by Alex Wolf
“I called every single person I know who could help directly or indirectly. The governor, judges, law enforcement, politicians. I used every ounce of leverage in my arsenal, made promises you wouldn’t believe, in order to have the man I’ve hated for over a decade, released from prison early.”
“It’s true, Meadow.” Dad nods. “He’s not lying. I’m a free man because of him. I don’t deserve it, but it’s true. And I guarantee you he didn’t do that for me.”
Covington’s eyes roll up to mine, and his hands open and close, like he wants to reach out and grab me and it’s taking everything he has to restrain himself. “All I want is for you to be happy and have everything you need. That’s the only thing I want, whether it includes me or not. The thought of anything causing you more pain makes me sick to my stomach. I will not allow it.” His eyes move around the room, a non-verbal warning to everyone witnessing this, and all of them scoot back in their seats a little when he does it. Finally, his eyes move back to mine. “Even if you never want to see me again. I put everything on the line, risked all my credibility. I’m responsible for the next two years of your father’s life, the assets of my firm are collateral if he doesn’t complete his parole obligations, and all the jobs that go along with managing that. I put it all at risk so he can be with you.”
I want to believe him so badly.
So badly.
A few tears roll down my cheeks as I stare at him. “When we leave this room, nobody will ever do business with me again. I’m exposed.”
People in the room whisper back and forth to each other. Despite Covington’s warning, it will leak. It’ll be on the front page of the Wall Street Journal tomorrow. Meadow Carlson is actually Meadow Mayes.
Covington stands up, and there’s no more pain in his eyes, just pure determination, power, strength. “Take me back, Meadow. Fuck the people in this room. Fuck the Street. We’ll join our firms together, and you’ll be able to finish the shelter and take on any project you want. If any person in this room or anyone else fucks with us, we’ll crush them, together. I’ll make an example out of anyone who dares to utter a bad word about you.”
The faces around the table pale, and they all know he means it. I know what he says is true. He’s thought this through. But I don’t even care about that, not really. I’m just scared to trust anyone again. That’s what it all comes down to.
He reaches down for one of my hands, then looks at me. “Did you forgive your father?”
I nod, hesitantly.
His fingers wrap around my wrist, practically begging me to let him back in with just his touch. His voice softens to a pleading tone. “Then forgive me too. I love you. I love you more than anything. I don’t care about my reputation or my job. I’ll do anything for you, for the rest of my life. I just want—you. Please?”
I glance down at our hands, then back up at him. His eyes plead with me, begging me to give him another chance. Finally, I just nod a little. “Okay.”
“Okay?” His eyes widen.
I nod again, then squeeze his hand back. “I love you too.” It feels so good, like all the pain is transferred out of my body. In a split second, before I know what’s happened, he yanks me into him, and his mouth is on mine.
He kisses me with that same Wells Covington power and strength and confidence that knocked me off my feet the first time, and still has the exact same effect. When we finally part, he’s smiling so big and wipes at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket.
I can’t believe he just did all that, cried in front of all these people.
I expect to see people on their phones, but they’re not. I glance around the room, and they’re all smiling too. Wells and I grin like idiots at each other for a long moment, then all of a sudden, I remember.
“Dad!” I take off running over to him and wrap him up in a huge hug.
Wells walks over behind me, and I squeeze Dad tighter.
He hugs me back with equal intensity and says, “I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you too.
“Thank you.”
I lean back a little, curious as to why he’s thanking me, but he’s not. His eyes are locked on Covington behind me.
“I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve this.”
“It’s water under the bridge. Let’s start over, wipe the slate clean.” Covington holds out his hand.
Dad shakes it. “I’m just—I have no words.”
“I do,” says Covington. He turns to everyone in the room. “Apologies, everyone. Meeting rescheduled for tomorrow. I’ll have food catered in and compensate you for your time.”
People start to stand up and walk from the room. None of them look frustrated, but it’s probably just an act.
“They’re all going to talk,” I say.
“Fuck ‘em.” Covington looks at me and smirks. “They won’t do shit. The first one who makes a move gets a pile driver, Undertaker-style. The rest will fall in line.”
“And, he’s back.” I smile at him.
“Back with you.” He kisses me again before I can respond.
Someone clears their throat behind us, in a playful way.
I turn around to see Martha and John. They’re about the only ones in the room who look concerned.
“So what does this all mean?” asks John.
Covington cuts me off when I start to say something. “I’m sorry for all this. It was my fault, but I’m telling you right now. You will have every resource possible at your disposal to mold this shelter exactly how you two and Meadow want it. I give you my word, even if I have to do it solely with my assets. Starting tomorrow, it will be back on track.”
I don’t blame them for looking skeptical. I feel awful that they’ve become political pawns, exposed to the harsh realities of venture capital situations. I feel awful that my personal life put their dreams at risk. I need to reassure them.
“He’s telling the truth, I promise. It has all been ironed out. Just stick with us a few weeks and you’ll see immediate progress and forward momentum.”
They glance back and forth at the two of us, and Mr. Freeport says, “Okay.”
Mrs. Freeport nods in agreement with him.
On their way past us, she stops and turns to Wells, gives him a thumbs up and says, “You nailed it, by the way. Well done.”
He snickers and says, “Thanks.”
They all leave, so that it’s just Dad, me, and Wells. I don’t even know where we go from here, but I know it makes me happy, having a path. Gives me hope. I never saw the past few months of my life going this way. I can’t believe how much I’ve been through, the ups and downs.
But I do know I love the two men in the room with me, even if they are colossal idiots sometimes.
The best thing though…
I know my mother is smiling right now. She knows I won’t be alone, and that I have a family again.
Epilogue
Meadow Carlson
Three Months Later
I get ready to head out to the construction site for the new shelter. All the contracts are in place, and we’re finally going to break ground on the renovation. The whole thing is equipped with a press release; media will be there, future tenants of the building, investors, politicians—it’s going to be a big deal, a show for the public, and I’m a little nervous about it.
The past few months have been a whirlwind, but it’s been amazing. We probated Mom’s will and got everything transferred to Dad. Mom left almost everything to me, but I know she’d want it to be this way. Dad needs a place to live, and I have my apartment, so it just makes sense.
Covington rearranged office space so our firms are now in his building. We’re working on merging everything together under one umbrella company to make things more efficient. Honestly, life has been great.
Covington walks into my living room, still half asleep and definitely not dressed.
“You need to get ready. The hell is wrong with you?”
He yawns like he doesn’t
have a care in the world. “Shouldn’t have kept me up all night.”
I turn around and try to scold him, but I can’t get rid of the grin on my face. “Me? Kept you up all night?”
“Yep.” He nods and walks toward me, and it’s dangerous. He’ll make us late if I allow him to, and I almost always give in.
“That’s a bit of revisionist history.”
“I write history however the fuck I want.” He reaches out and pulls me into him, then kisses me full on the lips. It starts to get a little intense, and his hands slide down to my ass, and for a moment I contemplate letting him make us tardy.
There’s a knock at the door, and he sighs against my lips. “Saved by Orson.” He gives me a little play spank.
I faux glare at him. “You need to get your life together.”
He grins and walks over, opens the door, and Orson looks away from his naked body and hands him a suit bag.
I walk over there, putting an earring in on the way. “Thank you, Orson.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Mayes. Do you require anything else?”
“Privacy,” says Covington. He waggles his eyebrows at me as he says it.
“We’re fine. Ignore him.”
“Oh, I’m very practiced at that discipline.” Orson cracks a smile right at me.
I lean up and give the old man a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for keeping him in line.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’ll be down in the car.”
“We’ll be down in five,” I say to Orson.
“Fifteen.” Wells tries to override my order.
I whisper, “Five,” and hold up one hand showing all five fingers to Orson.
He nods as if we just made a secret pact, then walks off down the hall.
When I close the door and turn around, Covington’s hand comes out of nowhere and has me lightly by the throat, but it catches me off guard.
He still manages to surprise me every day and it’s so hot. I want to give in, badly, but he doesn’t even give me a chance to respond.
His mouth is right next to my ear, and it drives me insane when he does this. “I won’t make us late, today.” His hand slides down, straight between my legs over my midi-length skirt. “But you’ll be late next month. That’s a fucking promise, Meadow.” He kisses me on the cheek and walks off with his suit to get ready, leaving me panting and breathless.
Holy. Shit.
I’ll be damned if he doesn’t emerge from the room in four minutes, looking like he could be on the cover of GQ magazine.
“I fucking hate you.” I glare right at him.
He smirks. “Haters gonna hate.”
I shake my head at him as he walks past acting as if I’m the one who’s going to make us late now.
Yep, this man makes me happy. So damn happy.
We get to the front of the building, the same building where I first ran into Covington. The place where this craziness began. I cannot believe I wanted to stick it to him so badly I orchestrated the vandalizing of a twenty-five-million-dollar wall and then got caught on purpose. It doesn’t even seem real now, feels like it was ten years ago with all we’ve been through.
Crazy how life can change.
I glance around, and everything is set up. There are media vans from all the major Chicago stations and surrounding areas, and even a few national outlets. This is a very big deal.
Dad meets us up front with a smile. He told us he didn’t want to come, in case it invited scrutiny, but we assured him he should be there. He has strict parole rules for another year and a half, and all his licenses to trade securities were revoked for life. He’s not allowed to consult with anyone, nor have anyone invest on his behalf. Basically, he can’t touch anything stock market related, or consult anyone on investments.
He nervously came to me the other day, asking if I could help him. The same familiar pang of anxiety hit me, like he was going to ask for a self-serving favor of some kind, but what he asked surprised me. He wants to see if he can petition the courts to allow him to teach personal finance to former inmates and low-income people, to help them learn how to build wealth. He wouldn’t have even come to me, except with the impact fund, he thought I might have some connections.
We’ll see what happens. I have my reservations, given the nature of his personality and how he throws himself into things. Maybe if it’s heavily supervised, but he needs something to do. He’s going to drive me insane.
Wells smirked at me, cocky as ever, when I told him, and said he has the solution to all our problems. Then proceeded to tell me Dad just needs some grandchildren.
The three of us walk up and meet the other investors on the stage. There’s a giant multimedia screen, loudspeakers, a podium with a mic, and the cliché golden shovel every company and project in history uses for a photo op during ground-breaking ceremonies.
Penn Hargrove, from The Hunter Group, walks over to us. “Everything look okay? All set up?”
Covington nods. “You did good.”
Penn shakes his head. “Not me, Decker. He’s the PR expert. Even got some national news here.”
Wells’ face tightens a little. “Tell that asshole I said thanks.”
“Tell me yourself, bitch.”
We turn around, and all the Collins brothers are grinning, along with their significant others. Dominic and Mary are also present. Lipsy walks up with some of the PMs from the fund too. Honestly, I think of most of these people as family now. I’ve spent so much time with them. Especially Lipsy, Dexter, and Cole.
Wells looks like he’s in a tough spot. He and Decker have a past.
“Thanks.” Wells shakes his hand.
He’s told me everything about what Decker has done. From having the firm look into companies owned by the hedge fund, how he almost exposed him while he was working with the FBI, and his visits to BDSM establishments. God, the press goes even more crazy about that now, because Wells and I continue to go in there, and we’ve even tried out a few things. I really do think it is helping make an impact, that public perception is shifting on the issue.
Wells keeps glancing over to Dex, Cole, and Lipsy, and they keep sharing those boyish grins, like when ornery school kids are up to something. The problem is, they’re all billionaire men with far more than enough resources to employ their immature pranks.
“What’s that all about?”
Wells straightens up, as do the other three. “Nothing. What?”
“Mmhmm, something is happening.”
“Pshh.” Wells looks away. “You’re nuts.”
I narrow my eyes on all four of them. “Better not embarrass me.”
Their faces all go white.
Harlow Collins gives me a fist bump. “I still like her.” She turns to Covington. “A lot.”
I turn to face her. “Thank you.” Truth be told, Harlow might be the scariest woman I’ve ever met. Beautiful, but intimidating as hell with jet-black hair, icy-blue eyes, and sleeves of tattoos on both arms.
Penn walks over to Wells and pulls him aside for a minute, to go over something. It’s curious. I know I trust Wells, but there’s still tiny bits of doubt that linger every once in a while. I don’t know if it will ever go away, but it’s manageable.
I don’t know what those two are up to, but the fact he didn’t call me over to discuss it with them gives me pause.
I don’t say anything though. Truth be told, Penn has been an incredible asset from The Hunter Group. He does incredible work for charities, especially on the administrative side, and he’s a brilliant, albeit extremely cocky, man. I’d love to have him come work for the impact fund, but he’s unshakably loyal to Donavan Collins. They’re best friends from Columbia Law School. You have to admire that in someone, that kind of mutual devotion.
Penn nods to Wells, then breaks free and walks up to the podium to begin the ceremony. He talks about the project some, a forty-thousand-foot view of the mission, what we’ll do, then introduces Martha and John. They’re amazing, and I know they’ll
sell this story to the public better than we ever could. They play a professional video we had produced up on the big screen for everyone in attendance to watch. We gave the media access to the video feed and the audio, so they can all broadcast it through their stations.
I stand there, pretty emotional, just by what all of this represents. Everything we all went through, bringing it to fruition. It’s incredible. Martha and John nail the delivery, like I knew they would, because this is their baby. There’s no way Wells or I could convey the passion they have for this, to the city, and the rest of the world.
When they’re finished, Wells and I, joined by the mayor and the governor, say a few words and conclude everything. The broadcasts all start to shut down, but suddenly, the screen comes back on behind us.
All I hear over the speakers is, “Meadow, turn around.”
I turn around, and Wells is up on the screen in what looks like some kind of home video or a Zoom call that’s being broadcast. There’s a time stamp at the bottom, and I’ll never forget that date. It was the craziest day of my life. He starts talking to me from the screen.
“Meadow, this is the day I showed up in your office with your father.” Dad peeks his head in and waves at the camera, then disappears. “I haven’t come after you yet, but I’m about to. If you’re watching, it means I was successful. I just wanted to record this and tell you, I’m going to marry you. Soon. I already bought the ring.” He holds up the box. “But asking you one time to marry me is not enough. I’m going to ask you every single day until the day comes when you say yes. I love you, Meadow Mayes. I will always love you, every single day. I will fight for you when we’re in the same room and when we’re apart. I will always be there. No matter what. I hope you enjoy this moment right now, because you deserve it. Love, Wells from the past.”
The screen cuts and there’s a date time stamped on it, one day later. Wells is with Dexter, Cole, and Lipsy. They’re drinking at The Gage.
“You’re so annoying, always Meadow this, Meadow that. It’s been one day.” Dex turns to the camera. “Please say yes, so he’ll shut up about this. We love you and all, but it’s getting old already.” He grins the whole time he says it.