by Lilly Wilde
He bolted awake. “What the hell, Aria?” he demanded.
“Why don’t you tell me, you fucking liar!” I tossed the phone at him. “You promised you were done!”
The headlines for paper after paper boasted variations of the same announcement. Raine Industries prepares to go public as Aiden Raine, Chief Executive Officer of one of the largest privately-held companies in the world, steers the company to new heights as owner.
Running a hand through his wet hair, Aiden grabbed the phone. After viewing the content on my screen, he lifted his head to meet my angry gaze. “Let me explain,” he said, climbing out of bed.
“So now you want to explain? After months of my asking you? After months of your lying? Aiden, what have you done? Why would you do this?”
“I think you know why.”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking now, would I?”
“You and I both know my father would stop at nothing to have me at Raine Industries under his thumb,” he said. “And you also know I didn’t want that. And I’ve told you before, I wanted Raine Industries to be something different, something better. That’s why Nick and I made plans to take the reins permanently.”
I thought back to the lunch I’d had with Nicholas. I’d tried to finagle information from him, but he’d clammed up and called Aiden, who’d showed up to allay my questions. “So Nicholas has known all along.” I shook my head, pacing back and forth across the room. “I can’t believe this is what you’ve been up to. I mean, I knew it was something bad, but not this.”
“I’ve not been up to anything, Aria,” he said, and stepped into the bathroom.
I followed him, watching as he grabbed a towel. “So that means Connor is on board with this, then?” I knew damned well Connor Raine would rather die than go along with this.
“He doesn’t have to be,” Aiden said, rubbing the towel over his hair and then tossing it on the counter.
“I don’t understand.”
“As you’ve seen in the news, it’s my company now. And Nick and I are making plans to take it public.”
“You can’t be serious. I was hoping that part of the article had been a fabrication. I knew you were up to something, but I held out hope it was something minor, some tiny ripple we could ride out, but this … this is something that’s going to make us all crash and burn.”
“You’re worrying when you don’t need to. I have it all under control. Do you think I’d be in bed if I had anything to worry about?”
“Maybe. You think the world falls at your feet, so maybe you’re arrogant enough to sleep through this—who knows?”
“And here we go. Aria, I don’t want to be at odds with you today.”
“And I don’t want that either, but you blindsided me. This is something you should have shared with me.”
“You’re right, I should have, but I didn’t.”
“Why? Because you knew I’d be against it? That I would talk you out of it?”
“Precisely.”
“You were on your way out. Why couldn’t you have gone with that? Not only did you dive back in, but it’s somehow your company now. This is huge. It’s going to consume you. It will take over your life … our lives.”
Aiden grabbed his laptop from the dresser and stepped to the back of the bedroom. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not going to let that happen.” He took a seat at the small table near the window. “I’ve already appointed new executives who’ll assume most of the roles I’ve always taken on. I’ll be able to lead the company without the stigma that’s been attached to it. I’ll show my father that it can be a success without the layers of bullshit he insisted were a necessity.”
“So this is to prove some type of point to your dad?”
“No.”
“From where I’m sitting, I only see two motivations. So which is it? Did you want to teach Connor a lesson? Or did you want to get back at him? Or maybe it’s a little of both.”
Aiden directed his attention to his computer screen. “This is about setting things right. If there was another way to do that, I would have.”
“I can’t begin to imagine what your father has taken from you over the years, but I refuse to believe there wasn’t another way to set things right. You can’t want this!”
“Regardless of what I want, R.I. is my son’s legacy, and it won’t be the company my father imposed on me,” he said, his eyes still on his laptop. “The only way to stop the cycle—to stop the manipulations, threats, coercion and neglect of what’s really important—was to do it this way.”
“So you are trying to teach him a lesson.”
“I’m not trying to teach him a goddamned thing,” he said, finally meeting my gaze. “A person becomes tired of being blackmailed, Aria.”
“Well, if you didn’t continue to do so much corrupt shit yourself, there wouldn’t be anything to hold over your head. Have you ever given that any thought?”
He sneered. “Is that what you think of me? That I’m some corrupt individual who gets a kick out of doing underhanded shit? That would be my father. I’m concerned that you can’t tell the difference.”
“Did I ever tell you that he said you were just like him? But I defended you. I told him he was wrong, but what you’ve done is something I didn’t think you were capable of. It’s something he would have done.”
“You defended me because you know I’m not like him. Not in the ways that matter most. I don’t place a price tag on my love. I give everything to you without any hesitancy or expectation. My father can never say that.”
“This will destroy your family,” I said, ignoring his rebuttal. “The family you claim to love so much.”
“I do love my family. And honestly, I don’t think I’d give a damn if I hadn’t had a son. But I do have a son, and that made me think about Lyric’s future and the nieces and nephews I may have one day. No one in my family will have to deal with Raine Industries the way I’ve had to.”
I took a seat on the arm of the sofa. “You said you and Nick planned this. What about Sloan?”
“Sloan isn’t willing to get her hands dirty, but she’s not going to stand in the way either.”
“So she’s just another one of your casualties.”
“I wish you didn’t see it that way. When my father created this company—when it became the global success that it is—he said he wanted to pass it down from generation to generation, each one taking it to a higher level, and that’s what I’ve done.”
“And you expect him to roll over and play nice? To accept this?”
“The changes I plan to implement are going to happen with or without his approval,” he said.
“You’ve started a war. You know that, right?”
“There will not be a war. Dad wants me at the company. You know that.”
“Sure he does, as his henchman, not to take over his damned company. Why would you do that?”
Aiden glanced at the playpen in the far corner of the room. “You don’t think he deserves it?”
And like an invisible switch flicking on in my head, it all made sense. Aiden had been planning this since the night his ex-girlfriend Nadia had taken Lyric. When given the choice to call the police, his father had placed the company above the safety of our son. “Aiden, no. I’m still not a fan of Connor’s, but he is your father and Lyric’s grandfather. We don’t have much family to speak of.”
“My son could have still been missing or worse!” He slammed the laptop closed. “All because of a fucking business. Did you really think I was going to let that go?”
His outburst startled me. He’d obviously held onto more rage about that ordeal than I realized. Something else he hadn’t shared with me. “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t for you to dive into a battle that could destroy us all.”
“I’m holding all the cards,” Aiden replied coolly. “He can’t touch us.”
“Let’s say he can’t. Let’s say your ducks are all in a row. Aren’t you wo
rried about his health?”
“He’s fine. Stop worrying. Fathers and sons have been having this battle for centuries. Why should my father and I be any different?”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
“To me it is. This company has caused my family—our family—a lifetime of torment, pitted us against each other and tons of other shit of which you have no idea. We want to change that. Quite frankly, regardless of what I want, R.I. is my son’s legacy and I’ll be damned if I let him inherit the same company my father imposed on me.”
“That’s a pretty good spiel, and if I didn’t know you better, I’d believe you. But since I do know you better, I think it’s safe to say all of this is rooted in revenge.”
“To anyone who’s aware of the relationship between my father and me, it would appear that way. And I’ll be honest, that’s how it began. But somewhere along the way, it changed. It became something else. It became the vision of what our company could be—of what our family could be.”
“But how? How is it possible that you did this without him catching wind of it?”
Aiden reclined in the chair and crossed his arms over his torso. “My father has a mass of supporters, but someone like Connor Raine doesn’t become the man he is without making a few enemies. That, and the fact he never legally removed me as CEO, allowed me to do this and tie it up in a neat little bow.”
“He’s going to give us hell.”
“I suspect he will … or at least try,” Aiden said and walked over to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you more. You’re dealing with so much already, and I didn’t want to pile on even more stress. And to be fair, I did ask you to let go of this and trust that I would do what’s right for us. You have my word, that’s what I’m doing. Please say you believe me … that you will stand beside me.”
I peered into his emerald green eyes. There was something in the ferocity of his gaze that reminded me to trust him, that reminded me we were a team and we had to work together. “Maybe I’m totally crazy for saying this, but I see what you want, and I know it would be easier to turn your back on this, but you didn’t. And in my heart of hearts, I know you’re doing this for your family. So yes, you have my support. I’ll stand beside you.”
He took a deep breath and exhaled with a long, drawn out sigh and pulled me into his arms. “Thank you.”
“I don’t want this to change you. To change us.”
“It won’t. We’re still us,” he said.
“But everything else will be different. This is going to be tough, isn’t it?” I asked, and placed my head against his chest.
“I expect so.”
The next blow would come from Connor, so I was bracing myself, as I was sure Aiden was, too. I hoped he was as prepared as he’d led me to believe.
*****
Sitting down to lunch, I decided to tell Aiden about the things I’d been keeping to myself. But I was torn. Should he hear it from me, or should it come from Connor?
“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” Aiden asked.
“Do you know much about Connor’s upbringing?”
“As much as he’s told us. He was raised by a single mom for the most part. His father wasn’t in the picture. His step-father was, but he died before Dad finished high school. He said it wasn’t a very happy childhood. That seems to be the going theme for all of us. There was him and three other children. You met one of them at dinner last Thanksgiving.”
“Brandy’s dad, right?”
“Yeah, but the others—he doesn’t really stay in contact with.”
“Have you ever wondered why?” I asked.
“Of course. But then I took a good look at my dad and figured it was all his doing. He’s not the most congenial person, you know.”
“I would have never guessed,” I replied, drily.
“What’s with the sudden interest in the family tree?”
“A few months back, when you rushed off to Mumbai, I was furious. I was turning over every leaf I could find in hopes of figuring out what pulled you back into R.I., so I went to visit your dad at his office.”
Aiden lifted a brow. “I’m guessing that didn’t go over well.”
“After he got over the shock of me barging in on his business meeting, it was … interesting.”
“I would have liked to have seen that,” Aiden said with a smile. “I love your rambunctious spirit. Do you know that?”
“Yeah, you love it, just as long as you’re not on the receiving end of it.”
“Sometimes even then.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when said spirit rains down on you, which I’m sure it will in the very near future.”
He grinned. “So how did Dad take your intrusion?”
“Well, it didn’t go as I’d planned, but he did tell me some things that caught me off guard.”
“Such as?”
I still wasn’t sure if I should be the one to tell Aiden this, but in light of what was headed our way, I knew he and Connor wouldn’t be having any heart to hearts anytime soon. I cleared my throat and told Aiden about his father’s childhood. When I finished Aiden was quiet—pensive—as he reclined in his seat and let out a sigh.
“Do you believe him?” he finally asked.
“Yes.”
“Humph. That does explain a lot,” he said and leaned in, his elbows resting on the table. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I figured it was something he should tell you.”
“I am curious as to why he never told us, but I’m guessing it’s because he never wanted us to view him as weak … not even as a child.”
“And there’s one more thing,” I said.
“What? Is there something about my mother I should know? Seems my parents share far more with you than they have with any of their children.”
“Maybe because I pushed the envelope, and there was the fact that they didn’t have anything to lose by telling me.”
“Maybe,” Aiden replied.
“Remember when Allison came over to the cottage in Chicago and tried to convince you to tell me that Connor was blackmailing you?”
“Yes. So she told you that, too?” Aiden asked, shaking his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Don’t be upset with her. She was looking out for us.”
“So, tell me.”
“I knew about the entire conversation between you and Connor because Allison …” I trailed off, wondering if it was a good idea to squeal on my sister-in-law.
“You may as well let it all out,” Aiden said.
“She told you she snuck in, but what she didn’t tell you is that she recorded the entire conversation and shared it with me.”
Aiden raised his eyebrows. “Looks like my sister and I are going to have another talk.”
“Don’t be mad at her. She was—”
“I know. Trying to help,” he said, cutting me off.
“Are you upset?”
“Nope. Concerned about where her loyalties lie, but not upset.”
“So she can’t be loyal to us both?” I asked.
“I can’t believe you never said anything about this to me.”
“Because I knew you’d either lie or dance around it, and I wasn’t ready to deal with that.”
“You think I’m a liar?” he asked.
“Are you?”
“You’ve called me one enough times.”
“And you’ve lied enough times,” I said.
Remorse etched across his face. “I’ve never kept anything from you to hurt you.”
Before I could respond, Aiden’s phone rang. He looked at the display, muted the ringtone, and placed the phone on the table. A short while later, it vibrated.
I reached into my pocket for my phone, placing it on the table beside his. Ignoring the alerts as they chimed and buzzed, I lifted my gaze to Aiden’s. Without saying a word, we both understood the calm before the storm had ended.
Chapter Four
Lyric was crawling over the floor, following his father around the room. Aiden was on a call pacing between the window and his desk as he laid into one of his executives.
“Those are not the numbers I want to see,” Aiden said, pausing in front of his desk. Lyric had caught up by then and was tugging at Aiden’s pant leg.
“Da-da,” Lyric said.
When Aiden didn’t respond, Lyric pulled himself up. He wanted to be in his father’s arms. Refusing to be ignored, Lyric started to cry, his fingers still grasping his dad’s pant leg.
“Not now, son,” Aiden said. He crouched down and guided Lyric back to the floor. Lyric wailed even louder, still crawling after his dad who’d resumed his pacing.
“Hold that thought,” Aiden said, and lifted his son from the floor.
“Aria, can you please take him?”
I was on a call also, but I’d been on hold throughout the Aiden and Lyric show. Tossing Aiden a warning look, I took Lyric and went in search of Dianna. She typically took Lyric to his play date on Mondays, but due to the press posted outside our door, I’d asked her to keep him inside today.
After getting Lyric to Dianna, I headed back downstairs. Opting for my own office, I bypassed Aiden’s and finished my call with Andrea. Just as I settled at my desk, Aiden appeared.
“Don’t accept any calls. And no comments to anyone. All communication goes through Benjamin,” Aiden stated.
“Of course,” I said, looking up at him. He appeared cool as a cucumber. My involvement with the merger was null, but my heart was already in a panic. I couldn’t comprehend how Aiden exuded such calm. Maybe because he knew what to expect. He’d spearheaded numerous hostile takeovers, but none as personal and none with such a potential for disaster.
The doorbell rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin, apparently more nervous over the upheaval than I’d realized. Hesitantly, I walked to the door, half-expecting to find a reporter who’d somehow managed to skip past security, but my breath caught when I saw Connor’s eyes staring back into mine. And he wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by four other people, all sharply dressed and tight-faced.
