73. Chapter Four
Chapter seventy-three
Reid
“Did you call to congratulate us?” I ask, answering Mr. West’s call and crossing to the connecting dining room off the living area where I stand at the window, the Tokyo night lights dotting the otherwise dark night.
“You will not marry my daughter.”
“I am, in fact, marrying your daughter,” I say, tension radiating down my spine. Why can this man not just be happy for his daughter?
“You told her about our deal,” he accuses, trying to set me up. “You broke our agreement.”
“I didn’t tell Carrie anything and I did so with the risk of losing her, the woman I love. My understanding is your new woman told her.”
“We both know you told her. I’m going to sue you. I’m going to take everything you own.”
“Do you really want to travel this path, because if you do—”
“You’ll ruin your future wife’s father? That’s going to go over well, now isn’t it? I might lose, but you’ll lose her.”
“You’ll lose her,” I say. “And isn’t that what all your secrets were about? Not losing her? Or was it simply about your pride?”
“You’re a real prick, Reid Maxwell.”
“I am,” I say. “Remember that because if you come at me, you’re coming at Carrie, and you will not like the results.” I disconnect, anger churning in my gut.
“What was that?” Carrie demands, stepping between me and the glass. “Did he just threaten you?”
My hands come down on Carrie’s arms. “Relax, baby. I’ll handle this.”
“He’s my father. You’re the man I love. I don’t know what to do next. Did he threaten to come after your company? Your assets?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.” She tries to move away.
I grab her arms. “Carrie, easy, baby.”
“No,” she says. “No ‘easy, baby.’ Don’t do that to me. And he’s not doing this to us. This has to end.” She pulls away from me and I know her well enough not to push her right now, let alone try to control her, which I’d prefer. There’s a monster in the room and it’s bigger than she thinks.
She grabs her phone and dials her father. “He’s not answering,” she says after a brief pause. “Reid, he’s not answering.” She disconnects and dials him again. “Still not answering,” she repeats a minute later. She grimaces and leaves a message. “You come at Reid, you come at me and I will fight by his side. I’ve told you this. Don’t become my enemy. Don’t make that who we are.” She hangs up and dials another number. It clearly goes to voicemail and she leaves yet another message. “Anthony, let me be clear with you, if you participate in any action against Reid, I will make sure any benefit you might get beyond what you already have with the convention center doesn’t happen. I will cause you pain in ways you didn’t think I was capable of.” She hangs up and by the time she does, I’m standing in front of her.
“He’s reacting emotionally,” I say, my hands settling on her shoulders. “He’ll get over this.”
“The man I visited in Montana wasn’t the man I know and love. He was cold and secretive. I don’t know what he will do. It worries me, Reid. You need—you need to do what you need to do to protect you and your family.”
“I know that.” I scrub my jaw. “I need to call Gabe.”
“And your father, right?”
“If my father gets involved, Carrie, he will hurt your father in a way I would not.”
She inhales and looks skyward before leveling a stare on me. “You have to call him. You can’t risk losing everything. I will not let that happen because of me and you have employees to think about, too. Make the calls.”
I stare at her, and there is no hesitation in her gaze. She means her words, but she doesn’t know just how brutal my father can be. I turn away from her and walk back to the window, and I know now is the time that I have to be as brutally honest with Carrie, in the way my father is just plain brutal to everyone, especially her father.
“Reid?”
I turn to face her, and fuck, she’s beautiful, her brown hair a tousled, sexy mess. Her skin flawless. Her body—God, her body, I love that body. I love her.
“Reid,” she prods. “What’s going on?”
What’s going on? I have to tell her things I hoped she’d never need to hear. Things I would like to pretend she doesn’t need to know to marry me, but I’d be wrong. She does. She has a right to know. “I need to call Gabe. Give me a few.” I cross to stand in front of her, and stroke her cheek. “French fries and ice cream, or do you want to go out?”
“I want to know what you’re thinking right now,” she says, catching my hand. “Talk to me. I know you. There’s something you aren’t saying.”
“But I will, Carrie. I will.” I kiss her hand. “Give me a just a few minutes, okay? Order me French fries and ice cream too, but add whiskey. I need it. I’m going to step outside a few minutes but I’m not keeping secrets. There are things I need to say to Gabe that I’ll tell you about, but I need to explain them one on one, you and me, not with you overhearing me talk to my brother in pieces. Fair enough?”
“Yes. Fair enough.”
I lean in and kiss her. “I’ll be right back.” I cross the room and exit to the hallway. I don’t even think about calling Gabe inside the hotel. I wait through an elevator ride and a long walk through the lobby until I step outside. Then, and only then, do I call him. “Brother love,” Gabe says. “How’s all that money treating you?”
“I proposed to Carrie.”
“Oh, fuck. Why do you sound like you just got kicked in the teeth? Did she say no?”
“She said yes, and that’s the problem.”
“O—kay,” Gabe replies. “Officially confused. You proposed and you wanted her to turn you down?”
“Her father found out. He threatened to come after us.”
“What?” Gabe says. “How? On what grounds?”
I go through as much of the detail with Gabe, including parts of the agreement with Carrie’s father he didn’t previously know. “You leveraged your portion of the company? What the fuck?”
“He has something big on dad.”
“He and dad always have something on each other.”
“Really bad, Gabe, and there’s a connection to me on paper.”
He’s silent a beat. “Okay. I won’t ask now, not on the phone. You didn’t break the agreement, right? Carrie found out about his dirt on her own.”
“Yes, but there’s still a chance he’ll come at me and dad. And fuck, man, I’m engaged to Carrie.”
“You have to tell her whatever it is that you can’t tell me. She has to know because not only will she be dragged into it, dad will go after her father.”
“And you have no idea what that could mean,” I say, softly.
“I don’t like what that implies.”
“Me either,” I say. “Just protect yourself and the company. Be on guard.”
“What are you going to do about Carrie?”
“If I was the man she deserved, I’d walk away from her and stay away.” I hang up.