“Don’t go there. I miss nothing when it comes to Maxwell.” I’m not going to be blindsided like our father was. It had almost cost him everything. Could they have survived without Lawson Steel? Yes. But this had been a family run business since the early 1800s. You don’t let go of something like that without a fight. And Maxwell was going to get one.
“I’ll have it to you by the end of the day,” Gareth said and ended the call.
Charles had no idea how Gareth pulled this stuff off, but Gareth hadn’t let him down yet. Whether or not he obtained everything legally was another story. But Gareth had friends in high places. People who would have access to things the average person didn’t. And as far as Charles was concerned, the less he knew, the better.
As soon as he walked into his office he saw Dylan behind his desk, occupying his chair. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Try it out, but this office is not yours.
“We need to talk,” Dylan said.
“Get out of my chair and let’s talk.” Charles put the lunch on the desk and walked around till Dylan vacated his seat. He didn’t think Dylan would go looking in his drawers. There were things in there he wasn’t ready to share yet. First of all, the contract his father made him sign. If any of them knew of its existence, they would start to question everything he asked of them. Their father meant well, but it could cause a wedge between them all that even time wouldn’t heal. Once the trust was gone, it was gone for good.
Dylan got up and took the seat across from Charles. “I heard you hired all the interns. Wasn’t that supposed to be something we all decided on? Unless I’m missing something, you might be the CEO, but the rest of us are partners in this company.”
This had nothing to do with the interns. Dylan was still pissed off about the contract being denied. “You might want to go knock on Seth’s door then, because he did the research and hiring of this group of individuals.”
Dylan leaned back in his seat and said, “Is it just me you don’t trust to make decisions then? From what I can see, Seth has free rein to do what he wants, and Gareth, well, who the hell knows what he does.”
“Probably the same thing as Jordan and Ethan, their jobs. Why don’t you just tell me what you really came here to discuss?”
“I talked to Dad last night.”
Charles didn’t see that one coming. Dad was the last person any of them went to. Usually because it came with a long-winded explanation of how they needed to figure it out themselves. Even as grown-ass adults, the response hadn’t changed any. Maybe it was because of what he’d been through, but as far as guidance, they were left on their own.
“And now you’re in my office.”
“He said you have a lot going on. Makes me think there is something you haven’t told us. Want to come clean now or explain yourself when I find out on my own?”
Dylan was no fool. Charles probably could hide things from the others easier. If he hadn’t needed Gareth’s help, he wouldn’t know anything either. But Dylan wasn’t going to let this drop.
“You know how I feel about Maxwell Grayson,” Charles said.
Nodding, Dylan said, “It’d be hard to miss. You loathe the guy. What I don’t get is why. Every company has competition. Hell, it’s healthy. Keeps a person driving hard.”
“That is does. But there are things you don’t know about our competitor.”
Dylan said, “I’m well aware of his reputation.”
“Most people are. But there are things you’re not aware of. Do you have to be anywhere because this might take a while?”
He cocked a brow, pulled out his cell phone, and sent a text. “Not anymore.”
Charles spent the next few hours not just going through what Maxwell had pulled with their father, but all the other unethical shit he’d gotten away with over the years. Alone it didn’t look like much, but when compiled together, Maxwell was just a well-dressed, rich thug.
He could tell by Dylan’s expression that he was angry. “Now you understand why I’ve been so . . . evasive lately.”
“I do. What I don’t understand is why Dad never told any of us?”
It always seemed that Charles was the favorite. The truth was, he was just the oldest. Their father entrusted him with things he didn’t ask for or want, but it just naturally came that way.
“Guess when you’re dragged around to meetings all the time when you’re a kid, you hear things others don’t. Consider yourself lucky.”
“Why? If I’d have known, I’d have done something about it long before now.”
“Exactly,” Charles replied. “He would’ve expected it. Hell, he might still. But we are older, wiser and . . . six. Fucking with us would be stupid.” And deadly. Charles never would allow anything to happen to his family.
Dylan said, “Let me guess, you don’t want the others to know.”
“When the time is right, we’ll tell them. Right now, it’s about making sure no stone is left unturned.” Charles was leaving nothing to chance. Maxwell had gotten away with shit for far too long. This time he was going to find himself cornered and the gig would be up.
Maxwell, you’re going to regret ever fucking with a Lawson.Charles just wished his father had handled it long ago. But at least, hopefully soon, it would be over.