The Wildcat that Tamed the Tycoon

by Sabel Simmons

  He shook his head and chuckled. “We never wanted the money, darling, but it was the only thing we could think of to force your hand enough so you would walk away. Grand Pops knew you needed freedom, and he gave it to you. It is yours and your children’s, Mad.”

  “Okay, enough of the chit chats. If we only have a week, we have a lot to do. You’ve had two days, Dad. What have you come up with?”

  Bill smiled at David. “The insolence of the youth! This is what we have to work with. Forty percent of the shares were sold to a private investor, Rodney Davell and ten percent recently to a Vernon Miller. I can only ascertain he might be involved in their shady dealings. He has no financial portfolio and been involved with fraud before. Starlight Oil, or rather Stella Dalton applied for a loan a while ago with us. We’ve been stalling because something bothered us with her application and we have been doing some forensic investigation. She is literally broke. Even though the company has grown substantially over the past two years, she has managed it poorly and lived a high flier life. There is no cash flow in the company and they trade on credit, which they can’t honor at this stage.”

  He looked at Madison and shook his head.

  “This woman is dangerous, Mad you have to realize that. If we take her down, who knows how she will react.”

  “That is what I am worried about. She didn’t think twice about hurting innocent people. Logan has a forensic team examining all aspects of the operations at the Gulf and they are investigating arson and sabotage on all the other sites. He is positive they will find enough to convict her. I don’t want her to have any resources at her disposal to come back and hurt my future!”

  “Should you not find out first what their team found so far? Maybe they have enough to put her in jail already.”

  “Even if she goes to jail, I don’t want her to have any resources and funds at her disposal to get to them from there.”

  David and Bill looked at each other at her passionate plea. She really loved Logan Dalton.

  “Very well. The private investor is not happy with the results as he has seen no return over the past year even though the company books show growth. He wants out and I have already drawn up an offer in your name. He is coming to see us this afternoon. Stella Dalton offered twenty percent of her shares as collateral for the loan. However she needed money desperately and just put fifteen percent of her shares on the market.”

  Bill pulled a sheet of paper from a folder he placed on the desk when he sat down. “They already belong to you. Albeit at an astronomical amount, but if we want to do this quick, it is the only way to go.”

  “So if we buy the forty percent shares from the investor, we will be the majority shareholder?”

  “You … you will be the majority shareholder.”

  “And as the majority shareholder I can lodge a vote of no confidence with the courts and force her to sell her last thirty five percent shares to me?”

  “You could, but you need to think out of the box, my girl.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She is still Logan and Shane’s mother. Would they really want to see her totally destroyed even though they hate and resent her?”

  “I see what you mean. We still get the court order, but then I don’t want any of these shares Daddy. Can you get them all transferred equally between Logan and Shane? It will then be their decision how they end it. She will most probably end up in jail, even if they don’t prosecute, the state will.”

  “You are my clever girl, and you just confirmed again how much you care for the Daltons.”

  He nodded, smiling at her.

  “Stella Dalton won’t suspect anything. The sale of the fifteen percent shares was done on a basis of the option for her to buy them back within a period of one year at current selling price plus fifteen percent. I have drawn up a confidentiality agreement with Rodney Davell and once he has sold to you, she won’t know about it, until you are ready to tell her.”

  He frowned and scratched around in the file on the desk.

  “From what she indicated in our last conversation two days ago, she wants to ‘pull the rug from under their feet’. She wants us to go with to her new investment – which I assume are the Dalton’s – to show she has the backing of one of the most successful banks in the States.”

  Madison frowned. “How much was her application for?”

  Bill glanced at her. “Three Billion.”

  “Three Billion! Her thirty five percent shares can’t even be worth a tenth of that! What did she use as guarantee for the return on that?”

  Bill hesitated. “The Offshore Oilrig in the Gulf and ten percent profit share. That was why she needed the money. Her claim was she was going to buy into it as part of the Dalton family.”

  “But there is no guarantee she would be offered the opportunity to buy it.”

  “Ahh, that is where you are wrong, darling.”

  He took out a document and handed it to her. Her eyes widened the further she read and by the end of the first page, she was smiling widely.

  “She signed her own guilty verdict, didn’t she Daddy?”

  “How much time do we need to get everything in place?” David asked while paging through the file.

  “I’ll get all the sales and shares transfers done in two days. Don’t look at me like that, Mad. I do have some contacts in this town! We’ll force her into an early meeting with the Dalton’s under the pretense that the final approval of the loan is dependent on her obtaining signed acceptance of offer to buy-in to the Offshore Oilrig. I already spoke to Judge Alfredo and he scheduled a court appearance for us on Friday. We’ll have the court order by Friday afternoon and we can arrange the meeting for first thing Monday morning.”

  Madison got up and hugged her Dad from behind and kissed him on his cheek.

  “Thank you Daddy!”

  “The only thing your mother and I are upset about is that you are going to live so far away from us. On the other hand, I have decided it is time for me to step down. David, my boy, you have done an amazing job and I couldn’t leave my legacy in better hands. So, Mom and I will have ample time to come and visit you in Texas.”

  David returned his father’s smile and nodded his acceptance of the trust he placed in him.

  “Now, Mad, your Mother has probably walked the carpet bare outside. Why don’t you … I guess she got the message!”

  Madison ran out the door, tears already streaming down her cheeks even before she saw her Mother. Lydia swung around when the door opened and all of a sudden she couldn’t move. Her eyes glowed over her beautiful daughter and then she was in her arms. She clung to her and she breathed her essence deep into her soul.

  “Oh, my baby girl! How much I missed you!”

  “I missed you more!”

  For the first time in eight years the Phillips family gathered around the dining room table and had dinner together. There were laughter and happiness and Madison silently wished that Logan could have had the same ending with his Mother.

  Grace cleared her throat and looked at David who nodded his head.

  “I am very happy Mad is here with us and I really hope Daddy that you will understand.” She laughed when he stiffened and Lydia took his hand.

  “No Daddy … I am not as adventurous as Mad. I love the Banking industry, I just … miss Mad so much. We have always been so close and the past few months have been agony, not seeing her, only having the odd chat once a week! I spoke to David, Daddy and if you agree … I’d like to manage the Texas region from Dallas.”

  Madison held her breath just as hard as Grace did. It would mean the world to her to have her little sister close by. Lydia and Bill looked at each other and he gently wiped the tears from her cheek.

  “Another of our flock is leaving the nest, my love. Grace, honey, you would be perfect for the job. You have been ready for a while for more responsibilities and I am elated that David has seen it.”

  Grace jumped up to hug and kiss Bill, Lydia
and then Madison.

  “I guess we will have to go and see about buying us a … I don’t know, maybe a ranch where we can go and relax over weekends and …”

  Both the girls jumped on him and everyone laughed.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “It’s good to have you back Drew. But I must say, Maddy was much sweeter on the eye!”

  He just laughed at Logan’s glare and Drew chuckled with. He cleared his throat and glanced at Logan.

  “I really am sorry I left you guys in such a rush. But if there is one thing I learned from you guys it is the importance of family. I committed my life to Delia and I had to set right what was wrong.”

  “I have already decided to find us a fill-in pilot, so your hours would be more regular from now on. I realized the schedule has been rather hectic off late.”

  Drew looked at Logan in surprise. “That is wonderful news, especially now that … we’re having a baby. Delia is pregnant. That is why she ran. We never planned to have a baby so soon and she was scared she would be alone.”

  “Congratulations. At least my child will have a playmate then.”

  The silence in the helicopter was deafening and Logan smiled. Madison didn’t want him to say anything, but he had this desire to tell the world she wanted to have his child.

  “You … baby … when … Hells Bells, big bro! You can’t just throw news like that in the air! How did this happen?” Shane was absolutely stunned at the deep emotion in his brothers’ voice.

  “Well, you know when a man and a woman have sex, the man’s sperm …”

  “Very funny! You know what I mean.”

  “She is probably going to kill me for this, but I told her from the start that any child of mine will have both his parents in his life. She decided if all else fails, she will get pregnant and I will have to commit to her, so she stopped taking the pill. When she warned me she did … let’s just say I immediately started working on getting her pregnant. We might already be expecting our first child.”

  “Who are you and what did you do with my brother? You, the notorious Bachelor and lover extraordinaire is committing to one woman! And talking about a first child! I don’t believe it!”

  “Get off it Shane! You know better than anyone there has not been that many women I slept with!”

  “So when are you getting married.”

  “Who said anything about getting married? No, little bro that is one thing I do not believe in and never will. Holy matrimony is not for me.”

  “Does Madison know that?”

  “I have never given her any indication that I am interested in marriage.”

  “Maybe you should have that discussion before she falls pregnant, Logan. She strikes me as the marrying kind.”

  Logan did not respond and cursed viciously when the red glow on the horizon caught his attention.

  “This time she has gone too far! That whole plant is on fire!”

  Logan was livid. The fire raged and destroyed everything in its way. Black smoke billowed into the air and darkened the earth for miles. The fire brigade and their own emergency service were fighting the fire with everything they had. Logan knew there was nothing to be done. This fire would only end once it has burned out. He set off to the fire chief to ensure that they have set all the precautions in place to prevent the fire from spreading any further.

  “I am sorry to say, Mr. Dalton, but this was sabotage. The investigators already started looking around in the cleared areas and they found traces of a main component of C-4 military grade plastic explosive. They already send samples to the lab for testing. He suspects some of the residues they sampled were of the component RDX.”

  “What is RDX?”

  “It is royal demolition explosive, an ingredient in C-4, but it is a controlled substance and not readily available. Someone wanted to make sure this site is totally destroyed.”

  “How many … casualties?” Logan swallowed, already knowing that this time, there were lives lost.

  “So far, fourteen confirmed dead, approximately twenty five in critical condition and then there are serious burns and injuries for most of the rest that were on the plant at the time.”

  Logan looked at Shane who was as pale as a sheet. He just shook his head.

  “I can’t believe she would do something this cruel. Human lives, Logan! People she does not even know! God, we have to stop her!”

  “We will. We have enough proof of her involvement in the other fires and I am sure we will be able to link this incident to her as well. I am going to have to make a statement to the press. This is too big to ignore.”

  The Phillips family sat watching the news on the television and Madison got tears in her eyes when she saw the raging fire. How could someone be so heartless? The reporter finished his introduction to the insert on the fire and moved to include Logan. She sat forward and her eyes moved with concern over his drawn features. He looked so tired and grim.

  “Mr. Dalton, could you explain the findings so far on what might have caused this devastating fire?”

  “The investigators found traces of a controlled component of C-4, which indicates there was deliberate sabotage on the site.”

  “You have experienced numerous fires at many of your plants over the past month or so. Do you believe they are all connected?”

  “Yes, they are. This one was the worst in that lives were lost and many of our people are in critical condition. We will do everything in our power to see whoever is behind this are brought to justice. This was more than sabotage. This was murder. We can live with the loss of the plant and the revenue, but families now have to deal with the loss of loved ones.”

  Logan turned away at that point and Madison wished she was there to support him. Suddenly she had to hear his voice and she jumped up and ran to her room. She scrolled down to his number and waited for the call to go through. He answered almost immediately and his voice sounded hoarse when he answered.

  “Wildcat?”

  “Oh Babe! Are you okay? I just saw the news!”

  He was silent and she bit her lip. Was he that angry with her?

  Logan had to swallow past the lump that clogged his throat while he did the interview. Hearing her voice immediately after flushed his heart with so much emotion he couldn’t talk.

  “Logan?”

  “I am fine.”

  “Babe … please talk to me.”

  “I am angry with you, Madison. You should be here, not God knows where the hell you are!”

  “I promise I will explain everything when I am back.”

  “You have two days.”

  The connection went dead. She sat staring at the phone in her hand in amazement. He just put the phone down in her ear!

  Early the next morning Bill Phillips made the call to Stella Dalton.

  “Mrs. Dalton, I wish to finalize this application of yours. We have arranged the meeting on your behalf with Dalton Oil and it has been scheduled for Monday morning at eleven at their offices in Fort Worth.”

  “Oh, but that is wonderful news and could not have happened at a better time.” Stella was elated at the news.

  “There is the one condition, Mrs. Dalton. They have to sign the acceptance of your offer immediately.”

  “Oh, there is no doubt in my mind that they will.”

  He ended the call and glanced at Madison that sat broodily on the other side of the desk, barely paying attention.

  “What’s the matter, Mad?”

  “He just put the phone down in my ear! Can you believe it! Just like that! And when I phoned back again he ignored me!”

  Bill chuckled and she glared at him. “You did say he was very angry with you for leaving.”

  “Yes, but …”

  “No buts, Mad. You probably know him well enough by now to know better. You should have told him you were leaving before you did. Even with what you did to help them, he is not going to let you forget that too easily!”

  “I know, Dad.”

&nbs
p; He picked up the phone again and quickly dialed another number.

  “Dalton.” His voice was brusque and short.

  “Good morning, Logan. This is Bill Phillips.”

  “Mr. Phillips, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?”

  “I am in Fort Worth on Monday and have seen the disasters you have experienced and would like to discuss our participation with your environmental project. Would you be available around eleven?”

  “Of course, I will clear my schedule and if you have the time we’d like to take you to lunch.”

  “Good. See you then.”

  He replaced the receiver and rubbed his hands. “Good, all is in place. How about we join your mother and sister for lunch? Cheer up, my girl, it is only another day and you will see him again.”

  “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”

  “Why?”

  “Ehm … he doesn’t know I am your daughter.”

  “How could he not know? Madison!” Bill stared at her and shook his head.

  “I don’t go around telling everyone I meet I am the daughter of the Baron of Banking, Daddy!

  “He is not just everyone Madison! I would not blame him if he whipped your butt blue after the meeting! As a matter of fact … I’ll suggest it to him!”

  “Daddy!”

  “Don’t Daddy me, Madison! You are twenty nine years old. You should know better. He is a man of high integrity. How do you think he is going to react when you are thrown in his face as my daughter out of the blue and in a meeting on top of that?”

  “I don’t knoooow! Don’t you think I have been worrying about just that for the past week?”

  “Well, I know how I would react. Don’t be too surprised if he walks away from you.”

  “He wouldn’t do that!” Madison gasped.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Dad, this is Bill Phillips, founder and CEO of Phillips Financial Corporation. Mr. Phillips, my father Jonathan.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Phillips. Logan filled me in on the time you spend with them discussing possible solutions and layouts for the environmental plan.”

  “Bill, please. I have a suspicion we are going to be spending quite some time together in the future. You have two special boys here, Jonathan. There was not all that much I could add, but it was enlightening. Actually, my daughter would be of better assistance in this project.”