Page 65 of The Rebel

I didn’t know what the fuck Ray and Walter were smoking.

Where this sudden camaraderie had come from.

Why, out of nowhere, they were both singing the same tune.

But I’d had enough.

“We’re just supposed to forget everything that’s happened?” I asked. A fire was burning through me, and it wasn’t just from having to compromise on Lake Louise. It was the gorgeous face staring back at me that had manipulated me. It was the two motherfuckers next to her that I couldn’t fathom working with. “We’re supposed to shake hands with men and”—I looked at Rowan, and my chest pounded—“women who have trashed our business, our name, who have stolen our properties, who have done everything in their power to make our practices and deals a living hell.” I tore my eyes away from her and glared at my uncle. “Because I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“You will in time,” Walter replied.

Ray then voiced, “I don’t need to tell you what my feelings were for Walter. I think it’s clear how we felt about each other.” He ran his hand over his salt-and-pepper hair. “But when I reached out to Walter and we met, we discussed the options and came up with this conclusion, and I found it in myself to move on.” He paused. “We both did.”

Rhett’s hand landed on the table, the sound a full-on smack. “That’s easy for you to say, you won’t have to work with Walter after the transition. You get to watch the merger and wipe your hands of the whole fucking mess.”

“I wouldn’t call it a mess,” Ray said to his son.

“No?” Macon hissed. “Then, what would you call two different groups of people who have been bred to hate each other now forced to own a company together?”

“Listen,” Walter demanded, his voice the sharpest it had been all day. “Ray and I aren’t looking to hash this out right now. We’re?—”

“What are you looking for, then?” Rhett asked, cutting Walter off. “To coach us into a giant group hug? For the seven ofus to become fucking besties or whatever that shit is called?” His fingers that were spread wide on the wood tightened into a fist. “You’ve given us no choice. You’ve forced something on us when this isn’t what any of us wants.” He glanced around the table. “I can tell you with certainty there isn’t a goddamn person in here who disagrees with me, except the two of you”—he pointed at his father and Walter—“and the two lawyers who are paid to be attached to your nipples.”

Walter looked at Ray.

What the fuck had they expected?

A quiet, peaceful treaty?

If that was the case, they didn’t know us at all.

“We didn’t think you’d all come here today and immediately form a bond,” Ray said. “But we expect that, over time, the seven of you will find a way to resolve the animosity and work together respectfully.”

Walter put his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “I don’t know the Cole family as well as my own, but what I do know is that everyone in this room is exceptional at their job.” He took his time gazing around the table, making eye contact with each of us. “Every one of you brings a strong, individual talent that when combined will be a collaboration neither company has ever seen or experienced. I’m excited to see what the seven of you can do. The way you can build the brand and grow it in ways that Ray and I weren’t able to achieve.”

I hissed out the air I’d been holding in, reaching my quota of bullshit for the day.

And just as I was about to express that, Brady beat me to it and said, “What you’ve done is create a giant shitstorm.” He gripped the edge of the table. “You should have had a discussion with us. We should have been able to voice our concerns. But instead, we were told this was happening. That doesn’t sit right with me. I’ve given ten years to this company, Walter. I evenspent my summers in college working for you. I’ve poured my life into Spade Hotels—all of us have.” His hand traced the air where Jo, Macon, and I were sitting. “And for what? To be told that the empire we were growing isn’t even going to have the same name anymore. That we’re going to have to compromise on our beliefs and values. No. Fuck no.”

“I promise, in time, this is something you’ll accept and even grow to appreciate.”

Walter’s standard answer.

I was fucking tired of hearing it.

He didn’t know shit.

And he especially didn’t know what the outcome of this was going to look like when it involved a family like the Coles.

“I want you all to remember that this is just an introduction,” Jenner’s voice boomed across the room. “The first of many meetings, where you’ll get a chance to come together to discuss the business and how the seven of you intend on running it.” He lifted the folder resting in front of him and banged the bottom of it on the table as though he were aligning the papers inside. “In the next few days, your assistants are going to schedule a time for you all to meet with a realtor who will begin showing you properties. Once you’ve agreed on one, both of your buildings will hit the MLS immediately. That’ll be the first step of the merger.”

“Just like that?” Jo said softly. Her chest rose the same way it had when I sat next to her in our conference room minutes before the bomb was dropped. “This is … a lot.”

Jo wasn’t one to normally hold in her feelings, but I could tell by what little she’d said that she was in the thick of processing all of this and what it meant.

“I agree with you,” Rowan replied. She tucked a chunk of her long, dark locks behind her ear. “I’m not even going to attemptto play peacemaker even though that’s a role I normally take on with my family.” She completely avoided my eyes as she spoke.

“But I want you to know that since I found out the news from my father, I’ve spent some time researching all of you.” She shifted her gaze between my brothers and Jo, but still didn’t look my way. “Your achievements individually are extremely impressive. Your list of accolades, the standards you’ve set, and how, in some ways, you’ve changed the hospitality industry with a level of excellence that didn’t exist before you.” She stalled for a moment.

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