Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
GRANT
T he appearance of Kyle coupled with the words he spoke twisted Grant’s stomach into a knot. We have a problem . When didn’t they? And usually, Kyle was behind one of them.
In fact, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Kyle wasn’t part of DG Industries all along and feeding them false information to distract them.
He eyed Kyle warily, memories of his past deceptions flickering through his mind. Trusting him was a gamble, one that weighed heavily on Grant. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that their past was a prologue to a future betrayal. He didn’t trust the man as much as his wife did. Sometimes her soft heart confounded him, and sometimes it made his heart ache with worry for her.
“What happened?” she asked, her muscles tensing as she rose with concern etched into her features.
Kyle stuck his hands on his hips and shook his head.
“Kyle?” Julia prompted.
“Spit it out, Kyle,” Grant grumbled before he took another sip of his bourbon.
He offered an apologetic glance as Julia shot him a disappointed glance. “Sorry. Take your time.”
Kyle’s features pinched as he centered his gaze on Julia’s kind features. Grant narrowed his eyes at his son. He’d use anything to try to get her sympathy. And with his new role in their plot to bring DG Industries to its knees, he had plenty of opportunities.
He imagined him slipping into her office at every chance to whine about how difficult this was on him and how hard he’d been working to help them. She’d offer him that sympathetic, caring glance–the one that could melt his heart, too–and Kyle would grab her hand, acting innocent and helpless.
The idea made anger burn inside him. If his son was using the crusade against Lydia to put the moves on Julia again, he’d wring his neck.
Julia led Kyle to a chair and eased him into it. “Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you a drink?”
Grant held back from rolling his eyes as he focused his gaze on his son across from him. Kyle was really putting an effort into his performance. He rubbed his palms along his thighs as he blew out a long, shaky breath.
“Grant, can I refill yours?” Julia asked as she handed a scotch off to Kyle.
“No, thanks. I’d just like to hear about this big problem we have.”
Julia perched on the edge of the chair next to Kyle as he sipped his drink.
He sucked in a breath, balancing the glass on his knee. “Thank you, Julia.”
Grant wasn’t certain he could take much more of this act. He was ready to lunge across the desk and choke the words out of Kyle before the man could twist the situation any more to gain Julia’s sympathy.
“You’re welcome. Now, what’s the problem? Is it something Lydia’s planning or something she’s asked you to do?”
He shook his head. “No, that’s the problem. She hasn’t asked me to do anything. And she hasn’t given me any insight into her plans lately.”
“ That’s what you burst in here acting like someone killed your kitten to tell us?”
Kyle’s jaw flexed as he snapped his icy blue eyes up to Grant’s face, his lips tugged into a thin line. “Oh, I’m sorry that’s not concerning for you, Dad.”
“Well, I think you’re being a little dramatic here, Kyle. Though I think I know why.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed as his fingers curled into fists. “Really? Something you want to accuse me of?”
“No,” Julia said with a shake of her head, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them.
“Oh, I think there is. Go ahead and say it, Dad. Tell us what’s on your mind.”
Grant’s voice was terse, clipped with irritation. He waved a hand in the air, trying to sweep the matter away. The last thing he wanted was to be goaded into an argument by Kyle where he could easily be painted as the bad guy. “Forget it. I’m just frustrated. Lydia’s games are wearing thin on all of us.”
“Well, now I don’t want to forget it. I want to know what you think my reasoning is for being ‘dramatic.’”
“Oh, come on, Kyle, let it go,” Grant shot back.
“Why don’t we just move on? Did something else happen? You did seem really upset when you came in.”
“I am really upset,” Kyle answered, running a hand through his hair as his leg bobbed up and down. “I’m getting nowhere.”
“Okay, well, that’s…to be expected. We knew Lydia wasn’t going to just give you all her plans, right?”
Grant eyed his wife as she laid a consoling hand on his son’s shoulder. He hated every second of how he sucked sympathy from her.
“No, but…”
Julia leaned forward, tilting her head to catch his eye as she kept her features soft. “But?”
“I’m getting less information now. I messed up somehow. I did something wrong. She doesn’t trust me.” He twisted to face her, grabbing her hand in his. “I’m sorry, Julia.”
Grant nearly choked on the bile rising in his throat as Kyle’s acting became Oscar-worthy.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Kyle. Nothing. You’ve done a really good job of getting information from her. We appreciate everything you’ve done.” She flicked her gaze to Grant. “Right, Grant?”
Grant raised his eyebrows as Kyle centered his gaze on him. “Yeah.”
“Could you make it sound any less honest?”
Grant flung his hands out as his frustration rose. “What do you want from me, Kyle?”
“Honesty. Why don’t you just say it? You think I’m a screw-up. You think I’m a mistake, you always have.”
“Not at all. If you want to know what I really think, I think you’re playing us. I think you’re in with Lydia, and this is all just a game for you. You’re working to destroy me while you play up to Julia for sympathy.”
Kyle settled back in the chair, shooting a glance Julia’s way. “There you have it. He always thinks the worst of me. Even after months of playing with fire, he thinks I’ve been lying the entire time.”
“No, he doesn’t. He’s frustrated, just like you are. And when you two get frustrated, you attack each other. That needs to stop.”
Grant held his hands up in defeat as Kyle shook his head, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of his chair.
“It can’t stop, Julia,” Kyle answered. “Because no matter what I do, no matter how much I do, he just can’t accept me.”
“Look who’s talking. You show up here, you get my daughter and wife kidnapped, then you re-kidnap my wife, and you cause all kinds of trouble because you hate me. You’ve always hated me. You came to town to destroy me. You said those exact words to me. Why wouldn’t I think you’re working with Lydia and DG?”
“Oh, right, because no one ever changes. You certainly haven’t, which is why Julia should be counting the days down until she can get away from you. I’m surprised you made it through almost two years with the same woman.” He flicked his gaze to Julia, who seemed to grow increasingly upset with the conversation. “Don’t worry, Julia, it’s almost over. You can get away from this womanizing egotist soon.”
“That’s it,” Grant said as he launched himself from his chair. “I’ve had enough of you.”
Kyle leapt from his seat, slamming his glass onto the desk and balling his fists at his sides. “Can’t handle the truth?”
Julia jumped up and pushed between them before they came to blows again. “Enough, stop it.”
“No, Julia,” Grant said with a shake of his head. “I can’t. He is out of line again. Way out of line.”
“Hardly,” Kyle answered. “You just hate when you have to face what you really are.”
“Stop, stop,” Julia tried as the rising tension threatened to crush them. “I want both of you to stop this right now. Back to neutral corners.”
She pushed a hand against both of their chests, easing them away from each other. Grant grabbed hold of it, wrapping his fingers around her soft skin before he held the other hand up in the air. “Fine.”
He backed a few steps away, allowing Julia’s hand to slip from his as she stayed firmly planted where she was. She shot Kyle a demanding glance.
He swallowed hard and took a step back before he retrieved his drink and stalked to the fireplace.
“Okay, good,” Julia said as she blew out a breath. “Now, let’s all take a deep breath…and apologize.”
Grant let a harsh laugh escape his lips. “No, no way.”
“Same. I’m not apologizing for putting myself in harm’s way to save his skin.”
Julia slid her eyes closed as she opened and closed her palms into fists.
“All I did was tell the truth,” Grant grumbled.
“Same here,” Kyle shot back.
“We all have doubts all the time. But that doesn’t mean that’s reality,” Julia said.
She shifted her gaze between them before she centered her gaze on Grant, raising her eyebrows. She wanted him to go first. She wanted him to play nice with Kyle, but he didn’t think he could do it.
The expression on her features became more demanding, and she tilted her head at him in a silent request. He shifted his weight as he prepared to give in to her, not because he wanted to win her over, but because she was right. He and Kyle pushed each other’s buttons. No matter what one did, the other one took it the wrong way without fail. Poor Julia was trapped in the middle, trying to manage two strong egos as she waded her way through the DG Industries issue the best way she could.
“Fine. She’s right. As usual. I…sometimes have my doubts about you because of the way we met. Fair or not, it’s true. The only thing that will fix that is time and…building trust. Both of which we’ve had a pretty short supply of so far.”
Kyle’s forehead creased as a confused expression crossed his features. “Forgive me, but there seem to be two key words missing from that apology.”
Grant’s blood boiled as he flexed his jaw, trying desperately not to lash out again.
“Kyle, that’s not really helpful,” Julia warned.
“I’m sorry, Kyle. There, I said it. Okay? Things got out of hand like they normally do between us. Tensions are running high already with everything that’s happened and is still happening. And with the stakes, particularly for me and Sierra, I just…my temper got the better of me.”
Kyle puckered his lips as he stared down into his scotch and bobbed his head. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Good,” Julia said as she slid her hand around his elbow and offered Kyle an expectant glance.
He glanced at her, a moment of surprise crossing his features. “Oh, me. Right. Uh, sorry, Dad.”
“That’s it?” Grant barked.
“What else do you want?”
Julia offered him a disappointed glance and a small sigh.
“Okay, fine. I’m sorry that I said all that stuff about your past. I’m proof that people can change, so…maybe you can, too.”
“I have changed,” Grant said. “Maybe we’ll work together long enough for you to realize that.”
“I have the same hope. Which is why I’m so disturbed that I haven’t gotten further with this. And…the reason I was really upset when I came in is because…I…” He slurped down another sip of scotch, wiping at his lips with the back of his head. “I think I really messed up with Lydia.”
“What do you mean?” Julia asked.
“I mean…” He shook his head, avoiding her gaze. “I was getting nowhere. And I…pushed. I pushed for more from her. And I think I showed too much of my hand. I think I overplayed it.” He finally raised his eyes to meet theirs. “I think I ruined everything.”
Grant slid his eyes closed, heaving a sigh. Whether he trusted the man enough to believe they were on the same side or not, whatever connection they had into Lydia’s twisted mind might be gone. And they were no closer to defeating her.
Julia slicked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Okay, let’s just take a breath here. What happened exactly?”
Kyle refilled his scotch and took a sip. “She…wasn’t really telling me anything. I kept pushing her, asking her what the plan was, where this was going. She hinted that she had something big coming. And I wanted the details. She told me I wasn’t privy to those. I…accused her of not having any plan. I said she was just playing games. And she got pretty mad about that.”
“But she still didn’t tell you anything.”
“No, and then…I…” His features showed annoyance. “Did what I always do. I crossed the line. I told her if she didn’t tell me, I was out. I didn’t believe she had any plans, and I wouldn’t help her.”
“What did she say?” Julia asked.
“She told me that was fine and that I was dismissed.” He shook his head, his features scrunching. “I messed up, Julia. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t mess up. This is salvageable.”
“How?” he asked.
“Lydia’s ego is huge. You can probably get back in her good graces by just…going to her hat in hand and saying you were frustrated but you thought about it, and you want back in. Tell her…tell her you don’t care what the plan is as long as Grant loses everything. Give her some…personal reason…not too deep, just enough to be believable.”
Grant considered her plan, his head bobbing up and down as he thought it over. “She’s right. Lydia would buy that. She wants to feel powerful. Give that to her, and she’ll likely take you back into the fold.”
“But…she’s barely giving me anything now. This is such a setback.”
“Maybe not. Maybe…it’s a test. And maybe you’ll get a little more,” Julia suggested.
Kyle stared down into his drink, his features still showing upset. For a second, Grant felt for him. If he was genuine, he probably felt like he’d failed them. Maybe more Julia, but probably also Grant. If Julia read him correctly, he desperately wanted to be accepted into the family. Perhaps enough to risk his life to gain it.
Although that was still a big if in his mind.
“This isn’t as big of a setback as you think,” Julia continued. “I think you’re just frustrated because you thought you’d make a lot more progress than you have. But with everything that’s happened from the car that nearly ran me over to the kidnapping to the explosion suggests that Lydia is much more savvy than she lets on.”
Kyle sucked in a deep breath, his jaw tensing. “I guess it can’t hurt to try.”
“The worst that can happen is she doesn’t let you back in. And then we’re no worse off than we were before. In fact, we may be better.”
“How is that better?” he asked.
“You won’t be risking your life anymore playing with the devil.”
He glanced up at her, his eyes shifting briefly to Grant.
“She’s right. Although, selfishly, I hope this isn’t the end. You’re the best we’ve got to stop this ridiculous plot. Not just for me, but for Sierra. She’ll be devastated if those pictures go public.”
“What pictures?”
Grant’s heart hammered against his ribs, each beat a thunderous echo in the suddenly stifling room. Grant’s heart rose into his throat as the sound of his daughter’s voice filled the room. He spun slowly, spotting Sierra in the doorway, a ghostly pallor washing over her face. Her eyes, wide and brimming with a tumult of emotions, locked onto his, begging for an explanation he didn’t want to give.
A cold shiver ran down his spine as he exchanged a fraught glance with Julia. The air thickened with unspoken dread, a silent acknowledgment of the precarious edge they teetered on. The weight of their secret, now so dangerously close to spilling over, hung heavily between them.
What would he tell her? How could he stop her from knowing a truth that threatened to crush her?