Page 54 of Claiming Charlotte

He stirred and I felt his lips press warmly against my cheek.

“You shouldn’t have said that to someone like me,” he joked with a smile.

“I know exactly what I'm asking for,” I responded, smirking.

“I really hope so, Princess.”

24

Iwaited in my office, nervous beyond belief to see Joshua Walker, the new head of the Walker family. I’d reached out to him, hoping to meet with him and negotiate a sweet deal for the both of us. I was tired of focusing all of my strength and energy on taking them down, and I thought if I could get them to agree to peace, it would be much better for all of us.

From what I heard, he was a carbon copy of his father, and that scared me, but if there was any chance I could make him see reason; I would. If he really was anything like his father, the meeting would end badly, and I prepared a contingency plan. I had no idea if he sought revenge on Rowan and me for killing his father, and I prepared my men for a battle. But the waiting was the worst part. He was set to arrive any minute, and I felt like vomiting.

A knock sounded at the door, and my heart thudded harshly against my chest in anticipation.

“Come in,” I commanded, shuffling a few papers on my desk; the same papers I’d been shuffling around for the last forty-five minutes. One of my men waved at me from the open door and I nodded, signaling him to let Josh through.

And suddenly he was there, standing in the doorway, staring right into my soul. His walk to my desk seemed to take hours, and it was hell for me. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Sit down, please,” I said. He straightened the hem of his suit and sat down stiffly. He looks just like him.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” a gruff voice from the door said.

I peeked around Josh’s shoulder and saw Rowan glaring at me. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid… I thought, standing.

“Rowan,” I greeted, meeting him in the middle of the room.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this, Charlotte?” he asked in an angry whisper.

“Rowan, I’ll explain later. Just please leave for now,” I pleaded with my eyes.

He scoffed. “Unbelievable,” he said, backing out of the room.

My heart raced knowing I’d have to deal with Rowan later, but in that moment I needed to address the elephant in the room. So I returned to my desk.

“Sorry about that,” I said, unable to meet his eyes.

“Why have you called me here?” He asked in a curt manner, and I knew that he would be all business and no play.

“I’m tired of this war that our parents started with each other,” I began, clasping my hands together on the desk. “I don’t have any idea if you feel the same way, but I want it to end. I have other things I need to focus on, and I can’t do it if I’m spending all my time trying to take you down.”

He nodded along with my words, but his expression remained flat, giving nothing away. He didn’t speak, but instead waited for me to continue.

“So, I have a proposition for you, and I hope you’re willing to take it.”

“Tell me,” he said.

I swallowed nervously. “If you and your men can stay out of my territory, and the trafficking stops; I’ll stop lacing the contraband and call Rowan off,” I said. It was a blunt request.

I could see the internal conflict through his eyes. I knew he wanted to avenge his father’s death, but I also knew that I’d hit them hard, and they hadn’t expected it. He’d lost a lot of men and a lot of business because of me.

“Josh, I know that your father’s death wasn’t easy. I know because my father died at the hands of yours, and I would want to get revenge on the people who killed him if I hadn’t already. You have to understand the position he put me in,” I said, unsure if he even agreed with how his father ran things.

“Don’t talk about my father,” he said, a pained expression on his face.

“You know what he did,” I accused, my throat tightening. “You know what kind of man he was, and you didn’t stop him.”

“It’s not my place, Charlotte. It’s my job to pick up where he left off, just as you are, and you know that,” he said.

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