He glares at me. “Years of training with an elite team, and I became a rent-a-cop for my fucking brothers. I bet the old man is fucking dancing in his grave with joy,” he complains, giving me a murderous glare.
I squirm and hold my breath. I might be the oldest of the six, but I swear everyone fears him—including me.
“I found you two available houses, just the way you requested them.” He places a folder and a couple of brochures on my desk.
The places look brand new.
“Where are they?” I ask, because I don’t want them in Happy Springs.
“Here in Baker’s Creek. In the south part of town. Rodin bought a chunk of land and is building a small development,” he states. “They are close to each other and only available for sale.”
“Buy them,” I order.
Vance chuckles. “I don’t work for you, Henry,” he informs me. “I looked for the houses because Blaire said they might be for Sophia and her parents.”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s right. Sophia should be here tomorrow,” I explain. “Until we can close on the houses, she’ll stay in the presidential suite.”
“Do you have any idea how much money we’re losing because you won’t let any guests stay in there?”
“It’s Sophia’s suite,” I inform him.
He smirks. “Help me here, Henry,” he says. “What is happening between you two? Does this have anything to do with the security video you had me delete on Saturday?”
I move my attention away from the houses to him and say, “You didn’t see it, did you?”
He shakes his head but responds, “It’s obvious what was in there, Henry. I’m not stupid. You fucked your assistant.”
In that precise moment, Pierce enters my office and his eyes open wide. “You fucking idiot.”
Dividing this conference room into two offices so we could have a space to work was a bad idea. All day I keep listening to his phone conversations, and he keeps coming to my office to tell me to shut up because I’m too loud. If I didn’t have to defend myself, I’d be telling him to stop interfering and mind his fucking business.
“No, I didn’t,” I argue. “It wasn’t like that… It’s more complicated.”
“Did you hurt her?” Vance’s question is followed by a loud thunk on the table. “I swear if you did—”
“Dude, I would never harm Sophia,” I interrupt him and look at my brothers, reassuring them and still not telling them that I’d do anything to protect her. “Ever,” I assure them.
“There’s something going on between the two of you,” Vance claims. “I don’t know if the rest have noticed, but I…” He shrugs. “You can deny it, but I know that there’s something going between the two of you. Actually, don’t deny it or you’ll piss me off because I’m anything but dumb. A word of advice: Dragging her to this hellhole is not the way to get the girl.”
“Because kicking the guy who watched you while you were injured is?” I throw a question of my own.
The day we moved to Baker’s Creek his friend, Bennett Crawford, brought him injured. Hayes and Blaire had to perform surgery in the middle of the dining room to retrieve a bullet from his leg. Crawford stayed for a couple of days, looking after him. Once Vance could walk, he kicked him out and, after a big fight, the guy just left without another word.
“You’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” he says. “Now, back to Sophia and her parents. What the fuck are you doing?”
“Henry, I need you to be honest with me,” Pierce interrupts my two-way conversation with Vance and stares at me. “Do I have to worry about a lawsuit?”
“It’s not like that,” I insist.
It was almost like that, I remind myself of what I almost did in the elevator.
“So if I go through the footage, I won’t find anything compromising,” Vance concludes. “Because let me tell you, I like her more than I like you. If there’s anything that can fuck you, I’ll give it to her wrapped in a pretty gold ribbon.”
“We kissed,” I say. Only giving him part of what happened. “It was late, and I…”
“You are fucked in many ways, and I don’t mean just legally. You’re treading into dangerous territory,” Pierce states. “You’re forcing her to move to Baker’s Creek after kissing her. This isn’t looking good for you. I don’t dislike you as much as Vance does, but I’d definitely be her lawyer.”
I glare at them both, and they are smirking at each other.
“Are you two fucking with me?”
They laugh long and loud. Fuckers.
“You’re such an easy target,” Pierce answers. “We can’t help it. Now, about your company, as your lawyer I’d say this isn’t looking great.”
He sets a few folders on top of my desk and repeats. “Sophia handled the issues as best as she could, but keeping the fucker in the company for so long makes it look bad. I put in my report a few suggestions on how to handle the situation and who you should hire to help you. It’s a big deal, and you might get some people coming back to sue you or, if you get lucky, you might not. Now, back to your Sophia issue… Why do you need her here?”
Vance taps the stuff he brought me, “My work here is done. In my opinion, you should let her go. Not only because you have a lot of shit on your plate, but also because she deserves better than an Aldridge.”
Pierce laughs. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“Why don’t you tell that to Blaire?” I contend.
“She has the good Aldridge,” Vance replies.
“Of course, because Hayes is a better man than any of us.”
“You had to shatter his ego,” Pierce complains. “No, Henry, you’ll always be a better businessman than any of us.”
Vance glances at us, shakes his head and leaves.
“Leyla is fucking mad at you…and at me,” he states. “Let Sophia go, man. Take it from my experience, you can’t be who she needs. Why try to force a relationship that’ll fail in just a few months or years?”
I cross my arms. “Then, explain to me, why can’t you let go of Leyla?”
“She won’t take what I’m giving her and won’t leave the kids with me,” he explains.
“If that’s what makes you feel better, then keep lying to yourself. I’ve seen you. You live for her, just the way Hayes does for Blaire. And this is where you’re going to get a kick out of my life; I now get it. I don’t understand what’s happening, but I have that fucking need to make sure I am close enough and I’m taking care of her.”
“Take care of my Leyla?” he asks, arching an eyebrow.
“Asshole. You know I’m talking about Sophia.”
He grins and shakes his head. “Take it from me, you’re not who she needs. Look at her and take a good look at you, Henry. Do you think she deserves to end up like our mothers?”
“Sophia is nothing like my mother,” I protest.
“No, but you’re a lot like William. Look at how you are complicating her life. Why is it so important to have her here?”