by Nana Malone
"Everything okay?"
I tapped my earpiece twice, just to let him know all was good. I just hoped that was the truth.
Timothy Arlington said, "You've lost your fucking mind."
Theo was cool as a cucumber. "Have I?"
"You were planning to hold a board meeting without me?"
"I am the CEO. I can call the board to meet whenever I need. You're a non-voting member, so why are you here?"
"I know what you're doing. I might be a non-voting member, but I still carry influence with this board."
Theo glanced around and noted the members of the board who had the good grace to look uncomfortable with the conversation being had. "Are you sure about that?"
"What the hell has gotten into you? That deal with Inline is everything to this company."
"Then what's the problem with waiting? Yes, we had timelines, but we're perfectly within them. Another couple of weeks to finish the due diligence won't hurt, and we shouldn’t rush it." Theo glanced around at the board. "I know I said we'd have the opportunity to vote on it again today, but some board members still don't understand. You can do what you like, but know that if we do this, if we move this forward, we put all of our investments, our shareholders, and this entire company at stake."
Timothy Arlington blustered. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
Theo remained calm. "Maybe I don't. I'm willing to be wrong. I've been wrong before. But the point is, all I'm asking for is time. How much money do you think you'll lose if this doesn't go as planned?"
Arlington went pale then. "Are you suggesting that we do something that's not in line with this company's values?"
"What I'm suggesting is you always choose what's best for you. Now if you don't mind, we have a meeting to conduct. You can either sit down and shut the fuck up, or you can get out. Those are your options. Pick one."
If I thought he was hot last time he and his father had gotten into it, today there was just something more. I didn't even think that he realized it. He might not be Derrick Arlington, but he was damn near close. He was decisive, in charge, completely Alpha. He had zero fucks left to give, and he wasn't screwing around, and it was sexy.
I thought you weren't going to think about him and sex.
I wasn't. Not at all. Just saying his demeanor was sexy.
Liar.
I was a liar. But either way, I wasn't going to jeopardize my job anymore. The disappointment on Ariel's face wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth me risking everything for someone I barely knew. Hell, I'd only found out his last name a couple days ago. He and I, that wasn't real. What was real was my job and how I handled it.
The board took their vote while Theo sat back, finger on his chin gently rubbing, looking every bit the CEO. Nonplussed, cool, in control. It wasn't until the vote was finished that I could see the tension roll off of his shoulders. They voted to postpone.
And Timothy Arlington exploded. "You listen here boy, you are driving this company into the ground."
Brian Cohen stood. "Timothy, relax. Let's just get some air."
But Theo stood up. "No. Obviously, my father has some opinions and some things to say. Dad, I propose a meeting. You and me. Tonight."
"You just fucked my whole company."
"Correction, my company. And it's not fucked. We're just choosing caution. Choosing to protect our shareholders."
Several members looked deeply uncomfortable as they shifted in their seats, not sure if a fistfight was going to break out.
Theo continued. "If we meet tonight, we have to settle this. I don't want any more outbursts from you. Do you understand?"
"You're dictating to me in my board room?"
"Again, my board room. You and I, we'll discuss this, and it's done. Do you agree?"
Brian's gaze flickered between the two of them and then to me, as if I somehow controlled Theo. I just shrugged.
I didn't think Arlington would do it, and honestly, I didn't know what Theo's play was. But I'd find out sooner or later.
Arlington glowered at him then glanced around at the board. "All of you there," he pointed at each one of them, "mark my words, you will regret following him."
And then he stormed out.
When the meeting was over, I followed Theo back upstairs to his office. At the doorway, I asked, "Are you sure meeting with him is a good idea?"
"All I know is that I need to get my life back, so I'm taking the path of least resistance, or the fastest path." He brushed past me, and my breath hitched.
He leaned in. God I was so done if he kissed me again. I’d just give him whatever he wanted at that point. I swayed closer, and he groaned low but then backed away, seeming to shake it off before taking his seat.
I swallowed and tried to focus on what he’d said. "You're going to confront him? You're going to tell him that you're not Derrick?"
He nodded. "Right now, he looks like the prime suspect. But there are several things he said to me that make me think he doesn’t know I'm not Derrick. So, once and for all, I'm just going to hash it out. Besides, I have some questions for him."
I nodded. "I get that. But this is a risk. We need the rest of the team."
"Then get the rest of the team, because I'm finding out these answers tonight."
Theo…
"I don't understand why you guys are telling me now.” Ariel’s voice was clipped.
She was on the phone on a conference call along with the rest of Royal Elite and Sebastian. Trace and Zia were in my office.
"It's a security risk,” Zia added. “We don't know how he's going to respond. It's a public place, and we don't control everything. And it's an open-air scenario, so we need to try and control for snipers, air strikes, any unknowns."
I stared at Zia. "Air strikes?" She only shrugged.
Trace didn't look at all surprised. On the phone, however, Ariel exercised some caution. "Okay, let's relax. I don't think there will be air strikes. But my team is rightfully concerned. It's not the wisest course of action. And to confront him so publicly..."
I frowned and sat forward. "That's even better. He can't touch me. He can’t attack me in a roomful of people. A roomful of witnesses."
Zia crossed her arms. "A roomful of witnesses where we don't know who's on his side and who's on yours. It's risky. And an unnecessary one at that."
I knew that she wasn't in the mood. Likely pissed I hadn't discussed it with her.
“The team can cover me, right? The risk is minimal." They all needed to understand that this was happening whether they liked it or not. It was my risk to take, and I was going to do it.
"I prefer not to risk our clients unless we have to," Ariel interjected.
"Sebastian, help me out."
I figured he wanted me out of his hair as soon as possible, so I was counting on him voting for my plan.
However, his voice was measured. "I don't know."
I frowned. "What do you mean you don't know?"
"Look, you’re taking a big risk. Is it worth it? I honestly don't know that. But the deed is done. We could back out, but there is a part of me that thinks you're right. We have to see how far he's willing to go. If Arlington is behind this, then we’ll know and act accordingly. Being in the dark doesn't help us at all."
Ariel cursed under her breath then muttered, "Is this a direct order?"
Sebastian chuckled low. "How about I defer to your actual client on this one?"
My gaze lifted to Zia's, and hers bored into mine. She hated this plan. "If it's up to me, I'm meeting him. And I’ll do what it takes to get answers."
Everyone cursed under their breath. But I'd made the call, so they were going to follow through.
Zia glowered, but she would comply.
Ariel sighed. "All right, if we’re doing this madness, Trace, I need you to map out the route. Get us a couple of decoy cars. Let's activate the new recruits. At the very least, they could drive the decoys. And Theo, you're leaving from the palace.
It's the best way to get you covered because he at least won't know. Although, if he has people in the palace, there's no plan for that.”
Trace nodded. "Yup, you got it."
I acquiesced to that. "Yeah, it's fine. If he's behind this, he knows I'm not staying at the penthouse anyway."
As we all made the plans for that night's Hail Mary, Zia just continued to glare at me. After Trace left and we'd ended the call, I stood. "You have something to say?"
"What the hell is wrong with you? My only job is to keep you alive. You lied to me for weeks to keep your secret, and now you're just going to confront our prime suspect?"
I shook my head. "Things are different now. Arlington has vanished, again. he seems to think we're twins. It's a whole fucked-up scenario. If we are twins, that means the elder Arlington took him when he was a baby. He has things to answer for. You can't deny me getting those answers."
"I'm not denying you anything, but I'm asking you to be smart. This is reckless. You're trying to get yourself killed, and it's my job to keep you alive."
"I'm still alive. You've done a great job."
"Don't be an asshole."
"According to you, I don't know how not to be." The familiar anger and zinging tension crackled between us.
She shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm fighting you on this. But you're hell-bent on getting dead. That'll look bad on my record."
I narrowed my gaze and leaned into her. "Is that what this is really about? You’re worrying about looking bad at your job?"
"For once, can you think of someone other than yourself?" The pitch of her voice went high and reedy. She was scared.
Yeah you idiot, she cares about you. She’s just mad.
"Or…" I leaned forward. "Or, maybe you're worried about me?"
Her eyes flared up. "Oh my God, you think this is because, what, I'm going to miss my booty call? No. All I care about now is keeping you alive. That's the job I was given. Why you're hell-bent on making me look bad at what I'm supposed to do, I will never know."
I had her. We both knew it. "It's okay. You can be worried. I'm worried."
"No, you're not. You clearly haven't thought this through. What will happen if he finds out? What happens then? He’ll know that you're not Derrick and that he’s been found out. This is going to blow up in your face."
"I've thought about that. But if I'm not Derrick and he decides to blow the whistle, I'll tell him who Derrick thinks I am. Then he's going to have to account for a twin son."
She shook her head. "Why are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"I'm not trying to get myself killed. I just want my fucking life back."
Her lips pursed. "Right. Of course, I want you to have that. Your old life."
Shit.
"You know, I don't mean it like that. When they tried to kidnap me the first time, they threatened my mother. The second time, there was a threat on you. I want to be able to make decisions for myself, based on what I want and not because of some deal I made with the devil."
She gave me a brisk nod. "No. I get it."
She didn't look like she got it. "Fuck. Zia, why can't you see I need to fucking fix this?"
"No. Fix it. I agree. I'd rather people didn't shoot at my clients. But maybe you don't have to put yourself in danger to fix it."
"It's done, Zia. This is the plan."
"Jesus Christ. All right. Well, it's going to be one hell of an I-told-you-so."
I watched her saunter out, and I prayed she was wrong. I was also grateful she was trying to look out for me. And maybe I'd been a little hasty. But this had to be over. The charade had gone on long enough. I was tired of living on the edge of danger and worrying about the cost of not knowing what was going to happen to my family. If Arlington was behind it, I needed to know. I needed to neutralize him.
And if he's not?
If he wasn't, then she had a point. I was likely exposing myself. But it was a risk I had to take. One thing I did need to do, though, was call home again. Kyle answered right away. "You want to tell me what the fuck is going on?"
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, the old bird is fine. Last night she told me that if I was less of a dick I'd get more pussy."
I coughed. "Did she actually say pussy?"
Kyle laughed. "You've met your mother. What do you think?"
I groaned. "Oh God, never mind. Sorry, I asked. Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine. What the hell about you?"
"It's bad. Derrick Arlington vanished yesterday morning."
Kyle cursed under his breath. "What the fuck? You think he did a runner?"
"That’s my first guess as he seems to have willingly vanished into thin air, but it’s possible someone took him again."
Kyle's next curse was inventive. "Zia okay?"
My gaze slid toward the door. How the hell did I define okay? "She's fine. Pissed off, but fine."
"You guys get a chance to talk about the whole 'hey, sorry I lied to you' thing?"
"Yeah, that's a work in progress. But right now she's mad that I'm putting myself in danger."
Kyle was silent for a beat. "How are you putting yourself in danger? Wasn't Derrick already taken?"
"Yeah, about that..." I quickly filled him in on the plan.
"Are you out of your fucking mind? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing is wrong with me. I just want this to be over."
"By exposing yourself?"
"I'm not exposing myself. I'm just going to ask him a direct question."
"Look, I get it. You want answers about the whole 'hey, am I his twin' shit, but come on. This is not the way to get it. This is just going to poke the bear. Don’t you think he knows something is up?"
"The thing is, I don't think he does. It's just a hunch, but from some things that he said, I think he believes I'm Derrick."
"Or he's a better actor than you are."
"I hadn't considered that. Look, I just have to do this."
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Look, I get why you're doing it. You want some semblance of a normal life. I'm here for it. But there's got to be a safer way of doing it."
"You sound like Zia."
"Yeah, well, maybe your bodyguard doesn’t want to see you dead."
"You don’t want to see that happen. Her, I'm not so sure about. Somehow I get the impression she wouldn't mind me dead."
"Would, you blame her?" he asked.
"Shut up."
He chuckled low. "Well, sorry if the truth irritates. You're being an idiot. But I also know once you make a decision, whether it's good or bad for you, you're going to stick with it."
"Yeah, I am."
"Fine. Should I get your mother the hell out of Dodge? Because I get the impression someone is coming for her if this goes wrong."
"I don't know. Blake Security is on the case, and I know they know how to protect her. At least that’s what Sebastian says."
Kyle was silent for a moment. "Look, I don't know what to say about all this, but if someone comes and tries to hurt your mom, I'd put my money on these Blake Security guys. They look mean as fuck. They’re also stupidly pretty. They're the kind of motherfuckers we would see in magazines and insist they had little dicks."
"For real?"
"Yeah, man. This morning, one of the dudes rolled up to introduce me to the rotating guards on duty, and he was literally too pretty to stare at."
"Have you seen them following you and Mom?"
"No, actually. But every now and again, I get a taste of the heebie-jeebies. Like someone's put a rifle on my back."
"Jesus."
"Yeah. Every night, one of them comes by, secures the place, makes sure that nothing's there that shouldn't be there. But it’s a different guy every day. Your mother has been drooling, and so has your aunt. It's really quite disgusting the way they objectify these guys."
I choked
down a laugh. "They can't be that good looking."
"They’ve had your mother taking selfies. Every time someone new shows up at the house, she insists on one. There was one kid, though, who wouldn't take a selfie. British accent. Looks mean as fuck. Him, your mother just wanted to take care of. She's been trying to feed him. Tells him he just needs a mother's love. It's crazy."
"Well, as long as you're being protected."
There was another beat of silence. "Do you want to talk to her?"
My immediate answer was yes, but then it was quickly followed by the 'oh hey, she lied to you for years' thought, and so I declined. "Nah, I just wanted to make sure that you guys were okay."
Kyle's voice was soft on the other end. "Look, I get it. She kept it from you. I understand. But she's still your mom, and she's sick, so maybe we speed up this whole 'what the fuck and I'm sorry' process. I'd hate for you to be carrying a grudge for any length of time against her."
I hated that he had a point. "Yeah, I'll work on it. All right call me if anything comes up. I'll check in later."
"Yup. I got this all covered here. I don't need the model bodyguard agency, honestly. I’ve got this covered."
"I'm afraid it wasn't a suggestion. As soon as I know what's up with the old man, I'll call you." I said my goodbyes, hung up the phone, and pinched the bridge of my nose. Jesus Christ, I just hoped I knew what the fuck I was doing.
11
Zia…
As Trace and I prepared for the night, I cleaned and double checked my weapons. If that idiot was going to insist on doing something stupid, the least I could do was be hyper-prepared.
And scared.
I shoved the fear down. I couldn’t let feelings into this scenario. I had to do my job.
Trace also checked his weapons. "So, I take it you're not thrilled about his choice?"
I scowled up at him. "No, I'm not. He's an idiot."
Trace held up his hand. "Whoa, sorry, I asked."
I sighed. "Shit, I'm sorry. I just—why is he being so hasty? Arlington is suspicious as fuck. This is a bad idea that we’ve got going on here. We've got the front exit, the back exit, and a side exit into a darkened alleyway that leads to the path down at the beach. We could lose him anywhere. We've only got you, me, Jax, and Ariel available."
