TWENTY - Alana

TWENTY

Alana

Iend the phone call more than happy with my performance and quite pleased to have poked the beast with all that marriage talk. He deserves it. I have a big heart, and he tossed it out the door. A little voice in the back of my head bellows that I'd go right back to him if he called.

No, I wouldn't.

My phone dings and my heart leaps into my throat. "Hello?"

"Hi! Are you okay?" Rosalie yells.

Wincing, I hold the phone away from my ear. "I texted you already." Unfortunately, the aquamarines required charging at the Aquarius Social servers, so that took up most of my morning. "I promise I'm fine and we'll catch up tonight after the board meeting."

"Oh no, you don't!" she shouts. "I want details right now about Thorn!"

Just the mention of his name makes my nipples sharpen. Damn it. "I'll give you full details when I see you." I maintain a calm tone of voice. While my phone has excellent security, no tech is absolute, and caution is my friend. "But you might want to get online. I'm about to dish publicly." I end the call as she's still sputtering.

Then I sit on the sofa in the lovely ladies' lounge at Aquarius Social, move aside Thorn's books on crystals that I've been devouring, double-check the lighting, and hold the phone up to my face. "I'm back. Thank you so much for all of the exploding stars. I guess you want to hear more." I look around and lower my voice to a whisper as if nosy ears are everywhere. "All right. So these three guys charged me with guns and I ran. Out of the shadows, Thorn Beathach scoops me up like a heroine in a romance novel and rushes through the rain to his SUV." I fan myself as if the memory is combustible. "He saved me. I have so much to tell you about him, but I have an Aquarius Board meeting on my agenda. Detonate all of the stars if you're craving more details." I end the video.

Guilt trips through me about that dead waiter. I need to find out his name and at least send my condolences to his family. It's my fault he's dead.

Yeah, I know Thorn will be pissed about my videos and I'm just getting started. When I stand, my knees wobble. Not that I'm frightened of him, because I'm not. I remind myself twice that I'm not. Shoving the phone in my pink, sparkly purse, I walk out of the ladies' lounge and stride through the top floor of the skyscraper, pausing outside the boardroom.

Margery Lips, my father's personal secretary, looks up from her desk. "These came for you."

My gaze is already caught. From a shockingly wide crystal vase, at least fifty red roses bloom with one white rose unfurling in the middle. I reach for the card and read: To the one perfect rose. We're nowhere near done. ~Thorn.

I can't breathe.

"They're waiting," Margery hisses. She's around ninety and looks like a crone, but she's right.

I leave the flowers and stride to the boardroom. When I walk inside, I stop and look at the people gathered around the table. "This is interesting," I murmur.

My father sits at the head with Nico to his left; to his right is the empty seat that I have come to consider mine. My distant cousins, Quinlan and Scarlett Winter, are seated by Nico. "Hello." I look at my father.

"Have a seat, Alana," he says, kicking out my chair.

My instincts hum. I gracefully walk inside and sit, wanting more than ever to get back to those books I borrowed from Thorn. Well, probably stole since I have no intention of returning them. Unless he wants to set up an exchange agreement, because there are many more books I want to get my hands on from his library.

"Hi, Alana," Quinlan says, his eyes widening. A stamp from a bar is on his left hand—something with a C. He'd partied with my brother a lot, so it's not a surprise. He works as a computer programmer for Aquarius and was good friends with Greg. I last saw him at the funeral. "I'm so pleased that you were found safely."

Found and exchanged for a bunch of rocks like in the Stone Age. I make a mental note to find out exactly what those garnets are worth. A girl does like to know her value. I swallow the bitterness I feel at Thorn's actions and force a smile. "Hi, Quinlan. This looks more of a family gathering than a board meeting," I say, nodding at his sister, Scarlett. She's a few years older than I am and has black hair and even darker eyes, having inherited her Chinese mother's exquisite bone structure, while her brother looks more like his Italian father. Their parents died young, and if I remember right, they've been raised by their grandmother, a distant relative. I believe Scarlett works in Human Resources for the corporation and travels quite a bit.

"Close enough," my father says. "After your kidnapping, I realized we need more family members involved in the business, especially those who have an affinity with aquamarines." He straightens his tie. "Just in case we need to replace you."

My mouth almost gapes open. Everybody thinks I'm expendable, apparently.

He leans back, catching himself. "Worst-case scenario, of course."

I study my distant cousins. So they make the grade, huh? While Nico is only twice removed, the Winters are far, far removed. "I take it you've been vetted?"

"Of course," Nico says. "Connection to the crystals lives in the blood. None of us are as charged as you, Alana."

"All right," I say. "I'm absolutely fine with the possibility of more family members sharing the load here. In fact, I like the idea of others charging the aquamarines."

Of course, my father dashes my idea of more free time. "Nobody has your affinity to the aquamarine crystals, but in a pinch, we could all combine to charge or protect the servers if necessary." He straightens his tie. "The more the better, right?"

As I have no intention of being kidnapped ever again, I see no reason to worry. Nonetheless, I flash a smile at all of my cousins. As far as I know, they're nice enough, but my father has always kept a tight rein on Aquarius Social.

Nico looks at me, his eyes burning. "I just found out about the changes that might be coming," he says shortly.

"Yes, I can see that." I narrow my gaze and then look at Father. "What's the new breakdown of ownership?" Apparently, Nico doesn't like it.

My father clears his voice. "I have the documents for you all to sign. After this transfer, I'll own sixty percent, and the four of you will have ten percent each."

A deep crimson creeps into Nico's face. "I absolutely do not agree with this plan."

My father shoots him a look that could ice over the Sahara. "I am not asking your opinion."

The phone buzzes in my purse, and I freaking know it's Thorn calling back. Somehow, the buzz holds a demanding weight. It has to be him. I swallow and stiffen my spine. "I'm with Nico," I say, crossing my legs.

My father slaps a hand on a file folder, and the sound echoes around the room. "Excuse me?"

With Nico watching me as if he's caught a lightning bug in a jar, I partially turn to face my father. "I'm with Nico," I say slowly and clearly. "We've dedicated our entire lives to Aquarius since before either of us could even type, and decreasing our shares to ten percent is an insult. It isn't fair, and I'm not signing anything that reduces our interests."

"I don't recall requesting your approval," my father says, his voice low with a thread of anger darkening the tone.

I cast a quick glance at my cousins. "You never do. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that I have the crucial connection to the aquamarine stones. That alone gives me a say." Not to mention that I'd have to sign the documents to give up part of my interest, and I'm more likely to run headlong back to Thorn than I am to do so. I wink at Nico. "Give us your take on this."

He blinks twice as if he's been slapped upside the head and can't believe the words flowing from my mouth.

Frankly, neither can I, but in the last week I have been kidnapped, devirginized, enlightened, and heartbroken. Right now, I'm just pure and simply ticked off.

Nico visibly relaxes. "It appears as if Alana and I are united here."

I look at my father. "I agree you have every right to retain a controlling interest in Aquarius. However, you may accomplish that by keeping fifty-one percent interest in the stock." I look at Nico. "Nico and I will remain at an ownership level of twenty percent each. We've done nothing to lose that. Period."

My father sits back and it appears as if his chest widens. "You're not going to dictate the future of this company to me."

I shrug. "I'm not trying to dictate, but I won't agree to any proposal that isn't fair."

Scarlett leans forward. "I didn't crawl out of the basement to take a measly four and a half percent."

I'm impressed she did the math so quickly. "Even a minority stake will make you millions of dollars a year. Feel free to return to your basement." I focus on my father. "Not only that, you still have a controlling interest, so even if we all decide to gang up on you, you'll still win."

Nico flattens both hands on the table. "I'm in agreement."

Yes, I bet he is.

My father exhales loudly, and he sounds like a furious bear. "I'll take this under advisement. Everyone please excuse my daughter and me."

The Winter siblings file out, while Nico remains in place. My father looks at him.

Nico shrugs. "Whatever you're going to discuss, I want to take part." Look at Nico growing a pair.

"I agree," I say. It doesn't hurt to have him in my corner.

My father looks from one to the other of us. "I don't like where either of you are taking this."

I try to keep my knees from knocking together. "That's not my concern."

My father glowers. "Nico, you will excuse us now."

Nico winks at me and then stands, smoothing down his perfectly tailored suit. "Very well. Alana, if you require me for anything, call." With that, he turns and strides from the room, shutting the door quietly.

My father pushes away from the table. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired of being pushed around. What you were about to do wasn't fair, and you know it," I say, meeting his gaze directly. As usual, he looks away. I throw my hands up. "Why can't you even look at me?" He swallows, and it hits me. All of a sudden I know. "It's because I look like her, isn't it?"

He still has a picture of my mother above the mantelpiece. Even though I'm not allowed in his room, a while back, I needed something, I can't remember what, and I tiptoed in there to find her side of the bed just as it had been when I was young. Even her lotion is still in place.

"Yes," he says, the sound tortured. "Don't ever fall in love like I did, Alana. The pain isn't worth it."

I barely keep myself from laughing, because it's probably too late for that. "Did you court for a long time?" Please say yes. For years. It took years to fall in love.

"No. It was love at first sight."

Wonderful. As if things could get more brilliant. I'm fairly certain three orgasms shouldn't lead automatically to love, yet why does my chest feel like somebody is trying to open it with a crowbar?

Finally, my father looks at me. "What happened to you when you were kidnapped?"

"Nothing I didn't want," I say honestly, meeting his gaze.

He pales. "You and that monster?"

"He wasn't a monster. At least not completely." That waiter's face flashes through my mind and I push it away.

My father smacks his palm against his forehead. "How am I going to explain this to the Sokolov family?"

I want to punch him, so I fold my hands in my lap. "I don't know, tell them to join the current century? My sex life is none of anybody's business, and I'm tired of you acting otherwise."

He looks as if his tie is choking him. I try to have sympathy, because it can't be easy for any man to hear his daughter talk about sex, but seriously, enough is enough. My father presses his index fingers against his closed eyelids as if trying to banish a headache. "Will you at least consider a merger with them?"

I sit back, surprised that he's actually asking. "I will," I say. There's no future with Thorn because he tossed me on my ass for a bunch of stones. No woman would forgive that. Plus, I'd like to chart my own path in life, and there's no question that Thorn dictates to everyone in his world. "What's the value of the garnets you gave up earlier?"

Father shrugs. "Who cares?"

I do. "I just figure that Thorn has plenty of garnets." Had he just needed an excuse to get rid of me—maybe force a wedge between my father and me? I think of the sweet nothings in Gaelic he whispered while inside me. Romantic talk he didn't realize I understood.

"He does, but word on the street is that he's looking for the mother lode, and I had it. The thing is the size of a bowling ball and incredibly rare."

I frown. "Okay. I get why he'd want that, but their servers are faster and tighter than ours. He doesn't need another monumental garnet."

"That's what he wanted," my father says, turning back to the file folders on the table.

Yeah. All right. I feel sympathy for Rosalie that I never had before. I didn't understand being thrown out like a used napkin. My chin lifts on its own. "How much trouble is Aquarius in right now?"

My father shakes his head. "The last few days have been disastrous. We're gaining more subscribers now that you're back, but I'm afraid the hit we took may be too much." He looks at me, appearing much older than he did when I walked into the room. "You're needed. Badly."

"I know," I say softly.

His gaze drops. "I have to know. Did Beathach . . . hurt you? I'll kill him for the insult."

The insult? To me? Or to my father? "No," I say. "Thorn didn't hurt me." Well, yeah he did, but not like my father means.

"Good. I'm relieved about that." He taps the papers. "The future of the entire company is on you, Alana. You must do the right thing."