Chapter 24

Billy

“So that old warehouse east of the river is set for demolition next Monday,” James explained stoically.

He looked up from his computer, clearing his throat loudly to get William’s attention. They were sitting together in the boardroom, just the two of them. The staff meeting over the lunch hour had just ended, the team already dispersed.

“Will? Did you hear what I said?”

William sighed deeply. He had heard him, the problem was, he just didn’t give a rat’s ass anymore. About any of it. He tried to settle back into his life, but not one part of him wanted to participate in it anymore, not the way it was.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Alice, and Amy, and the ranch. After being away for only a week, he finally understood why it meant so much to her. There was something special about that place, a goodness that he couldn’t quite describe. It was like the place possessed a soul.

All he knew for certain was that he had walked onto that land a broken man, lost and forgotten, and somehow over a few months, he grew whole again. He had woken up every day with purpose, excited by his life, energized by Alice and her infectious enthusiasm.

Of course, he didn’t recognize that until it was too late. The past week had been tortuous. The worst kind of hell. He had nothing in common with the people around him, and he was irritated by the vapid, colorless, one dimensional world he found himself pigeonholed in.

It was suddenly all so suffocating, and he had no doubt it would smother him to death if he stayed. He couldn’t eat, sleep, or focus on work. He even turned down a booty text from Lindsay the night before. The thought of meaningless sex with a woman who didn’t care about him just seemed pointless, and truthfully, turned him off.

“William,” James chirped, snapping his fingers.

“Yes, I heard you,” William answered, shaking his head.

“What the hell, William. You have been walking around here like a zombie ever since you came back. I’m starting to think letting you go away was a mistake. You’ve been completely useless this week,” James offered, half joking.

William found his tone less than humorous.

“First of all, you didn’t let me do anything. I don’t take orders from you, in case you’ve forgotten. This whole fucking thing has been a mistake. A misguided, deluded, irresponsible, unethical mistake. What the fuck were we thinking?” William blurted, emotion surging in his chest like a tsunami.

“We were thinking about business, Will. Nothing more. Supply and demand. Let’s not complicate it with righteous indignation,” James scolded.

William shook his head, unable to hide his resentment. Was it business or goddamn greed? Take what you want! Every man for himself! Winning is all that matters! This corporate culture he had cultivated all these years was nothing short of meaningless sex. It was fucking soulless and ultimately lonely. Very, very lonely.

“You’re right. Let’s not complicate it,” William agreed flatly.

James nodded, grateful he had come to his senses.

“You are going to buy me out,” William said in a matter-of-fact tone.

James looked at him like he was insane, brows raised. William didn’t flinch.

“What?” James asked suspiciously.

He sat forward, folding his hands in front of him.

“You are going to buy me out. I’m done. I can’t work in this bullshit industry anymore,” William explained calmly, his sudden clarity driving his confidence.

“Don’t be ludicrous. I’ll do no such thing.” James said, shaking his head as though he thought William were ridiculous.

“Remember what the company was assessed at last year? I’ll settle for one third of that, the rest is yours. It is either that or we sell the whole damn thing and split the profit down the middle, but I’m sure you don’t want that hassle, or that kind of upheaval for the staff. Either way, James, I’m finished.”

William pushed his chair back and stood up, adding credence to his words.

“William, sit down, let’s talk about this, please,” James said, gesturing for him to sit.

“There is nothing else to talk about,” William stated, walking toward the door.

“So what’s this then? Are you going back to the girl? You’re crazy if you think she’s going to welcome you back with open arms, William. Just give it a few more days, I promise you she will sell to us and we can put all this behind us,” James pleaded, following his partner to the door.

“You don’t get it, do you?” William said softly. “I don’t want her to sell the ranch. I am going back to finish the job for her, help get her one step closer to her dream. I’m going to make sure she gets everything she needs, even if she doesn’t want me. For once in my life I’m going to do something good, even if there is nothing in it for me.”

“After all this, you are going to sabotage our condo development?” James asked incredulously, his eyes gleaming with anger. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

William just smiled at him and shrugged his shoulders.

“You will not be able to finish the job, there have been developments you are not aware of,” James said smugly.

William stopped smiling, regarding James suspiciously.

“What developments?” he asked, his brows raised.

James grinned at him wickedly.

“Well, it was dumb luck really. Couldn’t have happened at a better time,” he jeered.

William felt his stomach flip.

“What happened?” he pressed cautiously.

“The Equine Center, it burned to the ground last Friday night. There’s nothing left,” James stated, grinning lightly as though he were describing the weather.

William grabbed James by the collar and pulled him closer, wishing he could wipe the satisfied look off his face.

“What the fuck are you talking about? What did you do?” William growled through clenched teeth and tightening his grip.

James pulled himself back, prying William’s hands away.

“Relax, I didn’t do anything. The fire was an accident, apparently started by one of her ranch hands. Tragic for him, a stroke of good fortune for us,” James explained grimly.

Tragic? William felt sick to his stomach. Poor Alice, she must be devastated.

“How do you know this?” he asked, his suspicion not ebbing.

“Did you think I wouldn’t keep tabs on Alice? I’ve had eyes on the place since you left. We have way too much invested in her to get complacent now,” James admitted.

He looked at William, gauging his anger, perhaps afraid he would be manhandled again.

“You knew about the fire and didn’t tell me? What the fuck, James. You didn’t think this would be something I would want to know?” William spat, his patience running dangerously thin.

“Of course I thought you would want to know, which is exactly why I didn’t tell you! I thought you might go running back to rescue your little cowgirl and I couldn’t let that happen.”

James laughed, shaking his head slowly.

William had heard enough. If he had any doubts about his decision to walk away from this snake and this shady business, he had none now.

“I have to go,” he said, skirting around James, knocking his shoulder as he passed.

“Go where, William?” James demanded in a condescending tone.

“Get the papers drawn up dissolving our partnership. My lawyer will be in touch,” William said firmly, not bothering to turn back.

“William!” James pleaded.

“It’s Billy,” he insisted, under his breath.