Page 36 of Alpha Bait

"Will is only ten years older than you."

"That's too old."

"What about his son?"

"Are you listening to yourself?"

"Indie, this is important," Jamal uttered through grit teeth.

"My life is more important than a business proposition, Jamal."

He leaned forward and whispered, "If you're going to keep being this difficult, I could have you sign this by force."

I matched his intensity.

"If you do that Jamal, I will ensure you regret it."

He chuckled, "How? I'm the CEO of the company. I manage the family wealth. I could have you out on your ass scraping by to make rent like the rest of them."

I snorted, "You're arrogant."

"I'm intelligent. And I know what's best for this company. I would do anything to put this company first."

"Why don't you marry Will Harkness then," I replied with a smirk, "it's not like it's illegal."

"I'm not laughing, indie."

"Jamal, take this piece of paper and get the hell out of my office. The answer is no."

He rose, indignant and pushed the folder further onto my desk.

"Watch yourself, Indie. Pops made difficult decisions for this company, and I'll do the same."

"You can't force me to marry someone, Jamal. You don't have the power."

"I didn't have the power. Now I do. I'll handle what our father was always too much of a sap to do and I'll ensure that Holloway Inc. Crushes the Carmichaels. I don't need your help to do it."

He turned and left, leaving a frigid disturbance in my office. I wasn't worried about Jamal's threat at first but seeing that cold, determined look in his eye and knowing he had everything it took to make my life a living hell sent chills down my spine. He was right. In the past, he wouldn't have had the power to do anything to change my life. Without our father to keep his unbridled ambition in check, he might actually be so crazy as to force me into a wedding.

Mama was too old to stop him now. And he'd ensure she knew as little as possible. I tossed the folder into the trash. Jamal couldn't change my mind. I wasn't marrying Will Harkness.

My phone buzzed and startled me.

Rich, again.

-- Still there?

-- I need to see you.

-- I knew you couldn't resist.

-- Not about that.

I shoved my phone into the desk and plugged in my headphones to get work done. For a few hours, I could pretend Jamal's marriage proposal and threats didn't get to me. I couldn't ignore the concern brewing in my chest. I knew my brother. I knew he'd succeeded at everything he put his mind to and he hadn't let his Holloway name distract him from his goals of achieving his own success.

There were times when he'd called out my father's weakness when it was clear he craved more for us than sloppy Carmichael seconds. We could all agree the Carmichael family was dangerous, cruel, thieving and manipulative. Jamal didn't just believe that. He believed they needed to suffer for what they'd done, for how much they'd taken from us.

All the money in the world wasn't enough for Jamal. He craved dominance. He craved power. He would stop at nothing to turn Holloway into a household name and he planned to do so at the Carmichael family's expense.

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