The Merger: The Ryan Family Books One-Three

by Loni Ree

  When we leave the conference room, Drew and Jessica are standing in the main hallway, blocking my path to the elevators.

  Jessica looks up and asks, “What are you still doing here? I thought you left a while ago.”

  I squirm when Drew narrows his eyes at me and turns his dark look to Blake. I quickly reply to Jessica. “I ran into Blake, so we stopped to talk for a few minutes.”

  Drew’s scowling at us, so I avoid talking to him and make my escape.

  Rushing, I’m almost out on the street when Jessica texts me and tells me to hurry back and tell her what happened while Drew and Blake are in the office.

  Excited to tell her my news, I hurry off the elevator and see Jessica by her desk. “Do you think it’s safe to talk here?”

  She signals for me to follow her around the corner. “They’ll be in there for hours. The day after Blake gets home from an assignment, Drew debriefs him all day long. Now tell me everything.”

  I’m so happy that I can’t contain myself, so I dive right in and ramble on. “He wants to see me tonight. Everything’s going better than I imagined. I didn’t even have to put my plan into action, Blake is taking me on a date, and I am so happy. I found a way to escape the hell of living with my jerk father and his spawn. We need to meet for lunch early this week, and I’ll tell you all about everything that is going on.”

  Jessica smiles and attempt to keep up before she agrees. “I’m so happy everything worked out so well for you. Lunch this week sounds great.”

  After my conversation with Jessica, I rush home and get ready for my date.

  A few hours later, I’m in my small bathroom trying to decide which color lipstick to wear on our date when Blake calls.

  When I answer, he tells me, “I have to cancel our date because I’m leaving town again tonight for an assignment.”

  I’m crushed, but I say, “Okay…”

  Before I can say anymore, he robotically continues, “This is probably going to be a long job, and I have no idea when I’ll be coming home. Listen, after you left today, I thought about everything, and I enjoy fucking you, but we have nothing in common, and I don’t fit into your world.”

  What in the ever-loving fuck is he talking about? “My world? What does that even mean?” I ask, but he’s already hung up.

  What the hell? Blake’s breaking up with me before he even takes me on a date. My heart’s devastated, and I’m mad as hell. I have never felt this way about a man before, and he turns out to be as big of an asshole as my dad.

  My depression worsens when I call Jessica to get support and find out she will be out of town for a few days.

  Because Jessica has been out of town with Drew, our girl’s night is a few nights late. When I meet Jessica for dinner at Porter's House, I unload on her. “Blake called and canceled our date; he said that we have nothing in common, so he didn't want to reschedule.”

  Jessica waits for the waitress to walk away after dropping off our drinks, then she sighs deeply and tells me, “I don’t know what is up with Blake. After you left that day, Blake was an asshole to me for the rest of the day. Later, when I told Blake he was going to California for a job, he made a snide comment about being used. I tried to talk to him about it, but he blew me off and stomped out. Honestly, I don’t know what is going on with that man.”

  Like Jessica, I can’t imagine why Blake would feel used. We fucked on Drew’s conference table hours earlier, and he seemed excited to get to know me when I left that afternoon. My unwanted feelings for him refuse to go away, and I’m even more pissed and confused.

  Jessica and I continue our weekly lunches, and one week, she tells me that she talked to Blake the night before and cleared up his misconceptions. Evidently, he overheard us talking and misunderstood everything we said. The asshole thought I was using him to get away from my father and brother. What the hell? Jessica set him straight, but I am still so pissed at him. Fuck him for jumping to conclusions and ruining our chance at a relationship.

  17

  Blake

  The day I get home from the last-minute assignment overseas, I’m tired of suffering, and after making up my mind that I’m going to find my girl and kidnap her if I have to, I can’t believe my incredible luck when I see her walk up to Jessica's desk. I want to celebrate. My dick is getting tired of my hand, and no other woman will appeal to me ever again. Before Lucy can get on the elevator, I grab her and drag her into the conference room. My only thought is fucking the hell out of her before she gets away from me again. I don’t care if she’s Drew’s niece; he’ll have to deal with the situation.

  I don’t even remove our clothes before I have her spread out on the table, and I'm pounding the fuck out of her. My raging arousal is so hungry; it only takes a few thrusts before I blast her insides so hard that I have trouble standing. After we recover from our wild lovemaking, I get Lucy to agree to a date because I won’t let my girl get away again.

  When we walk out of the conference room, Drew and Jessica are waiting in the lobby. Drew raises his eyebrow in shock, and I know he instantly figures out what Lucy and I were doing in the boardroom. He shows his displeasure after Lucy gets on the elevator and snaps for me to follow him into his office.

  “Whatever the fuck you’re doing or started doing with my niece, stops now,” he rants before I even sit down.

  I walk up to him and remind him. “Lucy’s a grown ass woman and can make her own choices.”

  “Are you going to give up the adventure and risk of your job and sit behind a desk in order to be a full-time husband? You’ll never satisfy a spoiled princess like my niece, and she isn’t going to be happy with a regular, working husband.”

  My heart drops at his words. We both know I love the excitement of my job, and his words play on my deepest fears. He doesn’t need to say anything more; we both already know my answer.

  “Fucking end it now. She isn't a fuck toy,” he demands.

  “Fuck you,” I growl as I stomp out the door; I flip him off and slam out of his office.

  As I leave, I see Lucy and Jessica around the corner from Jessica’s desk. Lucy’s laughing and jumping with glee. My heart shatters when she tells Jessica that she’s so happy she doesn’t even have to put her plan into action. She’s finally found a way to escape from her asshole father and brother that includes a chance with me. What the fuck? Does she just want me to rescue her? I turn and walk the other way while I try to get myself under control. That little spoiled bitch doesn’t want me; she just wants someone to save her.

  Later, Jessica informs me that Drew is sending me to California for an extended period of time to deal with a problem client. I guess he wants to ensure I stay away from Lucy, but that’s not a fucking problem now. I make sure to let Jessica know how much I hate being used, and I hope she passes that along to her little friend. I get fucking plastered after I call Lucy. My heart’s certain I just blew my one chance of happiness because getting another shot with her after this will never happen. The small part of my mind that still functions after all the alcohol warns me that something about the whole situation doesn’t feel right. But then again, nothing feels right anymore.

  My life is a fucking nightmare without Lucy. Before I left, I knew I had strong feelings for Lucy Steele, but over the past few weeks, my obsession has grown, and I now understand that I can’t live without this girl. Thinking about her all the time has caused my work to suffer. When I close my eyes, the memory of her spread out on the hotel bed before I thrust into her slippery softness flashes through my mind, and I hear her breathy moans in my ears every hour of the day. I honestly wouldn’t care if she were using me to escape her asshole father, but evidently, my assumptions were a huge goddamn mistake.

  A few weeks into the job in California, I called Jessica to get information on a client, and almost immediately, I could tell she was pissed at me.

  “What’s your goddamn problem?” I demanded.

  “You’re an asshole for breaking Lucy's heart,”
Jessica had the fucking nerve to reply.

  After fucking kicking the door between my room and Nate's room shut, so I could have some privacy, I responded. “What the fuck do you mean? She fucking tried to use me to get away from her dad and brother. I heard her tell you all about it the day I fucked her in the conference room.”

  My mouth runs away from me, so I don't even realize what I said until Jessica starts laughing.

  “I always suspected that you guys did the dirty in Drew’s boardroom. You’re an idiot, my friend. An idiot who fucked this up big time. I don’t know what you thought you heard, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Lucy got away from her asshole dad and brother all on her own, before you guys even hooked up again. She was actually excited about her date with you and excited about her new apartment. She’s even looking for a job away from Steele Co., but her dad is making it difficult for her.”

  I sit on the bed and let Jessica continue. “The asshole has made her life a living hell for the last several years, ever since he divorced her mother. Christopher Steele is a bully who holds Lucy’s job over her head to keep her under his control, and Lucy finally got the courage to move out on her own, even if it means she loses her job with Steele Co.”

  When Jessica finishes her story, I realize I misunderstood what I overheard, and completely fucked the whole situation up. For the life of me, I have no idea why I thought the worst of Lucy. The more I think about everything, the more I realize that Lucy may dress in her designer clothes and come from an upper-class family, but she has never acted conceited or spoiled. I make plenty of money and can support my woman, so I never should have let Drew’s concerns scare me off.

  I guess Drew caught me off guard that day, and I freaked out, but I won’t let my fuck-up ruin the rest of our lives. I plan to get my girl back as soon as this job is over. She’s pissed at me for the way I left things, but I will grovel and persuade her to give me another fucking chance.

  Waking up horny and aching for Lucy with my aroused shaft in my hand almost every fucking morning, fucking sucks. To hell with Drew, he can fire me. I’ll work for the local police department; hell, for Lucy, I’m willing to work at goddamn Quicktrip. Realizing that I can’t fucking live without her has been a wake-up call. This job is not going to be completed any time soon, and my patience is wearing thin. I fucking miss Lucy and need to fix this mess soon.

  18

  Lucy

  Three months after my first unforgettable night with Blake, my life is thrown into turmoil when Dad and Christopher are killed in a car accident. Christopher apparently lost control of his powerful sports car on a tight curve on the way home, and they both died instantly. I know I should miss them, but all I feel is relief that I never have to deal with their shit again. All of my plans for the future come to a screeching halt, though, and I have to change course to help my family.

  My sister Madison and my brother Bradley have not been a large part of my life since my parents’ divorce several years ago. They stayed with our mother while my dad kept Christopher and me, once the divorce was finalized, to cause my mother pain as revenge for leaving my dad. To spite my mother, my dad made sure we only got together for holidays and special events, and the distance caused us to grow apart. After our mother died of cancer a few years ago, Madison has been working as an accountant and living at home with Bradley, who has been teaching school since college. I’ll always regret staying with my awful father and spoiled brother and becoming alienated from my two siblings.

  Dad and Christopher were two of the biggest asses in the world, and their deaths have left Steele Co. and everyone who depends on it in jeopardy, so Drew jumps in and takes control of the situation. Drew and Bradley decide that they need help to keep it from going under without Dad and Christopher to lead it since they had maintained such tight control of the business and left it without any leadership. Bradley agrees to quit teaching and steps in, but until he is thoroughly trained and up to speed, Drew’s going to need to hire management to maintain the two companies.

  They approach George and Lukas Ryan, family friends, for help. Lukas Ryan is CEO of Sterling-Ryan, a competitor. He is willing to help Bradley transition into the leadership role at Steele Co. in exchange for shares in the company. Lukas and Drew shock me when they inform me that I’ll be marrying Lukas Ryan to form a merger between our families. All of the men decided that two arranged marriages were necessary to portray family strength and unity. I’m supposed to marry Lukas, the king dick, and Bradley is going to marry Annie, Lukas’ sister. At least Bradley gets a beautiful, sweet woman to marry. They have sentenced me to the biggest jerk around – aside from my brother and father - and the thought of this marriage leaves me cold.

  Everything must move quickly to keep Steele Co. safe from competitors, so the merger is moving forward at the speed of light. When the time comes for me to meet with Lukas to arrange plans for the future, I dread the meeting, but don’t know how to get out of it.

  My date with Lukas Ryan is a complete nightmare. Throughout the evening, I fight nausea and find myself comparing Lukas and Blake.

  At one point during the meal, Lukas asks me, “Does my conversation bore you? I feel like I don't have your complete attention.”

  And I have to force myself to swallow several times and smile before making up a lie. “I’m sorry, I had a stressful day at work, and I have a headache.” I guess I should have made up a better fabrication because he smirks and scolds.

  “It’s very concerning that you’re already having headaches before the marriage even takes place.”

  Laughing slightly, I try to act like his joke was funny, but we both know he was serious. The rest of the meal is filled with stilted conversation interspersed with periods of uncomfortable silence. My pulse doesn’t jump from his touch, and his intense stare bores me. He’s a spoiled asshole, and his presence leaves me cold. If this a foreshadowing of the rest of my life, there is no way I can marry Lukas Ryan.

  Three weeks ago, I started feeling sick at odd times. Sometimes my favorite donut makes my stomach turn, and I have to rush to the nearest bathroom or I get a little sniff of someone’s perfume and I have to dash out of the room. My hastily uttered assurance to Blake flashes through my mind, like a dare to fate. I should have known the bitch would bite me in the ass.

  After assuring myself it’ll be negative, I finally take a pregnancy test. I figure I need to see if I’m throwing up from nerves or if I’m actually pregnant. Well, I definitely fucked this up big time. It looks like I’m going to have to find a way to tell Blake I was wrong the night we fucked, and because of our mistake, we’re going to become parents.

  I swallow my pride and beg Bradley for help because I don't know who else to turn to, and he almost has a heart attack. Even though we’ve never been close, I have no one else to depend on. He doesn’t have the heart to turn me away when he realizes how bad the situation is, but Bradley reminds me that my screw-up may destroy the whole merger between the Ryan-Steele families. We tell Drew together; he goes deadly still for a full thirty seconds, and then we watch as Drew explodes. I’m positive they can hear him yelling in China.

  After he stops pacing and swearing, he tells me he needs to think about a solution. Drew informs me that I need to leave and come back at noon the next day, and I need to be prepared to explain the situation to everyone. After spending the night alternating between eating ice cream to calm my nerves and throwing it up because of my pregnancy, I finally convince myself that I’m going to have to be strong for my child and to hell with the Steeles and their reaction. I also come to the realization that I’m tired of living this half-life I’ve sentenced myself to waiting for Blake to come around. The fucker jumped to the wrong conclusion, and instead of confronting me, he ran away like a pissed off little boy. I’ll tell him about the baby, and he’ll have to make the decision whether or not he wants to be a part of our lives. No matter what, I plan on giving my child the best life possible.

  I walk out of the elev
ator on Drew’s floor, and Jessica has a pitying look on her face since she has a good idea of what I’m about to face.

  She whispers as I walk by, “Dinner tonight so you can update me on all the details.”

  I nod my head as Drew walks up to me and says, “I have already informed the Ryans of the situation. In the version of the events I sold to them, you and Blake have been secretly dating a while, and it’s in your best interest to stick with my version. We’ve discussed a solution to the problem, and you will no longer be marrying Lukas Ryan. They do want to talk to you, however.”

  A huge weight is lifted, and I take a deep breath and relax a little. This is going much better than I anticipated.

  When we walk through the door, I see George Ryan, who is Lukas’ grandfather, Lukas, and Bradley already seated around the room. Bradley’s jaw is clenched, and he’s glaring at me; I can’t figure out why he’s so pissed since he already knew what was happening. Drew walks around to sit at his desk and motions for me to sit between Bradley and Lukas.

  George Ryan begins, “Lucy, we’ve decided to have one of my other grandsons marry Madison since you are no longer available to marry Lukas. We always planned on the two marriages, and we thought you and Lukas would be one of those marriages, but Madison is an adequate replacement. We wish you the best and are happy for you.”

  Bradley looks ready to murder me, and I realize it’s because of Madison.

  Lukas gives me a condescending smirk, and his relief is obvious to everyone. I didn’t want you either, you big jerk. After they excuse me, I hurry out of the office, and Jessica informs me that Drew wants me to get together with him later that evening.