Chapter 13: Chapter 14

Russell King’s primary office was miles away in the city of Chicago. When he wasn’t traveling for work or in Chicago, he mainly operated from an opulent office in the King family home.

According to Sylvie, Bug King had taken over the residence when Maryann King abandoned her children and their father was too consumed with business to care. Still, Russell operated out of the home when he needed to.

Abel and I bumped along the country roads as we made our way to the King estate. When we pulled down the long driveway, I shielded my eyes from the summer sun.

I’d visited Sylvie and her sister MJ at the King home before. It always struck me as out of place in such a quaint small town, but the Kings never seemed to do anything small. Large steps led to a grand oak door carved with intricate details.

I quietly followed Abel as he opened the front door without knocking. As it always was when I had visited Sylvie in the past, the interior was pristine, with floor-to-ceiling windows casting a golden glow over the tastefully arranged furniture. Every corner exuded money and power, with high ceilings and thick drapes. When we reached a closed door, Abel paused before knocking.

I took a deep breath. If the whisperings about Russell King were true, Abel would have to appeal to his mercurial temperament and business savvy.

“Come in.” Russell King’s voice boomed through the thick wooden door.

Abel pushed the door open, entering while I followed closely. Sitting behind a grand, opulent wood desk was Russell King. He was dressed in a shirt and tie despite the warm summer heat. Time had not been kind to Russell King. I knew the signs of a drinking problem, with his ruddy cheeks and bloodshot eyes. His paunch and bloated face nearly took away from the striking brown of his eyes—so deep and dark they reminded me of a snake’s.

I calmed myself before a shudder involuntarily coursed through me.

In a chair beside the desk was JP King. If memory served me correctly, JP was second to last born and only a few years older than MJ, the youngest. Still, he was immaculately dressed in a well-tailored suit, tie, and shiny shoes. As if he were cast from an identical mold, I imagined JP was the spitting image of a younger, handsomer Russell.

He was tall and lean. His high cheekbones were more angular than Abel’s, and he lacked the dark King eyes. Instead, his were an intense shade of blue-green. While Abel’s shoulders carried the weight of the world, JP’s seemed to have a sharp edge to them. Women in town thought him devastatingly attractive, though his icy demeanor was enough to scare off most.

As Abel and I approached, Russell stood to shake his son’s hand. “Welcome. Please, come in.”

Russell reached for me, and I slipped my hand into his. His swollen fingers held mine as he brought the top of my hand to his lips. I swallowed a visceral gag.

“Pleasure, my dear.” Russell’s smile was cautious and questioning, but as slick as oil.

“Thank you.” I quickly tucked myself next to Abel, hoping to hide my revulsion.

“What are you doing here?” Abel’s glare was directed at his younger brother.

JP’s hands went wide. “I was told this was a business meeting.”

Abel scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Of course you were.”

JP’s lips twitched into a half smile. “Is it not?”

I watched the odd exchange between brothers. Finally, Abel gestured for me to sit, and he took a seat in the chair next to me. “It’s a family announcement as well as a business meeting.”

JP smiled widely. “Then I wouldn’t miss it for the world, brother.”

Abel cleared his throat. “Sloane and I are married.”

I nearly coughed on my own saliva at the abruptness of Abel’s announcement. Russell and JP stared at us in shock, though Russell recovered more quickly.

“Why, that’s fantastic news!” Russell laughed and leaned back into his leather chair. He pointed at Abel. “I knew you were up to something. Here you thought you could get one over on me.”

Ice ran through my veins at his accusing tone.

I slipped my hand onto Abel’s arm. “We tried to keep it between ourselves . . . for the sake of my children. At least initially, but they couldn’t be happier.”

Abel stared at me and I smiled at him, willing him to stop freaking out and just play along. I squeezed his arm.

Russell’s eyes landed hard on the slim silver band on my left hand. The room pulsed as I froze.

I managed to grab it before my dad burned it with the rest of her stuff.

“Surely you didn’t marry this poor girl with that, did you?” Russell’s mocking laughter filled the office as he pointed to the ring.

My fingers curled into Abel’s forearm, and the muscles beneath his shirt rippled.

Russell shook his head. “She needs something bigger.” He winked at me and my stomach curled. “Flashier. A woman deserves to show everyone how a King spoils his woman.”

Abel shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Tension filled the air.

He was about to speak when I cut in. “Actually, I requested something simple. I love that we have matching rings. It’s perfect.”

Undeterred, Russell scoffed. “Nonsense.” He scribbled something down on a pad of paper. “I’ll have my jeweler set something up for you. We can’t have a King woman walking around with that on her finger.”

My back straightened, and I was ready to speak again when JP cut in. “Maybe we should get on to the business portion of this meeting.” He glanced at his watch. “I have another appointment.”

With a curt nod, Russell shifted gears. His fingers steepled as his eyes zeroed in on Abel. “Yes, of course. What is it that you needed to discuss, Abel?”

Beside me, nerves rolled off his shoulders in waves. I squeezed his arm once and gave him a reassuring nod.

“As you’re aware, Abel’s Brewery continues to expand and be more profitable than we initially anticipated. You were an integral part of getting the brewery off the ground, and I will always be thankful for that. Moving forward, I would like to buy out King Equities’ shares and carry it forward on my own.”

Pride swelled in my chest, and I smiled as Abel stared ahead at his father.

JP scoffed lightly to my right. “With what money?”

I resisted the urge to sneer in his direction.

“I’ve been saving,” Abel said. “That, in addition to Sloane’s family money, would be enough to outright purchase the brewery.”

Russell’s index fingers tapped together as Abel’s words settled over him. “I don’t know, son. A total buyout is a bold move. Maybe the firm should stay on for a while as a minority shareholder . . . just in case.”

Abel tensed beside me. It was clear he didn’t want his father involved with any part of Abel’s Brewery. “When the brewery was purchased, we’d agreed the firm’s money was a loan. As the brewery has grown, those repayments have been made regularly.”

Russell’s chair groaned as he shifted in his seat. “I understand that. You’ve surprised everyone with what you’ve done with the business, even me. Still . . .”

“The terms of the loan were clear, Abel,” JP interrupted. “King Equities provided the initial loan but remains a partner, even once that loan is repaid.”

“You don’t want King Equities involved?” Russell sounded deeply wounded, though I suspected it was simply a guilt tactic.

Abel jerked his chin. “It’s not that. Land and business acquisition has been the primary goal of King Equities. Now that Abel’s Brewery is established, there is no residual value outside of profit shares. I would think it would be far more beneficial to use the buyout to acquire other businesses in the future.”

A light huh escaped JP, and a tiny twirl of victory zipped through my belly. Abel had done his own research, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

Russell’s hand moved across the pad of paper as he scribbled more illegible notes. “I’ll have to mull this over, of course.”

Feeling a skittering of panic, I licked my lips and sat up. I smiled widely at Russell. “Thank you, sir.” I leaned into Abel, resting my head against his arm. “Owning the brewery with the man I love has been a dream of mine, and Abel has been doing everything he can to make my dreams come true.” I blinked up at my husband’s shocked face. “He really is a teddy bear.”

JP sneered and Russell laughed. “My, my. I see you’ve got your hands full with this one, Abel. I’m sure we can work something out. I will think it over and get back to you.”

I stood, seeing our exit and taking it. Russell, JP, and Abel all stood. Quickly, I rounded the desk, wrapping my arms around my new father-in-law. “Thank you, sir. I am so honored to be a part of this family.”

Russell King’s patronizing eyes looked down on me. I knew a man who liked a pat on the ass when I saw one, and Russell King took the bait. His hand dipped far too low on my back as he returned my embrace, and my stomach soured. Still, I beamed up at him before I retook my position beside Abel, who was frozen in place.

His shoulders bunched, and he didn’t seem to move as he stared at his father. “It’s time to go. My wife and I have afternoon plans.”

My wife.

There it was again. Two words that sent a dull ache straight between my legs.

Confused by the sudden darkening of Abel’s mood, I leaned into him. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. He dropped a soft kiss on the top of my head, selling our farce to his father, I assumed.

Russell smiled in an oily kind of way that made my skin crawl. He sighed. “It’s a good day to be the king.”

I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat and clung to Abel as we exited the stuffy, too-dark office.

JP followed us out, closing the door behind him. “Abel,” he called, stopping us both in our tracks.

We turned to see JP frowning and pointing his finger between us. “I don’t buy this bullshit for a second . . . but it seems he does. I’ll talk to him. He’s got his eye on a failing law firm office over in Bloom County. The funds from the brewery buyout would clear up some red tape and make a hostile takeover of the building much simpler. It might take a few days to get everything in order, but if I can make it work, I will.”

Abel nodded, revealing nothing. “Thank you.”

The men shook hands, and Abel headed straight for the door with me hot on his heels.

Once outside, I exhaled in relief and trotted beside Abel as he walked toward my car. Hoping to break the ice, I said, “Your brother seems a little frosty, but kind of nice.”

Abel yanked open the driver’s-side door for me. “He’s not. If there’s an angle JP can play, he’ll play it. But our hands are tied. We’ll have to trust him.”

I scurried into the driver’s seat and waited as Abel climbed into the passenger side. “Where to?” I asked.

Abel’s brown eyes burned into me as my pulse skyrocketed under his assessment. “Let’s go home.”