Kissing the Boss

by Linda Kage

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” Hayden put a hand on my back, right between my shoulder blades, and nudged me forward. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

  I didn’t want to take a seat. I wanted to know what was going on, why Hayden was being so cryptic, why Ezra needed lawyers as well, and why Lana had just been arrested. My heart felt like a trapped hummingbird; I swear, it was about to flutter itself to death against my ribcage.

  But it seemed the quickest way to get any answers was to comply for the time being, so I nodded and took a seat next to Mike when Richard graciously pulled the chair out for me.

  Hayden remained standing, murmuring something to Richard, and I glanced toward Mike’s tablet, but the screen was filled with words of legal jargon, nothing to give me any clue what was about to happen.

  Then Brick flew into the room. He wore tattered jeans, a wrinkled T-shirt, and sneakers without the laces tied. His hair was a mess as if he’d just rolled out of bed, dragged on the first thing he saw, and raced straight here.

  Already motioning a thumb over his shoulder and out the doorway, he immediately demanded of Hayden, “Am I seeing things, or did I just spot our mother being hauled away in the back of a fucking police car?”

  Hayden merely glanced at him before nodding his head my way. “Why don’t you sit by Kaitlynn?”

  Brick’s eyebrows furrowed with more confusion. “Kait—” He swiveled his attention my way, only to whirl back to Hayden. “What the fuck, bro? You left me like fifty messages this morning, telling me to get my ass to the office as soon as possible, and now all this? I want answers.”

  Hayden clenched his teeth. “Like I told everyone else, I’m only explaining it once. Now take a seat until everyone’s here.”

  Brick scowled, called his brother a name under his breath, but then prowled toward me, slumping into the chair next to mine before leaning my way and murmuring, “Any ideas on what’s going on?”

  I shook my head. “None.”

  He waved a finger between Mike and Richard. “Who’re these yahoos? They look like lawyers who get off serial killers or something.”

  Mike glanced over, scowling.

  I discreetly cleared my throat. “They’re my lawyers, apparently.” When Brick sent me a startled glance, I shrugged. “At least that’s what Hayden says.”

  When Hayden took a seat next to Brick, and Richard sat beside him, leaving the entire left side of the conference table free, Brick motioned toward all the free seats. “So who else are we expecting?”

  “Nash.”

  Brick frowned at me. I shrugged. Brick turned his frown to his brother.

  “I’m confused. Having the three of us here suggests some kind of family situation. But bringing Nash into the fray sounds more like it involves the company. So what’s all this about: personal or business?”

  “Both,” was Hayden’s monotone answer.

  I shook my head, growing even more confused.

  “Well, joy,” Brick muttered grumpily, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “Can’t wait to learn what happened, you asshole. Thanks so much for keeping us all in the dark.”

  I studied the tattoos on Brick’s arms. For some reason, that helped center and calm me. My gaze traced the most prominent feature on his forearm: a wolf face peering out from an ink splatter. The only colored part of the image were the wolf’s yellow-brown eyes that seemed to glow and stare right into me. I shuddered and turned my attention down to his wrist, where a silhouetted forest scene at night coated his skin with a full moon and a hooded figure walking among the trees. I could relate to that figure; it seemed totally lost and not sure where to go.

  “So, how long are we supposed to wait?” Brick demanded, unfolding his arms so he could drum his fingers impatiently against the tabletop.

  “As long as it takes for him to gather his own lawyers.”

  Brick’s fingers stopped tapping. “So… Nash needs lawyers for whatever this is. Kaity needs lawyers. But we don’t need lawyers?” His gaze sought mine.

  My lips parted, wondering what that meant, even as Hayden answered, “That’s right.”

  Brick whirled to stare at me. “Then why—”

  The appearance of Ezra in the doorway cut him off.

  His gaze immediately found me, and his shoulders sank slightly as if he were relieved, only for his eyes to narrow when they landed on the four men seated around me.

  He stepped into the room, where three men followed him. “These are my lawyers, Jack and Clifford.” He motioned a hand over them before pointing out the last man. “And this is my father, Henry.”

  I straightened, taking in Ezra’s dad. Henry Nash was a head shorter than his son, probably not much taller than me, and maybe fifty pounds heavier with thinning salt-and-pepper hair. But he had Ezra’s angular jaw and blue-blue eyes.

  “Dad, this is Hayden and Broderick Carmichael and Kaitlynn Judge.”

  Henry had been nodding a greeting to my stepbrothers, only to pull back and send a sharp, untrusting glance to me when my name was mentioned, or rather, my surname was mentioned.

  His eyes narrowed as if I were already his enemy number one.

  It hurt on multiple levels, first because Ezra obviously hadn’t mentioned to his dad that he was seeing me, and second, because I hated how Lana had tainted the Judge name, making people automatically leery of it. And finally… Hell, I didn’t look that evil and untrusting, did I?

  I glanced Ezra’s way, but he was busy taking in Mike and Richard with a frown. “And I don’t know these gentlemen.”

  Richard introduced them before saying, “We’re here to represent Miss Judge.”

  “Miss…?” And finally, finally, Ezra shot me a startled glance. He seemed so betrayed I felt the need to shrug and shake my head, letting him know I was still just as clueless about everything that was going on as he was.

  He blew out a breath, shook his head, and reached for the chair directly across from me. “Let’s get started then. I’m eager to learn what’s going on.”

  Once he was seated, with his dad beside him and the two lawyers flanking them, he interlaced his finger together on the conference table and turned his attention to Hayden. “I’m guessing this has everything to do with Lana being arrested just now. So, what’d she do to the company?” Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, he immediately started guessing. “Embezzlement? Bribery? Misappropriation?”

  Hayden shook his head. “Murder.”

  While everyone else in the room froze at that word, Brick exploded to life, turning on his brother and blurting, “What the fuck, Hayden? Our mother? Who the hell did she supposedly kill?”

  “For starters: Dad,” Hayden murmured, his gaze haunted as he focused on Brick. Brick visibly jolted, only to start shaking his head, while Hayden continued talking. “Bridget and Jackson Myrtle.” Then his attention shifted to me, and it begged for forgiveness as he added, “And Arthur Judge.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  I stared at Hayden, unable to react. Unable to process. While it felt as if a swarm of bees began stinging every inch of my flesh and my stomach plummeted into my knees, my gaze couldn’t seem to leave my oldest stepbrother. He looked so sure, so tormented by his claim. The man truly, honestly believed what he was saying.

  But could I?

  Next to me, Brick gushed out all the responses I couldn’t seem to summon. Letting out a harsh laugh, he flopped back noisily in his seat and ran both hands through his hair. “Jesus, I know we joke about that shit all the time, but fuck, bro. This isn’t funny.”

  “No, it’s not,” Hayden agreed, tearing his gaze from me to focus on Brick. “Not at all. But it’s true. I found proof. Irrefutable evidence.”

  “How?” Ezra was the one to ask.

  I looked his way, but again, he was too busy dissecting Hayden with a hard stare to notice me.

  “It started a few weeks ago,” Hayden began. “From something Bruno said.”

  Shaking his
head, Ezra squinted. “Explain.”

  Hayden bowed his face once, obliging. “Bruno came into my office to collect the trash, chattering away about all sorts of things as usual, until out of the blue he said, ‘I thought that old lawyer of Arthur’s had passed away.’”

  I shook my head, confused, wondering why Uncle Finley was being mentioned. “He did,” I answered. “He died not long after my dad’s funeral.”

  Hayden lifted a finger. “See. That’s what I thought too. But Bruno seemed sure he’d heard Lana talking on the phone in her office with him because she referred to the person on the other end of the line as Fin Tin.”

  I gasped. Fin Tin was the nickname my father had always affectionately called his lawyer, who, just like Bruno, had basically been like an uncle to me.

  Fin Tin was not a common name.

  “I never believed Arthur’s last will and testament,” Hayden went on, shaking his head, as he glanced my way. “You were his pride and joy. Compared to what he had, there was just no way he left you so little.”

  Brick began to nod. “True,” he agreed. “That was weird.”

  “But then we received news of Finley’s death, and I wasn’t sure how to probe the issue until Bruno brought it up. So I did a little digging, this time into Finley himself, until I finally found him.”

  My eyes bugged. “Alive?”

  “Living in Mexico,” Hayden confirmed. “A millionaire.”

  I wasn’t sure how to digest that. My gaze fell across the table without meaning to, and it latched onto Ezra, where he sat with his hands pressed together and set against his mouth. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, his expression was completely unreadable, so I turned back to Hayden.

  “Oh my God. What…? How…?”

  Hayden’s stare went solemn. “I started to wonder if Lana had paid him off to alter Arthur’s will. I searched her office, in the hopes of finding his original will, or some kind of clue or proof that she’d changed it.”

  So that’s why he’d been ransacking her office the night of the Halloween party. It was all starting to make sense now. Horrible, distressing sense.

  “But I had no luck there,” he went on. “I went through her condo next. And with a little help from a friend, we hit the jackpot. Not only did we find the original will, but I swear she kept a little treasure trove holding all her sins: proof she’d hired people to murder my father, and take care of the Myrtles, and make Arthur’s death look like natural causes. It was like a serial killer’s brag box or some such sick shit.”

  With a shudder, I covered my mouth with both hands and stared sightlessly at the top of the conference room table. A supportive arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I leaned into Brick before clutching his arm, unable to believe this was happening.

  Lana had killed my father. She paid someone to take his life.

  My father.

  She’d taken him away from me.

  My vision swum. Brick tugged me even closer until he was straight-up hugging me. I squeezed my eyes closed, pretending this wasn’t happening.

  “Your dad left the company to you, Kaitlynn.” Hayden’s soft voice jolted through me until my eyes sprang open. “All of it,” he confirmed.

  He held up his hand to show me a thick, folded batch of papers within his grip. My father’s will.

  “He didn’t leave any of it to Lana. He must’ve known all along she couldn’t be trusted, because he specifically mentioned she get nothing. My guess is she learned about that little detail and had Fin Tin alter his will so she could take whatever she wanted. She allotted you only enough to keep the fake from looking too suspicious, but she even dipped into the money he originally left Brick and me so we’d get less than what he intended, as well.”

  “Bitch,” Brick growled under his breath.

  “Then,” Hayden added, “when Arthur turned up dead, I’m guessing Fin Tin realized Lana was behind it, and took off with whatever she’d paid him before she could take him out too. When the police found him, he spilled everything. He had contacted her that day Bruno overheard them because he’d grown brave during his years in Mexico, and he wanted to blackmail her: more money for his continued silence.”

  I could only shake my head numbly and stare at Hayden before whispering, “He left the company to me?” When I straightened, Brick let go of me so I could face the facts slamming into me from what felt like all sides.

  But the fact was, my dad had loved me all along.

  I had been so hurt and secretly upset with him, and the entire time, he’d left JFI in my hands. He’d never stopped loving me. He’d never turned his back on me. He’d remained my dad. Always.

  Shame filled me for ever doubting his affection. I had to be the worst daughter ever.

  “That doesn’t mean it’s all her company now,” Henry Nash spoke up, jostling me from my guilt.

  “Dad,” Ezra hissed, waving him quiet, but Henry shook his head before turning to my lawyers. “Nash Corporation purchased half of Judge Fashions Industry, fair and square. It was a legal, binding agreement we sunk fifty million dollars into. Half of it is still ours.”

  “But you purchased it from Lana Judge, who had no legal right to sell it,” Richard stated firmly.

  “I don’t fucking care,” Henry roared. “My son loves this place. He’s put all his time and energy—his goddamn soul—into restoring it this past year, pulling it from the brink of bankruptcy. It would be nothing now if not for him. He’s not losing it.”

  I glanced toward Ezra, only to find him with his eyes squeezed closed and teeth gritted as if in pain.

  I knew his father spoke the truth. He loved working here. Part of his blood, sweat, and toil did and would forever more reside within these walls. He didn’t want to lose it any more than I did. I didn’t think I really wanted him to lose it, either.

  But…

  Agony coiled through my stomach.

  “Fine,” his father blustered, turning to me directly. “So you own at least half of it now. Name your price, girl. We’ll pay whatever you offer.”

  Ezra’s eyes shot open, waiting for my answer. But how could he expect me to say anything other than no deal? He knew how much I wanted my company back, too.

  It felt like I was staring at a stranger when I looked into his blue eyes. Add that onto the fact that he’d never bothered to tell his father about me, and I’d just found out what I had about my own dad—

  He hadn’t had a heart attack at all. He’d been killed, stolen from me so that I was left alone, an orphan under the control of his very murderer.

  It was more than I could bear. Grief and anger and helplessness swamped me.

  “I can’t deal with this right now,” I said, fumbling out of my chair to get to my feet before I stumbled toward the exit.

  “Kaitlynn.” Ezra flew from his own seat and took a step toward me, but I held up a hand and shook my head, warding him away.

  I couldn’t deal with him right now either.

  I raced into the hall.

  It felt as if people were everywhere, clumped into groups, no doubt gossiping about the fact that one of their CEOs had just been dragged away in the back of a police car. They all paused to stare at me, judging, questioning, condemning, demanding. Unable to take all the gawking, I began to run. Blindly.

  I found myself back in my old workroom in the basement, sitting in the hard, uncomfortable chair I’d used for six months and wishing I could just go back to then, when I was naïvely determined to work my way to the top, where no one had killed my dad, and my stepmother just despised me instead of hated me so much she wanted me dead.

  Hugging myself, I squeezed my eyes closed and bit my lip. But the tears came anyway.

  “Hey, kid,” a quiet, concerned voice crooned. “You doing okay?”

  I shook my head and sobbed, “No.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t figure.” Picking me up, Brick stole my chair so he could settle me on his lap like a small child and hug me to his chest.

  I re
sted my cheek against his shoulder and soaked in all the sympathy he was offering.

  “He left the company to me,” I repeated, my chest hollow with shock. “He loved me after all.”

  “Of course he did.” Brick stroked my hair methodically. “How could you doubt that?”

  I shook my head. “I thought she’d turned him against me. I thought he stopped loving me. I thought… I thought…”

  When a sob seized me, Brick murmured quiet, soothing sounds. “Shh. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

  But how could this be okay? My dad had been murdered, and all this time I’d been angry with him.

  “He must be so disappointed in me,” I whispered. “I doubted him and lost faith in him. He must be watching me from wherever he is, and thinking—”

  “Bullshit,” Brick cut in. “He’s looking down at you, and he’s smiling because he’s so fucking proud of the woman you became. And he’s loving you… Always.”

  I sniffed and looked up at him. “I can’t believe she took him away.”

  Pain shuttered his features. “Neither can I.”

  Suddenly, I remembered. “She took your dad too.”

  He glanced away, and his throat worked as he swallowed. “Yeah,” he choked out in a raw voice. “Crazy, huh?”

  I touched his cheek. “Are you okay?”

  After a quick bitter laugh, he said, “Fuck no. This shit is messed all the hell up. I mean, I knew she wasn’t right in the head. She could never be trusted. She’d never been warm and nurturing, but Jesus Christ, she was still my mom. I never expected… This.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  When he closed his eyes and leaned into my hand, I kissed his cheek. “I’ll make sure you get every penny my dad promised you in his will.”

  His eyes shot open and he scowled. “That is the very last thing on my mind right now.”

  I shrugged. “But it’s easier for me to think about that than… Everything else.”

  “True.” Clearing his throat, he glanced around the dingy workroom that had become significantly dustier since I’d stopped working here. “Why the hell did you come down here, anyway?”