Chapter 36
Axel
I would burn the world down for my brother, and he knew it. So I had expected our father to be sitting in our box for the game, and I was going to be forced to talk to him. There was only one reason I would do it. Luca. I’d watched the video he’d made more times than I wanted to admit.
When Thomas opened the door, my father stood from his chair. Luca put his hand on my back. “I’m going to get us a drink while you talk to him.”
“Okay, love,” I said, watching him walk toward Thomas. Turning, I stepped toward my father. He ran a hand over his head, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. He looked even older than the last time I saw him. Maybe his hair was grayer. “Axel, it’s good to see you, son.”
What did you say to someone you were trying not to loathe? I settled on, “Yeah.”
He shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable. The last time we’d seen each other hadn’t gone well. “You’re having a great season.”
“We are.”
“And you’re the captain. I’m so proud of you.” I never thought I’d see him fidget. “I think I told you that, but your performance and the way you set the tone are remarkable, son. Just remarkable.”
God, he was trying. I suppose I could try to meet him halfway. “Thank you. It’s a team effort.” Standard answer. “Karlsson is great with the rookies.”
He looked around, his eyes landing on Luca. He’d already met Thomas at our sister’s wedding, and I wondered how long it would take for him to ask. And what would he say tomorrow when I blew part of his world up?
“Is he your partner?”
“Yes. And he’s the only reason I’m talking to you.”
His face lit up. “I should thank him.”
“Probably.” This was fucking painful. “Look, I know Mason has put most of what happened behind him. But he wasn’t privy to our mother’s mental breakdown. So I’m not quite there yet.”
He held up his hands. “I know. Despite what you think, I love you, son. Always have.” I didn’t reply, and he kept going. “I made a terrible mistake, but if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I’d like to be a part of your life.”
My stomach churned. Did I want that? It was exhausting to keep up the anger. It wouldn’t change the past. But what it came down to was trust.
“Axel, I’d like the chance to earn that place in your life. I regret the past, but my children are all I really have.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Luca. He caught my eye and smiled. I turned back to my father. “Luca made a video of you one night. He thought I should see your face when I scored.” I took a deep breath. “It’s why I’m standing here, and not over there ignoring you.”
Pain filled his eyes, but he didn’t respond.
“It all comes down to trust, and I don’t know how to do that yet.”
“Maybe in time I can fix that.”
Luca walked up with a beer and slipped his arm around me. “Thanks, love. Want to get some food?”
“Yes.” He held out his hand to my father. “Hello, Mr. Kennerly. I’m Luca Vaughn. It’s nice to meet you.”
I watched as my father gave him what appeared to be a genuine smile and shook his hand. “You too, Luca. Please call me Davis. And thank you.”
Luca glanced up at me. “Video,” I murmured in his ear.
His smile split his face. “I’m glad I could help.”
We’d see how tomorrow went when I rained hell down on his family.
I couldn’t sleep. Luca had gone back to his apartment after the game, leaving me time for dinner with Mason and Thomas before they returned home. I’d explained what I planned and promised to keep them both updated. Mason hated confrontation, so I would spare him the agony.
When I got home, I called my sisters to apprise them of what I was going to do and what I had planned for the future. I expected it to be the last time they spoke to me, but I was surprised.
“We were there, Axel,” Maddie said. “Do what you need to do.”
Makenna chimed in. “I love the direction you want to take the business into. I’m excited.”
Since listening to Luca rehearse the presentation of his capstone project, it got me to thinking about how to put his plan into action. The resources of the Covington could definitely help more than the elite of New York. I still had a lot of work to do, but for now, it was an option.
Tossing and turning wasn’t helping, so I got up early and went for a run. We had the morning off since we were flying out later this afternoon, which meant I wouldn’t see Luca again until later in the week.
When I arrived for the 9 AM board meeting, I took the elevator to the fifth floor of the building that housed the corporate office.
Straightening my tie, the tailored Italian suit I wore fit me like a glove and was perfect for the image of the new chairman of the board.
When the doors opened, I fixed my jaw and headed to the conference room.
I’d instructed Harlan to start the board meeting, and I would intentionally arrive a few minutes late.
As far as they knew, the investment group that had purchased the majority of their stock was on board for a major facelift for the chain.
I wanted to make an entrance. Running a hand over my tie and buttoning my jacket, I pulled on the handle and entered the room.
“There you are,” he said, extending his hand. “Perfect timing. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the CEO of HBC Corporation and new Chairman of the Board of Covington Hotels, Axel Hughes.”
One look was all it took to suck the air out of the boardroom. My eyes skated around each board member. My father sat shocked, along with a host of attorneys, and the one person my eyes lingered on. Two and a half years of methodical planning had come down to this moment.
I sincerely wished I had recorded it for Mason. Melinda Covington, our stepmother, looked as if she might pass out. But no such luck when the venom returned. I didn’t have to wait long for her to ask questions.
“What are you talking about?” she seethed. She looked at her attorney. “Call security. I want him out. You are not part of this board.”
The confused faces of the people sitting around the table made this even better. My laughter caused her to fume. “Oh, but I am. And I’m not the one who’s leaving. But we’ll get to that in a moment.”
My father spoke up. “Axel, what’s going on?”
I sat down where Harlan had been seated at the head of the table. He took the seat next to me, spreading out the dossiers he’d prepared for them. “It’s very simple. I’m here to take over.”
I turned my gaze back to the woman who had made Mason’s life a living hell. “I promised to ruin you. And today is your day of reckoning.”
The blood drained from her face. “What are you talking about?”
Leaning forward, I looked across the table at her. “I own you.” I motioned around the room. “And your hotel.”
“That’s fucking impossible! My husband’s bastard is not going to run my company!” Her attorney put her hand on Melinda’s arm to settle her down.
“Not impossible at all. My company, HBC, owns fifty-one percent of Covington Hotels, which means I’m Chairman of the Board. I have been waiting for this day since Maddie’s wedding. And the first order of business is to remove you.”
She bounded out of her chair as I sat smiling at her. “You will have to carry me out of here.”
“That can be arranged. On your way out, you explain to the press why you’ve been removed. You have two choices. Which one you choose is up to you.”
Harlan passed the dossiers to everyone at the table. “Inside you will find two press releases regarding today’s proceedings,” he explained. “The one that is released is dependent on the outcome of this meeting at Mr. Hughes’ discretion.”
I waited for her to read them. “Resign on your own accord and go quietly. Or I make a fucking media sensation out of you and splash all the nastiness of our past to every charity and board you belong to in this city.”
Her eyes cut to me. “You would do that to your brother and sisters?”
“They are completely on board. It’s your choice.
Leave. Resign from the Board and sign over your stock to Madison and Makenna.
That’s how you leave with your tainted dignity intact.
Or we go the other way. It’s all in the dossier.
” I looked at my watch and stood. “Harlan, you know what to do. If you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch. ”
I walked out of the boardroom and headed for the elevator. I never expected my father to be the one running after me.
“Axel, wait.” His hand landed on my shoulder. “I want to talk to you.”
I spun in the empty hallway and looked at him. It was impossible to read his expression as he tugged my arm toward a dark office. Jerking it away, he realized what he’d done, then stepped back. If this were the last time I spoke to him, I wanted to lay it all out there.
“Please, five minutes.”
Following him in, I closed the door. “I’m in a hurry.”
My father put his hands on his head as he paced in front of me.
When he looked up, he was beaming at me.
“Goddamn, that was brilliant. This fucking business was the reason I had to leave your mother. My father held it over my head. And now you’ve liberated me.
” His face lit up as an idea crossed his mind.
“We can run this together—you and me. I’ll handle the business while you play hockey.
It’s brilliant. What do you need from me to get started? ”
It was the last thing I expected. “I don’t need you for any of it.”
His face fell. “But you can’t run a company and play hockey. You’re going to need my help. You need someone with business experience you can trust to handle things while you’re away. That’s me. I can do that for you. We can grow this business to our wildest dreams!”