“Not when you will donate enough money to have a building named after you.”
“Oh,” I echoed meekly. “That would do it.”
“Well, not after me. I’d probably have it named after our grandmother; a much more suitable moniker.”
I smiled at his rambling. Only in this house did people debate who a building would be named after. My stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, reminding me forcefully that we’d barely paused for lunch, and even then it had only been for half of a sandwich.
Michael glanced at me and reached behind him for the phone. His long arms made it possible without him getting up, and I was impressed.
“Yes, I’d like to order room service.” He paused. “The entire menu. Yes, send up everything on the menu and be quick about it.” He dropped the phone back into the cradle with a sneer. “They act as if they’ve never heard of such a thing, and I know for a fact Ian did the same when we first arrived.”
“Sounds like something Ian would do.” I paused and then asked, “Do you really think we can eat all of that?”
“Are you joking? I’ve seen you eat.” A pause and then. “I’ll be lucky if there’s anything left for me.”
“Oh!” I pitched a pillow at his head and watched it bounce off onto the floor. “You’re supposed to be a gentleman, Michael!”
“What? I only spoke the truth.” The laughter in his voice kept me from flinging the other pillow, instead hugging it to me.
“I liked Loyola, but there is no way Ian is going there,” I told him, returning to our earlier conversation.
“It was a lovely campus. A rather overabundance of female students, was there not?”
“Exactly,” I muttered flatly, causing Michael to chuckle.
“If there is one thing I can assure you of, Ian will not be distracted by a bevy of lovely ladies. His sole focus is you, something I can’t recall ever seeing from him.”
“For now. Who knows what the future will bring?”
“I don’t know that, but what I do know is I didn’t anticipate it bringing you into our lives. Yet here you are, and neither Ian nor I wish to see you leave.”
A knock at the door had him gracefully standing as I contemplated what he’d said. He was right, as usual. Never in my wildest imagination would I have considered these three men in my life. The idea of throwing my lot in with them and seeing where it took me was terrifying. I was a planner, and even if the thought of sticking to my plan left me unhappy, it was still difficult to change direction midstream.
And all of that was without even taking my parents’ reaction into consideration. I winced at the thought of telling them I’d decided to live in New Orleans with three guys and go to school here. Talk about a parent’s worst nightmare. I could only imagine how badly they’d take the news. Only the fact they were thousands of miles away at the moment had me even considering it. Plus, figuring out a way to have Michael break it to them. They’d taken a shine to him during our calls and always wanted to talk to him before hanging up.
My head dropped back on the sofa as the matter of living arrangements came to mind. We were in a hotel now, but their stay here was supposed to be temporary, and since it had become more permanent what did that mean? Right now, I was in Ian’s room and he slept on the couch, which was fine for a couple months, but not long-term. I could live in a dorm, but I could already picture how that argument would go.
“Thank you.” Michael tipped the server and shut the door. “Dinner is served.”
His interruption was a relief from the tangle my thoughts had become. He stopped short at my expression, though.
“Eat. You’ll feel better. No decisions need to be made tonight, Jane.” His eyes were sympathetic as I sighed. “Today was overwhelming, but tomorrow will be easier, and by then Ian and Buster will have returned. We’ll sort everything out. I promise.”
“I believe you. Just too much going on with an empty stomach.” I forced a smile for him, and his eyes narrowed before he grinned. The unexpectedness of it caught me off guard.
“I think this calls for dessert first, wouldn’t you agree?” My smile was more genuine as I watched him lift lids looking for the tray with dessert. “It would be the last one,” he grumbled as he finally revealed the desserts. He passed me a cookie, and as I bit into the warm gooeyness of it, I let everything else go. Michael was right. It would all work out.
The next morning, a knock on the door woke me. An impeccably dressed Michael stood on the other side examining his fingernails. His eyes flashed as he gave me a quick once-over.
“I have a meeting with Audra this morning. I wondered if you’d like to accompany me.”
I felt my eyes light up as a rush of pure vindictiveness went through me.
Would I like a front row seat to watch that bitch get was coming to her?
Yes, please.
“Give me ten minutes,” I replied, shutting the door on him and racing to the closet. Whatever I wore had to be perfect. I had no doubt she’d be dressed in some slutty version of a business suit, but I could out-class her any day of the week. A navy sheath dress, black pumps, and my grandmother’s string of pearls completed my Jackie O impression.
Michael nodded approvingly as I stepped out of my room. I’d taken care with my makeup and wound my long hair into a bun at the nape of my neck. I was the picture of elegance.
“The pearls are a lovely touch,” he commented, offering me his arm.
“They were my grandmothers,” I answered him. “Something I cherish a great deal and was happy to have back.” Ian and Michael had managed to get my luggage back finally. It had taken a couple weeks but Michael was nothing, if not persistent. I also wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t bought the airline company to get my bag back.
“Are you ready for this?” Michael questioned with a cautious look. “It won’t be pretty.”
“I would expect nothing less from you than to witness Audra have a complete breakdown,” I replied as we stepped into the elevator. “And I can’t wait.”
Catching sight of my fierce expression in the elevator door, I almost didn’t recognize myself. I couldn’t remember ever feeling such a deep rage and hatred toward someone before now. My only thought was to watch her pay for the despair she’d caused Ian over the years.
“Bloodthirsty little wench, aren’t you?”
“Before this summer, I would have told you absolutely not. Now …” I glanced up at him as the elevator dinged. “Now, I’d like to break out the moves Buster taught me and beat her into the ground.” He gave a surprised chuckle as he guided me to the valet stand. “But I have a feeling your method will be equally brutal and more suitable for destroying what she holds dearest.”
“I hope so.” He graced me with a cunning smile. “I’ve had her investigated quite thoroughly, and I believe I’ve discovered her weaknesses: Money and power. I can’t say she’s particularly unique in what drives her, but it does make it relatively simple to destroy her.”
“Why would she work for your parents after what she did? What would make her think she would be welcomed here?” I shook my head disbelievingly.
“Self-centered, perhaps? More likely, my parents offered her money to come and stir up trouble. And she would have succeeded, if it hadn’t been for you. Considering Ian’s prior exploits, this summer has been relatively tame, even with him being confronted by Audra.” I flinched when Michael passed a car with barely an inch to spare as he continued to talk. “I think they hoped to have her serve as a distraction, so I couldn’t carry out my own plans. My original intention was to take over the family company, but that would still give my parents the life they are accustomed to, and I’m afraid that isn’t enough for me. Not after Ian’s revelations.”
He glanced at me and I shrieked, “Eyes on the road!” He rolled his eyes, but faced the road again, and I thought about what he’d said.
“You mean you wouldn’t have gone into business with Ian?”
“No, probably not. My wish was to salv
age the family company. Bring Ian into it. Make it great again, you could say. I’ve done it once. I have no doubt I could have done it again. But I wouldn’t do that to Ian. Not after he finally opened up to me. All thanks to you.” He nodded in my direction, but thankfully didn’t glance over. I blinked back tears at the realization that Michael had made his own sacrifices. Unspoken dreams that he would never mention, in an effort to protect Ian.
“That is kind of you, Michael.” He shook his head at my words.
“Truthfully, it’s the least I could do.” His smile was bitter as he pulled into the parking garage. “I’ve done enough damage over the last few years. I wasn’t there for Ian like I should have been.” I opened my mouth to protest, but he waved it away. “Yes, I cleaned up his messes, but I wasn’t there. Maybe if I’d met Audra in the beginning. If I’d been around after it all happened, instead of buying companies to destroy. Who knows how it all might have turned out? Instead, I left Ian to flounder, abandoning him as surely as our parents had.”
“I respectfully disagree.” I settled my hand on his forearm. “You were his constant, his base in the storm. Don’t for one second disregard how important that was and still is to him.” I tightened my grip, giving a slight shake. “Do you understand?”
“I understand your capacity for forgiveness is extraordinary.” He glanced at me with a wry smile. “And perhaps I will feel as you do one day, but that day is not today. However, we can seek retribution for the wrongs of the past.”
I let it go, knowing Michael would have to sort through his own guilt, but taking Audra down a few notches would be a step in the right direction. We headed toward the elevator, and I felt a pleasurable tingle shoot down my spine at the thought of confronting her. I wasn’t sure where my newfound vindictiveness was coming from, but I couldn’t deny it felt good. We made the ride up to the executive offices in silence. Michael’s mouth never lost the tiny smirk it had formed as we spoke of Audra, and I resolved to keep my silence during the confrontation. This was Michael’s moment, and one I was just gleeful at having the opportunity to witness.
“Good morning, sir.” The receptionist was in her mid-forties and in no way immune to Michael’s charm. “Your guest is waiting in the office. I asked her to wait here, but she insisted.” A small frown indicated her displeasure at this fact, but Michael only smiled kindly.
“Perfectly fine, Felisha. It’s a private matter, anyhow.” She flushed at his use of her name, and I could see Michael had already won over most of the employees with his flawless manners. He leaned down to whisper, “Ready?”
“Oh, yes.” He gave a wink at my eager reply. We strolled into a corner office that I could only assume now belonged to Michael, considering the sweeping views of the Mississippi River and his familiarity with it. Our nemesis was perched on the edge of the desk, her skirt riding up suggestively. It appeared she was fishing to have both of the brothers under her belt. Her expression faltered for a heartbeat as she saw me, but she quickly corrected.
“Michael! So glad you could finally join me. And June, was it? Are you here for a little tour?”
“Actually, to witness a dressing down,” I responded with the same fake laugh she’d given me. I went to the window to take in the view as Michael stepped forward.
“It’s a pleasure to see you today, Audra. You’ve made yourself at home, I see.”
She was unsettled by our attitudes, but carried on as if she was in control.
“Yes, I’ll be working in here from now on.”
“Oh, you will?”
“Yes.” I glanced over to watch her straighten up. She’d apparently forgotten my presence already. “Your parents have put me in charge of the buyout.” She tilted her head up arrogantly, and I laughed under my breath. She was in for a rude awakening. “They feel you’ve been distracted and aren’t doing the job to the standard they expect.”
“Really?” Michael moved around her, forcing her to adjust to keep him in her line of sight. “That’s rather an unexpectedly bold move for people that no longer control their own company and are obviously unaware this company is no longer for sale.”
“What?” Her voice was tremulous as Michael prowled closer. She had quickly grasped she was no longer in control of the situation and never had been.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” He smiled baring his teeth. “Ian and I bought the company yesterday. It’s really a terrible tragedy for our parents. You see their company is on the verge of bankruptcy and only this buyout …” he circled his finger in the air, “would have saved them.” He gave an exaggerated wince. “But you see, I couldn’t allow them to succeed, not knowing what I know now.” He stepped into her space, forcing her to lean back, her breathing unsteady.
“I hope you invested the money they gave you to abort my niece or nephew wisely. Because you will soon be out of a job, and I’ve already ensured that you will never find employment in your field. I do believe you’ll be lucky to find a job flipping burgers, at this point.” He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, and she flinched.
“Ahh, I must have misread your signals,” he remarked, stepping back as he gave her a dismissive once-over. “Can’t say I would have bothered. Leftovers and all.”
“You can’t do this,” she said desperation lacing her voice.
“Can’t I?” He gazed around the room. “Because it appears I already have.”
“I made a youthful mistake. I shouldn’t have to pay for it my entire life. I’m excellent at my job. You could use me here,” she pleaded, but Michael’s face was stone cold as he shook his head.
“I think not.” He stood there; cool as could be. One hand in his pocket and looking like a GQ model as he meticulously destroyed her life. “You see, you have a proven track record of negotiating bad deals. For instance, going to our parents when you realized you didn’t want to be pregnant, that it would ruin your life to have a child at that age.” The horror on her face made it clear he’d dug up quite a bit of information on her. “Yes, old text messages can come back to haunt you. You purposely went to them in the hope they would offer you money to abort the child. You’d seen how they were when you’d visited with Ian. So, you went to them, and they did offer you money. Quite a nice sum, more than enough to ease any qualms you may have had. And more than enough to forget any love you may have born for my brother.” He sneered as she sniffled, his normally light eyes dark as he glared at her. “Your first mistake, and you’ve made quite a few, was not taking into consideration Ian and me. You see, you made a bad deal. You didn’t wish to be a mum, and I wouldn’t blame you for that fact alone, but you sought to profit off your accident, if it was an accident at all.” He gave her a knowing look, and she blanched. “You took the first offer; a mark of a poor negotiator. You see, if you had gone to Ian and explained that you weren’t ready to be a mum and he’d come to me, we would have paid you twice as much not to have an abortion; to simply sign away your rights to the child when it was born.”
“But you don’t have money,” she stammered, shaking her head violently.
“A common misconception, perpetrated by our parents,” he told her with a baleful look. “We actually have far more money than they do. It’s rather crass to speak of one’s wealth, but I’ll make an exception this go around. Our grandparents weren’t overly fond of their own offspring, so when it came time to will away their considerable estates, they placed it in trust funds for their beloved grandsons.” He smiled as she sank down into a chair. “Our trust came to us when we turned twenty-one. Ian wanted me to meet you. He wished my approval before asking your hand in marriage. I must say, I’m rather grateful for the fact that he won’t be tied to you for eternity, but you still stole something from us.” His voice dropped, and I shuddered at the threat in his voice, even when it wasn’t directed at me. “Family. And for that, you will pay.”
“No, no. Please. I was young. I made a mistake. Your parents convinced me it was the best thing.” Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, an
d my teeth clenched as I realized she was a pretty crier too.
“I’m afraid you don’t get to plead when you realize you’ve made a bad bargain. A weak position is never a good place to begin a negotiation, my dear. I couldn’t really care less for your reasons, nor do I wish to hear your sniveling voice any longer.”
Her innocent expression changed dramatically as he ignored her pleading. In its place was a cunning look as she straightened.
“You’ll regret this, Michael Wright.” Her eyes flickered to me, and I saw the burning rage she felt at being bested. “And you … do you really believe they could care for such a pathetic child as you? They’ll throw you away in a heartbeat.” Michael stepped between us, breaking her view of me.
“You don’t speak to her.”
She laughed maniacally, gesturing wildly.
“Oh, yes, let us bow to Lord Michael. You control everything, even Ian. He needed your permission to ask me to marry him.” She hissed angrily. “He held you on a pedestal, even as your parents mocked him for not being you. He adored you. Michael this and Michael that. He even wanted to name our unborn child after you. It was pathetic, and I would have aborted for no other reason than that.” She tilted her head, an ugly smile transforming her face when Michael seized her arms. “You say I’m a poor negotiator, but I was still successful in getting what I wanted. Torturing Ian was just a side benefit.”
Michael was seconds away from losing it when I gripped his arm. The tendons stood out through the sleeve of his jacket, the muscle was so tightly drawn.
“Let her go,” I told him, refusing to release him as I saw his locked jaw.
“Yes, listen to your little Jane. Wouldn’t want to have charges pressed for assault would you?” Her taunting voice only seemed to enrage him further, forcing me to wiggle my way between them.
“Jane, move.”
“No, Michael. It’s my turn.”
I shoved my hands against her shoulders, breaking Michael’s grip in surprise as she fell back into the chair. A second later, the only sound was the reverberation from a resounding slap. The bright red mark stood out against her white skin as I leaned down over her.
Charming Jane_A Reverse Harem Romance Page 25
