Chapter 4
She stopped in the middle of the room, one tapered brow arched and an amused expression on her face. She had slipped out of her ankle breakers and was wearing soft mules.
"The door was closed for a reason." He told her tightly.
"I was tasked to come and find you." Ingrid was trying hard not to notice how well the suit fitted his long, lean body.
Black suited him, she thought objectively.
His coloring was more defined, his eyes a sharp icy blue as they skimmed her face.
"The cutting of the cake, a tradition for the newlyweds.
" Her lips curved slightly, bringing his reluctant attention to the shape of them.
"You should tell your lover. Oh wait!" She held up a hand, the diamonds he had placed there dazzling in the light.
"She's now your mistress. Damn if I can keep track.
" She shook her head. "Anyway, tell her that it's stepping over the line of propriety to call you on your wedding day.
She should wait a day or two? Anyway, just saying. "
"Get out."
She tsked, carefully hiding the hurt and anger.
"I was also told that if you're not out in two minutes, your grandfather will be coming to get you.
" She turned towards the doors. "The natives are getting restless.
" She turned back just inside the doorway, eyes cool and contemptuous.
"I find this entire arrangement as abhorrent as you do my dear husband, but I'm willing to play it cool.
Never give the ones in control anything to be suspicious of.
You'd do well to keep that in mind. Tell the actress to go cool off somewhere and don't make promises you can't keep.
" With that, she slammed the doors shut behind her.
Carly had heard every single word and her hatred for the woman was at a boiling point. But she was clever enough to play the victim. It would not do for her to have Kyle taking the woman's side.
"Darling." She drew in a deep breath. "I'm so sorry you have to put up with that, with her. I wish there was something I could do."
He took a breath himself and tried for calm. He also found himself wondering what it was about that woman that was always ticking him off to the point where he was dangerously close to losing control. The very sight of her stirred his juices.
"It's fine. Just talking to you helps." He smiled grimly. "I have to go. I'll call when I can."
"I'll be waiting." She promised sweetly before hanging up.
He sat there for a few seconds, battling anger and despair.
He was supposed to step into that room and behave as if he was pleased with what was happening.
And later he was going to have to start his life with a woman he could not stand.
The track record in his family was dismal.
His grandfather had lost his wife almost thirty years ago and never remarried.
His father had once confided in him that losing his wife had practically destroyed him.
History had repeated itself where Jason McCreary was concerned. Whereas his grandfather had somehow bounced back and taken over the running of the company, his father had stayed buried under the grief of losing his wife.
His sister, Jessica, was so unhappy, it was etched deep into her pores.
She had given up hopes of ever having a child, something she had wanted desperately.
It was rumored that the son of a bitch she was married to was cheating on her and was not even being discreet about it.
He ached for her. And not for the first time, wished he could reach her.
They had never been close, and he could feel regret.
Now he had his own problems.
Pushing from the desk, he straightened his shoulders and left the room, to face his fate.
*****
"Smoking is bad for you." Jack McCreary commented mildly as he crossed the den to pour himself a finger of scotch.
His friend chuckled and inhaled smoke straight into his lungs. "What's it gonna do to me? I'm already dying."
Taking the drink with him, Jack sat on a comfortable chair and stretched his legs out. "I think it's time we let the rest of the family know what the hell is going on."
William shook his head. "Not a chance in hell. We accomplished what we set out to do. Our grandchildren are married to each other."
"They hate each other."
William shrugged. Taking out the cigar, he studied the tip for a second.
"That's beside the point. They will learn to care for each other.
" He looked over at his friend. "We took this bloody company out from the brink of bankruptcy and into the twenty-first century.
We worked our asses off to make that happen and to give our children a legacy. " He shrugged restlessly.
"My son is a constant disappointment, while yours.
Let's just say that Jason is not quite here, is he?
My grandson is not quite a man. Thank God for Ingrid.
" A smile touched his lips. "That girl is the spitting image of me when it comes to grit and determination.
And your Kyle, well, he shows promise." Leaning back, he closed his eyes briefly and felt the weight of responsibility coating over exhaustion.
"It's a wonder that girl turned out the way she has, considering the stock she came from.
" He said, referring to his granddaughter.
"The mother is a worthless and vain tramp, and my son is constantly inhaling chemicals and determined to screw anything in skirts.
" His anger was dangerously near to the surface.
"It's left up to Kyle and Ingrid to carry on the rich legacy, and I'll be damned if I allow anything to stand in the way of that happening. "
Jack sipped, considered and nodded. "Things changed."
William grinned at his friend. "Very profound."
Instead of smiling, Jack looked sober. He and William had been friends from the cradle.
That friendship had endured a hell of a lot of adversity.
Most of all, the wide chasm of differences in their colors.
They were friends when it was not legal for them to be.
But from the very beginning, his family had been wealthy and could do whatever the hell they wanted.
The McCreary's and Ryder's had been in partnership for more than a hundred years, but the two men were much more than that. Always.
"We went through a hell of a lot."
William saw where his friend was going and nodded.
"Our kids and grandkids have it easy. They do not have to go off fighting in the various wars.
" He absently rubbed a hand over his left shoulder where a bullet had smashed through flesh and bone and almost cost his life.
He had come back from fighting the Germans with a new perspective and a greater respect for life. His friend had faced something similar.
"They have it easy." His mouth was grim.
"I spoke to that son of mine again, laid down the damn law.
Ease up on the chemicals, get some goddamned help or risk losing the fancy apartment and the allowance.
" His lips curled. "He started blubbering and making excuses.
" He lifted a hand. "I keep asking myself where the hell did I go wrong. "
Taking another sip, Jack thought of his own son. Jason had been good and reliable, maybe not the most ambitious, but losing his wife had driven him over the edge. The man was barely functioning.
"Perhaps in our efforts to make a life for them, we enabled them. They never had to fight for a bloody thing."
His friend's sigh was long and serrated. The ceremony with its tension and strain was finally over. The cake had been cut, the moment caught on camera with lots of pictures by a professional that had been hired, and their family had left for the day. He had persuaded his friend to stay the night.
The newlyweds would now be settling in the fancy six-suite apartment on Bowery Street that was his and William's gift to them. And both of them had chosen to ignore the animosity between the two young people.
They did what needed to be done. Stretching his legs out, he felt his own mortality in the creaking of old bones and the fact that his prostate was so enlarged, he had to be taking a piss it seemed like every two minutes.
He was ready to let go of the reins but was not certain the young people were ready to take it up.
The legacy, their legacy would be left in the hands of two people who emanated animosity for each other in waves and hoped to God, they had not made an awful blunder. He trusted they hadn't.
"Jessica's unraveling." He murmured.
"She needs a therapist."
"She has been to several." Jack drank to try and get rid of the worry.
He had watched his granddaughter and that worthless piece of shit she married and knew without a doubt that the marriage was dead.
"He will have to be forced out. I had the presence of mind to make the bastard sign a prenup.
Which means if he leaves the marriage, he gets nothing.
" He took another sip and felt the warm alcohol chasing away the shadows.
"I never should have allowed the marriage in the first place, but Jessica was starry eyed, and he presented a suitable picture of a man in love. Jason as usual distanced himself. It was left up to me, and I just said to hell with it. Now we're saddled by the spineless bastard."
"Cut him loose." There was no equivocation in the other man's voice and had Jack laughing. William Ryder did not suffer fools gladly.
"I'm going to be calling the lawyers first thing on Monday after the holidays and start the ball rolling." He rolled the glass in his palm. "We're hinging a lot on those two."
"With good reasons." William nodded with certainty. "They'll come through."
*****