Chapter Twenty-Four

 

 

“I’M sorry, Mr. Preston,” Jackson’s assistant said. “Mr. Roth isn’t available to speak with you. Would you like his voice mail?”

“I’ve left several messages.” Adam gritted his teeth, then forced the tension in his body back to a manageable level. He’d called six times since Tuesday, and each time he’d gotten the same response. “Is there someone else I can speak to?”

“Of course. Hold, please.”

Eight minutes of dull-as-dirt hold music didn’t help. By the time someone picked up, Adam was about to crawl out of his skin.

“Phil Langham.”

The last person Adam had expected was the acting CEO of the company. “Mr. Langham,” he said, doing his utmost to sound entirely at ease, “this is Adam Preston of Prestco.”

“Adam. Of course. So good to speak to you.”

Yeah right. “I was trying to reach Mr. Roth,” Adam said.

“I’m afraid he isn’t taking any calls. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was hoping to speak to him about the buyout offer for Prestco. Discuss some of the details.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, since Adam didn’t give a damn about the details. Maybe if he pushed the issue, though, someone would bring it to Jackson’s attention.

“John Morgan’s heading up the deal, isn’t he?”

“He is.” This was getting nowhere.

“Why don’t you come down to our offices and meet with him?” Langham said. “Sometimes these concerns can be resolved more easily in person than over the phone.”

“I’m not—”

“I’ll let him know you’d like to meet,” Langham continued, undaunted. “I’ll have him get in touch with you.”

“I really—”

“We’re very excited about working with you. Thanks again for reaching out to us.”

The phone disconnected.

Fuck. This hanging-up bullshit was getting old.

 

 

BY the middle of the next week, Adam gave up calling Entech. He knew it was probably a huge waste of time, but he hopped a flight to LA to meet with John Morgan, ostensibly to discuss the Prestco deal.

In reality, Adam didn’t have much of a plan, but he secretly hoped to see Jackson while he was there and figure out what the hell was going on. The entire thing made no sense. Why the hell would he bother to reach out and then completely ignore Adam’s calls?

Morgan seemed surprised about the visit, given Adam’s vehement opposition to the buyout. But the underling who met Adam at LAX told him Morgan had cleared his calendar for the morning, so he probably figured Adam had caved to familial pressure.

Adam, Morgan, and a slew of Stepford interns spent the morning holed up in a conference room on the top floor of the skyscraper, a glass and steel monstrosity that was exactly what Adam expected Entech’s corporate headquarters to be. Cold. Devoid of any personality. A monolithic company in a modern-day monolith of a building.

By noon, after Morgan over and over again avoided answering his perfectly valid questions, Adam had reached his limit. He made a halfhearted excuse about needing a break, then left them alone and made a beeline for the hallway.

He took a deep breath as he closed the door to the conference room. Another minute with that pompous idiot and he would scream. He didn’t care that it was probably entirely obvious to Morgan and his retinue that he’d been about to lose his cool. So what. Let the man feel as though he’d gotten somewhere with his threats. Adam wasn’t going to give in.

“May I help you?” a fresh-faced woman in a business suit asked.

“Restroom?” At least there he could be alone for a few minutes and decide how to wrap this up before heading home.

She smiled. “Go to the end of the hall and take a left, then it’s the second door on your right.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” She was gone a moment later, disappearing into one of the four elevators at the center of the floor.

He glanced at the personnel listing on the wall, but Jackson’s name was nowhere to be found. Not surprisingly, Phillip Langham’s name was at the top of the list. There was no title next to his name, but none was needed. Everyone knew Langham was in charge and had been since Jackson disappeared.

Adam tried to imagine the Jonah he knew as CEO of the behemoth but quickly gave up. Instead he walked down the corridor, glancing at the photographs of famous people and awards that covered the walls.

He turned left as the woman had instructed and nearly collided with a man walking the other way. The man dropped the portfolio he was carrying, scattering papers on the deep burgundy carpet.

“I’m so sorry,” the man said as he stooped to retrieve the papers. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and—”

“Jonah? I’m sorry. I meant Jackson,” Adam quickly corrected.

“Adam?” Jackson blinked in surprise, his face paling.

Adam half expected Jackson to chastise him for causing him to drop the papers, but instead Jackson smiled and went back to picking them up. “Jackie,” he said.

“What?” Adam bent down to help.

“My name,” Jackson said. “Most people call me Jackie.”

“Thank you, Jackie,” Adam said stiffly. The shock of seeing Jackson had begun to wear off and the anger at being blown off, his calls ignored, surged red-hot.

The ghost of a smile on Jackie’s face faded. He glanced away, then back at Adam again. “It’s good to see you.”

“Is it?” Well, now, that was bullshit, wasn’t it? Adam handed Jackie the papers.

Jackie frowned as though he hadn’t expected Adam’s less than warm response. “I’m sorry. I thought maybe you’d come here to see me.”

“I came here to meet with John Morgan,” Adam said. Why the hell had he said that? He’d wanted to see Jackie and figure out what the hell was going on. But now….

“John Morgan?” Jackie asked. “About the deal to purchase Prestco?”

“Of course. Why else would I want to meet with—?”

“Do you have a minute?” Jackie seemed genuinely interested, which made no sense at all.

“You want to talk to me?”

Jackie’s frown deepened. “Of course. I left a message on your cell phone. I figured you must have been busy since I hadn’t heard back from you.”

Adam took a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart. He was so pissed, it took a moment for the words to register. “You didn’t hear…. But I…. Did you get my messages?” More bullshit? Or had he really not gotten Adam’s calls?

“Messages? You called me?” Jackie’s shoulders tensed, then relaxed again. Practiced control. Nothing like the Jonah Adam had known.

“I left several messages with your assistant. I even spoke with Mr. Langham.”

“You spoke with Phil?” Jackie’s eyes took on a hard glint. Maybe the lost messages weren’t just an unfortunate coincidence.

“I take it you didn’t get my messages.” Adam wasn’t sure what this bit of news meant, but it gave him a tiny bit of hope.

“No. None at all.” Jackie’s face brightened, but Adam thought the smile looked forced. “Why don’t we talk more in my office?”

“Sure.” Adam followed Jackie into the office, a sprawling modern room furnished almost entirely in chrome and leather. For the first time, Adam noticed Jackie was dressed in a suit and tie and his sun-bleached hair was gathered in a neat ponytail at his nape. He wore a single diamond stud in one ear. Adam found himself thinking how it felt to trace a circle around the post with his tongue and nibble on that perfect earlobe.

“…something?” Jackie was saying when Adam came back to his senses.

“Sorry. What did you say?” He felt like a complete idiot. He probably sounded like one too.

Jackie didn’t seem to mind. He smiled and said, “Can I get you something? Some water? Something stronger?”

Adam fought the urge to take him up on that. “Water would be great. Thanks.”

Jackie poured Adam a glass and handed it to him. Judging by the slight tremble of his hand as he poured the water and the way he focused so intently on the glass, Jackie was nearly as uncomfortable as Adam. Interesting.

“I’m sorry,” Jackie said before Adam could thank him for the water.

“Sorry?”

“For everything. For not realizing you’d called. For leaving in such a rush. At the resort.”

“I was surprised when you left without saying anything. But later….” Adam shook his head. Later he’d been hurt. Angry. He still was angry, much as he tried to convince himself otherwise.

“I was wrong to leave without speaking to you. I should have explained. I really am sorry.”

Adam stared at Jackie. The last thing he’d expected was an apology or an admission that this man cared what he thought.

“I…,” Jackie began hesitatingly, “I wasn’t sure what was happening to me. Something about that night… about holding you and…. I started to remember things about my past.”

“I made you remember?” Adam struggled to comprehend.

“Something you said,” Jackie explained. “About your father and how you wished he was still around, guiding you…. I thought about my own father. I remembered him.” From the look of distress in Jackie’s eyes, the memories must have been painful.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“There were a lot of good memories too.” Jackie met his gaze unflinchingly.

“I’m glad.”

“I thought you’d be angry with me.” Jackie seemed surprised.

Adam took a deep breath. “I was,” he admitted. Adam didn’t let on that he’d also been hurt. “I didn’t understand why you didn’t level with me. I still don’t.”

“I know it sounds like bullshit,” Jackie said, “but I figured you’d think I was a nutcase if I told you the truth.” He shook his head.

Adam chuckled. “I might have.” What was left of Adam’s anger faded as Jackie flashed him a bright smile. He knew he shouldn’t trust this man, but everything about him seemed genuine. Caring, even. Like Jonah.

“I really am sorry. I acted like a shit.”

“You didn’t—”

“I hurt you.”

“I… yes.” Why had he admitted that?

“I was wrong not to tell you.” Jackie frowned and added, “I was scared.” He glanced down and pressed his lips together. He looked vulnerable, unsure of himself.

Adam said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. For the first time since they’d met, the silence seemed overwhelming, like a widening chasm between them. “Why did you call?” he asked at last.

“I wanted to apologize,” Jackie said. “But more than that, I wanted… I needed to know… I was crazy to think there might be a chance at something more than a resort romance, but part of me really hoped….”

The lump in Adam’s throat made it difficult to swallow. This entire scene felt surreal. “Then we’re both crazy,” Adam admitted, “but we’re both here now.” He didn’t say he was still interested, just that he had been interested. Before he remembered who he was.

Jackie blanched, and Adam knew he’d overstepped.

“Adam,” Jackie said. “I….”

“I’m sorry,” Adam said quickly. “I should have realized that once you remembered—”

“It’s not that.” Jackie shifted from one foot to the other, an uncharacteristic move for a man as polished and in control as Jackson Roth should have been. Far more like Jonah. “There’s something you should—”

“What he means to say,” a deep voice from the doorway interrupted, “is that there are some things he still doesn’t remember.”

“Phil,” Jackie said, his demeanor changing so quickly, it took Adam’s breath away. The vulnerability he’d sensed before was gone, replaced by a powerful confidence and an expression that showed no emotion. It was as though Jackie had donned a mask. Or Jonah just became Jackie. “I’d like you to meet Adam Preston. Adam, this is Phil Langham.”

“We’ve spoken by phone,” Phil said. Jackie’s jaw tensed in response.

“Good to meet you, Phil.” Adam shook Phil’s hand.

“John mentioned you were in town to discuss the Prestco sale,” Phil said without missing a beat. “I hope he was able to reassure you.”

“Not exactly.”

“Is there a problem?” Jackie asked Adam. Of course Jackie knew there was a big problem—Adam had told him more than enough about his opposition to the deal.

“We’re not interested in selling,” Adam said. Judging by the frown on Phil’s face, he wasn’t at all pleased to hear it. Did he really believe a single meeting would change his family’s mind? No. He has something else up his sleeve.

“We’ve offered you a fair price for the company,” Phil said.

“Not everything’s about money.” Adam glanced at Jackie, who was watching him with obvious interest. When neither of the other men spoke, Adam continued, “It was my father’s company. It’s important to my family.”

“Then you’ve convinced your brother not to sell?” Phil’s face registered no emotion.

“Phil,” Jackie said, “I don’t think this is a good time.” The steel in his eyes belied his neutral expression.

Phil appeared surprised to hear Jackie voice an opinion. “Of course. My apologies. I’ll leave you to it, then.” He smiled at Jackie, but Jackie appeared unmoved. “I’ll see you later, Jackie. Mr. Preston.”

After he left, Jackie sighed. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t sweat it. I’m used to it. He’s just toeing the line, right?” Why was Adam even bothering to have this conversation with Jonah—Jackie? He hadn’t expressed an opinion about the sale. For all Adam knew, he was being nice to him in the hopes that he’d back down and agree. “I’d better get back to my meeting. I’ve got an eight o’clock flight and—”

“You’re leaving?”

“I came here to speak with you about Prestco,” Adam said, knowing it was hopeless and once again feeling his anger flare. “I hoped I might get to see you and maybe you’d understand. I hoped….” No. He wasn’t going there. He would be polite and he’d give Jackie the brush-off. “It was good seeing you again, Jackie. Next time you’re up in the Bay Area, give me a call.” As if!

“I…. Sure.” Jackie extended his hand, and Adam tried to ignore the buzz of heat from the touch that made his fingers tingle. This man was dangerous in so many ways. Adam owed it to his family to keep his personal feelings out of his interactions with Entech. And Jackson Roth was Entech, even if he’d tried to tell himself otherwise.

Adam walked out of Jackie’s office and got on the elevator without telling John Morgan good-bye. He didn’t want to linger a moment more.

 

 

“WHAT the hell was that all about?” Phil demanded when Jackie stepped into his office a few minutes later.

“Me? What was that bullshit with Adam?”

“It’s business, Jackie. That’s what we’re here to do.”

“Does that mean getting in my business as well?” Jackie watched as Phil’s expression shifted subtly and he straightened his glasses.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You damn well do. You’ve been making sure his calls don’t get through to me,” Jackie snapped.

“I didn’t—”

“Don’t bullshit me, Phil.” Jackie glared and Phil held his gaze.

“What do you need to talk to him about?” Phil said, pivoting like a ballet dancer.

“You’re jealous.” Did Phil know something about what had happened between him and Adam before he’d regained his memories? He obviously knew something about Adam he wasn’t sharing.

“I have a right to know who my husband is talking to,” Phil said, his expression hard, anger simmering beneath the surface.

Jackie hated being manipulated. It was time to cut the strings of Phil’s control. He remembered enough now that he didn’t need a babysitter. “If we’re going to have a snowball’s chance of making this marriage work, you need to stop interfering. He wanted to talk business. That’s all.”

“He only wants to talk to you because he thinks you’re going to help him. And that means Entech loses.”

“Maybe. But he deserves respect.”

“Don’t preach, Jackie. It doesn’t become you.”

Jackie chose to ignore the verbal slap. He wasn’t going to engage Phil at the grade-school level. “Look, I get why you’re after his company. I’ve seen the specs. But don’t you realize his company is him? Alienate him and he won’t produce for you.”

“Legal can help him produce,” Phil shot back.

“Are you fucking serious?”

“I am. It’s you I’m worried about.” Phil frowned and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’ve got the torture chamber in the basement ready.”

“The old Jackie would have enjoyed this. He’d have smelled blood and—”

“I’m not the old Jackie, and I’m sure as hell not enjoying this.” Good God, had he been that cruel? Had he taken pleasure from watching people suffer? No wonder he’d run away. His father had been right. Somewhere along the line, he’d sold his soul.

“I saw the look on your face when I walked in,” Phil said. “This guy actually means something to you.”

Jackie clenched his jaw, then forced the tension to dissipate. “It’s none of your business if he does.”

“I beg to differ. I know about what happened in the Dominican Republic,” Phil said, “between you and Preston.”

“You… what?”

“I had someone check you out,” Phil explained. “After you called me. He spoke to some of the staff at the resort you worked at.”

That wasn’t a surprise. Jackie would have done the same if their positions had been reversed. But digging into more than just the basics? “Whatever happened there isn’t important. You know I didn’t remem—”

“It’s over and done, Jackie. No use revisiting it.” Phil rubbed the back of his neck again. “It’s in the past.”

The past. His marriage to Phil was in the past too, but he couldn’t remember that. What the hell did that even mean? That he had an excuse to cheat on Phil? “I need to remember.”

Phil nodded. “Take all the time you’d like. I’ll be waiting.”

Why did that just make him feel worse?