by Tasha Fawkes
Forced to Yield
Blackmailing the Billionaire Series
Tasha Fawkes
Safira Press
Contents
Free Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Played
Craving My Boss
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About Tasha Fawkes
Copyright © 2018 by Tasha Fawkes
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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One
Rex
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I growl, my hands clenching into tight fists.
I thought I knew what was coming, but it certainly wasn’t this. I glare at Henry, wishing I could wipe that smug smirk clean off his face. I glance outside, where I can see Matt pacing back and forth in front of the door. He pounds his fist into the wall, then turns around and calmly walks back into the room as though nothing had happened, leaving Charlene out there with the baby and Mom.
“Sorry, I just needed a moment,” he mutters. He glares at me like this is all my fault.
“You think I knew about this?” I say, defending myself. “You know me, Matt. Since when do I want any part of that goddamned company?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Nate pipes up, scowling at me. “I mean, let’s face it, Rex. Nearly everything you do is dodgy anyway.”
“That’s true,” Matt agrees, his blue eyes leveling on mine. “You and hard work aren’t exactly a match made in heaven,” he muses. He shakes his head and laughs, directing his glare back at Henry. “Are you going to tell us what the fuck is going on or not?” he growls. Nate and I glare at him too.
Henry smirks, enjoying the fact that he holds all the answers.
“Are you surprised, Rex? I bet you thought this would be as easy as me handing control over to you, for you to do as you please?” He lets out a low, condescending laugh. “Lesson one. Nothing is ever easy, and there are always consequences.”
“You little shit—” I hiss.
I jump out of my chair and lunge across the table. I’m just about ready to hurl myself at him when Matt places his hand across my chest, holding me back.
“Leave it, Rex,” Matt says. “It is what it is. You know what Grandfather was like. This is probably just another one of his sick games.”
I nod, my heart pounding as I slump back into my seat. He’s right, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to pound the shit out of Henry right now.
“Can you please be straight with us? What do we need to do to meet all the requirements of the will?” Matt asks Henry, trying his best to remain calm.
“As I was saying earlier,” Henry sniffs. “You’ve met the first part by marrying Charlene and producing an heir. Now it’s up to Rex.” He turns to me, a look of amusement in his eyes. “In order to meet your grandfather’s stipulations, you need to successfully takeover Denton Industries.”
“Denton Industries?” Matt hisses, his eyes flashing with anger. “How the fuck do you propose he achieves that? There is no way James Denton is going to sit back and let that happen.”
“That’s not my problem,” Henry replies. He stands up. “I’ll forward you the details, rather than Rex,” he says. I glare at him. So now I’m too incompetent to handle a fucking email?
“Fine,” Matt says, shaking his head.
I watch in silence as Henry gathers his papers and carefully places them into his briefcase. The moment he walks out, I’m on my feet and pacing the room, my anger palpable.
Fuck this. Fuck everything.
Even though he was one of my grandfather's oldest friends and I've known him all my life, I've never liked Henry. I never trusted him for a second. I should have expected something like this.
I glance back at Matt, who is sitting down, staring at the door. He looks concerned, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right to be worried. I wouldn’t want me anywhere near that business. What the hell do I know about that kind of shit?
“Matt—”
“Not now, Rex,” Matt snaps. “I’m trying to think.”
I stiffen at his attempt to brush me off. I’ve felt his disdain for me for as long as I can remember. Even as kids, he always had somewhere he’d rather be than with me, or someone better to play with. Like Nate. He and Nate were always close, which was why I’d reveled in these past few months when their relationship had gone to shit. It made me feel less on the outer. But I guess it’s nice to see they still come together to shit all over me.
Matt always managed to make me feel less important than him. Every time I spoke to my brother, I felt inferior, like he thought he was better than me. Sometimes I actually believed it, then I’d snap myself out of my bubble of self-pity and remember he has no idea what kind of life I live, or what type of person I am.
Or what I’m capable of.
“What the hell do we do now?” Nate growls. “We’re fucked if we’re left to trusting him to handle a fucking takeover.”
“You think I’m stupid?” I snarl, getting so close to Nate’s face I can feel his breath on my mouth.
“You really want me to answer that?” taunts Nate. “You’re useless, Rex. It’s not an insult, it’s simply a fact. You couldn’t successfully take over a lemonade stand, let alone a company.”
“But it’s not just any company, though, is it?” Matt finally says. He looks over at me. “It’s nothing personal, Rex. I’d struggle to take down Denton Industries. He’s set you up to fail.”
I’m not sure if hearing him say that makes me feel better or worse. Either way, it still doesn’t excuse how he speaks to me. He slides back his chair and stands up, shaking his head.
“Try not to worry about it,” he says. “I’ll sort all of this out. Maybe there is a way that I can handle the takeover and we still meet the requirements.”
He walks off with Nate before I can respond, leaving me standing there alone, annoyed and angry. He just assumes that I want him to bail me out of this. Sure, it was a shock hearing Henry say that I’m leading one of the biggest takeovers in the company’s history, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of doing it.
Neither of them think I can pull this off. Especially Matt. The thought of me having any part of his precious company makes him sick, but maybe this is my chance to prove to Matt and to everyone else how wrong they are about me.
This is my chance to prove that I am worth something.
The only way to fix this shit of a day is to forget it ever happened, and the only way I’m going to achieve that is with copious amounts of alcohol. I call Andrew to see what he's up to for the night. Andrew and I have been friends since high school. He's a good guy, but like me, he's much more focused on partying than anything else. Next to him, I look professional and together, which is impressive.
“Hey,” Andrew says when he answers. “I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you.”
“Yeah, just some family
stuff going on,” I mutter, not wanting to go into detail. “Are you free tonight? I was thinking maybe a quiet one at my place? I need to unwind.”
“In that case, I’ll bring a few girls with me,” Andrew chuckles. “Not that I’m quite understanding what you need to unwind from. Your life is one big party, isn’t it?”
I frown. “Like you can talk. You’re the only person I know who does less work than me.”
He chuckles, not arguing with me. “I'll see you tonight. Around eight?”
“Sure. See you then,” I say.
True to his word, Andrew turns up with a handful of girls right at eight. I smile at each of them as they file into my house, my cock twitching because each one is better than the last. He’s outdone himself this time. He slaps my hand on his way past me and winks.
“Good work,” I murmur. “Though I have no idea how you managed to find half a dozen women I've never met. Incredibly hot women, I might add.”
“It’s amazing what a shitload of cash will get you on such short notice.” He grins.
Before I can respond, a pretty blonde drapes her arm around me, kissing her way down my neck. I’m not used to paying for women, but what the hell. If Andrew wants to pay for me to enjoy myself, who am I to argue?
I climb out of my hot tub, leaving Andrew and the girls behind me. It’s barely ten, but I’ve had enough. I thought letting myself wind down would help break me out of this slump, but it hasn’t fixed my mood at all.
“Hey, where are you going?” Andrew calls after me. I wave him off, not bothering to answer.
I have zero interest in growing my grandfather's empire. Or working anywhere near that place, for that matter. It is way too much effort for me. The only work I’m interested in is the effort it takes to get as many women into bed as I can. Of course, once they know who I am and how much money I have, they practically fall into my lap anyway, just as they should. I play hard, and I party harder. I’m more than happy coasting along, squandering my family’s money on wild parties, expensive toys, and obscene numbers of women—sometimes all at once.
So why do I care what my family thinks of me?
All tonight has done is made me realize why my family thinks I’m a joke. Is it any wonder they don’t take me seriously? Hell, I wouldn’t take me seriously. I stumble into my bedroom and fall onto my bed. For the first time in months, I fall asleep alone.
Groaning, I roll over as I hear my name, cracking my eyes open. It takes a second for the face in front of me to come into focus. What the hell is Matt doing here? I sit up and groan, rubbing my aching head. Why the hell can’t he just leave me alone?
“What the hell do you want?” I grumble, my voice cracking. God, I feel like shit.
“Get up,” he says with a frown. “Is this how serious you’re taking all of this? Getting drunk and sleeping all day?”
“What the hell do you care?” I mutter.
It’s way too early for this.
I glance at my phone and sigh. God, it's not even midday yet. I can't remember the last time I got up before noon and I’m not about to start now. Besides, it’s not like Matt takes what he has to do seriously until the last second.
“Come on, Rex. I don't have time for this,” Matt says impatiently. “In case you’ve forgotten, I have a business to run and a wife and kid to look after. The least you can do is put in some effort.”
“Fine,” I growl, rolling out of the bed and onto my hands and knees. I slowly rise, wincing as my back cracks. This is what I get for having an early night? “Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’re going to get in the shower while I'll make you a coffee,” Matt replies.
Sighing, I shake my head. I don't have the energy to argue, so I stumble off to the bathroom and turn on the shower.
I feel marginally better as I get myself dressed, not that I’m going to admit that to Matt. I throw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and stumble back down to the kitchen. Matt takes one look at me and laughs.
“Who the hell do you think you're going to impress, dressing like that?” he snaps.
“Well, you wouldn't tell me where we we’re going, so what the fuck do you except?” I snarl. I should’ve just stayed in bed.
“Jesus, Rex, where do you think we’re going?” Matt replies. “Start using your head for something more than just chugging beer.” He takes a deep breath and composes himself. “We’re going to the boardroom. A meeting has been called to discuss your inclusion in the company and trust me,” Matt says, glancing at me up and down. “If they see you like that, you’ve got no chance in Hell of convincing them that you are an asset to the company.”
I stare at Matt, anger rising inside me. “Fine,” I say, gritting my teeth. “All you had to do was tell me to go change, you know. You don’t have to be an asshole about it.”
I walk back down to my bedroom and yank open my closet, surveying my options. It really isn’t a hard choice. I reach out and grab the only suit that I have that is freshly pressed and ready-to-wear. All the others lay in a heap in the back of my closet where they’ve been for years.
I throw my suit jacket on, thankful it still fits. The last time I wore this was to my grandfather's funeral nearly two years ago. I frown and adjust my tie in the mirror. It’s so fitting to be wearing it today, considering he’s the cause of this mess.
I walk back down to the kitchen where Matt is waiting, coffee in hand. I take the cup and drink it down in two mouthfuls. Matt raises his eyebrows, and I scowl back at him.
“Are you ready?” I ask him, my voice gruff.
He nods. “I’ve been ready since I got here.” He motions for the door. “After you.”
The drive to the office is quiet, with neither of us saying much. I stare out the window to avoid the pointless small talk. Not that he’s is trying too hard to engage me. Matt and I have never really had time for each other, and I don’t see this situation changing anything. He still thinks he’s better than me. Probably more so now than before. I clench my fists in my lap, tension running through my body. I'm determined not to mess this up so I can prove I can handle myself just as well as he can.
“You don’t need to worry. I'm putting a stop to this today,” Matt says, finally breaking the silence.
“Putting a stop to what?” I say with a frown.
“You,” Matt snaps. “This whole ridiculous notion that you're going to lead some major takeover. I've got my lawyer on it. He'll sort this out and get you out of it, one way or another.”
“What if I don't want you to get me out of it?” I snap.
“What do you mean?” he asks, perplexed. “Do you really think you're capable of doing this?”
“I don’t think, I know that I can do this,” I growl. “I'm so sick of you putting your nose into my business. Why can't you just leave it alone and let me deal with this? Grandfather wanted this for a reason.”
“Yeah, he did. To set you up to fail,” Matt retorts. He glances at me, amusement in his eyes, like he can't believe I’m reacting like this.
“You mean, like you getting married and becoming a father?” I taunt. “Were you supposed to fail at that too?”
“You know damn well that’s what he wanted,” Matt says quietly. He shakes his head. “You know what? Fine. By all means, go in there and fuck this up for everyone. I trust you know your way to the boardroom on your own? Good luck convincing them you know what you're doing.”
I stare at Matt, for the first time my resolve faltering. He catches it and nods, a gleam in his eye.
“Just as I thought.” He shakes his head. “You've got no fucking idea what to do, do you?”
He swerves into a parking space and gets out, not waiting for my answer. I get out and slam the door, practically running to keep up with him as he stalks toward the door.
Inside, I follow him down the long, narrow hallway, my nerves increasing with every step. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been here. I hunch forward, feeling nauseous. Matt’
s right. I don’t know what I’m doing. What if I fuck this up? I was so hard on him when I thought he was going to be the one responsible for us losing our inheritance, but what if it’s me? What if I’m the reason we lose it?
“Are you ready?” Matt smirks, his hand resting on the handle of the boardroom door.
I nod and follow him inside. I hold my head held high, trying hard not to show my fear, but as I look around the room, I begin to crumple. There has to be at least fifteen members of the Harris Corporation sitting around that oval table, all of their eyes on me. My stomach churns. They’re just waiting to pounce on me. I can feel it.
“Thank you for coming in on such short notice,” Matt begins. “I’m sure you all know my youngest brother, Rex?” he asks, patting me on the back. “I’m thrilled to announce that he will be leading the hostile takeover of Denton Industries on behalf of this company. Please make him feel welcome.”
The board members exchange shocked expressions, while I stand there with my hands clasped in front of me. I do my best to keep my expression neutral, because I don't want them to know how much their reaction hurts. I know my reputation, and I know what these people think of me. But I also know that I can do this. I'm going to prove to them, and my family, that my grandfather asked this of me for a reason.
“With respect to you, Matt, is Rex qualified for such an important project?” Phillip Henson, one of the oldest members of the board, asks. A few other members nod their agreement. “I’m not saying you’re not capable,” he adds, directing that comment at me. “It’s just I think there are people here who would make a much more obvious choice.”