Five Days Later

This is it. Jace and I have our ducks in a row. Everyone who needs to be here is sitting around the conference table. Even Dad made it. He knows everything we do, and although he didn’t react as violently as Jace and I did, he fully supports our plan.

We’re ready to face off with Mont Blanc.

And Gerald, the mastermind behind most of this cover-up.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” my Dad says from the head of the table. “Our deal is on, and I think it’s the best news I’ve had all year.”

Gerald leans forward in his seat, eyes lit up like it’s Christmas. “We’re signing on the deal?” he asks with excitement. “Right now?”

Dad nods his confirmation. “The lawyers have drawn up a slightly different agreement. We have their consensus that there are no significant differences between the new contract and the original. There are also no material changes in the acquisition terms or costs. Jackson, can you walk them through the details?”

“My pleasure,” I say, and wait for Cherry and Gemma to provide a copy of the new contract to each person in attendance. “You’ll notice on page seventy-three, section nine, line fourteen that one corporation name, a Levine Holdings, was added to an adjusted chain of ownership,” I explain.

I’m not surprised when Gerald becomes uncomfortable in his seat and turns to Dad. “Joseph, a word outside?” he asks, doing his best to reign in the anxiety in his voice.

“Of course,” Dad agrees. “Let’s give all parties sufficient time to review the adjustments. In the meantime, Gerald, my sons have a better grasp on the nuances of these revisions. The four of us can speak in my office.”

We excuse ourselves and walk across the hall into his office, shutting the door behind us. This isn’t going to be pretty.

“Can someone please help me understand what the hell is going on?” Gerald asks. “Why was Levine Holdings moved around without consulting me?”

“Simple,” Jace seethes. “Payback’s a bitch.”

I step up beside him. “Gerald, what Jace is trying to explain is that you tried to slip two major exposures into our three-billion-dollar deal, hoping all those layers of ownership would delay our discovery until it was too late.”

Gerald rears backward and folds his arms across his chest. “What the hell are you talking about, boy?”

“Pantheon Research is about to face a massive class action suit, and you know about it. Don’t deny it. They altered the results of their clinical trials to get FDA approval, and now a side effect is killing people. And Triple Shield Security Group’s technology and manufacturing arms are about to be relocated to Mexico. The board of directors didn’t have the common sense or commitment to transfer anyone with expertise to ensure a transition that’ll preserve quality.”

“Do you know what that means?” Jace adds. “It means you were hoping to screw us, Gerald. Right up the ass.”

Dad steps up next to me and grabs Gerald by the suit lapels. He shoves the man who used to be one of his oldest friends and slam him against a nearby wall. “You have a lot of nerve, thinking you could get away with stabbing me in the back after all these years.”

“It is what it is,” Gerald says, lifting his face into a sly grin now that he’s found out.

“Why the hell would you do this to me?” Dad demands.

“It’s business, Joseph. You’d to the same thing to me if it were the other way around.”

“Like hell I would. But that’s where you and I are different, you underhanded piece of shit.”

“There’s just one thing, Gerald mutters. “I’m not signing.”

Dad tightens his grip on Gerald. “You’re signing. Make no mistake.”

“How exactly do you plan to do that? Hold a gun to my head?”

“You’ll sign because it’s the only way you’ll get to keep your half a billion-dollar a year consulting firm.”

“What do you mean?” He asks with eyes narrowed.

“Buchannan, Stein and Reiland Consulting,” Dad growls. “Jackson, please tell this arrogant son of a bitch what we mean.”

“Apparently, your CEO resigned, and the interim CEO convinced the board to accept a merger agreement with Levine Holdings. So…you want to hold on to Buchannan, Stein and Reiland Consulting, your golden goose? Then you’re stuck with Levine Holdings, Pantheon, and Triple Shield.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“We already have,” I say. “Go talk to your acting CEO. And by the way, if you don’t sign, he will.”

Gerald’s face falls when the shock and realization hit him. “You smug bastards.”

“Yes. That’s us. Don’t worry, though. We’ve already taken care of the fixes you need to turn all of this around. Next week, Pantheon Research is going to meet with the legal team and plaintiffs of the class action lawsuit. They plan to make a fair offer, including a commitment to devote some resources to offsetting the adverse side effects of that drug. And Triple Shield Security Group has already voted on making relocation offers to fifty percent of its technology and manufacturing staff. It’ll cost you a couple hundred million to pull it off. You have to admit, that’s chump change compared to the alternative.”

Gerald shoves Dad aside and storms out of his office.

“That went way better than I thought,” Jace says with a smile.

“He’s not happy,” Dad says, looking toward the door. “But he’s smart. Gerald knows when to take a small hit. The big picture is he’ll sign.” He straightens his suit jacket and turns to leave. “I’ll make sure we keep the pressure on him. Thanks, boys. I haven’t had this much excitement in years.”

“Anytime, Dad,” Jace answers.

“Imagine, you didn’t even have to admit anything about you and Cherry,” I say after Dad’s long gone.

“Shut it. They don’t need to know.”

“You can’t hide your whopper of a secret for long, brother.”

“You’re not that far behind.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You and the neighbor’s pet sitter? That’s sure to go over well.”

“Dad already knows.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“No. He walked in on us…after the act. Bro, you’re the one who needs to watch yourself with Cherry. Don’t wait too long. Especially now that Gerald’s enemy number one.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly,” I say. “You’d better get your head out of your ass and take care of your shit. You’ve been seeing each other long enough to know that what you have is the real deal, Jace. Don’t do anything stupid to fuck it up.”

“Don’t talk to me about doing anything crazy. You’re the one with all the weird hang-ups.”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You’ve had mommy issues all your goddamned life.”

“No more than the ones you’ve had.”

He scoffs out a laugh as though this is new information for either of us. “Aren’t we a fucking pair? I get too attached, and you can’t form an emotional connection to save your life.”

I don’t agree that it’s the case anymore, now that I have Dahlia. But he has no idea how close we’ve become, and I’m not ready to get into the inner workings of my budding relationship right this second.

“I’m not talking to you about this, bro” I shout at him so he’d get a fucking grip. “We’ve got a business acquisition to close.”

Jace turns and leaves, and I follow him out to finalize the deal of a lifetime.