Chapter Fifteen. Holden
FIFTEEN
Holden
“Yes. Of course.” I shake Goldberg’s hand.
He’s a slimy fucker. If my delving into his online search history is any indication, he has a penchant for porn depicting performers who look way younger than they are.
Gross on every level but even more when he is nearing eighty.
“So bumps and bruises are expected during the process, but I think the co-CEO route will give everyone a better peace of mind on all decisions being made.”
Are we done here? I need to go wash my hands from touching his and then go find Rowan.
Her reaction was most unexpected.
There was no excitement, there was no outward emotion, but rather a steely expression that said she didn’t believe me.
“Knight.”
“Not now, Rhett,” I say over my shoulder.
“You can file your complaint with Audrey and I’ll read it when I get the time.
You should be happy though. You can now keep closer tabs on your sister—you know, the one you think is the problem in all of this.
” I glance to the left down the hallway. Rowan isn’t in her office.
“You’re playing games.”
Rhett doesn’t know when to quit, does he?
I stride into mine and look out the window to where I have a perfect view of the parking lot. Her car is gone. Shit. Then again, the conversation we need to have should be done somewhere more private anyway.
“I don’t play games, Rhett.” I turn to face him, and his shoulders are squared in my doorway like he’s ready for a fight.
“Where’s your favorite sidekick? Don’t you need him here to witness what I have to say next, or do you prefer to make the threats you’re trying to figure out how to make without someone watching? ”
“I don’t need a witness for anything.” He crosses his arms over his chest and smirks. “You’re slipping and it shows.”
“Excuse me?” What the fuck did he just say to me?
“I said you’re slipping. Too wrapped up in whatever it is you’re doing to look at the fine print. Didn’t you say something like that when we closed the deal?”
Now he most definitely has my attention.
“You’re not giving her anything she can’t get through marrying Chad, you know.”
“How’s that?” I play it off but question my own sanity in even having this conversation. I figured out why she was pissed. I rectified the situation today with the board meeting.
But you never figured out why she agreed to marry Chad.
“It’s buried deep in the bylaws. A misplaced paragraph in the boilerplate of it for the purpose of it to go undetected.”
“You’re boring me, Rhett.” But he’s doing anything but.
“You pride yourself on turning the screw in, but it seems those fancy, high-dollar lawyers you have missed something, didn’t they.
” I want to punch the smirk right off his face but I refuse to give him the satisfaction.
“It was a way to keep my gran, the only Rothschild by blood at the time, as an acting part of the company. When the CEO or the COO marries, their wife is given voting shares and a seat on the board.”
That’s what Chad has that I don’t.
That. Right there. She knew the fucking contract was signed, thought I wasn’t giving her what I promised, and like the defiant, temerarious, driven woman Rowan is, she set out to get it herself.
My head spins. My breathing shallows. Jesus fucking Christ.
“What’s wrong, Knight? Didn’t you know that?” He shrugs. “What you’re missing is she doesn’t want the co-CEO title. All she cares about are the shares and the clout of a board seat. All she is desperate for is to match what I have. By marrying Chad, she’ll get that.”
“Then you don’t know your sister very well.”
“And I wish you didn’t know her at all,” he sneers.
I cross the room and am in his face in seconds.
I get pleasure in how his breath hitches in fear.
He wants to play who has the bigger balls, I’m 100 percent fucking game.
“You’re a fucking coward, Rothschild. You’ve kept Rowan at bay in this company, because she’s smarter than you and within seconds will ferret out all that you’ve done to fuck this company over.
Then you stand here and tell me she doesn’t want the new position because you’re too goddamn terrified she’s going to show you up and make you look like the fucking pompous prick you are.
That makes you weak. That makes you small.
And I’m going to have so much fun knocking you off that Westmore fucking pedestal you think you own when you didn’t do a goddamn thing to earn it.
” He opens his mouth to speak but my finger jabbing in his chest stops him.
“She’s not the only one who suspects you’re shady as fuck.
I know you are. And there is nothing I’ll enjoy more than dismantling the man everyone in this town thinks you are for all to see.
Remember whose company this is now. Mine.
I’m here watching your every move, and I assure you my bite is much stronger than anyone else’s.
My well of depravity has no bottom.” I pat him on the shoulder and grin like a lunatic. “Glad we had this little talk.”
I walk around him, leaving him standing just inside my new—his old—office. Audrey eyes me from where she is gatekeeping in the hallway and holds out a copy of the stapled, corrected agreement from the lawyers’ office. The one that has everything I promised Rowan in it and then some.
“Thank you,” I say.
She smirks and glances to where Rhett must still be. “I’ll make sure the door is locked and the lights are turned off for you.”
“I don’t deserve you, Aud.”
“I know.” She chuckles. “I know.”
Now for the hard part—convincing Rowan I kept my word.
And that I can give her every fucking thing marrying Chad can get her and more.