Chapter Nine
Dirk
Iwatched my future wife walk out with my brother, the urge to follow and yank her away from him almost more than I could resist. But walking out on my father would be far worse, especially when I only had to bide my time until I'd inherit everything. The old bastard had a few years left in him at most, less if I could figure out a way to hasten the process.
For now, I needed to know what he had planned in retaliation for the coup I'd staged last night. Shelby was mine, and I wasn't about to let anyone come between us. At least he didn't keep me waiting. That was a favorite tactic of his—make your subordinates sweat under scrutiny could have been his motto.
"Since you've forged your own path despite everything I've done for you, you'll be in charge of handling the new venture without Jenkins keeping the authorities' noses out of our business. And, son? I expect it to turn a profit before the year is out. Stay under the radar, or you'll go down with everyone involved. Is that clear?" His voice didn't carry the way it used to, but it still held the authority that promised to use me as his scapegoat should matters not go to plan.
"Crystal, Father. Is that all you required of me? If so, I'll be on my—"
"Sit down!" he barked out, punctuated with a fist slamming onto the desk when I started to lift from my seat. "We have reports and acquisitions to go through. You've been neglecting your duties to hare off, without Milo, for months, and now I know why. I suppose it was too much to hope that you'd follow my directives. Now it's time to deal with your responsibilities before I decide to replace you as my heir."
He'd do it too, more out of spite than any failure on my part. We both knew that this was all a punishment to make me toe the line after my rebellion. If it weren't for the security cameras in nearly every room and corridor, there'd have already been a happy accident on the stairs.
Bringing my chair forward, I proceeded to go over every detail he wanted examined until he was satisfied that I knew my shit. I hated the way he tried to lord above me. I was smart, and I knew the business better than he did since his health had started to decline. I nearly missed the casual dropping of my rival's name as I took the reports he handed me to take to my own office down the hall.
"Carter will be taking over the girl's security. I believe he'll be more useful by her side than mine. Besides, I'll be out of the country until after the new year, except for the engagement party. I'll come back for that and the wedding." The bastard didn't crack a smile, but I could tell he was smug from the challenge in his gaze. He fucking knew I'd hate the thought of that man near my wife and in our everyday business. This was the real retribution; the rest had been to put me off track. Now the piece of shit that had been held over my head for almost my entire adulthood to keep me in line, was being given the only thing that was all mine.
"Absolutely not. I don't want him anywhere near her," I gritted out between clenched teeth.
But Father wasn't intimidated, no, he was the exact opposite, and I'd fallen directly into his trap. He knows. He couldn't, could he? The more I thought about it, the more it sunk in that I had been blind to anything but my work and the redheaded obsession I couldn't shake.
Propping his elbows on the desk, Father steepled his fingers to use as a chin rest, appearing lost in thought for a moment before straightening with a regretful sigh. It was no more than an affectation, just something else he did to manipulate anyone he could.
"Well, see, son, that's where you're wrong. It's not your decision to make. As long as you live under my roof," he twirled a slightly bent, arthritic finger toward the ceiling, "or use money from my business, I have the ultimate say. I'm telling you that Carter will be her shadow. And you won't try to thwart my decree, or you'll be out on your ass and I'll marry the little tramp off to your brother instead."
And he would do just that if I thwarted him. That was the part that irritated me the most, him threatening to take away anything I cared about. He'd done it all my life, and I hated him for it. But it also meant he couldn't know everything, even he wouldn't go that far, unless he was bluffing. Besides, the old man couldn't stand my brother. Not after our mother's death. I shook off that memory, refusing to let it resurface. It had been the worst day of my childhood, or at least the first of the worst. Carter had come along a few years after that, a sullen pre-teen, one my father had used and groomed much as he had me, but unlike me, Carter was truly his creation.
I'd escaped the brunt of it when the boy had come along, the heir and last surviving member of the Rittenhouse empire. They had been our family's biggest rival before being reduced to the few lower-standing members—the people that didn't matter as they were without resources or power, namely those who’d gone into hiding or were part of the scattered extended family. Carter was held hostage in plain sight, keeping any of them from trying to rise up with him as their figurehead or a patron to fund their comeback. Father would have killed the boy first, and nobody wanted the vast holdings to be sold off, the proceeds donated to various charities. In the event that there wasn't a direct heir, his parents had made sure no one else could inherit, preventing greed-induced thoughts of taking advantage of their son.
They hadn't accounted for him giving it up willingly. Now it was all swallowed up into Father's extensive holdings, signed over by the boy when he hit his majority. Brainwashed little fuck that he was, I'd almost felt sorry for him back then.
But no, he had to go and try to take what I'd claimed. It didn't matter that I only knew of her existence because of him. He didn't matter. From the moment I saw Shelby Ann, I'd wanted her, but with our age difference I'd had to wait. Even though the age of consent in Georgia was sixteen, a man nearly twice her age would still be frowned upon, especially in my circles.
At first, I'd demanded he not approach her, only keep to the letter of my father's demands regarding her mother, that the woman kept her mouth shut about what she'd witnessed. Then it had been all about my instant attraction, lust, and taking away what I could see he yearned for. When it was appropriate, I'd orchestrated a meeting, almost a year ago now, and then I was lost. My soul burned for hers, and I'd had to have her—permanently. I knew it had to grate on the interloper's nerves that while he'd had to accompany my father, I was free to pursue the object of his affection. It made sealing the deal that much sweeter. As a bonus, while he was busy with Carter, I’d been saved from Father's machinations to use me as a tool to further his agenda. Other than Father's ire, things were coming along nicely, or so I thought until he threw this wrench into my plans. He was so possessive over Carter, keeping the man entirely under his thumb, that I'd never dreamed he would let him stray far from his side.
With a scowl, I jerked my head in a perfunctory nod. I'd deal with it for now, but I'd find a way to separate them eventually. Besides, it might be interesting to see how my bride reacted to seeing him again. At least he'd never know her intimately; the piece of shit could eat his heart out. I planned to use every opportunity to make sure he knew when I fucked her. But not too much, wives are above that. Loyal ones, anyway, are not to be treated like streetwalking whores. Even if it were appropriate, I wouldn't unleash my desire on her. No, I'd save her from the first monster my father had created… me.
Father's demand to attend him immediately made my body tense with anticipation. Carter was on his way. I had to prepare myself to be calm and refrain from attacking him outright before he arrived. I'd need an outlet, and soon, for the fury that I knew him touching her, even in greeting, would incite.
* * *
Istudiously ignored Carter when he tapped on the door before entering at my father's gruff command. While he was filled in on his new assignment, my attention wandered to how soon Shelby and I could be married without kicking up any gossip. Father wouldn't be able to use her as leverage against me, or at least not as much, once it was official.
I'd kept half an ear out, used to the old man's tactics for trying to catch others unaware, so I gave him the reaction he wanted when he dictated that Shelby and I weren't to have relations until the prenup was signed and its conditions met. There hadn't even been one drawn up; that alone could take weeks. I barely stifled a groan and pretended I didn't notice Carter's snicker. Father didn't reprimand him, so he was likely enjoying himself as well.
In response to the continuously mounting frustration, my fingers tapped across the screen of my phone, unlocking it and then sending a message. The appointment would take care of the majority of my stress, I hoped anyway. If not… well, it might be a good thing that my bride was off-limits for a while. Without further delay, Father stood from his desk and directed us out, paging Rafe on his phone to bring Shelby to the den.
* * *
Iwatched Shelby closely for a reaction to Carter when she walked in on my brother's arm, but other than polite interest, there wasn't one. There was a small hint of disappointment from him before he masked the brief frown with a polite smile. What I didn't care for was the way Rafe hovered around her, going so far as to offer her a drink while ignoring the rest of us before taking the chair nearest to her. My glare was meant to warn him off, but he only smirked in response, pissing me off further. At the rate I was going, there was bound to be a blow-up.
As for Shelby, she kept quiet, perched primly on the sofa next to me, only speaking if spoken to. The short time before dinner was announced was nearly painful with awkwardness, and I hoped that Rafe and my father would fuck off sooner rather than later.
I held Shelby back while everyone else filed out, except for Carter who seemed to be intent on taking up his position already. "I can escort my fiancée to dinner without your assistance. I'd like a private word with her, so feel free to meet us there." My tone was cold despite the simmering rage in my veins, but after a weighted glance at a nervous Shelby, he nodded and stepped out without a word.
"Dirk, that wasn't very nice. He was just doing his job," she admonished. My suspicions that she knew him roared back to life, stretching the frayed tether of my control.