"Oh damn," I groaned, rubbing my temple. I didn’t want to spend a day with toddlers, but Juan was looking forward to it, and Doc was on the room mothers committee that helped organize everything. "Can I check my schedule and get back to you?”
"Absolutely," the older woman said, turning to Adrian.
“If we can’t do it, I’ll see if one of the other guys can.” Adrian offered.
“Whoever you can spare will be gratefully appreciated.”
Adrian smiled and nodded, because she knew what we did for a living, and if those kids were safe with anyone, it would be us. If there was a fieldtrip, I knew Doc would be going, because Doc and Ross didn’t trust anyone outside of family with the safety of Juan and I was sure that Makenna was going to have the same protection, especially since Kristen refused to put her in daycare of any form.
"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers," I sighed, looking towards the building and back to Adrian. "We're working a few cases, so...we'll have to let you know, Jackson and Margaux are just getting back into town."
"Oh, that's right!" She beamed, clapping her hands together. "That was some wedding.”
I snorted at Mrs. Flowers’ laughter, because ‘some wedding’ didn’t cover it. Both mine and Adrian's phones alerted us to text messages; He checked it out and sighed, looking up at me. "Margauxsays it’s an emergency."
The Morgan case was closed, and I was praying that it didn’t need to be reopened "We'd better go then. Thank you, Mrs. Flowers."
"Just let me know later,” she said sweetly.
"Yes, ma'am." He responded following me out of the door.
When we pulled up to the office not even ten minutes later there were Channel 9 and Channel 7 reporters out front, not to mention a few that I didn’t recognize.
I went straight into a panic. “It’s not even eight am. What is news worthy at my office period, let alone at eight am?”
“Tink would have told us if anyone were hurt.” Adrian added rubbing the inside of my palm calming me like he always did.
He got out of the driver’s side and walked around opening the door for me while I took my favorite gun out of my side holster and tucked it in my bag instead. I took Adrian’s hand and walked towards the door. The second we passed the first news van I was blinded by flash bulbs, cameras were shoved in my face, and I assaulted with a long stream of questions.
“Alyssa Marshall, do you care to make a statement to the Washington Post?” a balding man shouted shoving a mic in my face. He was the closest, voice that I could make out over so many people talking at once, other than that it sounded like white noise.
Adrian pushed it out the way the moment he realized that they were all there for me. I didn’t like that many strangers close to me and he wrapped his arms around me trying his best to shield me from the contact.
Tink and Macon met us half way through the parking lot, no one hesitating to let his massive frame through the crowd. “We’ll talk inside.” Macon suggested taking the other side of me, pushing our way through the twenty something reporters.
When I got inside I felt like I could finally breathe. Doc locked the door behind us, poor Kristen trying to soothe a crying Makennathe phones going off keeping her awake.
“What the fuck is going on out there?” Adrian demanded closing the blinds. “What do they want with Alyssa?”
Tink was fuming, “Did you not read my text all the way or something? I told you not to bring her here.”
Adrian pulled out his phone re reading the message. “Ah hell, I’m sorry, baby.”
“What do they want?” I asked looking over at Kristen, who was passing the baby off to Macon so that he could take her in the back, hopefully away from the ringing phones.
Tink huffed hitting a few keys on her laptop, all the screens in the room switching to a different local news station. “It’s all over the fucking internet. At oh-seven hundred eastern standard time, Paul Neil publicly announced his heir to Neil Industries.”
“ME?!” I fumed running my hand through my hair in disbelief. I hadn’t seen Paul since I kicked him away the day we opened the Gravity office. I hadn’t heard from him since and was damn happy about it. “Why in the hell would he think I’d want to own that shit?”
Kristen picked up the phone screaming a very rude, “No comment!” into the other end before slamming the phone down. I looked at her wondering why she even bothered. “They have been calling all morning. Washington Business Journal, Post, Politico. They wall want to know about Paul Neil’s secret daughter.”
“I’m not his daughter.” I boiled.
Ross shrugged, “We know, tell them that.”
“Why would he even do something that drastic?” Jackson pondered.
Doc answered. “It’s obvious he is reaching out to her, he has to be desperate to do it so publicly though.”
“You mean raping her of her privacy?” Adrian corrected.
Dario had been leaning against the wall looking at the screen, just as our website pictures were being broadcasted. “From the looks of it, not just Giselle is getting the attention. We need to find out what he wants; and we need to find out quickly. This could compromise a lot of our cases.”
“I don’t care what he wants; I just want those cameras out of my life. I don’t want his company, money or anything involving him. Anything with Paul is trouble.” I stamped my foot shaking my head.
Doc nodded rubbing my shoulder. “I know. It looks like you need to go down to Neil Tower.”
“I was just thinking that myself.” I agreed ready to kick some ass.
Macon came out of the back, flexing his arms. He and Dario were the front runners in a lot of our security jobs, mainly because it was the type of work they loved most. Jackson and Adrian both helped too when needed, but often made sure we were safe on our jobs. “You’ll need some body guards to keep the reporters off of you. Dario, let’s secure the boss.”
“I don’t think so.” Kristen halted tapping her foot. “Where is your daughter?”
“Sleep in your office.” He frowned.
Kristen smiled taking the baby monitor from him. “Then go kick ass baby.”
“Thank you.” He rushed kissing her on the forehead before grabbing his coat.
If I wasn’t so pissed about the shit with Paul I would have laughed at their exchange, finding it adorable. Instead I pulled my coat back on. “Baby, you coming?” I could really use him by my side, now that I was used to him being there.
“You don’t even have to ask,” Adrian scoffed pretending to feel insulted. “I was coming anyway.”
“We might as well take the SUV then, because Jackson and I aren’t staying behind.” Tink announced pushing away from the reception desk and rolling over to the coat rack; a move that she perfected months ago.
Kristen hated it, mainly because she picked out the floors. “Will you ever respect the marble? If you’re going to slide around here at least use socks like Juan-Carlos.”
Tink ignored her, sliding her arms into the coat that Jackson was holding out for her. “Better make sure that Chance leaves her gun behind.”
I was already securing it on my side when Doc held her hand out for it. “Do they have to hand theirs over?” I asked gesturing to the four men trying not to laugh.
“There isn’t a probability they are going to shoot Paul Neil.” Doc smiled holding her hand out.
I sighed unclipping the holster from my belt and handing it to her. “I want that when I get back.”
“I know.” She grinned putting it behind the front desk.
After a fight to get outside and a fight to get to the office through the traffic downtown, the amount of reporters in front of the large building that was not just the electronics portion but Neil Industries as a whole, was going to make it another fight.
“Shit, it looks like this isn’t just local,” Macon noted looking at the vans for FOX, CNN, and shit load tabloid journalists.
“I
t’s a good thing we came Giselle.” Dario noted getting out of the front seat.
Tink looked out the window shaking her head, on the other side of me, muttering the word ‘parasites’ under hear breath. “You guys better do a damn good job keeping those people out of Chance’s face or Gravity is going to get a shit load of lawsuits for her ramming a fist into a few noses.”
Dario and Jackson were in the middle seats. Dario smirked, “We’ve never had a problem before.”
I was sitting in the far back seat with Adrian’s arm around me, when we pulled up into the space that ran parallel with the street he whispered in my ear. “I’m with you every step of the way.”
“Remember, whatever you do, don’t give them anything. They’re like strays, feed them and they’ll never go away.” Tink cautioned.
The boys surrounded Tink and I expertly, Tink had her arms wrapped around my waist as we made our way to the door of the largest building downtown. At first, no one noticed us, until we got about four feet from the door and some idiot from the Post started shouting questions at me. Dario pushed me forward from one side and Adrian on the other, Jackson taking Tink’s hand and pulling her towards the door just as quickly.
“WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL?” I asked as soon as the doors to his office were shut behind me.
Paul, who had looked upbeat at the sound of my visit until I opened my mouth, merely let out a sigh and pressed the intercom button. “Hold all of my calls please Sarah, and push whatever meeting I have back a few hours.”
“There is no need to do that; I’m only staying long enough for you to retract the little announcement you made at your press conference this morning.” I promised, my arms folded across my chest waiting.
“It’s good to see you too, Alyssa. Have a seat.” He offered. He also gestured to the guys behind me. “I can have them bring in some chairs from the conference room if you five would like to sit as well.”
I responded with my eyes closed, trying really hard to stay calm. “I don’t want to sit. I want you to retract your statements and get out of my life.”
“That can’t happen, Alyssa. You’re my daughter, and it’s your birthday present. I can’t take back a gift.”
“My birthday is in November!” I stressed. “You don’t even know me.”
He let out a patient sigh. “I know your birthday Alyssa. I have been working on this since last November. And I am trying to know more if you’d let me.” He looked over my shoulder and smiled. “I heard you had met someone. Adrian isn’t it? Let me shake the hand of the man that was actually able to catch my daughter’s heart.”
He walked around the desk and made a bee line to Macon. Dario and Tink had to cover their mouths to keep from laughing. I was mortified. “Paul. That is Macon. Macon is Kristen’s husband. This only further proves that you know zero about me.”
“Simple mistake,” He grunted extending his hand to Adrian, who decided to glue himself by me, knowing my temper. “Nice to meet you, son.”
Adrian shook it firmly and I wanted to slap their hands apart. “I don’t want anything you have to give me. Not even your time.”
“Why is it so hard for you to accept the legacy that I am trying to leave you?” He asked going behind the desk.
That answer was simple. “Because I don’t want it. You have your wife, Stephanie and two other daughters for that.”
“Stephanie will understand, Rosalia and Scarlett have been given every advantage money can buy their entire lives without hesitation, even Marco did.” He sighed bringing up my “half-brother” that was killed last year. “You haven’t, and I wish it were different, but I can only change the now Alyssa.”
“So that’s what this is about? You’re leaving me Neil Industries because you weren’t around when I was a kid?” I scoffed at his gall.
He shook his head, “No Alyssa, it’s because you deserve it. You worked, and made your living with your bare hands never coming to me once. That’s what I need running this company.”
I am not going to run your company.” I spelled out. “I won’t want it.”
He sighed. “In time you will come around. Please realize everything that I have risked to give you this.”
“Risked?” I huffed in outrage.
He nodded. “I just announced that I had a daughter that no one knew about to the world, and that I was leaving decades of legacy to that daughter. Do you understand how scandalous that looks? I made myself look like a Casanova that gallivanted all over the world seducing women.”
“But that’s what you are! You’ve been married to Stephanie for years and I’m willing to bet you still aren’t faithful.” When he didn’t answer, I knew I hit the nail on the head. “Look, don’t make it seem like you are doing this for me it’s about you, and I refuse.”
“I already signed everything that I needed.” He sighed, sitting down in his chair.
I let go of Adrian’s hand resting them both on the desk. “Then un sign them.”
“The company is yours when I am gone.” He stated with finality.
I scanned over everything in my head. “Then I’ll sell it, give the money to charities and let it go to shit.”
A hint of worry crossed his face, but then he nodded with resolve. “If that’s what you choose to do, then that’s unfortunate, but it will be your choice to make.”
“This isn’t over.” I promised turning around and storming out of the office, everyone one else behind me.
“It was nice seeing you again Margaux.” He called after my Intel expert. He always coveted what he couldn’t have.
“Bye Paul.” Tink sighed, completely polite.
I fought the urge to scream when we were all piled into the elevators. “That was some man.” Dario mused. “He really wants you to have this place.”
Jackson spoke for the first time since we left the car. “He really wants Chance, but I don’t think he understands that gifts won’t work with her.”
“It’s a damn big gift,” Tink gawked looking around the lobby again. “The things that I could do in their labs with government approval…
I shook my head. “Well it’s yours. Wedding present.”
Adrian chucked, trying to make me feel better, “Love, most people give away toasters, and shit, not multi-billion dollar corporations.”
“Oh, so he can, and I can’t?” I snapped back unintentionally. He rubbed my back as we opened the first set of doors. Macon and Jackson stepped in front of me. “No guys move aside. He wants to turn my life upside down, I’ll do the same.”
I pushed the second set of doors open standing at the top of the stairs the crowd, which had been idle standing around the front of the steps, looking for someone that was in the web of this story to resurfacecaught a glimpse of me and started running up the steps. I held my hand out. “If you want a comment from me, then no one take another step forward. Ask your questions from where you are.”
And they all came at once.
“Miss Marshall, what are your plans with Neil Industries?”
“Do you have a relationship with your sisters?”
“How does, Stephanie Neil feel about this sudden news?”
“Miss Marshall, do you know of any other illegitimate children fathered by Paul Neil?”
The last one caused a reaction from Adrian more than me. He was angry, “Alyssa Marshall is a human being. Not an object, there is nothing illegitimate about her.” I squeezed his hand, my mouth quirking into a smirk. An apologetic look filled his eyes as I took over with what I had to say.
“Paul Neil isn’t my father. I do not want this company, nor do I want to be involved in it in any way. I have my own business, my own money, and my own life. If he insists on forcing the situation, I will sell it the moment I am in control. That is all I have to say.”
The crowd burst with more questions though some thinned off to get some type of news in before their deadlines. The six of us made our exit b
ack to the SUV.
“Did you get a chance to check your schedule?” Mrs. Flowers asked as I packed up Juan and helped him in his coat.
“No, I didn’t, I’m sorry. There is a lot going on right now.” I answered truthfully. “I’m not even sure if Tawny is going to let Juan go now.”
“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” Mrs. Flowers nodded understanding; no doubt she had seen the news or read a paper sometime today.
Juan, however, didn’t. “Tia Awyssa, I want to go.” He whined, his face twisting into a little pout of disappointment. “All of my friends are going.”
“I know Juan, but it’s not up to me.” I explained. Then he gave me that look I couldn’t resist. I sighed looking up at Mrs. Flowers. “I’ll clear my day, but it isn’t up to me. If Tawny and Ross agree, then I’ll be there.”
Juan was in the car talking a mile a minute, completely oblivious to the fact that there was even a problem. He just assumed that all of his uncles came with Tink and me to pick him up from school.
I held him in my lap as he leaned over the middle seat showing Dario all the artwork he made during class. “That’s something, bambino.” Dario looked in awe trying to match his excitement.
“Who are all them people?” Juan asked looking out the window as we pulled upfront.
“Those people Juan.” Tink corrected.
Juan repeated the correction. “Those. T-h-o-s-e.”
“Better.” Tink nodded smiling. “They, are no one you need to worry about.”
I got out of the car extending my arms so that he could jump in. “Ugh! You’re heavy.” I groaned dramatically securing him before we tried to force our way inside.
“No I’m not!” He laughed looking around at everyone, completely distracted by the attention.
The Law of Motion (Law Series) Page 4
