Fortress (Forde Family Series Book 2)

by nikki blaire

  “Charlisse Lageaux.” She answered.

  An unknown male voice quickly answered, stating he had received her information from the city council’s general counsel.

  Often times, the calls that Charlisse received from new clients were cryptic due to the nature of the issues that she dealt with. Most were hesitant to provide information initially, which meant she had to meet with new clients before knowing much about what she would be asked to “fix.”

  For her own safety, she used a referral system, which required potential clients to share who referred them before moving forward. No referral meant that she discontinued the conversation.

  The city council had used her several times, outside of her services to particular councilmembers, so she quickly texted the general counsel who confirmed the referral.

  “Sure,” She obliged the caller before beginning her new client spiel. “Please be aware that upon calling me, you have made an offer to accept my services, including my rate, which are non-negotiable. It is within my discretion to accept or deny the offer, upon our meeting.”

  The cab came to a stop at her destination. She quickly paid the driver then pushed herself out of the backseat.

  “I will need to know your client’s name prior to meeting, but will present you with a non-disclosure agreement that binds whatever information is shared, which protects both our interests. Do we have a deal?”

  The caller quickly agreed, as she strutted into the federal agency building that was the site of her next meeting.

  “Good.” She pushed through the crowd of federal employees, who were rushing out for lunch.

  “I have availability tomorrow morning.” She continued, stepping off of the elevator onto the executive level floor.

  “Great, 7 a.m. works for me.” She agreed, as she was directed to sit down for a moment by the receptionist to wait on her next meeting.

  She gracefully sat on the old sofas that decorated the small waiting area, but almost toppled over at hearing the name “Marcus Forde” hit her ears.

  “Junior or Senior?” She found her mouth asking, even though her brain was still processing the irony.

  She let out the breath that she had been holding once the caller said Marcus Forde, Sr. Still, the urge to decline tickled her throat. There were thousands of reasons to say no. She and Marcus having had sex was the most glaring. There was also his unanswered invitation to dinner sitting in her inbox.

  Still, she found herself obliging over the phone, deciding to save a denial of the offer for their in-person meeting.

  “I’ll be there tomorrow.” She said, just as her other client approached her.

  The words felt like they had been spoken by a foreign entity, given her bubbling reservations. However, Marcus Forde, Sr. deserved the same due diligence that she gave each of her potential clients. It wasn’t his fault that she had allowed her judgment to slip by sleeping with his son.

  She said goodbye, hung up, then stood up to greet her current client with a fake smile. She was too worked up to give a real one.

  Deep breath, Charlisse, focus.

  She tossed her hair out of her face, then strutted to her next meeting. Before Brandon’s wedding, Marcus Forde, Jr. had just been a familiar name and face, but now he was invading into nearly every part of her life.

  Four

  Charlisse still felt a bit of anxiousness in the pit of her stomach while she walked into the office building that housed Forde Financials. She pulled herself together with a quick prayer, as the elevator opened up then stepped out into the lobby.

  Charlisse spanned the room for the receptionist. Once she spotted the front desk, she strutted over, gave her name, and then sat in the waiting area. She was early on purpose. It gave her time to collect her thoughts.

  She had been debating on whether she would take the position all night. Part of her wanted to avoid the conflict of interest, but the breadth of the scandal intrigued another part of her. The news had reeled the story of Marcus Forde, Sr.’s affair all day and night.

  “Mrs. Lageaux, Mr. Forde is ready to see you.” The receptionist called out to her.

  “Ms.” She politely corrected then stood up, as Marcus Forde, Sr. walked towards her.

  “Good morning.” Marcus Forde, Sr. held out his hand for her to shake.

  He was obviously perturbed and wore an unsettled look on his face.

  “This is my attorney. He’ll be joining us.” He gestured to the white man who stood next to him.

  “Yes, we spoke on the phone.” Charlisse shook his hand as well then followed them into a conference room.

  She sat down across from both men then folded her hands on top of the desk, waiting on either to speak. Whether they knew it or not, it was their responsibility to convince her to take on this job. Not the other way around. Charlisse’s reputation preceded her, so she didn’t need to beg for this opportunity. Either they wanted her or they didn’t.

  A moment of silence passed, as all three of them sat quietly waiting on someone to begin talking. Meanwhile, Marcus Forde, Sr.’s expression had morphed from unsettled to completely smug.

  “Well, I’ll begin.” The attorney coughed to clear his throat then pulled his chair closer to the table. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.”

  “No problem.” Charlisse gave him a pleasant smile then nodded for him to continue on.

  “I’m going to be very frank about what we’re facing here. The news has definitely gotten ahead of us on this, but we’re going to need to get a handle on the narrative before our former client Nexlon does.”

  “And when do you perceive,” She started to cut in with a question, but was thrown off by the sound of the door opening.

  She averted her eyes from the attorney for a moment just in time to catch Marcus filling the doorway.

  Her breath hitched and her heart beat pulsed.

  “Marc, glad you could move things around to join us.” The attorney waved him over.

  Marcus stealthily moved forward. He caught eyes with Charlisse for a moment, but showed no sign of acknowledgement as he sat down.

  “Good morning, sorry I’m late.” He nodded towards her then motioned for their attorney to continue.

  “It’s no problem we just got started, but let me do a quick introduction. Ms. Lageaux, this is Marc Forde, CFO of the firm. He’ll be an integral part of everything moving forward, especially in case there is a need for Mr. Forde to step down,”

  “The hell I won’t step down.” Marcus Forde, Sr. cut in, but the attorney continued on.

  “So, it’s best that Marc work with you just as closely.”

  “Understood.” Charlisse agreed.

  She could feel Marcus’ stare on her, but she wouldn’t look. She had to stay professional and he was already affecting her.

  “Alright, so back to what I was saying. Ms. Lageaux, we need to ward off any additional negativity, prepare for any subsequent investigations, and ultimately clear Mr. Forde of any fiscal irresponsibility.”

  “And the affair?” She found herself asking. “Did it happen? I need to know before we move forward.”

  “Wait a minute, that’s not what we came here to discuss. I’m not saying a damn thing about that,”

  “Here are my non-disclosure agreements. Feel free to sign them now, if you’d like, but I’m not moving forward without complete honesty. Lies infringe on my effectiveness.”

  She couldn’t stop her eyes from floating to Marcus. She should have anticipated that he would be there, but his presence had definitely caught her off guard. Warmth cascaded down her body at the sight of him.

  “I advise that both of you sign this.” The firm’s attorney pushed the papers to both Marcus and his father.

  “Dad, just sign the damn thing, so we can get this over with.” Marcus sighed, as he pulled out a pen.

  “Since when did this become an interrogation? We’re not here to discuss whether or not I did or did not do something.” His father turned
to him.

  “We’re hiring her to get this shit under control. Not determine my guilt-”

  “Mr. Forde,” Charlisse casually interrupted. “This isn’t going to work if you’re more concerned about being suspicious of me than getting out of this mess. I’m here to fix the problem, but either you want me here or you don’t.”

  Marcus, Sr. challenged her with his glare, but Charlisse had seen worse. He barely phased her.

  “I want you.” Marcus suddenly spoke. His eyes were trained on her. “Sign it, Dad.”

  His father glared at him, but signed the agreement then pushed it over to her. Charlisse swallowed hard then crossed her legs under the table. He was still getting to her.

  “Fine, but, I give the final approval on everything. And if not me, then Marc.” He gestured to his son before standing to his feet.

  “I’ve got another meeting. Good to do business with you.” He held out his hand for Charlisse to shake.

  “Yes, thank you again, Ms. Lageaux.” The attorney was the most gracious, as he seemed to have the clearest grasp on how dirty this scandal could actually become.

  “No problem. Pleasure meeting both of you and I’ll have an official statement for the firm to you shortly.” She smiled at the two men, while she waited on Marcus to dismiss himself as well.

  But he didn’t.

  “We still have some things to discuss.” Marcus nodded to his father, who haughtily left the room.

  “Oh. Do we?” Charlisse returned to her seat.

  Her mind raced at the possibilities of what could happen next. She wondered if Marcus was finally going to address the elephant in the room. Was he going to call her out?

  “As the CFO, I need to discuss payment with you.” His response took the wind out of her sails.

  “Yes, yes.” She plastered on a smile even though she was reprimanding herself internally for expecting him to say anything else.

  He was a professional and she was too. She needed to act like it. He pulled out a folder full of forms, explained each one, and then watched Charlisse sign all of them.

  “Thank you.” He gathered them up once she was done. “I’ll show you out.”

  Marcus stood and then led her out of the conference room with a stoic expression that she couldn’t read. They walked to the elevators, where he pushed the button for her, then waited silently.

  He ushered her in once the elevator arrived and the doors pinged open. She stepped inside then suddenly felt Marcus’ hard chest pressed against her back. He spun her around to face him in one swift motion, and then gently pushed her into a corner.

  “Why didn’t you answer my text?” Marcus pressed against her.

  She gasped for a moment unable to answer him. Her body was humming and she couldn’t think.

  “Charlisse,” His tone was low and sultry, while he ran a finger along her chin forcing her to look up at him. “You didn’t like the way I,”

  “Whoa, Marc.” She regained her sense of self-control and separated them. “I didn’t answer it because we agreed to one night.”

  She was able to wiggle from his grasp, but was still confined to the corner.

  “We can still have dinner.” He continued to press her.

  “No, Marc. We cannot. I don’t have dinner...or sex with my clients.”

  She had to say it out loud to remind herself. “Besides, that’s a huge conflict of interest. Technically, I work for your father and this company. I can’t be...torn.”

  “What is there to be torn about?” He countered.

  “Your father...” She couldn’t think of the right words, so she decided not to say anything at all.

  “I know what we’re dealing with.” Marcus shook his head. “Just do what needs to be done to get us out of this shit.”

  The elevator stopped and they both adjusted themselves before the doors opened.

  Marcus looked at her then chuckled. “So, we’re working together now. I guess this means you’ll start answering my texts?”

  He grinned, as she stepped out.

  “I guess so.” She exhaled and then strutted towards the exit.

  *****

  Marcus watched as Charlisse walked away, holding the elevator open to make sure he didn’t miss a single minute of her backside.

  “Got damn.” He said to himself, finally letting the doors close.

  He rode back up with the images of Charlisse underneath him on his mind, which was a welcomed distraction from reality.

  “A French name.” He chuckled to himself, remembering what his father had said about the person being hired to handle this mess.

  At no point did he ever think that he would walk into that conference room and see Charlisse, but there she was. The elevator doors opened back on his floor, plunging him back to the present.

  His family had fallen apart and his entire livelihood was at risk due to his father’s transgressions. Last night, his family had gathered at his parents’ house for a family meeting. That meeting made it very clear that nothing was going to be the same. They were already clawing at each other. And there was no longer a question of whether his father had cheated – he had. Now, the family was forced to fight off the accusations of embezzlement that also seemed plausible, if Marcus was being honest with himself.

  Marcus Forde, Sr. had tried to ask his other two children for their support, but Ayda had flatly refused. All of them had expected that, but still, it was hard to watch them argue with each other. Insults flew back and forth until, finally, their mother stood up and walked out.

  She didn’t say a word all night, but her sullen mood told Marcus all that he needed to know. She was broken inside. Seeing her that way broke Marcus, but he had to pretend otherwise to ensure that their family looked united. He was sure that Nexlon was preparing a smear campaign to get off the hook for this. He didn’t want to give them any additional ammunition.

  “Marc, it’s another reporter asking for a comment.” His assistant bombarded him as soon as he approached his office.

  “Fuck.” He sighed, but what was he to expect. “I can’t be reached for comment.”

  He repeated what Charlisse had told all of them to say until she had a statement ready.

  “And call a staff meeting. We need to make sure that everyone directs all inquiries to me just in case they are contacted.”

  His assistant nodded, while he pressed forward to his office. He closed the door behind him, hoping to shut out the world for just a moment. His family would likely meet for dinner again tonight to discuss their plans moving forward, so he would have to muster up the energy to direct that circus.

  Charlisse should come with you.

  The thought popped into his head. He paused for a moment, deciding whether this was a genuine idea or if he was just trying to see her again. But the truth was that his family needed to hear her strategy from her. Marcus would just mess it up. She was the expert.

  He pulled out his phone to test out whether she was telling the truth about answering his text messages. Sure enough within seconds, she accepted his dinner invitation.

  “Well damn, I would’ve hired her from the jump if I’d known that’s all it took.” He joked to himself then text his mother about their dinner guest.

  He was sure that his father would have some sort of reservation, but he wasn’t in the position to raise much opposition. The entire family was carrying the burden of his mistake.

  Especially if he has to step down.

  He repeated the attorney’s words from their meeting earlier. Marcus had yet to even consider that fact, but if things continued to escalate, his father’s resignation was a possible reality.

  He let out another ragged sigh at the thought. Marcus Forde, Sr. was Forde Financials. No one had ever thought of the firm existing without him.

  While Marcus always knew that he would take over one day, he had definitely never imagined that it would be like this.

  Five

  That evening, Marcus stepped across the thres
hold of his parents’ home. Contrary to its usual exuberance, tonight, the house seemed dull and void.

  “Mother,” He called out to announce his arrival.

  She usually met him at the door, but was nowhere to be found. In fact, the house felt downright empty.

  “Mother,” He called out to her again, as he neared the library, which had always been his mother's favorite place in the house.

  The walls were decorated with custom curated art that his mother had chosen from various collections of Black artists. Shelves lined any leftover wall space and were filled with books of nearly every genre, but her collection was mostly poetry and history books.

  Dim lighting and soft music found Marcus once he stepped inside the room. His mother’s silhouette was immediately visible, as she lay on the daybed tucked beneath the bay window. The sun was setting and a soft glow fell over her, illuminating the glass of wine perched in her hand.

  “Mother, I’ve been calling you.”

  “Oh, I didn’t hear you.” She responded in a flat tone.

  She didn’t even look in his direction. Her eyes seemed to be settled on nothing in particular. Marcus’ looked her over, finding nothing out of place. Her hair was in a neat bun and wore a light-colored tunic with matching pants that flowed over her like custom couture. Claudette Forde was effortlessly regal, even in the midst of complete chaos. But something about her seemed different in this moment. She looked the same, but something was missing.

  “Aren’t we having dinner in less than an hour?” Marcus sat down beside her.

  “Yes. Everything's ready, but it’s all in the kitchen. I sent the staff home already. I just didn’t want anyone else around for yet another episode of As the Fordes Turn."

  She sighed. "Last night’s behavior was tasteless and crass. It was unacceptable and I refuse to have an audience.”

  She waved her hand in disapproval. “I’ll set everything up shortly. I just needed...some peace.”

  She turned to look at him, but Marcus had to look away. Her eyes were full of unspoken questions that he didn’t have the answers to.