The Ties that Bind (Kingdom)

by Henry, Theresa L.

  “Jason is no longer a part of this equation. You will deal with me, and me only. What’s your proposition?”

  “You sell your land in Ojai, and we’ll call it quits. The lawsuit will go away, and you can resume your life or at least what will be left of it.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Jason interjected. “All this mess is about the Ojai land?”

  Steve didn’t bother to react to Jason’s outburst. It was obvious the man wouldn’t, or couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

  “Actually, it’s about the parcel of land you own that extends outside of that ten mile radius. I have it under good authority that all your money is tied up in that venture.” Throughout his demands, Cox had directed his comments towards Jason.

  “You will not speak to him about this. You will deal with me and only me. As I already said, Mr. King no longer has any say in this matter.” Steve was a calm man, but he could feel his agitation rising at Jason’s constant interruptions, being ignored, and Cox’s outlandish demands.

  “Your source of this information?” Steve asked.

  “It’s reliable, that’s all you need to know.”

  “I see. Please elaborate on your terms.”

  The price Cox quoted for the land had Jason’s brows lowering ominously and Steve laughing out loud. But the sound carried no mirth. Steve could also see that his laughter had riled, Cox.

  “You acquired the first parcel of land under false pretense. You and your friend over there tricked my family out of what has belonged to us for generations. I want it back!”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Cox?” Jason interjected, uncaring whether Steve liked it or not.

  Steve didn’t bother to voice a warning to Jason’s outburst. He too was curious as to what Cox had to say by way of an explanation of his peculiar comment.

  “That land wasn’t for sale. You both lied to acquire it. You bought up the land surrounding ours until my uncle had no option other than to sell that land to you.”

  The sound of Jason’s explosive laughter pulled the attention of the other two men. “That’s the biggest crock I’ve heard in a long time. Your uncle was a fool and so are you!”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Your relatives were sitting on that land, without the foresight or knowhow of how to make it work for them.”

  “They were doing just fine until you came along; flashing your money, buying up the land around us.”

  “Us, you had no claim to that land, Cox. My company paid a fair price for that land. I know your aunt was doing her best to make that business work. Your uncle, on the other hand, was so deep into pissing her every attempt away that it was always going to be a losing battle.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “I know that the price we paid was a fair one. I also know that your uncle went through that money in such a short amount of time it even boggles my mind.”

  “I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say about my family!”

  Steve could see that Cox was becoming more and more agitated with each truth he was confronted with. To Steve’s surprise, Jason picked up the story.

  “Your uncle pissed that money away. Then he came to us and begged us for a job. We only agreed because of your aunt. We employed him because she begged us to. Fool that I was I agreed. I now know that it was your uncle who maneuvered her into the request.”

  “What are you talking about, Jason?” Steve asked, confused by the direction the conversation had taken.

  “Drake used his wife to reel us in. He saw something in us that made him realize that the way to get close to us was to use her to garner sympathy. The outcome of that was that they were in our home, close to us. They used that to their advantage. Because I didn’t recognize my enemy, it nearly cost me everything.”

  Steve was concerned, knowing he had missed something vital in his preoccupation with what had been going on with Hope. “What are you talking about?”

  “Not now.”

  Jason’s curt reply was enough to pull Steve back to the matter at hand. It was time to conclude this fiasco. He knew that something had happened to Jason that he wasn’t cognizant of, but whatever it was had to wait.

  This meeting was about Cox and showing him that he wasn’t someone who could be trifled with. He intended to be in the game for many years to come. Therefore, he had no intention of falling at the first hurdle.

  Cox had already made mighty inroads into discrediting the reputation they had built over the years. It was time to settle the score.

  Bringing the conversation back on track, Steve gave Cox a penetrating look. “What do you really want, Cox?”

  At Cox’s preening, Steve knew he wasn’t going to like the answer to his question.

  “I’m not a greedy man. Therefore, I’m prepared to offer you one quarter of the price you paid my family for the land you stole from us.”

  Steve was convinced that the man had lost his mind. Wasn’t he listening to anything he’d just said? Steve had expected some form of interjection from Jason, but for once he remained quiet in the face of Cox’s outrageous demand. Finally Jason understood that this was now Steve’s business, and he was the only one who could rectify this situation.

  Coming to his feet, Steve walked to the giant window that was the backdrop to the bustling city below. Maintaining his silence, Steve looked out of the window while he allowed the tension surrounding them to take hold. Steve knew the next words he spoke would define his future as a businessman. His mind was working hard at how to voice his next move because he understood his enemy.

  Turning back to face the room, Steve looked Cox straight in the eyes. “This is what you’re going to do; you are going to sell me any land you still hold in the area. Unlike you, I truly understand the concept of fairness. Therefore, I will pay you the going rate for the land. That way you will have enough funds to start over.”

  The sound of disdainful laughter was his answer. The sound didn’t faze Steve, he had expected nothing less. But he held his ground, sure of his position.

  Cox’s next words came with amusement still apparent in his voice. “It would seem that you are still under the assumption that you have a hand to play.” Suddenly, all traces of his earlier enjoyment of the situation were gone. “This is what’s going to happen. You are going to sell me all of your Ojai holding, and you’re going to do it willingly. The consequence of not doing so will be that I will follow through with the court case... and I will ruin you. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll both be lucky if you’ll be able to sell crack to make a living!”

  Looking over at Jason, Steve murmured, “Know thy enemy.” Steve witnessed the change of Jason’s eyes from their usual green to black. But he had to hand it to him, he didn’t say a word.

  Chapter 28

  Taking a few moments to gather himself, Steve recognized that he wanted the meeting to be over as soon as possible. Hardening his expression, he assured himself that he had been underestimated for the last time by this man. When Steve spoke it was with a deadly intent that neither Jason nor Cox had ever heard before.

  “Nothing’s changed, Cox, and I will not repeat myself.”

  “Really, Mr. Blackman, your words tell me you are not a business man. What you need to understand is that every man has his place. May I say that the business world is not yours?”

  “You can say anything you have a mind to, Cox. The fact remains, you will sell me the land or I’ll take it from you!”

  Cox’s laughter filled the room as he seemed to make himself comfortable in his seat, giving every indication of being supremely secure in his position. “This morning I signed documents that mean that I am now in possession of the land that surrounds yours in Alexander Valley. Between my holding that land and the money you spent on your investments in Italy, how shall I put it? I would say that I have your balls in a vice. ”

  At the smug look on Cox’s face, Steve looked over at Jason and saw real concern on
his face. Breaking eye contact almost as soon as it had been made, Steve’s attention was again on, Cox.

  “Ah, yes, Falloa Datra Inc. I always liked Latin. Did you take Latin at school, Mr. Cox?”

  The sound of Jason’s explosive laughter bounced off the wall as Cox’s head spun around to look at him. Jason and Steve shared a smile in remembrance of their father, the man who had first taught them how to get one over on anyone who had ideas of besting them.

  Steve saw the moment Cox finally worked out that he had been played, and had no qualms about laughing in his face.

  “That’s right, Cox, in Latin fallo means dupe, ad means by and atra means black. In other words, you have been duped by a black man. That means me in more ways than one. That piece of paper means nothing, now or ever. Therefore, I suggest you give up your futile vendetta. You can take me to court and end up being the laughing stock of the business world. You see, in your eagerness to best me you didn’t do sufficient homework. There is no registered company by the name, Falloa Datra Inc.”

  Reaching across his desk, Steve pressed a button, sat back in his seat and watched as sweat broke out on Cox’s face. He could see that his nemesis was visibly shaken by what had taken place in a meeting in which he had thought that he would emerge the victor.

  Gaining his feet, Percy Cox surreptitiously wiped at the trickle of sweat that escaped his hairline and ran down the side of his face.

  “What about my money? You can’t keep my money!”

  Steve looked Cox up and down, his disgust of the man apparent. “Now that’s where you’re wrong. I could keep it, and there wouldn’t be a damn thing you could do about it. Unlike you, Mr. Cox, I covered my tracks. Fortunately for you, I’ve decided to return all of your money.”

  Adjusting his cuffs, Steve observed that with his last statement, some of Cox’s bravado had returned. But he wasn’t finished with him yet.

  Just then there was a knock at the door.

  “Come in. Ah, Ms. Ellis, do you have the envelope?”

  “Right here, sir.”

  “Please give it to Mr. Cox.”

  Taking the manila envelope Steve’s assistant handed to him, Cox gave it a blank look.

  “Sign.”

  “What is this, are you crazy? I’m not signing anything I haven’t had an opportunity to read!”

  “Very wise. You have two minutes to look through the contents of that envelope and attach your signature to the relevant document. Two minutes or your money goes to charity as an anonymous donation. Your call and, Mr. Cox, your time has already started.”

  Steve watched as indecision ran across Cox’s face. Silently Steve willed him to call his bluff. He would like nothing more than to ruin the man standing before him.

  Coming to an immediate decision after giving the envelopes content only a brief look, Cox took the pen, Ms. Ellis offered and signed the document. Handing it back to the waiting woman. Cox fixed his eyes on the door, looking at no one within the room, humiliation written all over his face.

  While he had been preoccupied, two of Steve’s security staff had taken up a position by the door, waiting to escort Cox out of the building.

  As the visibly shaken man passed by, Jason rose to his feet, grabbed Cox by the arm and whispered in his ear. Whatever Jason said changed Cox’s complexion from the grey pallor that had overtaken it to an unnatural green. When Jason released him, Cox continued out the office neither looking left nor right.

  Finally, he and Jason were alone. Steve rubbed a hand over his face and drew in a deep breath. His company was secure, and on that front at least he was finally ready to move forward with his plans.

  Steve’s reverie was broken by Jason’s question. “What was in those papers?”

  A grin on his face, Steve leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk. “Simple really, it told him to stay the hell out of my business, and I wouldn’t expose him.”

  Curiosity aroused, Jason tipped his head indicating that Steve should go on.

  “I think the deciding factor was the shots of the woman, Mr. Cox likes so much.”

  “You have got to be kidding me... a prostitute, come on!”

  “Not just any prostitute.” Steve clarified, but actually saying nothing that shed any light on the situation.

  “Do I have to pry it out of you? I know he’s not married. If he’s messing around with prostitutes who the hell cares? The majority of businessmen from all over the world are doing the same thing. Come on man, you know I’ve seen and heard about some perverted shit. If I have to guess what he’s into, we could be here for a long time.”

  Steve knew exactly what Jason meant, he too was aware of the types of deviant behavior some men took part in.

  “It would seem that Mr. Cox never fully grew up. He hankers after childhood. Specifically, sleeping in a crib and shitting his diaper.”

  Jason’s laughter exploded around the office. He was laughing so hard Steve caught the bug. Each time they tried to pull themselves together, more laughter came spilling out. Both men found the situation so funny tears were soon running down their faces.

  Wiping his eyes, Jason grinned at Steve, “How did you find all this out? I checked, and I didn’t discover anything about this side of him.”

  “You checked! I thought I told you to stay out of my business, Jason!” Just like that, Steve’s laughter evaporated.

  Rather than looking reticent, Steve could still detect the sheen of laughter in Jason’s eyes.

  “We’ve looked out for each other from almost the first moment we met. For me, that’s never going to change. If you don’t like thinking about that fact then my advice is to not think about it, but that’s not going to make me stop looking out for you.”

  Steve took the time to really look at the man sitting across from him and was flooded with memories. In a series of flashes, he saw the emotionless, curly haired little boy he had first met. This was followed by some of the pranks they had gotten into in their adolescent years. Steve also saw their father reprimanding them for something they should or shouldn’t have done. No matter which aspect of his life flashed before him, Jason was there, and Steve finally admitted that he would want it no other way.

  Jason’s softly spoken words broke into Steve’s reminiscing. “Wherever you were, that was a lot of emotions passing through.”

  “Yeah, lots of good thoughts. Memories that mean something.”

  Jason didn’t respond to Steve’s words, he didn’t need to. He, more than anyone, understood this man.

  “So, are you going to tell me how you found out about Cox’s little fetish?”

  “Why the hell not. You’re so far up in my business I might as well tell you all of it. As you know, I sort of lost it there for a while after the whole wedding fiasco. Well, one morning I woke up, and I was in the middle of two extremely attractive women...”

  “That’s not like you.” Jason broke in.

  “I know, and somewhere in the back of my mind I thought the same. But my life had bottomed out pretty fast, so I didn’t really know if it was like me or not. All I really knew was, I didn’t like the direction my life was taking. I felt completely disgusted with myself and I wanted them gone. As I was rushing them out, one of the women turned and looked at me in a strange way. At first I thought the look was one of disgust. Later I realized she was assessing me.

  One night as I was just about to unlock my car the same woman emerged from the shadows. It took me a few moments to realize who she was. She said she had a proposition for me.

  Turns out she was Cox’s go to girl. He went to her to be mothered, and he went to her when he wanted photos taken of me in a compromising position with two women. He thought he could use those images as a bargaining tool. What he hadn’t reckoned on was that the lady wanted out, bad.”

  “Go on.”

  Refocusing his eyes, Steve spared Jason a brief glance before continuing with his story. “She wanted to make a deal. She said she’d checked up on me after she’d
left. She said she had wanted to talk to me the night we met, but I was too wasted. Apparently she and her companion only just managed to get me into the room before I passed out.

  By all accounts, it didn’t take long for the other woman to follow suit. She told me nothing happened that night, and God help me, I’m going to believe her. I still had myself checked out though, a man can never be too careful!”

  “What happened next?” Jason asked.

  “I wanted to go somewhere and talk. She refused, so we ended up talking in my car. She would exchange the CD for my helping her to get away from, Cox.”

  “So she was stupid!”

  “I’d say! She didn’t seem to realize that she’d just got through telling me that nothing happened. Then in the next breath she’s attempting to make a deal with a CD filled with a whole lot of nothing.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously!”

  “Well you obviously made the deal or did you just remind her that dumb lasts a lifetime?”

  “I made the deal.” At Jason’s scoff, Steve gave him a dirty look before he continued to speak. “I felt bad for the woman. No-one, and I mean no-one should have to change Percy Cox’s two hundred and eight pounds soiled diaper!”

  Both men looked at each other with a mutual shudder of revulsion at the thought.

  “How did she keep the recording from him?”

  “She told him the storm knocked it out.”

  “He bought that?”

  “I doubt it. She was sporting a wicked looking shiner. She named a sum, I doubled it if she could get me something on Cox. Plus, you know we don’t hold with men beating on women.

  I arranged to meet her the next day. I had the money, she had ten CDs of Cox in various stages of, how shall I put it... Paraphilic Infantilism. It was a done deal.”

  “It would seem you have him by the balls. My advice for what it’s worth... don’t let go, squeeze as hard as you can, as often as you need to!”

  The look of laughter and understanding on their faces would have brought nothing but pride to the face of Howard Blackman. He had taught his boys well, and those lessons would last them a lifetime.