“They won’t lose a dime,” she said. “My father left everything he owned to me. I’m the only one who stands to lose anything. Half of everything I own, to be precise.”
Liam glanced nervously at Patrick, as though seeking advice. “I don’t need half,” he stammered. “I’ve got a big hospital bill hanging over my head, though, and I’d be grateful for help with it.”
His voice trailed off as he clenched and unclenched his fists, and she noticed his fingernails were badly bitten, gnawed down to the quick. They hadn’t been that way when he confronted her outside the courtroom. A tiny bit of sympathy awakened.
“I will make suitable financial arrangements,” she said primly. Her father would expect her to give Liam half of everything she’d inherited, and she would. She’d never cared about money or power. Not like—
She froze as dark thoughts cascaded in, overwhelming in their implications. Uncle Oscar had tremendous sway at the bank, in part because he’d inherited her father’s voting shares, but those shares should have gone to Liam. If Liam could prove himself to be her father’s son, he would get half of Oscar’s shares in the bank, and that ten percent stake might indeed be worth killing for.
Sweat prickled on her skin. She didn’t want to consider it, but Uncle Oscar had plenty of reasons to fear a reappearance of William Blackstone.
“Gwen?” Patrick asked. “What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Patrick was so good, and shame washed through her for even thinking Uncle Oscar might be capable of murder. But the more she thought about it, the more serious the implications became. Liam could wreak havoc on the bank if he chose.
“When my father died, his nearest male relative inherited his partnership shares in the bank,” she said. “Since William was presumed dead, my father’s ten percent went to my uncle. Oscar now has a twenty-percent stake in the bank. Add that to my grandfather’s thirty percent, and the two of them can rule the bank without opposition.” She swallowed hard, watching Patrick’s face transform as he understood.
“You’re saying that if Liam can prove his identity, your uncle will lose the votes he inherited from your father. Liam could throw a wrench into anything your uncle and grandfather have planned for the bank.”
All she could do was nod, dazed at the prospect. Liam watched with curiosity, but not quite enough. He didn’t understand the implications of what she was saying.
She met his eyes and spoke frankly. “If you controlled a ten-percent vote in Blackstone Bank, you would have a shot at scuttling the U.S. Steel merger.”
It clicked. Liam lifted his chin, and his eyes brightened. “How do I get my hands on those shares? And when is the vote?”
Patrick held up his hand. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. The more important issue is trying to keep you alive, because we’ve just spotted a very good reason someone might want you dead.”
As quickly as Gwen’s fears were raised, she realized how foolish it was. Uncle Oscar commanded the loyalty of the Blackstones and most of the other bank partners scattered across the world. Oscar already had the signatures of the other male relatives assigning him their votes for the merger.
“I can’t imagine anyone in my family is trying to kill Liam,” she said. “Last week my uncle locked up seventy-five percent of the vote in favor of the U.S. Steel merger, and all he needs is a simple majority. Even if Liam gets the ten percent back ahead of the vote, he can’t scuttle the merger. He can embarrass my uncle by exposing a rift in the family, but that’s the extent of it.”
The other twenty-five percent of the bank was owned by various investors all over the world, and most of them would probably vote in support of the merger as well.
Frankly, Gwen didn’t care about bank business. Right now, she only cared about how she could ease Liam back into the family. And the perfect opportunity was coming up. Every June her grandfather held a family reunion at his summer cottage. The gathering at the spacious, sprawling estate on a pristine island would be the perfect opportunity for Liam to meet everyone, but when she told Liam about it, he was skeptical.
“It sounds like a perfect opportunity for me to get snuffed out,” he said darkly.
“Liam, no one in my family is trying to kill you.” Frankly, she was embarrassed she had even considered the possibility. “And if you want to control my father’s votes at the July meeting, you must be at that reunion. The rules for the bank are very firm, and one month ahead of the vote, everyone who is authorized to vote must have their names submitted to the board for recognition. If you want those shares, you’re going to have to show up in person and get my grandfather to recognize you.”
“When’s the reunion?” Liam asked.
“Three weeks. We have a lot of ground to cover before you’ll be ready to meet everyone.”
He would need decent clothes, a haircut, and a lesson in basic manners. Once she helped Liam smooth down his rough edges, he could eventually fit into her family. He might even become the sort of older brother she’d always longed for.
She would not hold his upbringing against him. Her father would have rejoiced and killed the fatted calf to welcome Liam back into the fold. She would do the same. A seed of hope took root. It was time to extend the olive branch and begin afresh, for she had her older brother back.
“Help yourself to something to eat while I get my album of photographs so you can start getting to know our family,” she said. “Oh, Liam, this is going to be fun!”
Patrick couldn’t believe Gwen’s naïveté . All evening she had been chattering as she shoved countless photographs beneath Liam’s nose, trying to get him to learn the faces of all his cousins, uncles, and aunts.
Learning people’s names and faces wasn’t what Liam needed. Liam needed an intensive course in finance and contract law. The biggest industrial merger in history was unfolding, and Liam was about to be plunged into the middle of it. He couldn’t read, he harbored a grudge against corporate America, and he had a fresh three-inch wound in his abdomen. Liam was about to walk into a nest of scorpions, and Gwen wanted to show him family photos.
Her excitement dimmed a little when she turned another page. “That’s our mother,” she said, and for once Liam seemed truly interested.
Patrick was too, and he leaned over to admire the photograph of a woman standing on a beach, shading her eyes from the sun as she looked directly into the camera. Now he knew where Gwen got her blond hair and serene countenance.
“How did she die?” Liam asked.
“She caught meningitis when I was six years old. I don’t have many memories of her, but they are all good.” Her smile was wistful as she studied the old photograph. “She loved letting me cuddle with her, and she wore orange blossom perfume. To this day, when I smell orange blossoms, I feel very happy. Content.” She slipped the photograph free of the page and handed it to Liam. “You keep it.”
Patrick held his breath, hoping Liam wouldn’t do anything stupid, but he held it in his big, scarred hands as if it were a holy relic.
Gwen turned another page and kept talking. “You see how dapper our cousin Edwin looks in that summer suit?” she asked, pointing to a photograph. “We can order one just like it for you to wear at the family reunion. Perhaps we can visit the tailor tomorrow.”