Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
K ellen
Matthias paces back and forth across his office at the house as I explain again that Gina and I were never anything serious but I didn’t sexually harass her. My words don’t seem to be making things better, if my brother’s pained expression is any indication.
“You know we have a non-fraternization policy at King Industries,” he says in a strangled voice. “It’s there to prevent things like this from happening.”
I sit back on his brown leather couch and groan. “I’m a goddamned adult, Matthias. I can fuck whoever I want.”
He spins around and practically stares bullet holes through me before barking, “Not if it hurts the company you can’t!”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stops walking. “I’m tired of answering questions about this, so you’re going to have to step up and handle it. I’m torn about what to do, though. Our PR team thinks you need to go out and explain what happened, but the legal department says definitely not. I’ve got a call into a fixer, but I’m not sure that’s what we need. At least I hope it’s not.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this. I’ll do an interview with that woman who looks like a bird and everything will be good. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Really, Matthias. I think you’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep freaking out about things like this.”
He stares at me and twists his face into a grimace. “I wish I could believe it will be that easy.”
“Easy peasy. Trust me.”
I stand and turn to leave, nearly running into Ava on her way into the office. We’re the same age and spent year after year in the same classes in school, but somehow she’s always seemed older than me. Or maybe she’s just always been more mature.
Whichever it is, I see by the look on her face that she knows everything. Not surprising, I guess. Matthias is completely lost when it comes to her. He has been for years. He’d have to be to betray Theo like he did.
“Hi, Kellen. You look like your trip to the Turks and Caicos was good for you,” she says with a smile.
“Oh yeah? How’s that?”
“You look very relaxed. More relaxed than usual,” she answers, her voice sounding nervous now.
I look back at my brother and shake my head. “Thanks for sharing my personal life with the world.”
Rolling his eyes, Matthias says, “I didn’t share it with the world. Just Ava. Gina’s the one sharing it with the world, and you need to handle that ASAP before it blows up even worse.”
Damn. I walked right into that one.
“Don’t worry, big brother. I leave the scandal to you two. Adios! When I see you again, I expect to hear you heaping praise on me for handling this so expertly.”
The hurt written all over Ava’s face is impossible to miss, but I walk out before my brother starts with me. I said what I said.
A headache to rival all headaches pounds behind my eyes as I once again drive up to the house I grew up in. I see too many cars for the people who live here, which means Marius and Ronan are here too.
Fucking fabulous.
So much for that interview saving me. That bird woman came at me like she was talking to a fucking serial killer. Since when is having sex with a co-worker a reason to treat someone like a criminal? I knew by the second question she practically spat out at me that she was not going to help me solve my problem.
I barely made it out of the studio before Matthias was blowing up my phone. Not entirely unexpected, but when Marius and Ronan pretty much said the interview was a disaster in their texts that came in immediately after, I knew the shit had hit the fan.
Two hours later, I got to meet with the fine public relations and legal departments at King Industries. That was a great time. There’s nothing like your oldest brother and the suits glaring at you like you’re some giant fuck up.
They could have all jumped on a single email and given me their advice that way since it was basically one sentence. No more interviews or discussing this situation with anyone anymore.
No worries. I never wanted to talk about this anyway.
Now tonight I get to listen to my three brothers berate me for doing what comes naturally. It was sex, for God’s sake. What the hell is the problem?
I park my Jag far away from the house so I can make a quick getaway once this King family inquisition ends. I’m going to need a stiff drink after dealing with them, and the last thing I want is to be trapped here after listening to their bullshit for God only knows how long.
The thought of my mystery woman back on the island drifts through my mind as I sit in my car deciding if I really want to go inside the house. She was a good time. I bet she wouldn’t go on TV and online and talk about our time together. She was fun, but she was classy too. And smart. I think that’s what made me want her.
That and she was a knockout. Gina can’t say she’s any of those things.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I wish I could see my mystery woman again. Maybe I’ll put in a call to the resort and see if I can find out what her name is. I think we could have fun back here in the real world too.
With that happy thought in my brain, I head into the house for a far more awful experience. Eleanor sees me and smiles as I close the front door. It’s amazing she still looks the same as she did when I was a kid. Her dark hair is a little shorter and maybe a little thinner and grayer, and she might have put on a few pounds over the years, but I always see kindness in those soft blue eyes of hers. That never changes, thankfully.
Hurrying up to me, she grabs hold of my arm and whispers, “Stop by the kitchen before you leave. I made you some of those butterscotch cookies you love. You can take a bunch home.”
Good old Eleanor. We could always count on her trying her hardest to make us smile, even on our worst days.
“Thanks. I think I’m going to need them after this. Wish me luck.”
She pats my forearm and nods. “Don’t forget to stop before you leave. Cookies always make things better.”
I smile, but I have a feeling no matter how many cookies she gives me, this night is going to be bad. Oh, well. I might as well face the music.
“Are they in his office?” I ask her, nodding toward the hallway.
Eleanor shakes her head and frowns. “Up in the game room.”
“Thanks. See you in a few!” I say as I make my way toward the stairs that will lead me to my doom.
I wonder why my brothers chose to do this in the game room. Four of us can fit in the office. Then I remember it’s not just the four of us but Ava too, I bet. Why she has to be involved in this is beyond me.
With every step, I grow angrier as I think about this whole mess. I told Gina I wasn’t interested in anything serious. I never lied to her. I was straight up with her the whole time, so why the fuck am I having to deal with this now?
By the time I reach the second floor, I’m pissed and not in the mood for the lecture that awaits me. I’m a grown man, for fuck’s sake. I shouldn’t have to listen to my brothers bitch at me.
Since I don’t have a choice if I want to keep eating, I might as well get this over with.
My brothers are shooting pool and laughing about something when I walk in, but as soon as they see me, the whole mood of the room instantly grows darker. None of them say hello or that they’re happy to see me. All they do is scowl at me.
Good to know I have that kind of effect on my loved ones.
“Well, I’m here, so let’s get this over with. Eleanor has my favorite cookies waiting for me, and I’d rather stuff my face with them than listen to you three complain about how I’m living my life.”
Not exactly my best introduction to a bad situation, but I’m really not looking forward to this little intervention the King boys have planned.
Marius sets down his pool cue on the table and follows Matthias and Ronan across the room. Each of them sits down, leaving me only the chair in the middle of them. Fucking super. This is giving me flashbacks to when teachers in high school would have us move our chairs into a circle and each student would have to sit in the middle when it was their turn to answer questions in the teacher’s sadistic little quiz game. Since I was rarely prepared for class unless it was math, invariably my time in the middle of the circle was a disaster, to say the least.
“Nice. Have you guys been taking your cues from our high school teachers?”
No one laughs or even smiles. Oh, this is going to be fun.
I glance around at all of them and see nothing but misery. Are they seriously expecting me to think they look this unhappy because of me? I suspect they’re not delighted with their own lives and want to blame anyone but themselves.
“Kellen, we need to have a serious discussion about what you’ve been up to,” Matthias says in his most serious voice.
“Living my life? Having a good time? I didn’t realize that had become illegal.”
“Stop fucking around! We’re in the middle of a PR disaster because of you, and you keep acting pissy about taking responsibility,” he snaps.
“I thought you were supposed to be the responsible one. Isn’t that why Dad put you in charge of King Industries and not the son who actually has always given a fuck about the company and business? Not that you’re always responsible, but we don’t talk about that.”
Confusion fills his expression, and he looks over at my other two brothers before focusing on me again. “I have no idea what the hell you mean by that, but we need to talk seriously about this mess. That interview only made things worse.”
In typical Ronan fashion, he bursts out laughing. “Worse? Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the man who takes the prize for understatement. Kellen, I’ve never seen anyone get torn to shreds verbally like you did with that interviewer. I actually forgot how she looks like a hawk and could only focus on how uncomfortable you looked. If you weren’t someone I actually like, it would have been the funniest thing ever!”
The two older Kings don’t laugh, though. Matthias simply shakes his head, and Marius sighs as if all of this is ruining some good time he could be having. I feel that. I’d rather be anywhere but here too.
“So I think we can all agree that interview was awful and only hurt Kellen’s case,” Matthias says in that somber way that makes everything sound so much worse than it actually is.
“It was a hit job, so I don’t know how well it could have gone,” I say in my defense.
My three brothers turn and look in my direction, clearly not agreeing with me. Whatever. They weren’t there. That bird lady had it out for me. There wasn’t a hint of journalistic integrity in the way she conducted that interview.
“Well, now we have to talk about how we can fix this,” Matthias says as he folds his arms across his chest.
Nice body language there, pal. I can see you’re open to hearing my side of things.
I’m stunned when Ronan pipes up with an attack. “I think the first thing we need to talk about is you’re out of control, Kellen. I’m not sure what year you think it is, but sleeping with co-workers is a definite no-no nowadays.”
The way he says that makes me smile, but before I can even attempt a tiny joke that may lighten the mood, Marius jumps in and says, “Dude, I can see from a mile away where you’re planning to go with the next words out of your mouth, and let me warn you not to. I got called to this little get-together and can’t be on the beach in Saint-Tropez like I’m supposed to be as of this morning. Do not cock off with some fucking bullshit joke about how nobody slept. I agree with Ronan. You’re out of control. You’re acting like a teenage boy who doesn’t understand the rules of the game, and we’re all suffering because of it.”
“How the hell are you suffering, Mr. Saint-Tropez? I don’t see anyone giving you a hard time about who you fuck. As if it’s anyone’s damn business anyway. I’ll tell you like I told Matthias, and Ronan, you listen up because I don’t want to have to repeat myself to a third person in this family. Gina and I had fun. She knew I didn’t want anything serious. Whatever she’s doing now is because I don’t want forever. I never harassed anyone. I asked a woman out on a date. She agreed. There were no threats of retaliation if she didn’t want to go. In fact, from the signals I was getting, I could have forgotten about the dinner since she was climbing all over me from the moment I picked her up at her apartment. Nobody was coerced. Nobody had to worry about losing their job if they didn’t want to hang out. I made it perfectly clear to her that I just wanted to have fun and this was a no strings attached deal. So what was my fucking crime that gets me stuck here listening to you three tear me apart?”
I expect Matthias and Marius to give me a hassle, but Ronan not backing me up hits me hard. “Kellen, you knew when Matthias gave you the job heading your division that you couldn’t screw around. What the hell were you thinking of hooking up with someone at work?”
My younger brother sounds like that fucking employment handbook Matthias gave me to read, which I bailed on after chapter one. “What happened to you, dude? You sound like those two.”
“I grew up. You should try it. Then we won’t have to deal with having these stupid meetings because you keep fucking up.”
Something inside me snaps, and I jump up from my seat, sick of all my brothers right now. “If Theo were here, he’d laugh his ass off at you three. He knew how to have fun, so he’d be on my side.”
The three of them stare up at me in horror, like bringing up our dead brother is another crime I’m guilty of. “Theo wouldn’t be okay with this either,” Matthias quietly says.
That he’s the one to say that makes me explode. “Don’t act like you knew him at all! All you knew about Theo is you took away the only fucking person he ever loved.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone in the doorway, and when I turn to look to see who it is, Ava’s standing there with tears in her eyes. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to make her feel better, but whatever those words are, they don’t come to me.
She runs away, and a second later, Matthias marches past me scowling. “Don’t think this is over. I’ll be back.”
Great. Now I have to deal with being the bad guy concerning her too.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you say that?” Marius asks, sounding utterly disgusted with me.
When I don’t answer, Ronan adds, “You were way out of line there, Kellen. You do realize this is Ava’s house now, right? You’re a fucking guest and just insulted her.”
I’m not going to argue my opinion on Matthias and Ava. Not here or anywhere. They can be fine with what happened with Theo and those two, but that doesn’t mean I have to be.
“Whatever. I’m sure big brother will take care of things with her,” I grumble as I sit down again.
The two of them ignore me for the next few minutes, which is fine with me. The last thing I want to do is listen to them lecture me on anything like I’m some child who doesn’t know how to handle his life.
Matthias returns, and I can see by his stony expression that he’s pissed about what I said on top of the problem we’re here to discuss. He’ll probably threaten me with no money or something equally as terrible. It’s his way of trying to control me and the situation.
“It’s obvious that we’re not going to get anywhere talking about this tonight, so I’ve taken it upon myself to hire a fixer. They will clean this situation up for us. Marius and Ronan know all about it and already gave their approval, so I invited them here to get things moving. You will do exactly as instructed, Kellen, or I will make sure you don’t see another dime from your inheritance until you do. Got it?”
My brothers all look at me as they wait for an answer. “What the hell is a fixer?” I ask.
I’ve got other questions, but that’s the main one for right now. Who did he hire and what are they going to make me do are a couple more. I’m sure I’ll get my answers to those questions in a few minutes.
“Someone who will make this problem go away. We can throw money at it all we want, but if you aren’t going to help by changing, it won’t ever stop. The fixer will make sure you do what’s necessary to clean up your reputation.”
I can’t even fathom what the hell that will do to my having fun, but I’m pretty sure whoever this fixer is won’t be a welcome addition to my life. That’s for sure.
Matthias steps aside and says, “Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Salem Roberts. She’s going to fix this problem for us once and for all.”
My mouth falls open at the sight of the woman I just spent an incredible day and night with down in the islands. She looks different wearing a business suit and heels, but it’s her.
My mystery woman.
And if looks could kill, I’d be dead.