Chapter Eleven
Luca knew he should be in bed, cuddling up to his wife, and he promised her he’d be right up. They had already chosen the room, and at Tillie’s insistence about the color scheme, they were going for neutrals. Luca had been tempted by painting the room part blue and part pink until the baby arrived.
As Tillie said, the room would only be needed while their baby was an infant, and then they could keep the room neutral for all other children they were going to have. Luca couldn’t believe how excited he was at the prospect of making more children, of having a large family.
He didn’t know how he’d gotten so fucking lucky in his life. A year ago, he’d done nothing but work. Waking up, he worked, and other than a drink once in a while, his life was dominated by building his wealth. Constantly conquering one company after another.
Now, Tillie had given him so much in the short time she’d been in his life. She’d given him a familyof her own. Andrew and Bella treated him like a son. David treated him like a brother. Tillie treated him like a husband, and now he knew she was in love with him, just as he’d known he’d fallen in love with her.
They were going to have a child together, and had already booked a doctor’s appointment. He wanted to know everything he was going to need to prepare for a baby. He’d never thought he would be a father. Luca didn’t know the first thing about being a dad, but he was going to fucking try. Not only had Tillie given him everything he now had in a family, she’d also gone out of her way to learn the truth, and he was never going to forget it.
Even though his story didn’t have a happy ending, at least not yet, who his parents wereand what they did seemed so important to him now. At Tillie’s insistence, they had gotten the pictures of his parents, along with his grandparents and aunt, and she’d placed them around the house. His parents needed to be remembered.
Luca shook his head at how drastic his life had changed, as he sat at his computer desk, flicking through a baby website he’d stumbled upon. He’d already purchased a stroller, which was set to arrive within a few days. There were, of course, little clothes as well—the cutest little rompers—and of course baby bottles, monitors, and a crib. The clothes, though, were what he was looking through now.
The excitement building within him was strong, and as he finished making the final payment for clothes he knew Tilliewould be annoyed about, he shut down the computer. He was making his way upstairs when he heard it—the sound of a doorknob turning.
Even though Luca now knew about his past, it didn’t change his early years, and the sound of doorknobs turning, especially in homes that were lockedup tight, was not a good sound.
He heard the creak of a door opening, and then the subtle sound of footsteps. They were moving slow. Luca moved swiftly, going back to his office and walking to the fire, where he picked up the poker. He rarely used the open fire in his office, but he had everything for the rare occasion he wanted to.
Gripping the poker in his hand, holding it tightly, he thought about Tillie upstairs. Ever since she had gotten pregnant, from time to time she’d come downstairs for a drink.He didn’t want today to be one of those days.
Hewent toward the desk, grabbing his phone and moving away from the line of sight to dial the police. Luca was angry that someone would break into his home.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The angry growl didn’t come from a voice he recognized, but one look at the face of the man staring at him, Luca didrecognize him.
A gun was pointed straight at him. The arm holding the gun was straight, but the anger resonating from Uncle Ed was palpable. One wrongmove, and he was as good as dead.
He didn’t know if Uncle Ed was a good shot or not.A few weeks ago, he and Andrew had taken a small business meeting to discuss investment, and as their meeting came to a close, he had actually thanked him for firing Uncle Ed. Andrew had wanted to do so many times, but had always figured it was down to sibling rivalry, or just his paranoid thoughts that made him think Uncle Ed was ruining the company.
Luca had saved his troubled mindin proving that Uncle Ed had in fact been squandering his position. He’d not wanted to come between family, but he had helped them out of the black, and in the short time he’d been there, they were once again turning a profit.
As for Uncle Ed, he hadn’t taken the death threats he’d been sent seriously.The man had absolutely nothing, so he figured his threats were empty.
“I bet you never saw this coming,” Uncle Ed said. “Throw the phone on the floor. Go on, do it.”
Luca had to think of Tillie. He’d not gotten the call to the police, and he needed to keep the man distracted, so he threw the phone down on the floor.
“That’s good. Now the poker. Get it out of the way.”
The poker joined the phone.
“Good, good. Now, fire up your computer,” Uncle Ed said.
This did make him pause, but Uncle Ed just jerked the gun from left to right. “Do you want me to use it? End the happy life you’ve built for yourself, using my family!” The last was said on a snarl.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Ed, but this is not the answer.”
“You’re going to giveme what is rightfully mine. That company is half mine. You’re going to transfer a hundred million straight to me, and then we’re going to put all of this unpleasantness behind us.”
“A hundred million?”
“Yes, half of what the company was worth. Half of it is mine. I’m only getting what I’m entitled to.”
There was a time when the GoodwinEmpire was worth three times, if not ten times that value, but over the years it had diminished, and Luca hadn’t even paid a hundred to acquire it. They’d been so desperate for a buyout in the hope of saving jobs, he’d gotten it at a bargain price.
“You helped ruin the company,” Luca said.
“Shut your fucking mouth and do as you’re told, or do you want to die? Is that it? You want to die, and do you think I won’t go up there and kill my niece?” Ed asked.
“You’ll leave her out of this.”
Ed started to laugh. “You don’t like that, do you? Well, then, let’s make it two hundred million. I’m due what is rightfully mine, and you’re not going to take it away from me. If you do, I’llkill her. I’ll kill you both.”
Luca started up his computer and hated the fact it worked fast. Ed had stepped further into the room.
“Why did you try to ruin your brother’s company?”
“It’s half mine!”
“Your father gave it to Andrew. The company was in your brother’s name. He inherited it.”
Ed had gotten monetary inheritance, of which Andrew had told him he’d spent in less than six months. Ed was a spender, but he’d not been much of a worker. He liked the benefits of the money, but not putting in the hardwork to obtain it. According to Andrew, for a long time Ed had been under the belief that the reason they hired people was to make money for them, that they didn’t need to do any of the hard work.
This is why Luca had also believed Ed hadn’t been much of a threat. Now, he wished he’d taken the death threats more seriously.He couldn’t help but think about Tillie, upstairs in their bed.
“Andrew was always Dad’s favorite. He always got what he wanted, whereas I was the one always left behind. Andrew got everything on a plate, but I had to do everything. Go to college, study hard. Dad was such a fucking asshole, he hated that I paid other kids to do the work for me. I couldn’t do that work, it was too fucking hard. All I needed were the grades on paper to make me look good. I made sure they were well paid, compensated for their efforts. Transfer the money!”
“And you think you should be rewarded?” Luca asked.
With every second that passed, he knew there was not going to be a chance to reason with him.
“I deserve everything. I was making that company shine.”
“You were driving it into the ground. Everything your father and grandfather worked toward was dying, and it was because of you.”
His hands shook. “I will kill you and then what are you going to do?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tillie, but Ed didn’t. She had a vase in her hands, and she brought it right down on Ed’s head. Much to Luca’s surprise, Ed went down instantly, and Tillie still held onto the vase.
Luca reacted, going toward Ed and taking the gun away, sticking it in the back of his pajama pants. Then, he looked toward Tillie, who was shaking.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay. The police and Dad are on the way.”
He cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“He had a gun andthere was no way I’d let him take you away from me.”
Ed started to moan, and Luca acted quickly. With Tillie’s help, they were able to get him into a chair and tie him up. During that time, Andrew arrived, as did David and Bella.
Andrewlooked at him, asking if he was all right, with genuine concern. He told him he was, and then Bella grabbed his face, turning him left and right, then pulling him into a hug.
David shook his hand, and then pulled him in for a hug.
Luca couldn’t believe they were all in the main office, waiting for the police to arrive.
Ed glared at his brother. As for Andrew, his arms were folded across his chest as he stared back at Ed.
“You didn’t deserve that company,” Ed said.
“Shut up,” Andrew said. “Do you reallythink Dad was going to give the company to you? You spent all your time chasing women and a good time. When he tried to get you to work, you made him feel like shit. You don’t know what hard work is, and you nearly destroyed everything. Now, I don’t even have to worry about what crap you’re up to. You’re going away for a long time.”
“Half is mine.”
“No,I’ve already spoken to the lawyer. There is no way for you to contest it. You got your fair share, but you wasted it and you did so with speed.” Andrew shook his head. “You’re not entitled to anything and the company is now Luca’s, and he is going to make sure my mistakes are not repeated.” Andrew took a step toward him. “I appreciate you wanting to give my company back to me, but I know where I went wrong. Just do as you’re doing, and you and I will never have a problem.” Right in front of his eyes, he tore up the deeds Luca had drawn.
Tillie pulled him toward her. “You were going to give the company back to my father?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Why?” Tillie asked.
“Because I have you and our baby, and I have a family. The company is a success—”
“Because of you,” Andrew said.
“I just want to point out that I agree with this as well,” David said.“Nearly losing it was a close call, and not one I want to repeat, so you’re not getting rid of us that easily.”
At the sound of the police arriving, everything else went by in a whirlwind as their statements were taken. Ed was arrested, and then, one by one, Andrew, Bella, and David left, as did the police, andLuca was alone with his wife.
“I love you,” she said.
“And I love you.”
He took her hand, and rather than go to bed, he led her into the kitchen to make her a hot chocolate he knew she was going to need.