8. Robert
ROBERT
I sit behind my desk pretending to read over paperwork, but my attention keeps drifting to the woman sitting across from me.
Eleanor is curled up in one of the leather chairs in my office with her legs crossed beneath her and reading glasses perched on her nose. I don’t know why I thought I would get any work done with her here in my office, but I asked her to come, and I don’t regret it for a second.
I really like having her here. I’ve been a mess since she left, and with her sitting across from me, I feel more at ease and focused.
Having her here last night in the house was perfect, and I’m not the only one that thought so. Cole smiled more, Luna felt more at ease since she wasn’t just with a group of men, and Knox and Bennett even seemed more like their old selves.
Eleanor flips another page and then looks up at me over the top of the papers. “Are you actually going to read those or are you just staring at me?”
I lean back in my chair. “Can’t I do both?”
Her lips twitch.
God, I’ve missed that smile.
I toss my pen onto the desk. “You know, you sitting in my office like this is dangerous.”
“Oh?” She arches an eyebrow. “Dangerous for who?”
“For me,” I tell her honestly. “I keep thinking about bending you over this desk.”
She bursts out laughing and points at me with the file in her hand. “See? This is why nobody takes you seriously.”
I scoff. “Everybody takes me seriously.”
“Mm-hm.” She glances around the office dramatically. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day Robert Kingston willingly asked for someone else’s opinion.”
“Tsk tsk,” I warn her automatically.
She grins. “Sorry. Bobby.”
My chest tightens hearing the nickname again.
She taps the papers against her knee. “But seriously. You asking for input? That’s huge.”
I shrug one shoulder. “I’m evolving.”
She laughs again. “No, you’re desperate.”
Fair.
I rub my jaw and study her. “You were right about Bennett.”
Her expression immediately sharpens. “I knew it.”
I point at her. “See? This is exactly why I need you in here.”
She shifts in her chair, suddenly looking too pleased with herself. “What did I tell you?”
“That something was going on with him.”
“And?” she presses.
I sigh heavily. “And maybe there’s more to this Audrey Sterling situation than I originally thought.”
Eleanor sets the papers down in her lap. “You still think she’s dangerous?”
“I think she’s a Sterling.”
She rolls her eyes. “That’s not what I asked.”
I glare at her, but she just smiles knowingly because she’s been reading me better than anyone for thirty-five years.
“I don’t know,” I finally admit. “But Bennett’s acting differently.”
“Interesting different or stupid different?”
I bark out a laugh. “With our son? Probably both.”
She grins at me, but before she can respond, there’s a knock at my office door.
“Come in.”
Paul walks in first followed by Knox.
The second Knox sees Eleanor sitting in my office, his eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline.
“Well, shit,” he mutters. “Mom’s back in the war room.”
Eleanor rolls her eyes. “I’m sitting in a chair, Knox.”
“Yeah, in Robert’s office,” he points out. “This hasn’t happened in months.”
I look over at Eleanor. “See? Everybody notices when you’re gone.”
Her expression softens slightly before she quickly hides it. Paul walks toward my desk and sets down a folder. “We got another problem.”
Immediately, the mood in the room changes. I sit forward. “What happened?”
Paul opens the folder and slides over documents and property maps. “The Sterlings bought another building in midtown.”
My jaw tightens.
Knox walks around the desk and looks down at the map. “That makes three now.”
“Four,” Paul corrects.
“Son of a bitch,” I mutter.
Eleanor stands up from the chair and walks toward us. Instinctively, I reach for her waist as she steps beside me and studies the map quietly.
“What kind of property?” she asks.
Paul points at the paperwork. “Warehouse.”
My eyes narrow. Fuck. I would be less worried if they’d bought a restaurant or a club or some store. A warehouse is not flashy, and it’s not going to be noteworthy to most people.
Eleanor traces her finger along the map slowly and then suddenly goes still.
“What?” I ask immediately.
She glances up at me. “These aren’t random.”
“I already know that,” Knox mutters.
“No.” Eleanor shakes her head and points at the map again. “Look.”
The three of us lean closer.
She taps one property after another.
The last property first. “Warehouse for storage.”
The vacant lot that borders the East River. “Shipping dock for well, shipping.”
She points at the storage units that they purchased last month. “Storage.”
She looks at each of us. “They’re not just buying up midtown; they’re trying to put the Kingstons out of business.”
Silence fills the room.
Even Knox looks impressed.
Paul straightens. “Shit.”
I stare down at the map, and slowly realization settles in my chest.
Eleanor looks up at me. “This isn’t about the Sterlings expanding, Bobby.”
My jaw clenches. “No.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “It’s about taking us out and then taking over.”
A dark feeling settles low in my gut because the more I look at the map, the more I realize she’s right.
Victor Sterling isn’t testing boundaries anymore; he’s planning something big.
“Fuck.” I throw my hands up in the air. “How did I let this happen? How did we miss this?”
Eleanor’s cheeks flush. “I’m sorry. This is my—”
I cut her off. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. None of this is your fault. I’m the one not paying fuckin’ attention to our business.” I look at Knox. “Get Bennett and Cole in here. Now.”
Paul and Knox walk from the room as if they can’t leave fast enough. My chest is heaving, anger filling me. If Eleanor hadn’t caught this, it could have destroyed us. I cup her face in my hands. “Thank you for this.”
She tries to shake her head. “No. You don’t thank me. This is my family too, and I’ll do anything to help.”
She leans in and kisses me. I try to deepen the kiss, but she stops me, patting my chest as she pulls away. “I’m going to go.”
I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her. “You don’t want to stay for the meeting? This was your discovery.”
She smiles softly, pleased. “I don’t need to be here for the meeting. I just want to be a part of all this. I want you to talk to me.”
I hug her to me. “God, this feels good.” I lean back and look her in the face. “You don’t have to go.”
She rubs my chest. “I’m going to the apartment, and then I’m supposed to meet Luna for dinner.”
I love that she calls it her apartment because it would kill me if she called it home. I want her to move home, but I keep telling myself that if I’m patient, she’ll eventually come back.
I kiss her again and pull away when I hear footsteps in the hallway. “I love you, Ellie.”
She slides her hand up my chest and around my neck, pulling me down for another kiss. “I love you too, Bobby.”
We’re still embracing when there’s a knock on the door and all the guys come in.
The mood is already set for the meeting, but Bennett, Cole, and Knox all hug Ellie before she leaves. With one last glance at me, she waves goodbye. I wish I could follow her, but there’s work to be done. At least she’s agreed to keep Paul with her.