“Go!” I shouted, pointing a trembling finger in his direction while I struggled to control the tremble in my voice and to keep the tears at bay.
I turned away, scared one of the tears might fall, and he would be witness to it.
He was silent for a moment, and I heard his footsteps receding. I knew he was leaving, and I was holding my breath until he did.
The doorknob turned, but the door didn’t open.
“Where were you that night, anyway?”
“What night, Steve?”
“The night you left me at the dinner party.”
I sighed and glanced over my shoulder at him. Turning back to the window, I stared at the cars lining up at the traffic light down below.
“You went to him, didn’t you?” he asked after I remained silent.
My shoulders dropped.
“Madison.”
Turning back to look at him once more, I said. “Yes. Yes, I was, Steve.”
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “You’re sure he’s just a friend?”
“No more sure than you were that Cindy Atwater was just a client,” I said.
His gaze dropped briefly. “Take care, Madison.”
As he closed the door behind him, my tears began to fall.
CHAPTER 26 – KENT
Friday. I’d been waiting all week for today to arrive. Madison and I were flying out to Florida for the weekend. I’d planned an entire weekend of jet skiing, parasailing, and swimming with the dolphins. I even wanted to take her snorkeling.
I hadn’t purchased my own home yet, but I wanted to spend some time at Grant’s property in Orlando. It was important Madison and I spend some quality time alone that wasn’t interrupted by business and the daily demands of life.
Getting away from our friends and families was the only way we could accomplish that.
Pulling up in front of her building, I parked my Maserati and hopped out the car. We were flying to Orlando, and I would leave my car parked at one of our garages close to the helipad.
I checked the time on my watch as I rang the doorbell. We were on time with twenty minutes to spare.
After a minute, I pushed the doorbell again, wondering if she were in the shower. I hoped she wasn’t. But if she were, I had no one to blame but myself. I’d forgotten to call her when I was on the way over. I hadn’t spoken to her since yesterday when I’d left her place.
My day had been full of back to back meetings, ones I didn’t finish until nine. Then my father needed me on a call with our Hong Kong division. That call had started promptly at nine, which was nine in the morning their time. The conference call had lasted a couple of hours, and then my father and I had a private call discussing my business venture.
I wasn’t free again until after midnight.
When I’d called her, I had gotten her voicemail, but chalked it up to her sleeping.
Pushing the doorbell again, I pulled her contact up on my phone and dialed her. My phone call went directly to voicemail.
I started banging on the door; worried something might be wrong.
An older woman down the hall peered out her door after several seconds before sticking her head back in again.
“Mads! It’s me, Kent! Are you okay?” I shouted, banging on the door and ringing the doorbell simultaneously.
Finally, I heard her on the other side of the door. I could hear the locks sliding away before she opened the door. But the chain remained in place.
“Mads, it’s me. What’s going on?” I asked.
I was worried. Was someone in there threatening to cause Madison harm?
She peered at me through the door. Her eyes were red and swollen. She’d been crying, and Madison wasn’t a crier.
“Go away, Kent.”
No KB, just Kent.
“Are you okay? Is someone in there with you, Mads?”
“I wish like hell there was. He’d come out and kick your ass!” she seethed.
“What the hell? What’re you talking about, Mads?”
“You’re a fucking liar, Kent! I never want to see you again!”
My mind began to search for what I could have possibly done to screw up this time, but I came up empty.
“Mads, baby, you’re going to have to open up and let me in. We need to discuss what’s going on, and right now, I have no clue. Don’t leave me in the hallway like this...just...please, open the door so we can talk about it. I’m sure there’s gotta be a misunderstanding,” I plead.
“There’s no misunderstanding. You are a fucking liar! You stole that damned property right out from under those babies to build your fucking high rise condominium complex and lied to me about it the entire time!” she spat.
“What?”
A throbbing sensation started in the back of my head.
“You heard me! You bought that building! You’ve known what that meant to me, but you did whatever you needed to line your bank account, Kent!”
“Babe, I sw—”
“I’m not your babe, Kent! I’m not shit to you anymore! Go away and don’t speak to me again!” she screamed, trying to push the door closed.
I stuck my foot in the door. “I have no fucking idea what you’re talking about,” I said through clenched teeth, growing angry.
I wasn’t angry at her, but I had no idea what was going on. I hated being clueless about anything.
“You’re Vantage Property Group. The president, right?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding my head and squinting my eyes.
Where was she going with this?
“And Riley Herndon is your VP, and Greyson’s your silent partner?”
My eyes widened. “How...how do you know this?”
“Does it fucking matter? You bought our property! And you never told me it was you,” she said, her voice breaking.
This was killing me. I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on.
“The property at the corner of White Street and Capitol Boulevard! That was our recreation center you stole, you lying bastard!”
My heart plummeted. Shit!
How was I supposed to know? I’d never been to her rec center before. I had no idea what side of town it was on.
“Babe, I didn’t know.”
“You’re a fucking liar!”
“Babe, I had no idea that was the property you guys were losing.”
“If you’d known, would you have stopped the purchase?” she asked, staring at me.
“Uh...yeah. Of course, I would’ve.”
“You’re a liar! I don’t believe you, Kent. You research shit like this. Purchasing these properties requires time, surveying, research, and investigation. There’s no way you would have purchased a property without having all the data.”
“Look, I did. I had no idea the property belonged to the center you were talking about all this time. Besides, even if I hadn’t purchased it, Mads, someone else would have bought it. There were lots of buyers for this property, but we acquired it over them.”
“Yeah, because you bastards called in a favor! The other buyers wanted to keep the community center there and make it better than what it was before. But that wasn’t good enough for you assholes! I hate you, Kent!” she screamed before stomping on my foot.
I jerked it back, realizing too late that’s what she wanted when she slammed the door in my face.
CHAPTER 27– KENT
I was exhausted after a long day and night of meetings. But I hadn’t minded getting up early to come to pick Madison up. What I hadn’t expected was to have my ass handed to me on a plate.
I’d spent the last half an hour driving from Madison’s place to the helipad. I’d boarded the helicopter with the pilot and headed straight to Savannah.
We landed in the vast field at my parents’ home, created for this purpose. I’d spoken briefly to Greyson, who confirmed my parents were at their home in Savannah.
Rage rushed through me, and the last thing I wanted to do was have anyone attempt to calm
me down. When Greyson tried to question me, I’d hung up the phone and refused to answer it when he called again.
According to my parents’ housekeeper, Grace, my mother had just left with Nicole to see a play.
I headed to my father’s office and found him there.
“Hey, Son, I didn’t realize you were in town. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, looking up from his desk with a smile as I closed his office door behind me.
“I spoke with Madison this morning, and she told me the property I purchased belonged to the community center where she volunteered,” I said, getting straight to the point.
My father’s hands clasped together, and his smile grew wider as his gaze turned sharper.
The hairs on the back of my neck went on alert. I knew I should’ve had this conversation sooner rather than later. I had been finding every excuse to put off asking my father the truth about that property. I’d been by there on a couple of occasions on the weekend, but I never realized it was the same place Madison volunteered.
“You’re not about to throw away a perfectly good business opportunity for a piece of ass,” he said, holding his cigar above the flame of his lighter.
I frowned. “Dad, Madison’s not a piece of ass,” I seethed, trying to maintain control and respect for my father.
“Well, hell, that’s all I saw in the music room that day. That lil gal was giving up a piece of ass to you, and she was glad to do it, too. Son, there are gonna be lots of women that flock to your side throughout life. Plenty of ‘em for you to stick your dick in and get wet. But you never let pussy come between you and business. Do you hear me, son? Especially not one who’s so damned fickle like that Madison. Wasn’t she engaged to that one blonde boy with the glasses? What the hell happened to him? Didn’t he have enough money? Why in the hell are you chasing after her?”
“Because she’s who I want. I mean, when it all comes down to it, we have this one life to live. We’ve got one shot to give it our best and to make our dreams come true. Part of making my dreams come true is being with the one woman I love and not just chasing dollars. Hell, I make millions off my clothing, fragrance, and watch lines alone. I don’t need the real estate; I wanted it. But you know what I want more than any of that, Dad? Madison. Because she believed in me when others didn’t.”
“Then if she truly believes in you, Son, she’ll understand you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. She’ll help you grow and build your business the way your mom did for me, and she’d never get in the way of it. I thought that little gal was strong, but if she’s got you running down here after me with your tail between your legs, she ain’t as strong as I thought. You need a woman who’s gonna have you acting like a real man. Do you understand?”
He poured himself a Scotch and sat in his chair behind his desk. After he sat down, he crossed his legs and began smoking his cigar. Light grey eyes stared at me over the smoke as he waited for my response.
“Dad, she makes me feel more like a man than I’ve ever felt in this lifetime.”
“Son, that little gal’s got three years on you. Obviously, she’s got some good pussy, and she’s put it on you. I don’t know, but I know you’ve been with women a lot older. But you’ve gotta man up to that little gal. You’re a Black, and we don’t back down to no one under any circumstances. I expect you to tell her to get out her damned feelings, and if she can’t do it, you need to leave her ass behind. You’ve gone softer than a motherfucker, just like Grant. I always worried that Mitch’s recalcitrant behavior would rub off on you. I warned your mother time and again, but she wouldn’t listen. I’m not sure who had the worst impact on you, Grant or Mitch.”
“Dad, this has nothing to do with Grant or Mitch. Especially not Mitch, he’s working for the company.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t always like that. You and I both know it. I’m surprised Mitch hasn’t reverted to his whoring, drinking, and drug-addicted ways.”
I shook my head in disbelief. This man never ceased to amaze me.
“Really, Dad? After all this time, you still can’t give him the benefit of the doubt? Forgive him for his past?”
He scoffed and took a drink from his glass before banging it down on his desk.
Disregarding my statement, he returned to his original complaint.
“Following after this girl is gonna be your downfall. Hell, it’s time for you to grow up, son, and take on some real responsibility. And she’s not it!”
“Dad, I’ve proved myself responsible these last two years at BHG. I worked my ass off at the company, managing my product lines, and working on building this business for myself. The last thing I wanted to do was throw everything down the damned toilet.”
He was silent for a while, staring at me over his cigar.
“I’ve got one question, Dad. Did you know anything about Madison’s involvement with the center? And please, don’t lie to me.”
Propping one arm on the armrest of his chair, he pulled a hand down the scruff on his face. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me.
“What difference does it make, Kent?”
“It makes all the difference in the world. Either it was a serious coincidence, which I don’t believe in, or you didn’t give a damn. That’s a problem for me, Dad.”
“Yeah, I knew. I’ve seen her around there when we were out surveying the property or holding meetings nearby.”
“Did she see you?”
“Of course, not. I usually saw her when I was in the limo.”
I knew the windows were tinted so she wouldn’t have seen him. I was more than sure he didn’t want her to see him, once he’d made up his mind to purchase the property.
“Did you intentionally buy that property to ruin my relationship with her? Was that why you convinced me to get that one rather than the one in Alpharetta?”
“Your relationship is petty in the scheme of things. I don’t give a damned about all that. The Alpharetta property was something I wanted for a new hotel. It was worth the price tag I’d had to pay. Kent, I’ve funded all of your partying through the years. Sat back and watched as you stumbled your way through a drunken haze from your college years through the years after graduation. You’ve dibbled and dabbled in I don’t know how many different ‘business ventures.’ I even sat back and watched while you spent your damn time trying to pursue a foolhardy hockey career! You walked away from this company, and I didn’t like it, but I respected it. Because of the direction, you’re going. You’re finally on the verge of getting your feet under you. I’ll be damned if you’re gonna throw it away over that lil gal who has no aspirations in life other than dancing on a goddamned stage!” he replied in a steely voice.
“Look, Dad, I appreciate all you did and the support you gave me. I even appreciate the support you gave me on this project. But I can’t be okay with doing it at the expense of someone else. You lied to me and told me the people that were hanging out there were vagrants who had no right to be there and kids who were up to no good. That wasn’t true, Dad! I didn’t need the diabolical strategies you employ. Without hurting and destroying the lives of others. I will not build my company on manipulation, deceit, or stealing, just because you built your company that way!” I exploded.
“This company that has sustained our family for years, that your grandfather and I busted our asses building is not good enough for you? Is under your microscope to determine if the principles it’s built upon are righteous?” he asked, his face growing red and narrowed grey eyes turning stormy and volatile.
I pushed down my frustration, determined to get him to understand.
“No, Dad, that’s not what I’m saying. I appreciate the company you guys have built. I appreciate the hard work you put in; it’s because of you guys, I can have the opportunities I’ve had.”
“You’re damned right it is!”
“I get that, I do, but this isn’t the way I want to build my company. You cannot dictate my life the way you did when I was with BHG. I’m my own man
now, and if I’d known this was the result, I would have denied your involvement from day one. You can run BHG the way you want to because it’s your passion. But it isn’t my passion, Dad. It’s yours, it was Granddad’s, it was Grant’s, it’s Grey’s, and it’s becoming Mitch’s, but it’s not mine.”
His hand clenched tightly around the glass before he picked it up and threw it in my direction. I ducked in time to avoid the glass hitting me and turned to watch it shatter against the wall.
“Dad!” I said, turning back to stare at him, my arm stretched out behind me as I pointed at the wall.
“You ungrateful, spoiled brat! You, along with your brothers, are ruining this family I’ve built with my hands!”
“Dad, I’m a grown man. I’m not a brat.”
“You are. And an ungrateful one at that!”
“Why, because I’d like to do the right thing with my life and my company? Because I respect the woman that you’ve caused me to hurt?”
“I have given you everything you ever wanted!” he shouted, standing and forcing the chair to go rolling back behind him.
His clenched fists banged against the desk as he continued his tirade.
“Sent you to the finest schools, paid for the expensive trips abroad. Kept you in the finest clothing, nice cars, music lessons, and anything else your heart desired. Hell! I’m the reason you were able to start your product lines. It’s because of me you were able to have money and know-how to invest it to grow it through the years. That same damned money you’ve invested even to start the goddamned company in the first place,” he said, with a sneer, walking close to me.
“Thanks, Dad,” I said wryly.
That earned me a backhand slap to the face. I didn’t bother to place my hand to the red spot I knew must have been growing there. Nor did I bother to rub away the stinging pain against my flesh. I looked at him and shook my head.
“You selfish little shit! You’ll walk away from my guidance and business sense and realize you’re nothing but a failure. You do what you do because I enable you to. Grow up and be a man, Kent, and quit being a selfish prick who can’t do a damned thing for himself. You’re nothing but a fucking failure like your brother Mitch!”
Smooth: The Sons of Victor Black: A BWWM Romance Page 17