“Guess we’re going to court,” Tristan said simply. “Dad must’ve been out of his mind when he wrote that.”
Dyken spoke up. “Christian made sure every loophole was tight and would hold up in court. I’ve been over this with him countless times, and he was sane, logical, and determined. He wants all of his sons involved in the business or none at all. I’m sorry, gentlemen. I truly am.”
Caleb stared at the shiny pen slowly rolling across the desk. Embossed with gold, with elegant scrolls over the black, it caught the light and gave him something to focus on while he tried to fight through the waves of emotion tugging at the lockbox, raging to escape.
He’d had a difficult relationship with his father. There had been little warmth in Caleb’s life after he lost his mother, and even less when his brothers split up and refused to talk to him. But there was one thing he’d been proud of for the past five years. His role in the company. Caleb had taken the reins and proved his worth, with every ounce of blood and sweat, and not an ounce of tears. His father pushed, demanded, insulted, but Caleb believed in his heart it was done to make him a better man. There was no one else to give the reins to and teach the business from the ground up. In a way, by staying to do his father’s bidding, he’d allowed his brothers to carve out their own paths, and he rarely spent time on regrets. He loved building houses—creating a new home for someone ran thick in his blood. The company was Christian’s favorite child, and everything was sacrificed for the greater good of Pierce Brothers. He’d believed he had earned his father’s respect, which was more important than any familial love.
Now he knew that had been a lie, too.
Because his father had despised him so much, he’d give up his beloved company in order to dick around playing God. It was his last manipulation from the grave. A way to control each of them on his own terms, without care to their wants or individual paths.
Blessed numbness finally took hold. The pen dropped off the table and fell to the cushioned floor without a sound. Caleb looked up.
“If we refuse to live and work together for a year, the company is dissolved?”
Dyken nodded.
Tristan shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense. It’s been in the family for generations! The company is worth millions—Christian would never give up all that money.”
“Yes, he would,” Caleb said softly. His brothers turned to stare at him. “He’s always wanted the final word. Now he’s got it. If we don’t play by his rules, we’ll lose everything we’ve worked for.”
Dalton groaned, rubbing his forehead. “This is insane. We haven’t worked together in years. Tristan and I have our own stuff going on.”
An uncomfortable silence settled around them. In minutes, his whole future had blown up. His identity and livelihood was tangled within the company, and the idea of losing it brought a faint rush of panic. How should he play it? His brothers had taken leave years ago and couldn’t care less. They’d opened up their own businesses and left the past behind. He’d done everything right, followed in his father’s footsteps, and gotten fucked.
“I guess we dissolve the company,” Tristan finally said. “There seems to be no other choice. I’m sorry, Caleb. I have no other suggestions.”
Caleb appreciated the gleam of regret in his brother’s eyes, but it wasn’t enough. He was the one with everything to lose, and it was up to him to convince them they could have it all. He leaned forward. “Hear me out. I know you’re ready to call it quits. I know you’re pissed off that I didn’t call you about Dad and never had time to say good-bye. I made a big mistake, but I swear to God I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
He had their attention. Good. He’d have one shot at this, and he had to be good. “I invested everything in this company. I was promised Pierce Brothers as my future; I stayed by Dad’s side, taking his shit, because I was the only one ready to protect the family business.”
Dalton shot up out of his chair. “Are you kidding me right now? Dad never listened to anyone else but you! Don’t act like you were doing us some big favor or sacrifice for staying. Do you know how many times we tried to get involved? We wanted to be a part of this, too.”
“Bullshit,” Caleb retorted. “You hated taking orders, and you wanted to do whatever you wanted. Instead of listening to a customer’s specs, you’d focus on your current dream project, then get mad when they didn’t want to pay for it!”
“I’m an artist and you never gave me a chance. You drove me out of here.”
“I think sleeping with my fiancée drove you out of town, brother. Not me.”
Caleb could tell that it still stung, but Dalton kept to the script he’d been repeating for years. “I didn’t sleep with her! I just wanted to prove she wouldn’t be faithful.”
“Thanks. I was real grateful.”
“Shut up,” Tristan commanded. “Everyone calm down. Let’s stick to the facts. We can’t even stay in the same room together, let alone run a company. We have no other choice.”
Caleb clenched his jaw. “There’s always a choice. I’m asking you to help me. Years ago, you wanted to bring real estate and renovation to Pierce Brothers. You can do it now. Open up and run your own business as part of the company. No interference from me.”
Tristan blew out a breath and began pacing. Dyken watched the whole scene with quiet interest. “Real convenient. When I brought it up to Dad, he nixed it, and you backed him up. Now that you want something, you’re happy to give me what I’d been fighting for. It’s too late.”