Page 1 of Crude Heir

Chapter 1

Derrick

“Your father doesn’t want anyone to know,” she whispers into the phone, her voice barely audible. Her words hit me like a punch in the gut, a painful reminder of whose interests matter most to her. And they’re not mine.

Father.The term wasn’t part of my vocabulary until recently. Even though I’ve known the truth for several weeks, it doesn’t make the situation any easier to deal with. And now, here she is, dropping yet another bomb in my lap.

“Derrick, are you there?” Her voice trembles with concern and maybe even a touch of desperation. It should move me, but I just can’t bring myself to feel anything. After finding out my own mother has lied to me for my entire goddamn life, I’m having a hard time trusting anyone. And she, of all people, is at the bottom of that list. “Honey, I know you’re angry, but I need you to hear me out.”

“I’m here.” My reply comes out curt and detached, a reflection of the walls I’ve built around myself after her betrayal and the subsequent fallout.

“I said your father doesn’t want—”

“I heard,” I reply through clenched teeth, struggling to contain the mixture of resentment and disappointment building up inside. “Your bossis trying to keep a lid on whatever you’re about to tell me.”

It shouldn’t have come as a shock to learn my mother’s long-time employer is my father. But when that man is Texas billionaire Keith Kelly, the owner of Kelly Oil & Gas, the revelation thrusts my life into the public eye, drawing the wholeworld’s attention. The knowledge has bashed every pillar of my being until I don’t even know who I am.

There’s a brief pause on the other end of the line, as if she’s trying to choose her words carefully. I tap my fingers against my desk, wishing this call to be over. “There’s…an issue with the accounting in the Eagle Ford region.”

My blood runs cold. “What are you saying? Theft?” It doesn’t surprise me that he would want to keep something like that a secret.

“Yes.” She says the word as if it hurt her physically.

“Oh hell.” Why did this have to happen now? In Eagle Ford of all places? “Why would he want to cover this up?”

“I don’t know,” she says, her voice strained.

“How can he pull this shit and leave Addler hanging?”

“He didn’t. The sale was supposed to be postponed. Keith isfurious. He’s on the phone with Simon now.”

Selling the construction division was done to bring in a substantial amount of money. This was all part of the restructuring Keith had announced. I helped find the buyer, before I found out what was going on. Hell, I even got him the lease for the de Marco Ranch.

“How bad is it?” I ask, my body feeling hollow.

“Millions,” she whispers, making my stomach churn. “I don’t know the exact total, but he just admitted it’s what he discovered when he had the heart attack.” If she hadn’t been there to call an ambulance when he collapsed over his desk, he likely wouldn’t have survived.

“So now what?”

“Keith…Keith doesn’t want anyone to know yet,” she says, sounding exhausted. “So please be mindful of the information. He doesn’t know I’m calling—”

My temper flares. Just like that, I’m embroiled in another one of her damn secrets. This is just adding salt to a deep and painful wound.

“I need to let you go, I’m late for a meeting.” I don’t wait for a reply, instead slamming my thumb on the button, ending the call abruptly. It’s the first excuse to come to mind, and one that she, the ever-efficient corporate secretary, wouldn’t question.

I toss the phone on the massive oak desk and push back so hard my leather chair creaks in protest. Now I have to figure out what to do next. I can’t be the obedient son and keep my mouth shut. There’s too much at stake and I’m the one responsible for dragging my best friend into this mess. I sit forward, staring down at the phone’s screen.

The best course of action is to reach out to Addler. I need to give him a heads-up about the mess I unknowingly led him into. We have plans to meet later tonight for drinks, but there’s no way I can hold off until then. Not with the knowledge, the secret my mother shared, churning in my gut. I pick up my phone, flip to the recent calls, and dial his number.

Addler picks up on the second ring. “Hey, bro.”

His familiar greeting eases the tightness in my chest, if only for a moment. This is precisely why I need to be honest with him. He’s the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had, even before I discovered I have a blood relation on my father’s side. No, I’m not going to hide a damn thing from him.

I take a fortifying breath before speaking. “You still in the area?” I grab my keys from the top drawer and circle my desk, determined to drive out to meet him, wherever he may be. What are they going to do if I leave for the rest of the day? Fire me? I fucking doubt it.

“Yeah,” he replies, the sounds of surrounding traffic filtering in from the background. “You caught me in the parking lot, about to take off.”

“You have a few? I need to talk to you.” I walk down the hall, aware of the glances coming my way. It seems like most of the women in the building have nothing better to do than watch and see who comes by. While I normally ignore them without much trouble, today, I need to be conscious of who’s around. And the only one who poses a problem is nowhere in sight.

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