Page 44 of Without Fail

“It’s just a scare tactic.”

Ryker glanced away and toward the trees beyond the glass. “What did you need?”

“I need you to keep your word and marry Hailey Baldwin.”

“So you and her father can do your deal? No thanks.”

Robert squinted at him as if trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“You like her.”

“As a friend. Maybe.” He crossed one leg over the other and brushed at the black material of his Brunello Cucinelli suit slacks. The Piaget Polo Emperador wristwatch glinted on his wrist and he casually checked the time. Not that he had to be anywhere at the moment, but he wanted his father to think he did.

“How’s business?” he murmured and watched as his father’s whole body went still. The hand fiddling with the expensive pen on his desk stopped moving.

Their gazes locked across the distance. He kept his own expression bored, but he could see the calculating wonder in his father’s brown eyes.

“My business is fine.” The words came out slowly and methodically.

Ryker waved a hand around. “Weren’t you and Hailey’s dad needing this merger?”

A weird relief-filled dawning swept over his father’s face and the man actually released a breath as if he’d been holding it.

“Yes.”

“Then how can business be fine?”

“I’m growing it.”

“What is it exactly?”

“You know we are in mergers and acquisitions.”

“I know, but you’ve kept me out of it my whole life. How are you going to leave me the business if you don’t show me the ropes?”

“You have your company to handle,” Robert dismissed. “That’s enough on your plate.”

Ryker studied his father. The man was lying. Although it had been extremely difficult, he’d personally investigated his family’s recent transactions. And there were no signs of mergers or acquisitions since his grandfather’s death five years ago.

If there were any records, then his father was keeping them elsewhere. Perhaps the information was located in the wall safe that sat against the far wall of this office.

His grandfather’s safe—a place that kept the family tree information among other valuables and keepsakes.

“So…” Ryker patted the chair’s arms and stood. “I’m not going to marry Hailey.”

“We will see.” There was a threat in his father’s voice, but he refused to acknowledge it.

“Yes. We will.” His smile was just as fake as ever and his father clenched his fists on top of the desk as if to keep from hitting him.

He hadn’t been hit by his dad in a long time. The last time had been just after Marshal had come to work for them.

Ryker remembered it clear as day. Robert’s hand came up to strike his face and Marshal blocked the blow. The rage on his dad’s face had been comical, but Marshal assured the man that he could and would get the authorities involved if necessary.

Robert Langston hadn’t wanted it to get out that he hit his son over a B instead of an A in business, so he let it slide.

Marshal had smoothed it over with his father by admitting that he didn’t want Robert to tarnish his reputation. That seemed to mollify his dad and the matter was dropped. From that day, however, Robert had never laid another hand on him.

It was time for him to move out. It was way past time, he thought as he left the room and entered the hallway. He wandered down in the direction of the bodyguards’ office suite that sat adjacent to the temporary headquarters of the FBI.

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