Page 15 of Bidding War

“Oh? Should I be worried?” He says it like a joke. Like I’m a joke to him.

“It must really grind your gears that you’ve been grooming me for thirty years, and I don’t live up to your expectations. Huh. I almost pity you.”

“Don’t be tiresome, Anderson. Why are you here?”

Tiresome is what he calls me when I’ve struck a nerve. It’s a win for me. “Fine, I won’t beat around the bush. Did you get June fired?”

He sighs and runs his fingers along some part of the sidewall. I think he does it to have something to do while not looking me in the eye. “We have a stellar Human Resources Department at West Media. Did you know that?”

“Of course, but?—"

“According to them, lying about being kidnapped and taking time off to spend it in bed with your new beau instead is a fireable offense. Strange to think there are consequences to one’s actions, hmm?”

“That was my idea. My doing. If you want to fire anyone, fire me.”

At that, he makes eye contact. Or rather, he looks into my eyes as he gives the most condescending smile imaginable. “Son, throwing yourself in the line of fire for her? Come now, you must know how pathetic that is. Trying to win her back, are you?”

“You got her fired to stress her out and make her break up with me, right?”

He chuckles under his breath. “She’s not one of us, Anderson. The moment someone of her ilk panics about money, they either do anything they can to keep a hold of it or they do something stupid. I see she chose the latter.”

“What do you mean she would do anything to keep a hold of it?”

“Of you, if I weren’t clear enough for you to follow.”

“What money do I have?” I ask angrily. “You froze my accounts!”

He shrugs. “Then I would think you’d do well to remember who your loyalties truly belong to. An unemployed tax attorney or your own flesh and blood. It’s really not much of a choice, now is it?”

“So, that’s it?” I smirk. “That’s the play?”

“What?”

“You’re trying to make me choose between you and her. You’ve always been on me about getting a girlfriend. Someone I can commit to. I brought you June. She didn’t buckle under your interrogation in the den. You called her smart. That must have scared you?—"

“Don’t be preposterous!”

I laugh. “Oh my god. I feel like a fool.”

“Well, you certainly sound like one?—"

“You knew June would figure out what is going on behind the scenes. All the illegal shit you’re up to. If she got close enough to the business, then she would know, right? And you can’t control her like you control everyone else. She told me about when you asked her to sign a prenup, and she told you she would be happy to do it. So you know you can’t lord your money over her. Which means you had to break us up. If it wasn’t going to happen now, it would have been later, I’m sure of it.” I laugh again in his face. “You’re a coward.”

He growls, “Watch your tone with me!”

“No, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. And you will pay me back. The four hundred thousand cash is mine.” I grit out, “I earned it. You have the footage to prove that I did.”

“That money was for a non-existent ransom?—"

“That money was to be a bridge between us because you sent me to either die or kill someone else for a measly quarter of a million dollars. That’s what that man owed you. That’s what you sent us out to collect. You were willing to risk me for a quarter of a million. I’ve seen you blow that on a weekend in Vegas, Dad. So, don’t act like that money is anything other than a payment to make me feel better about having you for a father!”

“You are out of line?—"

“And you will unfreeze my accounts, as well. We are done with this controlling bullshit. You want me to be CEO? Then treat me like a fucking adult. I not only demand it. I expect it out of you.”

“You can expect the moon to be plaid, but that doesn’t mean it will happen. Until you fall in line, you will obey me.”

Again, I laugh at him. “Obey you? What makes you think?—“

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