Page 95 of Flirting with the CEO

"Fuck yes," I said.

"Elaborate."

As we came out from the staircase, Nick led us to the bar and relaxation area. There were plenty of people around, but they were all sitting on the armchairs and couches.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just go work out while you talk?" Zoey asked. "I don't want to intrude."

"Babe, you're part of the family as far as I'm concerned. I want you to know everything."

She smiled brilliantly as we all sat on the bar stools. They served no alcohol here as far as I knew, just concoctions of fruit juices that looked entirely unappealing.

"All right, everyone,” Maddox said. “Ready?”

I nodded, wanting to get the gist of it and see if it could affect the Whitley name or our grandparents in any way.

“The debts he racked up are to banks and investors. I asked him point-blank if he’d asked shady people for money, and he assured me he hadn't. He didn't make any threats about going to our grandparents or the press.”

"That's good," Cade said. His voice was tight.

"I wouldn't put it past him to try and blackmail us," Jake said.

I agreed with him. When it came to Father, my expectations were rock bottom.

Maddox cleared his throat. "He did, however, point out that he owned shares in Whitley Industries.”

It was a minority package. A vein pulsed in my temple. Our grandfather had never transferred the majority package to him. Instead, he gave us grandsons our respective shares when we turned eighteen. But Father retained the minor package and had received dividends for years. Which, now that I thought about it, was a nice chunk of change.

"He's essentially asking us to buy him out," Maddox finished.

No one said anything.

I straightened up. "Fuck yes. I’d give him whatever he wants if he gives up his shares."

Even with his minority package, the amount of cash required to do this was astronomical. But I was certain we could come up with it. And it would mean Father was finally going to be out of Whitley Industries—and our lives—for good.

Maddox shrugged. "I feel the same. But he could have just led with that instead of saying he needed money."

"I bet he thought he could just convince us to give him money and he could keep his shares," Jake said. “See, he’s still a fucking snake.”

"You know, we don't always have to think the worst of him," Spencer said.

Yeah, there was my peacemaking brother.

"Yes, we fucking do," Cade replied.

Gabe, Leo, and Nick were silent.

“You three, where do you stand?" I asked. "For me, it’s a no-brainer.”

Zoey curled her arm around mine, and her fingers clasped my wrist. She gave me a meaningful look.

"Colton," she said, nudging me lightly.

"What?" I asked, waiting for the guys to answer my question.

"Bro, I think that's her way of telling you that you can't boss us around," Maddox interjected in a cautious way.

Jake was holding back laughter.

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