by Maggie Thom
Tijan looked at her sister in an effort to see how she was taking it. There was an awkward moment of uncertainty but it didn’t last long. They both grinned.
“Our father has been a bear to live with. All my life, he’s been trying to build a little robot—”
“Which I’m glad to say he failed at,” Graham chimed in.
“Some days I wonder. Anyway, was he trying to tell you that you should come to work for him?” Tarin’s voice lowered. “‘This is your family legacy, time for you to start acting like it means something. I haven’t worked this hard for you to throw it away. You’re my daughter. If you’d been a son, you’d have listened better.’”
Everyone chuckled at her poor imitation of her deep-throated father.
“He did make that clear. But what really concerns me—” As she paused to look between Tarin and Graham, there was not only love but respect there. Did their father know? Or just not approve?
“What? He’s found me a husband?”
Tijan gasped. “Well, yes.”
“It’s okay. Really, he’s been finding me a husband since I was about fourteen. Of course, they were all older, wealthy men who would benefit him financially or in the power status arena. Don’t worry about it. I quit worrying a long time ago.”
“That’s not all, though.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the first time he abducted me—”
“I can’t believe him. But I guess since I’ve been refusing to talk to him, he’s now resorting to these extreme measures.” Tarin turned to Graham. “He’s got to be stopped, Graham. What can we do? I’m so tired of this.”
“Let’s wait until he’s better, then we’ll figure out how to take him down.” Graham shook his head.
Tarin screwed up her face. “Aren’t I a good daughter? I’d already forgotten he’s in the hospital with a gunshot wound. The question is which of his forty thousand enemies did it.”
“I haven’t been around the man long but believe me I was tempted to shoot him.” Tijan clamped her hand to her mouth. “Oh. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry, Tarin.”
Tarin smiled as she jumped to her feet and with a silly smile on her face. “I think the two of us would have gotten into so much trouble growing up.”
Tijan grinned back. “What I’ve been trying to tell you is he’s trying to buy Caspian Winery. He wants me, well you, to do some snooping as to how to get Mrs. Lindell to sell to him. And he wants to give it to you to do whatever you want—tear it down or run it. Then he’ll train you in how to run his company. I don’t think you’ll ever get that opportunity, though. I mean, he seemed only interested in teaching you until your son is old enough to take over and run his empire.”
“I hate him. Running my life is one thing but to try to take Caspian Winery? Unforgivable. Deciding my son’s future? A child he has never even met? I’ll go live in the desert before I let him touch Chance.”
“Oooh. I’d love that. I can see you in a silky, flowing dress, fanning the man in your life and feeding him grapes... Aaaah. The life.” Graham’s joke broke the tension. Everyone laughed.
“And you in your fig leaf—” Tarin’s face turned beat red.
Graham roared as he grabbed her.
Tijan had the impression that her sister didn’t joke much. “Oh and I forgot to mention the mafia guys who want me to make sure Father steps in line, I think, I’m—well you—are the prize.”
Chapter 31
August’s eyelids kept dropping like they were weighted with stones. The dark roasted coffee he’d drank an hour before was already wearing off. Arching his back to try to get the blood moving again, he realized he’d been sitting in one position too long. He’d tried to stay unobtrusive as he hadn’t wanted to stop the flow of conversation. Since he was the outsider and had no idea what had brought all this on, he was definitely fascinated by what he was hearing. He still didn’t understand how the two sisters couldn’t have known about each other, though.
“Okay, what’s this about the mafia?” Graham asked.
“Well, I don’t know if they were mafia but they look like what I imagine the ma—”
Tarin’s phone rang.
“It’s the hotel. Dad’s office. I really don’t feel like talking business.” She sighed. “Excuse me.” She got up and went to the outer office.
Tijan, whose head had been dropping awkwardly to her shoulder, sat up straighter and blinked her eyes several times.
Graham had his elbows resting on his desk with his face resting heavily on his palms. “I think it’s way past my bedtime.”
“Yeah. I can’t do these all-nighters anymore. Did them back in my school days but I feel like an old man right now.” August really wanted to say that he was ready to leave, if that was okay with everyone. Then it dawned on him, he was supposed to be at work in a few hours. He didn’t want to ask for the day off but he wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the day.
Tarin came back into the room, which seemed to have the effect of waking everyone up. They all looked at her expectantly.
“Well, it appears that my father has a contingency plan that should something happen to him, I’m to be in charge. Wasn’t that nice of him to tell me? I was sure that one of his two top vice presidents would be put in charge. This will go over well with them.”
Graham stood and went over to her, taking her in his arms. “Are you going?”
“No. But I’m sure they’ll keep calling me. I was already asked to make four decisions immediately. I said that I won’t do that. Mary told me they’d hold off doing anything until I was ready to give them some direction. Damn him. He just keeps screwing with my life.”
Tarin’s phone rang again. She looked at Graham and sighed heavily. “I’m not answering.”
“I think it’s time we all got some sleep. I’m beat.” Tijan stood up.
August was still wondering what he was going to do about work. He was in no shape to be there. Then it dawned on him that he really didn’t need the job. He’d call LJ and tell her not to expect him and if that was a problem, he’d just leave. Everything had been rather off since he’d met these people, anyway, and his initial goal of finding his father wasn’t happening. All of the stuff that Tarin and Tijan’s father seemed to be doing made him wonder if he really wanted to find his own. He was quite sure that he wasn’t prepared to hear why his dad had abandoned him. Knowing that Tarin and Tijan’s father not only was a jerk keeping them apart but also he was so underhanded. August couldn’t understand why a man would do that. But then he couldn’t understand why his father would just up and leave a young boy of nine.
Tarin’s phone rang again. She glanced at the screen and then raised her arm as though going to chuck it.
“Can I answer it? Can I? Can I? Can I?” Tijan jumped up and down like a kid. “I think I’m getting punchy or silly. But I’m serious, can I answer it?”
Tarin frowned but handed her the phone. It stopped ringing. Tijan giggled and held out her hand to give it back. It rang again. She looked questioningly at Tarin, who shrugged.
“Hello. May I ask why you continue to call me? I’m tired and not in the mood to deal with your—” There was a long silence as Tijan listened intently to what was being said.
August wished he could hear all that was being told to her. The expressions crossing her face were quite interesting—annoyance, frowning, puzzled, thoughtful.
“Who’s that...?”
“I don’t think—”
“Alright, give me until 4:00.” Tijan disconnected the call and then looked wide-eyed at Tarin. “I think that power has already gone to my head. Oh Tarin. I just jumped in like it was my place to solve you—our father’s problems. I do love to figure stuff out. But I had no right. I can’t believe I just did that.”
“What exactly did you get me roped into?”
“It appears that the CSIS—which I think he said was the Canadian Security Intelligence Service—which I didn’t know we had, wan
ts to meet with me, well you. The guy informed me they are responsible for national security. Anyway, there have been some questionable dealings with some known drug dealers. Do you know anything about that?”
Tarin’s face went pale. “Did they tell you any more than that?”
Tijan shook her head.
“This is so my father’s world. Let’s all blackmail each other.”
August wasn’t sure why but Tijan looked at him. He wondered if she wanted his opinion or was looking for approval. He held her gaze as he tried to read her. She suddenly looked away, glancing at her sister.
“Do you remember the mafia dudes I mentioned? I’m assuming they might be behind this. They do look like drug dealers. So Mary said show up today to meet with the CSIS or they’ll get a court order to access all the books. She’s concerned they’ll leak to the media that your dad’s hotel chain is linked to nefarious characters—my word not theirs.”
“It can’t be true. My father is many things but I can’t see him running drugs. I can’t put Chance through this. What am I going to do, Graham?”
August decided it was time they needed a bit of privacy. Catching Tijan’s attention, he nodded toward the other office. He walked out, she followed.
“At the hospital, was that encounter you didn’t want to mention with one of those thugs?” August leaned his hips against the desk, surprised when Tijan did the same beside him.
“I think so. The guy seemed to think I was a prize of some sort. I don’t know what her—my—our father is into but I don’t think it’s good.” She looked at him earnestly. “How do I tell Tarin that it’s worse than she thinks? And I’m not sure if it was her-my-our father who sent those people snooping out at Caspian or if it was the mafia. But I don’t think the mafia would do it so nicely, would they? Or is there someone else?”
“What do you mean snooping at Caspian?”
“The other day. Or was that yesterday? You know they chased us into that shed and we hid.”
August looked at her warily but her head was hanging down and she was staring at her hands. “You were the redhead?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t a good look for me, I don’t think. What do I tell Tarin?”
Before he could answer, Tarin and Graham came out of the inner office. Tarin was very pale and was leaning on Graham, whose arm was wrapped around her.
Tijan looked stricken as she stared at her sister. “Before you say anything, I know this may be crazy but I feel kind of responsible for putting you in the middle, Tarin.”
“No. Our father did that.”
“Well, I’d like to be you. Just for the meeting I want to find out what they want, what they know. This might be a good time to really figure out what Father has been up to and come up with a way to keep him from running your life.”
The silence was like the stunned aftereffect of a disaster—here was that moment when there was complete silence and stillness as though the air had been sucked out of the room. Then when everyone realized the impact of what had been said, the air became electrified. August knew his plan of leaving to get his own answers was going to be put on hold. If they seemed stunned at what Tijan had said, wait until they heard his request.
“You can’t.”
“Why not? Even Graham thought I was you.”
Graham turned a bit red and shrugged guiltily. It made August wonder what had happened as the flush on Tijan’s and August’s faces suggested a whole lot more than a casual mistake.
“But you don’t know anything.”
Tijan laughed. “True. But—”
“I didn’t mean you don’t know anything, I mean you don’t know my father’s business. Do you?”
“No. But then you have...” Tijan pulled out her phone and looked at it. “Seven hours to teach me something about the hotel business, minus about three for a nap.”
August spoke up. “I’m going to need some time off.”
Tarin looked stunned. “I’m sorry, August. We know this has been a bit unconventional but please don’t leave.”
“Hey look, as soon as this is over—”
“You’ll give me the answers I want.” August realized at this point the answers really didn’t matter. For whatever reason, they seemed to trust him. Tijan was slouched on the desk beside him, her eyes half closed. Exhaustion seemed to have drained her body of any stamina to sit upright. Tarin stood beside Graham, her hands clutched in front of her chest. Her eyes were black and her face was white with tiredness. The two looked the same, yet were very different. He averted his eyes lest they know he was studying them. They were both strong, beautiful women. Tijan leaned her head against his shoulder, unable to hold herself upright anymore. It surprised him but also reminded him of all she’d been through in the last twenty-four hours.
“I’m going as well. You can make me the Head of Transportation or Tijan’s bodyguard, but I’m going.”
Chapter 32
“This is crazy!” Tijan shook her head as she wondered what had happened to the down-to-earth, logical country girl. What she knew about business in general could fit in a glass. What she knew about corporate business didn’t even fill a shot glass—which is exactly what she’d need to get through this insanity—and preferably it would be filled with whiskey. She glanced at August, not wanting to take her eyes off the road as the traffic was heavy and she was unfamiliar with the area. Google maps might have given her the directions as well as Tarin, but it was like being in the bush for the first time; everything looked the same. August was staring at his phone. She wondered how he really felt about being roped into this.
“So, exactly why are you coming with me?”
“Because we don’t know what we’re dealing with. And that guy at the hospital seemed to think I was your boyfriend or bodyguard, which just might work in your favor. And I’m the new Manager of Transportation. At least I can be your backup if needed. Graham is going to keep your sister and son safe, and they’ve hired some security for us.”
“Oh my God, that sounds so espionage-like.” Tijan laughed nervously. “What experience do you have with any of this?”
“Probably the same as you.”
Tijan snorted. “Okay, well that means zero. We ought to do well. Think we can convince lawyers, the CSIS and potentially the mafia that we have a clue about running a multi-million—wait, it is just multi-million and not billion-dollar company—we’re talking about? Did Tarin tell me about that? Good God, I’ve forgotten everything she told me. Were you paying better attention?”
August laughed. “No. But I have run a successful business—”
“Oh? What?”
“I owned and operated a garage.”
“You mean like a mechanic shop? Or are we talking something else?”
“I had eight mechanics and two office personnel. It was by no means in the same league as this hotel chain but I have a basic understanding about business and the legal aspect.”
Tijan was glad to have him with her. She had no idea about big business; she’d always considered it to be shark-infested waters.
“Great, so you’ll know how to handle any business questions. What the hell are they fishing for anyway? What was my father into? This is so beyond crazy. I think I entered the loony bin. I did, didn’t I?”
She drove to the secret entrance she’d been privy to, thanks to her abduction. Honestly though, she’d never have found it again without Tarin explaining how to find it and giving her the passcode. Once inside the car elevator, the doors immediately closed behind them.
“I’d hate to get locked in here.” Tijan quickly keyed in the code and then with her hands curled around the edge of her seat, she waited as the elevator lifted them to the twentieth floor.
As soon as the doors opened, she drove out and parked.
August got out of the car first. “That was kind of cool but I don’t think I like being locked in a solid steel box for the time it took us to get up here.”
Tijan shook her head. “I think it
was a good thing I couldn’t see the first time. I think I was too freaked out to notice. I don’t like it either.”
“And we come out of a steel enclosed box to one that is concrete.”
“It’s a really sterile, cold environment, isn’t it?” Tijan dialed a number so someone would escort her into the building. Tarin didn’t want her to use the private entrance that only a few knew about. Five minutes after she’d phoned, an attractive, stylishly dressed, fifty-something-year-old woman strode out of a different door than Tijan had gone through before.
“Hi, Tarin. Nice to see you. I’m sorry it’s not under better circumstances.”
“Mary.” Tijan nodded in greeting, thankful she’d remembered the woman’s name.
“I tried to visit your father at the hospital but they wouldn’t let me in. Though I’ve worked for him for ten years and know him better than anyone, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t family. Please know I tried.” Her voice broke.
Tijan touched her arm. “He’s still in a coma so visitation is restricted. Thank you for stopping by, though. That was thoughtful of you.”
Mary looked incredibly sad for a few seconds but then her face hardened, erasing any trace of the soft woman she’d just shown. Tijan had felt like giving her a hug but the moment was gone and she was all business again.
“Follow me. Here is your set of keys and here are the codes that you’ll use while here. These will get you in this way to your father’s office.” Mary reminded Tijan of an elderly neighbor back home that had the same brusque attitude and belief that things were done a certain way. And she didn’t like change.
As they walked through the door and down a long hallway, Mary kept providing information. Even after they’d arrived in her father’s swanky office. She was obviously used to doing things on the run, as she seemed to constantly move around the room straightening something or opening the blinds and then closing them a bit. Tijan listened but barely had a clue what she was talking about. At times, she felt like she was getting the full rendition of a business, top to bottom, in twenty minutes.