“Yes, well you should be. It’s not about Crenshaw, that paperwork.”
With an effort, he pulled himself from his thoughts and tried to make sense of the paperwork he’d been given. It took at least three tries before he finally understood he was holding a prenuptial agreement contract. He was just about to tell his dad that having Joan sign a prenuptial agreement would be something that was between himself and his bride to be but then he saw Joan’s hurried signature.
“You had Joan sign this?” Liam looked up at his father his arms stiff, his fingers pinching the ridiculously thick stack.
“I’m your father, am I not? It is my duty to protect your best interests.”
Liam flipped through the pages seeing Joan’s signature on nearly every one of them. “This isn’t just a prenuptial agreement. There’s a gag order in here, a penalty agreement for failing to hold up her end of the wedding and marriage. What else is in here?”
“Leverage for you. She might have children by you. Do you want her to have the power to take them from you? To hold them over you when she finds out about one of your mistresses?”
“Joan is a very good, no, amazing woman. Why on earth would you want to punish her like this when she’s done nothing to you?”
Terrance had the gall to laugh. “You’re being dramatic. It’s not punishment. It’s protection. You must protect yourself.”
“Protect myself? Or attach the strings to the woman I love and play the puppetmaster? You had her sign her life away to me.”
“It’s merely a precaution. She doesn’t have to know about any of the other aspects of the contract unless it becomes necessary.”
Liam barked out a laugh seeing his father, his business role model, clearly for the very first time. “Oh okay, so just in case she’s not dancing to the tune I’m playing, if she’s not obeying my every command, then I can force her? Did Fran sign something like this? I seriously doubt it.”
“We are not speaking of Fran, are we? Joan is constantly running off. Why at the dinner with Crenshaw she made a scene in front of all of us.”
“You mean when she was the only one of us that had enough backbone not to be pushed around by Crenshaw?” Liam asked. The anger and disgust building inside him almost beyond containment.
Terrance glanced over at Hansen, who’d stepped inside the office and was waiting for an appropriate time to speak. He circled around the desk and stopped in front of Liam. “Your little nurse is lucky you gave her a second glance. She’s not exactly the caliber of woman you usually entertain. I know it’s not going to last between you. Joan isn’t woman enough for you.”
“The nurse who saved your son’s life? That little nurse? The same woman with so much integrity that she couldn’t be bought off by me, Tatum, or anyone else? This little nurse isn’t woman enough?”
His father turned away and marched back around the desk. “Fine, yes. I’m the bad guy taking advantage of the struggling underdog.”
“No actually you’re not.” Liam smiled. “You think you’re so much better than Joan? That you were smarter with your pair of lawyers drawing up these complicated, ridiculous forms to confuse and trick Joan?”
“Tear them up if you must, Liam,” he said rising again to his feet. “I won’t be talked down to by my own son.”
“I don’t have to tear them up. She outfoxed the lot of you and she did it all by herself.” Liam flipped past the first section which was the only legitimate section of the prenuptial agreement and pointed to the signature on the gag order.
“According to this, Jonathan Toylord will face prosecution if ever found speaking of, about, or on the behalf of the Wainwrights in whole or in part without written permission, and without preapproved dialogue.”
He watched as his father craned his neck to read the signature. “Paul should have caught this.” He growled. “No matter. I have witnesses that she was the one to sign.”
“Your attorneys can’t serve as a witness and by forcing her to sign these forms without proper representation of her own they are void anyway.”
“It’s her word against mine that she didn’t have representation.”
“It’s my word against yours.”
His father picked up the stack of papers and threw them against the wall. “You would stand against me for some woman?”
“When you’re this wrong I would hope to God I’d stand against you no matter who it was you were screwing over,” Liam said raising his voice as he circled to the back of the desk.
Liam didn’t continue until he was standing close enough to his father that he was sure Terrance would understand what he was about to say. “For Joan, I would take hold of your little laboratories and crush them like glass under my shoes. I wouldn’t stop until that glass was ground into dust.”
“Are you threatening your own flesh and blood?”
“I’m warning you, Dad. If you ever go after Joan again, if you so much as cause her to frown, I will cut you out of all my inventions, all of the business I’ve brought you and leave you to Crenshaw.”
Hansen cleared his throat and waited until Liam looked over at him before he spoke. “Mr. Crenshaw has arrived and is waiting in the study. Shall I show him in?”
“Yes, please,” Liam answered reigning in his temper. He’d said what he needed to say to his father and hoped the hard-headed business first, reputation second, family third, father of his understood that Liam wasn’t bluffing.
Hansen left to retrieve Crenshaw.
“Clean this mess up, Liam,” his father said gesturing to the mess of papers.
“Clean it yourself. I’m still cleaning up your last mess,” Liam said in an even cold tone.
No wonder Joan’s run off without a word. I left her with him and his lawyers, Fran and her good intention overbearing need to plan out every detail, with Tatum the human octopus. Lord, I hope Cole was a comfort to her. I sure as hell haven’t been.
His father set the messy stack of papers he’d quickly gathered on the edge of the desk just as Crenshaw was shown into the office. “Good to see you, Crenshaw.” Terrance smiled.
“I wish I could say the same. I still haven’t heard from Alise, so I hope you realize our deal is off,” Crenshaw said looking directly at Liam.
“Actually, Crenshaw that deadline you gave me has already come and gone. I hold you under no obligation to extend the deal that you and I had going.”
Crenshaw frowned. He took off his hat and tossed it in Hansen’s direction. “You have decided to enter into a new deal with one of my competitors then?”
“It’s an option we are looking into.” Liam hedged. “No need for you to worry about my business. Wainwright Invasions is thriving more than I could have hoped.”
“Then the tests came back? They were positive?”
Liam smiled. “Like I said, it’s more than I could have hoped for, but that’s not why you’re here. Your holdings in Wainwright Laboratories are to be sold back to Terrance Wainwright in full. That is the business arrangement we’re here to tie up.”
“I never said in full, Terrance.” Crenshaw smiled wagging his finger. “Here I thought we were friends. I feel as though I should have brought my attorney.”
“This is not a clubhouse buddy get together, Crenshaw. This is business. If you feel the need for your attorney, please summon him. We have other things to do today as you well know.”
Crenshaw chuckled at Liam with that downcast look in his eye. “Sounds like someone is getting cold feet. The nurse didn’t turn out to be as wonderful as you thought?”
“On the contrary, she’s more wonderful than should be possible. Joan’s put a lot of things in perspective for me. I imagine this is why you so mourn the loss of your wife.”
Crenshaw shot a look over at Liam’s father. “Like I said, when we spoke, I do not feel it’s safe to turn it over in its entirety to you, Terrance. I’ll be selling you a quarter of what I hold and as you continue to remain sober—”
“He’ll buy
back all or he’ll liquidate what is left,” Liam said. “Are you here to buy, Crenshaw? Or to sell?”
“I came to sell but if you don’t change your tactics, boy, I’ll be buying up the last fifteen percent and wiping the Wainwright name from the company entirely.”
Fifteen percent. Dad, that’s all you have left of the business?
Liam didn’t allow himself to be shaken by the numbers. His father was in a greater state of desperation than Liam could have guessed.
“Fifteen Million.”
Crenshaw laughed in a single bark. “I think not.”
“Fifteen million is the price. Buy or sell.”
“My price for my remaining shares is twice that and I have ten times as many shares as you. Why would I pay so much?”
Liam folded his arms. “You aren’t. You’re going to sell your shares for one million.” Liam opened his briefcase and pulled out the paperwork. “We took the liberty of faxing your attorney the contract and the signed testimony from your daughter detailing the numerous instances of extortion she witnessed and was made aware of in your dealings with Terrance Wainwright.”
Liam handed Crenshaw the contract and a pen. “One million is twice the interest of the loan you gave him.”
“It hardly makes up for the opportunities I lost out on with my money tied up in saving the Wainwright Labs. How am I to be compensated for that?” Crenshaw glared at Terrance.
“You’ve taken all you’re going to take from my father, Crenshaw. Your attorney is standing ready to advise you to take this deal since declining will mean the public ruin of the Crenshaw name and legacy.”
Crenshaw pointed at Liam as he stood back on his feet. “You broke my girl’s heart. I cannot just let you get away with that.”
“Alise is not heartbroken. She is fine and well.”
“Then you do know where she is?”
Liam inclined his head. “I don’t like the way you do business and won’t enter into any contracts with you after our business is finished here. My father should know by now that he should do the same. However, I am aware that my involvement with Alise complicated matters and cast a dark shadow on your friendship.”
“To say the least.” Crenshaw frowned.
“Sign the contract now and you might be able to salvage your friendship with my father. Once the papers are signed I’ll call Alise and she can tell you for herself that she is well and anything but broken hearted.”
Crenshaw eventually signed the contracts with both his attorney and the Wainwright’s present. Once it was all made legal, Liam dialed Alise and handed over the phone to Crenshaw.
The look of relief on his face made Liam feel a bit guilty for making him wait to speak to her but he’d had no other choice.
“Liam,” his father said stopping him when he started toward the hallway. “I was very impressed by you today. Thank you for stepping in and helping me to regain my business.”
“We’re family, Dad. That should come first, don’t you think?”
His father exhaled as he rubbed his right temple. “I suppose you’re referring to the rushed wedding? Yes, you and Fran are right. I should have never put my business ahead of your happiness. I am sorry, truly. I will apologize to Joan as well.”
Liam nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”
Terrance smiled and dashed over to the fireplace behind his desk. He lit the fire and then hefted the ridiculous contract he’d tried to make Joan sign. “I promise not to meddle in your love life again,” he said and dropped the stack into the fire.
He smiled at his father, seeing the man he’d idolized as a child shining through the cold businessman he’d become. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Mr. Wainwright.” Hansen addressed Liam catching him off guard. “Miss Taylor is still unaccounted for.”
“Mister? I thought I was forever going to be Master with you.” Liam smiled.
The look Hansen was giving him full of pride. “Your actions today were the actions of a man, not a boy. I would be remiss to address you as anything less than a man who is due the utmost respect.”
“In that case, you must allow me to call you Mr. Hansen. There is no man I respect more than you.”
Hansen smiled. “I hope this isn’t a stalling tactic, Mr. Wainwright. You need to find Joan and make things right. The wedding is due to start in less than two hours. Are you going to call off this charade? You are no longer under the gun with Crenshaw.”
“No. I’m not calling it off.”
“Are you following through for Joan? For her job?”
Liam nodded. “She told you?”
“I overheard and she had no choice. You should know. However, that her job is safe already. There is no need to continue.”
“I disagree. It’s best if we follow through.” Liam started walking and knew before Hansen said anything else that he was following him.
Hansen opened the door leading into the garage for Liam. “So, you’ll call off the wedding at the altar?”
“Yes. Just as we planned.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“Cutting things close aren’t you, Joan?” Her mom scolded as soon as she spotted Joan.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Joan said. “Let’s get this done.”
Just keep moving. One step at a time like Amanda and Mae said. I can do this.
Evelyn handed Joan another cup of coffee. “You’re doing great. The hard parts are all over anyway. Just let us get you ready, walk down that aisle and Liam takes care of the rest.”
Joan nodded.
Evelyn’s beauty torture squad came at her with body buffing and polishing as if she’d be shining like a convertible when they were finished. At least this time she wasn’t the only victim. Listening to Mae and Amanda moan and groan along with her mom and Brooke had Joan laughing more than once.
The death threats Evelyn was getting would have had the building in lockdown if any of the security on staff heard them. When Fran threatened to pull out Joan’s hair by the roots if she ripped off the second wax strip on Fran’s upper lip, Joan had to bite on the robe she was wearing to keep from laughing.
When the buzzing at her left caught her attention Joan spotted Evelyn’s phone with Liam’s name on the ID and the brief glimpse of the text I need to talk to Joan before the wedding send he…. Running across the top screen.
What is there to talk about? I’m here aren’t I? Obviously I’m keeping up my end of the bargain.
Joan snatched up the phone and tapped the text. It opened up to the message and she quickly typed in she’ll do her part. Leave her alone.
It was only an instant before he responded. I need to see her. It’s important. I get that I’ve been an ass, Eve, but this isn’t the time to mess with me.
Joan glanced up to see if Evelyn was onto her. She was holding an ice cube on Fran’s upper lip. “You did very well,” she was saying to Fran.
Joan is trying to get the hickey she got at the strip club covered. You should get someone to put some makeup on the ones Alise gave you.
Liam was texting back so she didn’t put the phone down yet and held it in her robe hoping she wouldn’t get caught with it.
Westley exaggerates. It was just a kiss with Alise. Who the fuck sucked on Joan’s neck?
Joan turned her back toward Evelyn. She shouldn’t be mad. In fact, she should be happy it was just a kiss but she wasn’t. Joan found that she was jealous that he’d gone to so much trouble to kiss Alise while Joan had been waiting around for him to come back.
I never said it was on her neck. Joan wrote back. What do you care anyway? You left her hanging.
When the phone started ringing in her hand Joan panicked and tossed the phone back onto the table. Evelyn looked up just then and jogged over. “Liam again,” she said to Joan before she answered. “She’s getting ready as we speak, Liam.”
Evelyn glanced in Joan’s direction. “You don’t have to bite my head off, Liam. If you want to talk to Joan all you have to do is ask.�
� She held her phone out to Joan. “He’s insisting.”
“Okay.” Joan took the phone. “Hello?”
“Evelyn uses a shorthand in her text that you don’t, I should have realized it was you.”
Joan sighed. “Good job, Sherlock. Is that all?”
“Take the back door and meet me on the balcony. I need to talk to you.”
“You’re talking to me right now. I had a very busy, late night and I’m too tired to walk.”
“You’re mad that I went to make sure Alise was okay instead of staying with you. I understand and you’re right. I wanted to be with you. I still do, come out here and let me show you.”
“The kiss wasn’t enough, huh? Look, I don’t need to come meet you anywhere to have you prove that you’re horny. I got that message loud and clear.”
Liam’s voice dropped an octave. “You’re angry because there’s more between us than sex. Just like every shot Evelyn sent from your wild bachelorette party made me want to go on a male stripper murdering spree.”
“Stop it.” Joan sat bolt upright in the chair. “Stop playing with my emotions like my heart is playdough that you can mold into whatever entertains you in the moment.”
Evelyn took hold of her elbow. “Sweetie, why don’t you step into another room where you can have privacy?”
“Meet me out on the terrace, Joan,” Liam said making her heart twist and burn in her chest.
She saw the bathroom off the hall where Evelyn was leading her and dashed inside. Joan closed the door and turned the tap water to the on position.
“Where are you? I’m coming to you.”
Joan put her back against the door. “No, you’re not barging your way into my life any further than you’ve already done. If you care at all about me, Liam, as you seemed to be claiming with your murder spree comment, you’ll leave me alone and let me go.”
“I left you alone last night and look how much good it did you. You’re hurting because you don’t understand how I feel about you, Joan. I can’t deny that our chemistry is amazing but that’s not all there is to us.”
“Yeah you’re right, there’s all the fighting and arguing we do too. The way we lie to everyone together and let’s see what else? The fist fights are really adding up for you and my license getting suspended was pretty great.”
An I.O.U. from a Billionaire Page 33