Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Leave,” I shoot that one word at him with a grimace.
He ignores that order, opting to make himself even more comfortable by leaning back in my leather office chair. “What did she want?”
I approach my desk. “That’s none of your fucking business, Holden.”
He chuckles. “You’re wrong. If you two were discussing Carden or Denia, it’s my business.”
Irritated that I’m still staring at his face, I sigh. “How so?”
“We are co-CEOs of this enterprise,” he reminds me with a “you’re-a-goddamn-idiot’ look on his face. “And, in case you’ve forgotten, Denia is our grandmother.”
“Was,” I whisper. “She was our grandmother.”
“Right.” He adjusts his tie to make it even more perfect than it was.
My brother was approached to be a model for an up-and-coming clothing brand years ago. Back then, we were close enough that he’d confide that kind of shit in me. We laughed it off, but he reminded me for at least a year that he was the better looking one.
That may be true, but I can hold my own in every sense against him.
“Why are you here, Holden?”
That gets him off his ass and onto his feet. He buttons his suit jacket. “Boston.”
This conversation feels like pulling teeth. Inch-by-inch, I’ll get information out of him, but I want the whole picture now. “Good talk. Leave.”
He laughs that off. “You’re going to Boston tonight.”
I join in the laughter. “There’s no way in hell I am.”
I have plans to stare at Sinclair while we sort through Denia’s stuff. They may not be earth-shaking plans, but next to her in the penthouse is the only place I want to be.
“Our new location is set to open on Monday,” he tells me something I already know. “The manager bailed this morning, so you need to go there and find someone to replace him. Until you do that, you’re taking on that role.”
“You do it,” I spit back without giving it enough thought.
“I can’t.” He steps toward me. “I’ve got a full plate. I’m meeting with accounting this afternoon, and marketing is pitching to me tomorrow. Since we’re still interested in buying out Montgomery, I need to deal with that over the weekend. The old man is flying here to discuss terms.”
“Burton Montgomery is flying to New York to meet with you?” I ask, trying to suppress the surprise in my tone.
He nods. “The meeting was set in stone two months ago. He’s supposed to be meeting Grandmother. I expected him to cancel since…well, you know, but he’s committed to following through with it.”
Montgomery Candy is one of the companies that Denia had her eye on for years. She wanted to buy out the west coast based confectionary as part of my grandfather’s long term plan. That included purchasing a dozen other companies spanning the globe. Carrick’s vision was to grow Carden to be the crown jewel of candy companies. He died before he could make it a reality. My grandmother did too.
“I can’t leave Manhattan right now.” He glances at me. “You can.”
“I can choose a new manager for Boston from here,” I say with conviction.
“Probably,” he acquiesces. “In the meantime, someone needs to go there and steer the ship. We’re days away from opening, James. We need your feet on the ground.”
Stunned that he called me James, I stare at him. He hasn’t done that in years.
“Go to Boston.” He moves to round my desk. “My assistant will book your airline ticket and hotel.”
I’d bark back that my assistant can handle it, but I have yet to hire one.
“I’ll stay at a Beaumont hotel,” I say. “Kalon can set me up there.”
Holden nods. “Whatever works.”
He starts toward my office door but turns mid-step to look back at me. “What did Monique want?”
I could tell him to go to hell, but chances are good that Monique will confess all to him when she sees him. She plans on doing that for dinner one night before leaving New York City behind for Paris.
“She gave me a message that Grandmother left for me.”
His eyes narrow as a smile slides over his lips. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume it’s about your roommate.”
Despite not wanting to, I laugh. “Why the hell ask if you already knew what Monique told me?”
“I didn’t know.” He chuckles. “I assumed, but you just confirmed it. Grandmother knew you loved Sinclair.”
“I don’t love her,” I protest. “She can’t fucking stand me.”
“You can stand her.” He glances toward my open office door. “You don’t mind this forced living together thing.”
“It’s not that bad,” I admit. “For me. If Sinclair could leave tomorrow and still inherit half the property, she’d be out the door.”
“Don’t be so sure of that.”
I glare at him. “What the hell does that mean?”
His gaze drops to his watch. “I have a meeting. Good luck in Boston. Don’t fuck it all up.”