by one Morgan Hunt.”

  Daphne sniffed but had no reply.

  “So whatever the board’s reasons are for this had better be damn good. If you lose him, it will cost us far more in the future than a few scandals have.”

  “That remains to be seen,” Edwin replied.

  Morgan stood up. “No, your reasons for removing me, remains to be seen, Father.”

  “You may not want that can of worms opened, Morgan,” Daphne warned.

  Morgan looked over at her. “If there are worms in a can, I am looking at them.”

  Chance snickered.

  “She has nothing to do with it,” Edwin snapped.

  Morgan swiveled his gaze over to his dad. “Oh? I beg to differ. She has held press conferences accusing me of being a runaway dad without even having the test. Accusing me of all kinds of nonsense, feeding the paparazzi. Then recently, she butted in and had me committed to an asylum.”

  His mother gasped and stared over at Daphne.

  “It was for your own good,” his father replied.

  Morgan sucked in a breath and again, stared at his father. “You sent her to do it?”

  He nodded. “Daphne was simply concerned and with what all has been occurring with your life—”

  “MY LIFE!” Morgan shouted.

  Chance stood up. “Now Morgan take it eas—”

  “NO!” Morgan slammed his hands down on the table. “That is my point. It IS my life. My choice. My private life.”

  “Not so private,” Daphne muttered nastily.

  Morgan again, glared at her. “It is also none if your fucking business and if you dare to EVER go near Ellie again…”

  “Yeah? You’ll what?” she stood up and challenged him.

  “Leave her alone!” Edwin yelled.

  Morgan froze and slowly swung his gaze over to his dad. He coldly assessed his body language, his eyes, the way he seemed to hold himself in check for fucking once. Like he was hiding an ugly truth.

  “Oh, shit,” Chance mumbled as if he’d figured the same puzzle out as Morgan had.

  “You’re sleeping with Daphne?” Morgan hissed.

  Edwin blinked. “What?”

  Morgan stared at him and suddenly, it all came clear. “So, I assume that when and IF, she ever has a DNA test it will have Hunt DNA. Just not my Hunt DNA!”

  “Oh, my god!” His mother stood up and stared at her so-called husband.

  Edwin looked as if he might explode. “That is simply preposterous!”

  Morgan stared into his eyes. The art of the deal, figuring out your opponent, calculating the ins and out, knowing a lie or the truth. Then exposing what was needed to move the deal along. It all helped him now. “You have. You have bedded her and you have been in cohorts with her to remove me from the company and I suppose next, you were going to suggest her as CEO!”

  Edwin spluttered and lost his cold composer for a few seconds.

  “That is a nasty lie!” Mrs. Yearwood stood up.

  Morgan stared at Daphne now.

  She did everything in her power not to squirm in her seat.

  Yes, guilt and lies. Morgan kept this as a shield himself for too many years until Ellie. He refused to embrace that way of life any longer in fact. But he recognized it now. He swung his gaze up to Hunt Senior. “Your lust for the game has now gone beyond the pale. Beyond decency. No. I’m not jealous as I could care less who she spreads her legs for—”

  “That is enough!” Mr. Yearwood bolted up from his chair. “How dare you!”

  “How dare I? Take a look at your daughter. You must know her well enough to know when she’s guilty of something. Hiding something.”

  The Yearwood’s froze and then swung their stunned stares over to their daughter.

  Daphne batted her eyes at them. “I-it is not true.”

  Her mother gasped and put her hands over her mouth.

  Mr. Yearwood now swung his angry glare over to Hunt Senior. “She’s a baby, Edwin!”

  Edwin stood there looking like a stone statue.

  Melanie Hunt moved from her seat, pulled her arm back and slapped her husband’s cheek as hard as she could.

  His head snapped to the side. Then he just stared at her, daggers in his steely eyes.

  The Yearwood’s gasped.

  Concerned, Daphne got up and went over to Edwin.

  Hunt Senior didn’t seem to care about her or anyone there as he stared at Morgan and only Morgan.

  Morgan stood straight and tall as he tipped his head at him. “I also realize now, why at our last meeting here that you insisted on Daphne taking a test, as you knew there would be a match to the Hunts. That I would be trapped into the merger.”

  His father remained still and for once…silent.

  Chance let out sigh as he lowered his head and refused to look at any of them.

  “Yes, you taught me all that I know, dear dad. I know how to read people beyond what they are willing to show. I learned it in the…art of the deal.”

  Melanie stormed out of the room.

  Morgan watched her leave and now felt the first pangs of regret. In his deductions, he never figured how it would hurt his mother. Now, he felt sick to his stomach. He looked up at his father and let nothing show on his face. “So, meeting adjourned?”

  Edwin clenched his fists as rage reflected from his very pores.

  “
And don’t be thinking of getting revenge or teaching me some lesson as this startling scandal can easily go public with the tap of a key,” Morgan warned his father.

  “No!” Daphne flipped around and stared at him.

  “Oh yes, and in fact, IF there is one more incident of you interfering into my life? You and dad will be front page for fucking weeks!”

  Mrs. Yearwood started to cry and she rushed out of the room, her angry husband following her.

  Daphne looked between Edwin and Morgan. Then she went out after her parents.

  Morgan met his father’s stare. He held steady. It wasn’t to save his position as he could care less about that. It was to finally put his dear dad in his place after being pushed, molded, and bullied by a father that never showed one kind emotion or a bit of love all these years.

  His father suddenly burst out with laughter.

  Chance slowly raised his head and literally gaped at Hunt Senior.

  Morgan showed no emotion on his face, though underneath, he too was stunned at this response. In fact, he couldn’t remember ever seeing this man even snicker, let alone laugh loudly.

  “God dammit! Are you a Hunt or what?” His laughter continued.

  Chance slowly turned his head to meet gazes with Morgan.

  Morgan glanced at him and shrugged.

  “To think I worried about—you.” His father barely got the words out as he chuckled. “Worried that you didn’t have what it took to run such a prize as Hunt Industries. God damn, am I proud!”

  Morgan’s entire body grew rigid and he thought he might just throw up right there on the 10,000 dollar carpeting. Without a word, he turned and left the boardroom with his father’s rare and almost insane laughter following him.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Ellie shook all over as she peered through the limo window. Panicked, she slid across the seat and tapped the console. “Edward!”

  “Yes, ma’am?” he replied instantly.

  “Do you see that man two cars over?”

  A minute went by and then he answered, “No, ma’am, you mean over to our right?”

  “Yes, he’s…” She slid back to the window and peered out. “…gone?”

  “Was he threatening in any way?” Edward asked.