Chapter 5 ~ Alexander
Twenty hours ago.
As I walk into the conference room and take a seat at the table, my fingers still tingle from the feel of her in my arms. The scent of lilies lingers in my nose, and I breathe in deeply.
Carlos and my father come in behind me. Sebastian is already seated, laptop open, with a grim expression on his face. Christopher rushes in, bringing up the rear, and closing the door behind him.
“Sorry, Jesus, I thought I’d never make it.” Chris takes the seat beside my father, and we all sit down.
Carlos leans in close to me. “That was some waltz, brother. Didn’t know you were so smooth on your feet.” He gives me his shit-eating grin.
“Fuck off,” I mutter back.
Sebastian looks around the room. “Okay. before I tell you what I found. I want all of you to promise you won’t go out there and kill anyone.” He points at me and raises his eyebrows.
I adjust my suit jacket. “It’s my rehearsal dinner. I definitely won’t kill anyone. But you got us all kind of sweating here, buddy.”
Sebastian looks back at his computer and starts clicking away. My father looks over at me, irritably raising one eyebrow. I just shake my head, like ‘let him do his thing’. Sebastian stops typing and looks at us, his expression is grim.
“We have seven head chairs in this organization. Each one has a vote. The majority vote wins the head chair, which dad’s been holding for the last 25 years.” He types a bit more.
“There are twelve subsidiary companies that Robert has been dumping the money into. Four we know, the other eight I’m close to figuring out.” He looks at me, “Sorry I missed dinner. I set an alarm if anything popped up on my tracker. And I got this.”
He turns his laptop around, and the four top names jump out.
My anger skyrockets and I stand, pushing my chair back and it knocks over to the floor as I head to the door. Carlos grabs my arm and I struggle to rip it out of his hands.
“SIT! Now.” My father’s deep voice snaps me out of my red rage.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I point at the door. “All four of those pricks are sitting out there as we speak. Half the fucken organization is out there right now. We could drag their asses in here, show them what’s been going on under their noses and put those four motherfuckers down.”
“You never learn, do you?” He sighs, resting his hands on the table. “With only half the information? What good would it do, Alexander?”
Carlos picks up my chair and points to it. I take my seat once again, grabbing at my jacket to straighten it out and get comfortable. I don’t know how he does it; my father just sits there so calmly, looking at us like Sebastian didn’t just announce a major coup in the organization.
With the four votes from the traitors sitting out there at my table, plus Roberts, he’d have the deciding vote, making him the organization’s new leader.
If my father even decides to bring this to the board members. His rule is absolute, and he will decide how this will play out in the future.
Me? I’d call those four pricks in here, snap on my silencer, and put an end to this bullshit.
“Are they active in laundering or are their names being used as a cover? I need more than just four names before I can act, son.”
Sebastian turns his laptop once again to face him and begins to type rapidly.
“As I said before, I have to follow the money. I only set the alarm if I could break through and get the names of the companies. I’ve got the names now, which led me to the four head chairs that we are looking at right now. The others are hidden so deep I’m still trying to crack that firewall.”
Silence fills the room and we all look at each other and back at Sebastian who is typing away ignoring us.
“And?” My father prods him.
Sebastian looks up quickly, and jumps in his seat like he’s shocked we are all sitting at the table.
“Oh, right. I have been working on it since we were in New York. I have to look into their personal bank accounts to see if they have made any outstanding purchases above and beyond what they normally would. Or even if they’re hiding the money somewhere else.”
My father turns to Carlos and asks, “Any news on the Lawyer’s son?”
Carlos sits up straighter and says, “Yeah, he’ll be back in town next week. Jasper said he’s got an envelope. He’s not opening it; he’ll hand it off to us when we meet.”
“Agreed. This stays at this table.” My father taps the hardwood surface with his finger.
“I want a detailed list of what they buy and sell, where they do it, and with whom, if you can find it,” he says to Sebastian. “I need every detail you can manage to uncover.”
Sebastian just nods and keeps on typing.
We’ve been here for hours; James has come and gone with refreshments and a tray of food. The thump of the music has stopped, and I look at my watch. It’s going on 11:00 PM. The dancing must be over. My father reads a text from my mother and informs me she will drive the girls to my place.
Danny is hanging back, waiting for Sebastian and my father so he can take them home. Sebastian wants to head home and set up his computer system; there is only so much he can do here on the laptop. He’ll meet us back here in the morning for the wedding.
I stand up, stretching my shoulders, “I’m about done. I’m heading up to my room if no one else needs me?”
My father stands as well. “It’s late. I’ve been away from your mother long enough. I say we table this till after the wedding.” He looks at Sebastian and says, “Unless something important pops up, then call a meeting.”
As we wait by the elevator, we mumble our goodbyes to my father and brother. Christopher and I are in the elevator with Carlos lounging against a wall and gazing off into space. We're all too exhausted to talk at this point.
We reach our floor in silence, exit the elevator and head to our suite.
I leave the boys to gather in the living room, and I go to my room to change into something comfortable before meeting the boys back out there.
Chris throws his suit jacket on the couch and walks over to the bar to get us all a drink.
Carlos slumps onto the big chair, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling.
I grab my phone and bring up the feed of Isabella’s room.
The girls are on the couch, drinking wine and hugging each other. I zoom in, and I can see the tears pouring down Isabella’s face. Anna is holding her, rubbing her back.
I rub my chest as the pressure builds. Why is she crying? Is the idea of marrying me that abhorrent to her? God, I wish I’d have installed audio with these cameras. At the very least, I’d have an idea of what was going on.
I watch my phone as I sit down on the couch in the living room. Chris hands me my drink and I take a swallow. Anna is still holding Isabella and they just cling to one another like it’s the end of the world.
“Well, this is a major cluster fuck.” Chris says, breaking the silence.
“Which part?” Carlos asks.
“All of it. Fucken traitors. They sit at our table, eating our food and drinking our booze as if they belong here. And we have to sit there and smile, watching them enjoy themselves at our expense.” He swallows his drink and slams the empty glass on the table.
I set my drink down, putting my elbows on my knees. “And they will again tomorrow night. Until father has all the information we need, things will remain as they are. We have to keep our cool and let it play out until further instructed by dad.”
Both Christopher and Carlos scowl at me remembering my outburst at wanting to kill them all.
“I know. I lost my shit there for a minute, and that’s something I need to work on.” I give them a cocky smile and say, “But that’s why I have you guys to tackle my ass before I make a mistake.”
Carlos laughs, and Chris only half smiles. I grab my drink and down the rest, setting my empty tumbler on the coffee table, I lean over to Chris.
“We will hang them, Christopher. This won’t go unpunished. But for now, we wait and smile and shake their fucken hands until Sebastian and Jasper get back to us with more information.”
Chris nods his head in agreement and Carlos just looks at the floor.
Standing up, I stretch my arms and look at them both. “I’m beat. I’ll see you two in the morning. I need my beauty sleep. Tomorrow is the big day.”
I flutter my lashes, and Chris throws a pillow in my face. Snagging it mid-air and throwing it back. I head off to my room. “Nite.”
As I close the door and turn on the lamp, I throw my phone on the bed.
I step out of my joggers and pull off my t-shirt, dropping them at my feet as I pull back the covers and climb into bed.
I’m mentally and physically exhausted. It’s been a long week in New York; a long flight, and a long ass day.
I punch my pillow and grab my phone, setting it on the pillow beside me so I can watch the girls.
They are both leaning back on the arms of the couch, feet tucked up, a glass of wine in their hand. They are facing each other, talking, sipping wine. Every once in a while, Isabella laughs. I’ve never seen her laugh before. I zoom in on her face.
She’s stunning. How did I miss how pretty she is?
Her open smile shows her teeth, and her bright green eyes sparkle with life.
Those pouty lips are spread in a huge smile as she tosses her head back, laughing harder at Anna.
Even the crinkles at the corners of her eyes make her look like the happy twenty-three-year-old she’s supposed to be.
I’ve never seen her look like that in my presence, ever.
I rub my chest again; the bitterness growing as I watch them. She will never behave in that manner with me. She meant it when she said she wasn’t happy to see me.
I don’t think she hates me, or maybe she does, but it’s more complicated than that. She is vacant of emotions when she looks at me like I’m just a body and not a person.