thank me.”
“Don’t tell me what I want! Apparently, you don’t know me at all. Maybe I don’t know you, either.” Alex cleared his throat and dropped his hand from the door. He wasn’t used to being dumped, but by God, he wouldn’t grovel. He reminded himself who he was, and he would never beg. For anyone. “But, if you’ve decided this is the end, I will thank you now and leave it at that. Goodbye, Angel.”
She bit her lip to hold back the sobs, shaking until she heard the door slam in a cryptic bang behind him. Angel fell over and wrapped her arms around herself, gasping for breath she couldn’t find. Pain wrapped around her like a vice, her eyes hurt, and her throat ached, but still, she held it in, her body jerking in defiance. If Alex heard her cry, all of it would have been for nothing. After a few minutes, when she was sure he had gone, she finally allowed the hiccupping sobs to fill the silence.
*****
“Alex!” Charles Avery startled his son out of his reverie. His eyebrow rose at Alex’s apparent preoccupation. It was bad enough that he’d shown up looking disheveled and unshaven, clearly preoccupied and unprepared for the meeting. “Son, are you with me?”
“What?” Alex was staring out the window at the haze that covered the city and blurred the blue of Lake Michigan into a sort of dark, murky grey. He turned abruptly at the harsh tone of his father’s voice and leaned forward on the table, glancing into hid stern expression. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“I was asking what all of these local expenditures are about. You never mentioned to me that you had taken an interest in a local business. It’s so small, hardly the scope of our usual dealings.”
It was a week since the night at Angel’s, and though Alex tried to keep things business as usual, he was distracted. He spent most of his time hammering Cole and Bancroft about where Angel was or what she was doing and what remained to cement Swanson’s financial ruin. He was on a mission and worked tirelessly, driven until he exhausted himself. He ignored Darian and Cole’s invitations to go out, telling his friend he was too busy and demanding his brother forget socializing and get back to work. He wasn’t eating like he should, drinking way too much, and working out until his muscles shook.
“It’s a new idea. Give me some latitude, will you?” he retorted sharply.
“I never interfere,” Charles began.
“ And , we’ve made billions, so relax.”
“Can you assure me that we’ll make money on this? The investment is almost as much as the last acquisition, but you aren’t buying anything. If it’s a takeover, their assets don’t seem worth the trouble or the money.”
“They aren’t publicly traded, so I couldn’t take that route.” Alex picked at his eyebrow absentmindedly.
“So, what is this about, then?”
“Dad, I don’t ask for much, but this is personal. I’m asking for a little latitude without a barrage of inane questions.”
“The one question I must ask you is what you yourself are always so good at asking, Alex. How will Avery and our shareholders benefit?”
“Let’s just say I’m doing a public service, creating jobs and making someone a whole hell of a lot happier. I always find a way to make money for the company and its benefactors, Dad. For Christ’s sake!” His tolerance with the conversation came to a head.
The diners at the few nearby tables sent them awkward glances, so Alex lowered his voice. “This is personal,” he insisted again.
“What’s it about?”
“Something I wanted done, and it evolved into a way to include Cole. It’s something that he can really sink his teeth into. He’s doing well; extremely well. And, my requirements are being met. Not as fast as I’d like, but that’s not his job. If I didn’t care about the company making money, I’d forget negotiating contracts and just pay out the ass to get what I want accomplished.”
“Does this have
“Don’t tell me what I want! Apparently, you don’t know me at all. Maybe I don’t know you, either.” Alex cleared his throat and dropped his hand from the door. He wasn’t used to being dumped, but by God, he wouldn’t grovel. He reminded himself who he was, and he would never beg. For anyone. “But, if you’ve decided this is the end, I will thank you now and leave it at that. Goodbye, Angel.”
She bit her lip to hold back the sobs, shaking until she heard the door slam in a cryptic bang behind him. Angel fell over and wrapped her arms around herself, gasping for breath she couldn’t find. Pain wrapped around her like a vice, her eyes hurt, and her throat ached, but still, she held it in, her body jerking in defiance. If Alex heard her cry, all of it would have been for nothing. After a few minutes, when she was sure he had gone, she finally allowed the hiccupping sobs to fill the silence.
*****
“Alex!” Charles Avery startled his son out of his reverie. His eyebrow rose at Alex’s apparent preoccupation. It was bad enough that he’d shown up looking disheveled and unshaven, clearly preoccupied and unprepared for the meeting. “Son, are you with me?”
“What?” Alex was staring out the window at the haze that covered the city and blurred the blue of Lake Michigan into a sort of dark, murky grey. He turned abruptly at the harsh tone of his father’s voice and leaned forward on the table, glancing into hid stern expression. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“I was asking what all of these local expenditures are about. You never mentioned to me that you had taken an interest in a local business. It’s so small, hardly the scope of our usual dealings.”
It was a week since the night at Angel’s, and though Alex tried to keep things business as usual, he was distracted. He spent most of his time hammering Cole and Bancroft about where Angel was or what she was doing and what remained to cement Swanson’s financial ruin. He was on a mission and worked tirelessly, driven until he exhausted himself. He ignored Darian and Cole’s invitations to go out, telling his friend he was too busy and demanding his brother forget socializing and get back to work. He wasn’t eating like he should, drinking way too much, and working out until his muscles shook.
“It’s a new idea. Give me some latitude, will you?” he retorted sharply.
“I never interfere,” Charles began.
“ And , we’ve made billions, so relax.”
“Can you assure me that we’ll make money on this? The investment is almost as much as the last acquisition, but you aren’t buying anything. If it’s a takeover, their assets don’t seem worth the trouble or the money.”
“They aren’t publicly traded, so I couldn’t take that route.” Alex picked at his eyebrow absentmindedly.
“So, what is this about, then?”
“Dad, I don’t ask for much, but this is personal. I’m asking for a little latitude without a barrage of inane questions.”
“The one question I must ask you is what you yourself are always so good at asking, Alex. How will Avery and our shareholders benefit?”
“Let’s just say I’m doing a public service, creating jobs and making someone a whole hell of a lot happier. I always find a way to make money for the company and its benefactors, Dad. For Christ’s sake!” His tolerance with the conversation came to a head.
The diners at the few nearby tables sent them awkward glances, so Alex lowered his voice. “This is personal,” he insisted again.
“What’s it about?”
“Something I wanted done, and it evolved into a way to include Cole. It’s something that he can really sink his teeth into. He’s doing well; extremely well. And, my requirements are being met. Not as fast as I’d like, but that’s not his job. If I didn’t care about the company making money, I’d forget negotiating contracts and just pay out the ass to get what I want accomplished.”
“Does this have
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