The minute Jaxon finishes, everyone begins to yell amongst one another. I want to reach into my drawer and pull out the whiskey I keep there, but I know it won’t help the headache I have forming between my eyes.
My gaze is drawn to Evie when I feel her move. My eyebrows draw together, and I find myself concerned when her face turns ashen.
“Are you okay?” I mouth when her gaze meets mine.
She forces a smile before turning her attention to everyone arguing amongst themselves.
Some think it’s wicked, some think there is a catch. Mum, however, is silent, perched in Jaxon’s desk chair as she watches her sons argue amongst themselves.
Eli slams his hand down on the desk, gaining everyone’s attention. “No one gives away that much money without reason. He’s after our company or something.”
“Power,” Evie blurts out, colour tinging her cheeks when we all turn to her. “What better way to get to a person than to make sure they don’t get what they want. From what Wyatt and Jaxon have said, he doesn’t gain anything from doing this. And you said yourself, there are no clauses in the contracts that could end up with Mr Yang getting any part of the business.”
The room goes deadly silent, and she ducks her head, fiddling with a pen on her desk.
“She’s right. He won’t benefit from doing this,” I add, leaning back in my chair.
“This is a big decision, one that needs to be unanimous. If one of us says no, it’s a no and no one will argue,” Jaxon warns, looking to each of us.
“Not to change the subject, but do you think the encrypted memory stick holds blackmail material?” Luke asks, his jaw set.
Ah, the memory stick Jaxon had taken it upon himself to grab from the safe yesterday and take home. He was furious to find it was encrypted.
“It could be,” Colton murmurs. “I mean, is anyone else shocked to hear what he is truly up to?”
“It’s power again. The drugs won’t mean anything to a man like Black,” Evie speaks up, surprising me once more. She seems to know a lot about what she speaks of. “It’s all to do with money. I wouldn’t be shocked to find out he’s doing it to prove he’s better than someone else. Or he’s most likely using or hoping to use the drug money to make out his profit margins are up.”
I rest my forearms on my thighs, leaning forward to watch her. She is full of surprises and spot on analysing Black. That is pretty much what he is doing. We learned last year that he was given a timeframe to get the numbers up for the moving company. If he failed, he wouldn’t inherit the company or any others. For him to come at us with force, he’s desperate. And desperate men are unpredictable.
“I’m going to drop the memory stick off to Liam on my way home. He had a job to do this morning and couldn’t meet me,” Jaxon reveals, and Evie’s head whips towards him, her face pale.
What was that about?
“If it’s the blackmail material, then he’s going to be fucking pissed when he finds out we have it,” Isaac adds.
“Like we can’t fucking take him,” Theo snaps, earning a warning glare from our mum.
“Theo Hayes, watch your mouth,” she barks sharply.
He grins, fluttering his lashes. “Do you have a mirror I can watch it through?”
She shakes her head. “You’re not too old to put over my knee, young man.”
He grimaces, knowing she isn’t lying. “Sorry.”
I turn to Mum, wanting to hear her thoughts. She has been reading the contracts for different options since we arrived nearly an hour ago. “What do you think we should do, Mum? This is still your land. He might come after you once he realises we don’t own the land. If he were to take it from you, we would have no option but to move.”
“He can’t take this land from me, my boy. It’s fully paid for. I have no outstanding debts. The only costs I pay out are bills to feed the rest of our livestock and to maintain the upkeep of the land. All of which aren’t something he could use against me. You technically rent the land you are on. I have that as extra income.
“Whatever you decide to do, I fully support you. Never question that.”
“But what do you suggest we do? What would you do if you were us?” Jaxon asks, running a hand over his face.
He’s conflicted as much as me. It’s too good of an offer to pass up, but what right do we have when we didn’t earn it.
He’s also stressed because he is desperate to get back to Lily. She is still getting morning sickness. He would have invited her to the meeting since she now owns Jaxon’s share too, but he doesn’t want her at risk if Andrew ever turns up here.
Mum takes a long look at each of us, her gaze darting around the room before settling on Jaxon. “If everything is given the okay by our lawyer, I would take the offer. Whatever Mr Yang’s motives are, this is a gift and a blessing he’s giving you. You’ve worked hard to get this company successful, so I understand your reluctance. You made it from the ground up. But sometimes in life, you have to take help, opportunities, and this opportunity is too good to pass up.”
“And you can get the homes built here like you wanted us to do from the start,” I add, smirking at Mum.
She laughs, standing up from the desk as she wipes her hands over her apron. “Well of course. This is family land. It’s been passed down for generations, and although I had hoped that one day one of you could run it the way it once was, I know that isn’t what you were born to do. You all have spirit and motivation, and you have made this land great in your own way. You have taken your father’s name and made him proud. The only thing I ask is that you keep to the land they suggested. I don’t want the beauty of it ruined by construction. I’d love to meet this Ru woman because that land has gone to waste for generations. I was going to sell it since it runs up the back line of the Cornell property and we don’t need it. She had to have known I would never agree to you building anywhere else on the property.”
“Why was you going to sell?” Paisley asks, stepping forward.
All of us are shocked. Mum always made us promise not to sell the land if anything were to happen to her, or at least, not the original plot our family started with. As firstborn, it went to Jaxon, but he agreed to give shares to all of us. But if one of us ever wants to sell, Jaxon will have to approve it. Not that we would.
“Because you all have dreams. I knew Paisley needed more money towards her business and the land was just sitting there. We haven’t had live cattle on that plot of land, and from what I remember, your grandfather didn’t either. It was bought fifty years ago during a feud between the us and the land to the south, which is now owned by the Cornell’s.”
“Never expected that,” I mumble. “So, you think we should take the offer?”
“I’m not telling you anything. Whatever you choose to do is your choice. Not mine. I’m proud of you either way. I only have that one condition. Your father and I made promises to each other. We knew that one day, you boys would inherit the land, and although it isn’t in the way we had hoped, I believe he would still want this. We knew there could be a chance none of you would want the farm side and we agreed that we would compromise if that day came. I’m compromising. As long as the land you marked is the only land you build on, I’m happy with it to go ahead.
“Now, I have a dinner to finish. I hear we have an extra guest,” Mum announces, glancing at Evie, who’s oblivious, concentrating down on her phone.
Jaxon claps his hands together to get everyone’s attention. “I’ll put a pot on the desk by the end of the day. Post yes or no about the contract. That way, if someone doesn’t agree, there’s no arguing. That includes everyone,” he says, giving Paisley and Landon a look.
“Me?” Landon asks, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, since you are part of this family, you get a vote,” Jaxon returns, and I laugh at the distaste pouring off him.
“But I own the bed and breakfast,” Paisley announces. “This shouldn’t be my decision.”
“You asked f
or our permission to build when you gave us the plans. This is the same. So yes, it should be your decision too.”
I get up, ready to finish this day so I can wrap Evie in my arms. “Now fuck off all of you and get some work done.”
“Reid,” Luke snaps, and I turn to see Reid’s eyes fly open, drool dripping from his mouth.
His frantic gaze searches the room for threats. “What?”
“Fucking hell,” Jaxon groans. “Someone fill Sleeping Beauty in.”
I stroll over to Evie, knocking my knuckles on her desk. She jerks as she glances up. “I’ll see you later.”
She forces a smile, nodding. “Okay.”
Grinning, I leave her to work and head for the van. It might be wise to keep us quiet, but I don’t want her to feel like a dirty secret. If my brothers are going to have a problem with us, I’d rather them know now so they can get over it. Only Mum knows I invited her to dinner, and she was happy with the news. She likes Evie. If anyone is going to have a problem with us, it will be Jaxon. However, once he sees that I’m not fucking around, he’ll leave us alone. And if he tries to fire her, I’ll kick his arse.
*** *** ***
Something is off with Evie. She’s distant and quiet. She didn’t even give off her normal reaction when I called her Evelyn. Something is definitely off because she usually bites my head off for that.
I wait at the bottom of the steps while she slowly locks up. When she turns, her complexion is pale.
“Are you okay?”
She forces a smile, a hand going over her T-shirt. “Are you sure I shouldn’t go home and change?”
“No, where we’re going is casual,” I tell her, taking her hand when she reaches me.
She tugs me towards her car, but I pull her short, heading in the direction of the house. “W-what—where are we going?”
“Mum is cooking tonight. You don’t want to miss her roast. She didn’t get a chance yesterday with Reid still up in bed, resting. She was fussing over him all day.”
“W-we’re going to dinner at your mum’s? With all your family there?”
She stops, trying to shake my hand out of hers. “Yes. What’s the problem?”
“What’s the problem?” she yells, colour filling her cheeks. “The problem is that we are—”
“Fucking. But I don’t think that’s a problem,” I tease.
“They can’t find out,” she hisses, keeping her voice low.
“Why? They will find out sooner or later. May as well get it done now.”
“But why bother if it isn’t going to last?” she blurts out.
My stomach sinks, and I take a step towards her. “Why do you keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Acting like whatever this is between us isn’t going to last or even begin.”
She inhales, running her fingers through her curls. “Because eventually, Wyatt, this will end. It always does. There are things that—”
“Are you two coming in or standing out here all evening?” Mum yells, her yellow, flowered apron wrapped around her waist. “I’d make your mind up quickly. It’s going to rain.”
“Be five minutes,” I call back, before turning to Evie. “What was you going to say?”
She peels her gaze from the door Mum was standing by, to me. “Your mum doesn’t seem surprised I’m here.”
“No, because I told her I was bringing you,” I reply, before running my hand down her arm. “Now, what was you going to say, because, Evie, I want you and I want this to work. I’m not sure if what we have will last, but does anyone know when they first start out? All I know right now is that I want to be with you.”
She nods, crossing her arms over her chest, her gaze going back over my shoulder. “We can talk after dinner. We don’t want to keep your mum waiting.”
I don’t like the wall she’s placed between us. She seems broken up about something and I need to know so I can make it better.
“Why does it feel like this is over when we’ve not even given it a chance?”
Her startling grey eyes pierce me in place. “I’m not saying it’s over. I like you, Wyatt, really like you, but there are things in my life that are complicated. Really complicated.” She forces out a laugh, looking skyward before back at me. “Can we talk about this later when we don’t have an audience, please?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see my youngest brothers pressed up against the front room window, their noses squished against the glass as they make kissing faces.
For fuck’s sake.
“Yeah. But just so you know, I like you too,” I tell her, pulling her into my arms and bending down to give her a brief kiss.
“And just so you know, I know why the last receptionist was fired. That better not happen to me.”
I laugh, pulling her towards the house. “It won’t. She was already pissing Jaxon off by spending all her time flirting with one or all of us. It was only a matter of time before she got sacked for not doing her job. Seeing her naked in the supply room with Reid’s arse clenching as he fucked her just gave Jaxon the motivation to finally do it.”
“Wait, you did wipe down the shelves, right?”
“Fuck knows,” I mutter, struggling not to laugh at her expression.
We head into the house, and immediately the twins come rushing out of the front room, skidding to a stop in front of us.
“Did Jaxon punch you yet?” Colton asks, grinning.
“No, he hasn’t got a bruise,” Theo remarks, before turning to me. “Can we watch?”
“He’ll hit you?” Evie whispers.
“More like a tap,” I tell her, giving the twins a warning look to shut up.
“We’ve, um, we’ve got homework to do before dinner,” Theo blurts out, before they both dash away, leaving me and Evie alone in the hallway.
I lead her towards the back of the house where the kitchen is located. It’s where Mum will be and where she’ll expect me to bring Evie first.
We walk in and find Mum rushing around the kitchen. Potatoes and veggies fill one side while pots and pans fill the other. I try to step back, to pull Evie back before Mum sees us, but it’s too late.
Mum’s gaze lands on us and she gives us a beaming smile. “It’s so lovely to have you, Evie.”
“Thank you, Mrs Hayes.”
“Please, call me Liza,” she orders, waving her off before she turns to me, sighing loudly. “Go. I’m not having you make a mess of my kitchen.”
I clear my throat. “It’s already a mess, Mum.”
“Do you need some help?” Evie asks, stepping further into the kitchen, her eyes wide.
Mum looks like she was sent a gift from heaven when she turns to Evie, an adoring smile on her face. “You can cook?”
“I do my best. My mum never had time to teach me much. She was much too busy with work before she fell ill. I can cut up veggies though.”
Mum steps up to us, patting Evie on the shoulder. “Then I’ll happily let you help.” Her gaze narrows when she looks to me. “You can go watch football with your brothers. They’re in the front room.”
I try to gauge Evie’s reaction, but if there’s any sign she’s uncomfortable about being alone with Mum, she isn’t showing it. Leaning down, I kiss her cheek before straightening. “If you need me, I’ll be in the room the twins rushed out of earlier.”
“I’ll be fine,” she tells me, giving me a bright smile.
I grab a beer out of the fridge before following the noise to the front room. Reid is in Dad’s old recliner, Luke and Isaac are on the two-seater, and Eli is on the three-seater. All are focused on the game.
When they hear me walk through the door, all heads turn my way. Reid has an almighty grin on his face.
“Banging the receptionist, huh? Not such a goody-two-shoes after all.”
“Fuck you, Reid.”
Eli grins next. “C’mon, we’ve been feeling the sexual tension between you two for weeks. Jaxon warned you to stay away.”
> I shrug, sitting next to him on the sofa. Eli already knows I took her home Saturday night, so it isn’t news to him. It’s me bringing her home that is news. Out of all us brothers, I have brought the least number of girls back after a night out. And not once have they met our mum. I always made sure they were gone before she could meet them. Reid and Isaac, on the other hand, have a habit of bringing girls back who can’t get a clue and end up sitting and eating breakfast with us.
“I can’t wait to see him punch you,” Isaac chuckles.
“He won’t. He’ll be pissed, but this isn’t a quick fuck like Reid’s encounter. I like her. Plus, he has too much going on to worry about me.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Reid smugly announces, grabbing his drink off the table next to him.
“Yeah, don’t be so sure,” Jaxon snaps.
Fuck!
“I’m not arguing with you,” I tell him as I face the door where he’s standing, a brooding expression upon his face.
Lily looks between us, her eyebrows bunched together in confusion, before her gaze turns to the television. “Ohh, who’s winning?”
Isaac and Luke pat the seat between them, and she pushes forward, squeezing in the middle. “No one has scored yet.”
Jaxon jerks his head to the side, gesturing for me to follow him. I sigh, standing and ignore the sniggering behind me from the others.
“Jaxon, I swear to you that I won’t let this interfere with our work.”
“You were fucking her this morning,” he snaps. “At work.”
I scratch the back of my neck. “You heard?”
“I’m surprised Mum didn’t when she was feeding the pigs,” he barks. “We don’t need any more complications right now, Wyatt. You need to be in the right headspace.”
“I am in the right headspace. I like her, Jaxon, and you more than anyone should understand why I’m not going to let you push me away from her.”
“You don’t normally get serious with girls,” he mutters.
“Because there was nothing serious between me and the others. There’s a difference. From the day I met her I’ve wanted her. I never understood why you chased Lily the way you did until now. And yeah, you loved her before you had her, but I like Evie, Jaxon. She’s funny, incredibly smart, a little closed off but honest and caring. I don’t want there to be any awkwardness towards her. She’s going to be in my life, and I don’t give a fuck what you say.”
Eye for an Eye (Take a Chance Book 2) Page 13