by Leslie North
“Nice to know that you’ll answer the phone for someone,” Suzanne said in a frosty tone.
Stephen rolled his eyes. “Put Ben on the phone,” he said.
“Ben’s in school, Stephen. It’s a Wednesday for God’s sake. Are you drunk? It’s two in the afternoon!”
He was a little drunk. Bleary-eyed, he glanced at the clock. “What do you want, Suzanne?” he asked, attempting to fight off his exhaustion and depression. He’d forgotten how grating her voice could be when she was irritated. He wondered if the bourbon was really all gone.
“What do you mean, what do I want? You were supposed to take Ben this weekend. I must have called you twenty times. I was beginning to think something had happened to you until I finally called Nathan. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Shit. He was supposed to take Ben this weekend. He immediately sat the glass on the tabletop and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. I must have lost track of time,” he admitted. But it was no excuse, and they both knew it.
“We agreed the courts did not need to get involved with how we handled arrangements over Ben so long as we could both agree on things. And because it’s not like you to stand Ben up, I’m going to let this slide. But he was devastated, Stephen,” she said sadly.
“Really? Because when I do have him, all he does is play video games.”
“He had a basketball game this weekend. He wanted you to be there for it,” Suzanne chided gently. “Nathan told me what’s going on. Stephen, you have to let it go.”
“Let what go?” Stephen snapped. “The fact that Duncan is trying to destroy his own company or the fact that I can’t do anything about it?”
“The fact that you can’t control everything!” she yelled back. “You started Maxfield Construction because you were done with Duncan Enterprises. And sure, although it may not have a nationwide reputation but you’re doing well, Stephen. You’re holding your own, but now you’re going to lose it all because of Duncan. Pull yourself together and make a decision about what you want to do next. But don’t wallow in alcohol and self-pity.”
She was right, of course. He was going to have to decide what to do next. “Can I see Ben next weekend?”
“No. He has a camping trip with some friends from school next weekend. Maybe we can schedule something after that. But Stephen, you’ve got to pull yourself together.”
Suzanne hung up the phone, and Stephen frowned. Everybody wanted him to be proactive and do something. And normally he felt so in control of everything. His days were always planned out, and he knew exactly what was going to happen. But coming back to Duncan Enterprises made him feel like a teenager again. He was drowning under the weight of Duncan’s dictatorship, and being crushed by the expectations of Nathan and Gabe.
And, if he were being completely honest, by his own expectations as well.
Then there was Angie. She seemed to want nothing more from him than a few tumbles in the sheets. That upset him most of all.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he stumbled across the room and opened the door.
“Oh good. It’s you,” he said. “Shouldn’t you be at work? Helping Duncan run the business into the ground?” He couldn’t resist the jibe as Gabe shouldered his way into the room.
“Drunk,” he said as he surveyed the hotel room, and the tone of disgust in his voice said it all. “Great. Just perfect.”
“Not drunk,” Stephen snapped. “Buzzed. And what do you care? It’s not like I’m drunk at the company or at home.”
“One little setback and you empty out a bottle. I really expected more from you.”
Stephen snorted. “You’re kidding me, right? You asked me to come here and help you, and when I do, you side with Duncan.”
“Of course I sided with Duncan,” Gabe said as he whirled around with fire in his eyes. “I’ve put my life into the company, and I’m not about to get fired.”
“So instead you’d rather see the company burn?” Stephen demanded, his temper flaring. “That makes perfect sense.”
“I knew what Duncan was doing, you idiot. I’ve been trying to put the brakes on it for over a year, but I haven’t gotten anywhere. You’ve done more in a month than I’ve done in six months, and that’s why I bought you here. I’m trying to keep things afloat. I needed you to figure out why Duncan was doing it. But at the first spat, you fucking bailed,” Gabe yelled.
Stephen stopped and stared at him. “You knew? You knew this whole time what Duncan was doing? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think you’d care,” Gabe said finally. “You’ve spent this whole time running from the company. I figured you’d throw a party for yourself if I told you that he was jumping ship. But if you were here, and you saw all the people that would be affected by Duncan’s action, that you’d help.”
“I tried to help,” Stephen protested.
“If by helping you mean that you secured one job and successfully got into the pants of the Senior VP, then sure. You were loads of help,” Gabe said as he rolled his eyes.
“Easy,” Stephen snarled. “She is not part of this.”
“Oh, but she is,” Gabe chuckled. “She’s very much a part of this. And for all I know, she’s helping Duncan. And every time you share your plans as pillow talk, she tells Duncan, and he finds a way to maneuver around us. For God’s sake Stephen, open your eyes. How do you think Duncan has known your every move?”
“She wouldn’t. That company is as important to her as it is to you. Maybe even more so,” Stephen snapped.
“The company? Or Duncan?” Gabe said snidely.
Without a second thought, Stephen took a swing and clocked Gabe squarely in the jaw. Gabe stumbled and straightened with a smile on his face. “Good to know you still care about something,” he said as he worked his jaw back and forth. “You want to prove me wrong? Stop drinking and get back to work.”
He pushed past Stephen and slammed the door behind him.
“Son of a bitch,” Stephen said softly. Trust Gabe to be the one to pull him out of his stupor.
Stephen knew exactly what he wanted. And he wasn’t going to get it at the bottom of a bottle. And he certainly wasn’t going to get it without a fight.
Glancing at the clock, he ran his hand over his chin. He would need a cup of coffee. A shower. And a shave. Then he had somewhere to be.
Angie took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The housekeeper let her in, and she marched straight to Duncan’s office. Stephen’s words had been ringing in her ears for days now, but she hadn’t had the courage to face Duncan. Instead, she’d been trying to figure out what the hell Duncan was doing. She had pored over the paperwork and then she spoke to Garret.
In the end, she realized that it didn’t matter what Duncan was doing or why he was doing it. It only mattered that he stopped.
“Is this why you made me VP?” she asked as she stood in the doorway. “So you could blame someone else when you drove your company into the ground?”
He looked impossibly old and tired behind his desk. And when he raised his eyes to meet hers, he actually looked sad. “Been talking to my son, have you?”
“I spoke to Garret myself,” she said coldly. “I didn’t jump into action the minute he gave the word.”
“You jump on more than words when it comes to him.”
Angie bristled. “How dare you!”
Duncan immediately put his hands up. “I’m sorry. What you do in your own time is your own business. It’s not my place to interfere.”
“You invited his kid and ex-wife down for a visit. You think it’s your God-given right to interfere!” Angie pointed out. She walked across the office, her heels clicking against the wood, and sat down. “But that’s not why I’m here. Duncan, what are you doing?”
“Doing?” he said with raised eyebrows.
“Answer the question,” she snapped. “You are deliberately sabotaging your own company. Why?”
“What I do with my own comp
any is none of your business,” he said. “If you want to quit before things get bad, then by all means, do so.”
“Is this why you picked me over Gabe? You didn’t want your son to suffer the direct consequences of your actions?” she asked bitterly. “I’m such a fool. I thought you believed I was qualified for this position. That I had earned it. But you were protecting Gabe.”
“I promoted you before all this,” Duncan said with a wave of his hand. “I chose you over Gabe because you were impressive. Gabe is good. He’s good because I taught him everything he knows. But you? You came out of nowhere. You earned your promotion from scraping the dirt off the floor.”
Angie was dumbfounded. In all the time she had worked for him, Duncan had never given her a compliment. “Well,” she said as she cleared her throat and tried to focus her thoughts. “Thank you. And if I’m that good, then I guess I have to stop you. Duncan, what are you doing?”
“I’m tired, Angie,” Duncan said simply.
“When you’re tired, you retire. You turn the reins over to someone else. You don’t destroy your company.” She shook her head and stared at him. “What else is going on with you?”
She heard the front door open and whipped her head around. “Gabe? Care to join me and talk some sense into your father?”
“So he’s Gabe now? You certainly are friendly with this family,” Duncan grumbled.
Angie folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “Careful, Duncan Maxfield. You’re pissing me off. Tell me the truth. Now.”
Duncan chuckled and sat back. “Spitfire now, are you? I always knew you had it in you. I don’t have to tell you anything, Ms. Angela Lopez. This is my company, and I will run it as I see fit. And if that means that I want to destroy it, then I will.”
She saw red. “And the lives of the thousands of employees that work for you? When you’re done, where will they go? How will they support their families? And your son? Gabe? How will he cope knowing that he was at the top of a dying company?”
“I’m doing this for them!” Duncan thundered. “This company has ruined my life!”
Angie moved back and stared at him. “This company is your life.”
“Yes,” he said softly. “It was. I’ve had three heart attacks, Angie. Three. The next one will no doubt be my last. And what do I have to show for all those years of devotion? My wife is dead. She died loved but neglected. My three sons can’t stand the sight of me, and my friends are little more than rodents hoping that I’ll give them a boost in life. This company is all I have left. And it’s a reminder of how I lead my life. Of how I destroyed my life.”
Her heart pounded wildly. Duncan had never looked so small and so lost. His eyes glazed over as he seemed to fall into his memories.
“Duncan,” she said quietly.
“She was the love of my life, and she would have given her life for me,” Duncan said with a smile. “And when she gave me three sons, I thought my life was complete. But then Duncan Enterprises took over. I didn’t want to be loved. I wanted to be admired and feared. I threw everything I had into being that, and somewhere along the way, I lost all that love. My wife died begging my sons not to give up on me. That should have been my clue. But I was so dim. And now here I am.”
“And your three sons are under one roof with a common goal, Duncan. They’re trying to stop you. If there was ever a sign to pay attention to, this would be it,” Angie persisted as she tried to bring him back into the present. “Your sons don’t agree on anything, but they’re united on this.”
“It’s too late,” he said, shaking his head. “But it’s nice to see them. It’s nice to see them working together.”
“Your company is part of your family. If you break one, you’ll break the other. You will lose everything.” She would lose everything, too. “Look at Stephen. He’s trying so hard. What will he become if he fails?”
“If he succeeds, he’ll become like me. I already see it in him. His family gets less and less of his time and energy. He puts everything into his company, and now he’s putting everything into this company. And I don’t want to see that happen. I won’t watch my eldest become me. I’ve done a lot of harm to this family, and if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure that none of them turns into me.” He spun around in his chair. “Go away, Ms. Lopez. And don’t be so concerned. If you stay with me, I promise that you’ll have whatever job you want when I’m through.”
Slowly, Angie turned and left the office. When she reached the hall, she saw Stephen slipping out the front door.
“Great,” she muttered. Tears sprang into her eyes. “That’s just great.” Stephen had overheard Duncan bribing her to stick with his plan.
“Great.”
18
Stephen had heard enough. He knew that every word out of his father’s mouth was a lie. And now he knew where Angie stood. She was with Duncan, and that was fine. Stephen didn’t need her. Whatever he felt for her was long gone. Or rather, it would be long gone. Just as long as he won.
And he would win.
Immediately he called his manager. “Terrence. Stephen here. Can you email me all the job proposals you’ve gotten within the past month?”
“Mr. Maxfield? I’ve been trying to call you,” Terrence said frantically. “We’ve had some situations here that need your attention.”
“Yes, and I’ll get to them,” Stephen said dismissively. “The proposals, please. And you can outline your issues in the email as well.” Hanging up the phone, he leaned back on his bed and closed his eyes.
He needed some sleep. It had been a long few weeks, and now he needed to rest. There was no woman in his bed to distract him. It was only him. And his thoughts.
“If you stay with me, I promise that you’ll have whatever job you want when I’m through.”
And she didn’t say no. She didn’t tell him to go to hell. She didn’t say anything because she had made her choice.
That was fine. They’d had their fun, and besides, she was a distraction. He needed to focus. He needed to focus on saving Duncan Enterprises.
And taking Duncan Maxfield down a few notches at the same time.
The next morning he was feeling energetic and focused. After showering in the large oval tub, he grabbed one of his clean white fluffy towers and started rubbing his hair vigorously. His phone was blowing up, but he waited until after his first coffee to check his messages.
One was from Gabe. Three from Angie. One from his manager, and one from Garret. He called Garret back first.
“Maxfield, I’ve got some news for you, but you did not hear this from me,” he said.
Stephen paused. “And I’m supposed to trust you?” he asked quietly.
“Look, I get that you’re not happy. Business is business, and you should know that better than anyone. But I feel bad, so this is my way of helping you out. But in return, you have to keep this from Duncan. Tell him you got the deal on your own.”
“Deal?” Stephen straightened and tightened the towel around his waist. “Go on.”
“Alliance Incorporated is looking for a builder. They’ve got some condos they want built on a previously privately owned bay in California. Alliance has put their feelers out for a lot of different companies, and one of them is Duncan Enterprises. Call them before they call Duncan, and you might be able to wedge your way in. And since it’s Alliance, Duncan won’t be able to turn it down without some nasty repercussions. One of your board members is good friends with the CEO.”
“Damn,” Stephen whispered. It was like striking gold. Duncan may want the company to go down the toilet, but he wanted it to happen on his terms. He would never let the board take the reins and remove him. Turning down Alliance would give them the power to do that. “Garret, I could kiss you!”
“Yeah, how about you don’t do that, and we’ll call it square. Do you have a pen and paper?”
Stephen reached over and grabbed the notepad that rested on the nightstand. Jotting down the number, he immedi
ately hung up and called the company.
Garret was right. Not only were they interested, but they wanted to meet today. And they were more than happy to meet with Stephen Maxfield, Duncan’s representative.
Grinning like the devil himself, Stephen dropped his towel and grabbed his suit. Maybe things were going to go his way after all.
Stephen met Jeffrey Allister at the Alliance office in San Diego. The traffic had been a nightmare, but he was in good spirits. This could be a huge break for them.
His phone continued to ring. Angie had left two voicemails now, but he’d immediately deleted them. He didn’t need or want to hear her try to explain herself. Gabe left a voicemail, but it was simple, work-related stuff. Stephen had gone through the list that his manager had sent, but there were no jobs being bid at Maxfield Construction that Duncan Enterprises would be able to accept. There was quite a bit riding on this one job.
Alliance Incorporated’s office was impressive. With nothing but reflective glass siding, every office had a view of the ocean. This wasn’t any office block. This was a happening space that announced that Alliance Incorporated had arrived and was ready to spend some money.
Allister rose from his desk to greet Stephen with an outstretched hand. “Stephen Maxfield. I’ve heard some great things about Maxfield Construction, but I had no idea I’d meet you in Duncan Enterprises’ business. The rumors were circling that you wouldn’t touch your father’s business with a fifty-foot pole.”
Stephen’s eyes slid to the other man in the room, and a jolt of recognition passed through him. “I’d say don’t believe everything you hear, but at one time, you would have been right. Still, times change,” he said as he shook the man’s hand.
“Stephen, this is Mark Fine. I believe he used to work for Duncan Enterprises,” Allister said as he sat down. Mark rose from his chair and shook Stephen’s hand. There was a glitter of malice in his eyes.
“Good to see you again, Mr. Maxfield,” he said in a cold voice.
