Chapter 5

I glance at my watch as I rush into my office building for my monthly board meeting with my siblings and parents. “You’re late,” my father says, his expression unreadable.

“You walked in three seconds ago yourself, Roger,” Mom reminds him, instantly earning herself a sheepish smile from Dad.

“Probably too busy messing with Sierra,” Hunter says.

I glare at my younger brother, unable to help myself. Ever since The Herald reported that Sierra was seen at his nightclub several months ago, he’s been trying to get on my nerves by mentioning her every chance he gets. He claims it isn’t true, but they’ve been reporting on how she allegedly went into his office with him, and how great of a couple the two of them would be. That stupid newspaper has no idea how close I’ve gotten to just buying their entire office building and flattening it.

“Did you see this, Mom?” Elijah asks, tipping his head toward the screen behind me. Instantly, a picture of Sierra and me dancing the tango appears, and I groan.

“Aw, that’s so cute,” Mom replies, her eyes glittering. “That’s a wonderful photo.”

“When will we get to meet your girlfriend, Xavier?” Dad adds. “I feel like I’ve been hearing about her for an eternity now.”

Zach bursts out laughing and shakes his head. “Sierra Windsor? His girlfriend? Maybe in his wildest dreams. She hates him.”

I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “She doesn’t hate me,” I retort, my voice weak. My response only elicits more laughter from my brothers, and my parents glance at each other, doing that thing they always do — communicating silently. I’ve never witnessed it in anyone but them, but at times, I’m certain they can read each other’s minds.

“She can’t fucking stand you,” Hunter says, grinning. “She likes me just fine, though.”

“Shut up,” I tell him, annoyed I let him get under my skin. All of my sources tell me she’s never really spoken to him for more than a few minutes, and I doubt she’d even recognize him if she ran into him, but it still gets on my nerves. “Are we here to talk about my love life, or our company’s performance?”

“Love life is overstating it a little bit, don’t you think?” Elijah jokes.

“I’d much rather talk about your performance — or lack thereof,” Zach adds.

Dad chokes back a laugh, and I let my eyes fall closed. “You’re all fucking insufferable.”

“Insufferable?” Hunter repeats. “Did Sierra teach you that word?”

I glance at Mom, silently pleading for help, and she sighs as she rises to her feet. “Enough,” she says, her voice soft but firm. My brothers all instantly straighten in their seats, their smiles melting away.

“You,” she says, pointing at Zachary, “are the mayor of a city that was named after us, and this is how you behave?” I smirk at him, pleased she’s standing up for me. “And you, Elijah. You are, quite literally, the head of a secret intelligence agency, and here you are, abusing your powers and showcasing your brother’s private affairs.” She points at the screen, and he rushes to disconnect his laptop. “And Hunter? You’d better stop humoring these reporters just to provoke your brother and start focusing on composing and recording some new songs. You’re wasting your talent in that godforsaken club of yours, and if you keep this up, I’m taking it away altogether.”

“Must be nice,” Zach mutters under his breath. “Being Mom’s favorite child.”

I shake my head and connect my laptop to the screen so I can pull up our monthly figures. We all know who the real favorite child is, and it isn’t any of us.

“We’re up 13% year to date across our holdings,” I begin to explain. While my siblings and I all do vastly different things, all our different endeavors are simply different entities of the King Group, and we all report directly to our parents. I handle all our real estate, Zach handles politics and our family’s image, Elijah is in charge of maintaining some of our old ties and using them to take down some of the worst threats to our family before they materialize, and Hunter… well, he’s the only one of us with real otherworldly talent. Why he hasn’t picked up his guitar in years is a mystery to us all, but I’m certain he won’t be able to stay away forever.

“Our aim is a thirty percent rise,” Dad reminds me, his gaze roaming over our figures. He begins to dissect our performance, giving each of my brothers and me pointers on where to cut costs, and where to invest further. He’s never said it, but I know guilt and self blame still keep him up at night. He’s worked himself to the bone to ensure we’d thrive in ethical and legal ways, transforming himself and our family virtually overnight in hopes it’d make a difference.

“Good job this month, kids,” Mom says as the meeting concludes. Normally, my parents leave quickly, and my brothers and I end up having a couple of glasses of whiskey while we catch up, but judging by the way Mom ushers them out today, it’s clear she has something to say to me.

My brothers all throw me pitiful glances as they leave the room. They know as well as I do that it’s never good when our parents want to have a word with any of us. After all, they rarely interfere in our private lives, and the only times they say anything at all about the way we run our businesses is in this monthly meeting.

I raise a brow when Dad follows my brothers out, and all of a sudden, I feel like a teenager again, having gotten caught doing something I shouldn’t have been. “So,” Mom says, pushing the door closed behind Dad. She turns to face me, a deceptive smile on her face. “Sierra Windsor, huh?”

“Nope,” I say, rising to my feet. “I’m not talking to you about her.”

Mom crosses her arms and leans back against the door, ensuring I can’t just walk out. “I suppose I could just go speak to her myself.”

I sit down slowly. “What is it you want to know?” I ask cautiously, and Mom smiles.

“I would like to know what your intentions are, Xavier. I didn’t raise a bully — but that’s exactly what you seem to be. I didn’t mind it when your feud was mutual and it seemed playful, but now? You took her designs, and she looked devastated when she walked into that party. That’s not how you treat a woman you care about.”

How could she possibly know that? I’m tempted to tell her that Sierra slashed all my tires shortly after, but I know that isn’t what my mother needs to hear. “Mom,” I murmur, wringing my hands. It doesn’t matter how old my brothers and I get, or how much we accomplish. Our mother has this way of making us all feel like we’re five years old all over again.

“Your intentions, Xavier. If they’re anything but honorable, Sierra slashing your tires will be the least you’ll have to contend with.”

“How…” I shake my head and sigh. Elijah, no doubt. Fucking tattletale. “Mom,” I say, taking a deep breath. “If things go the way I hope they will, I intend to make Sierra my wife.”