Page 20 of The Tempo of Truth
In the picture, I looked concerned and was reaching for him.Ky appeared tired and irritated.It was obvious to anyone that he didn’t want me there.There were already salacious stories circulating about his messy dating history, and the news that his friend was stabbed and required surgery because he was caught in the crossfire had leaked.None of the news made Ky look very good, and there was a ton of speculation about our relationship.Much like Halliday Inc.’s board of directors, people were asking if I was so oblivious in my personal life, how could I guide such a big, important business in the future?
It was frustrating that everyone seemed to assume I was making major business decisions with my vagina instead of my brain and a literal lifetime of training and guidance.How quickly the masses forgot I was born to take over the family business.I grew up within Colette Halliday’s clutches.Regardless of who warmed my bed at night, I knew more about my family’s business interests than anyone else.And even as much as my uncles favored me, they would never hand over control if they thought I couldn’t handle it.There were too many employees and partners relying on Halliday Inc.for them to let me do whatever the hell I wanted.
I lifted my hand to toss my phone on the empty side of the bed when it pinged with a new message.
~ Don’t get upset reading all the nonsense that’s being written about you at the moment.Don’t forget, it was the general consensus that I used magic or sold my soul to the devil in order to catch your uncle’s eye.No one believed that he was the one who was crazy about me and refused to take no when he asked me to marry him.Don’t let outside noise be louder than whatever your heart is telling you.Love you, kiddo.
I grinned slightly at my Aunt Channing’s words.If anyone could sympathize with my current predicament, it was her.My Uncle Win coerced her into marrying him long before she was in love with him.It was fortunate they ended up being a perfect match, but she was right.When I was younger, no one in the upper circles my uncle traveled in thought my aunt was good enough for him.They refused to believe he was the one who chased her or that a Halliday could give up everything for love.
It was like I told Ky earlier: I really had the best example to follow.My aunt and uncle gave me hope that a love that had no reason to work would, as long as you wanted it badly enough.
Ky
I woke up hours earlier than usual because of the pain in my shoulder and hand.I kicked the blanket off and struggled to get off the couch.Once I was on my feet, I folded the soft material into a sloppy square with one hand and draped it over the arm of the overly stuffed sofa.If the big piece of furniture didn’t feel like a cloud, I wouldn’t have slept nearly as well as I did.The brownstone was particularly quiet, making me unconsciously tiptoe to the bathroom.Once I was done doing my business, I planned to grab the new phone Winnie got me and head back to the hospital to check on Mino.
The stab wound led to some internal bleeding, which required surgery.He was awake and aware yesterday when Lev strong-armed me into going home with Winnie.If his condition had remained critical, an entire defensive line wouldn’t have been able to drag me away from his hospital room.After I checked in, I needed to get the phone activated, and then I was going to track down the disgruntled boyfriend of the reality star who whipped my ass and show him what it was like to go against me in a fair fight.I wasn’t about to let getting knocked around with a baseball bat go, especially when I got my ass handed to me by the boyfriend of a woman whose name I could hardly remember.
I slipped into the well-stocked kitchen, planning to snag a piece of fruit or a muffin for breakfast on the go, when I halted at the sight of Winnie’s head of security helping himself to a cup of coffee while he scrolled on the tablet lying in front of him.
We paused, sized each other up, and tacitly agreed to ignore each other as I stuck my head in the fridge.There was a little bit of everything on the shelves.I grabbed a yogurt container and a handful of fresh strawberries to put on top.I blindly opened the drawers next to me in search of a knife to chop up the fruit when a deep voice directed, “The third drawer on the right of the sink.”
I grunted my thanks and asked, just to make conversation, “Are you always here before your boss is even awake?”That was some serious dedication.I wondered if he got paid more for being so diligent.
The coffee mug hit the counter with a softclink.“I want to be there before Ms.Halliday needs anything.She’s going through a major upheaval in her life and career at the moment.It’s my job to make the transition as easy for her as possible.She knows she can rely on me without having to ask.”
I dug through the drawer until I found a spoon.“If she wants to change the minds of those old guys who’ve been on the board since her grandmother was in charge, she’s going to have to learn to rely on herself.If someone else pushes the mountains she wants to move out of the way for her, no one will ever take her seriously as the head of that company.They’re going to call her a nepo-baby and question every move she makes, no matter how hard she works.”
“I must’ve missed the memo where you became an expert on corporate culture.”
I snorted but couldn’t turn around to argue with him since I only had one working hand at the moment and needed to leave the yogurt on the edge of the counter while I shoveled the spoon into it.Rich people’s groceries were on another level.The fruit tasted way better than the batch in my fridge from the corner store, and the yogurt was almost decadent; it was so silky and creamy.
“I’m just a guy who could never shake the allegations that I bought my way into the European League.It never mattered how hard I played, how long I practiced, or how much better I was than the player next to me.All I ever heard was that my position was bought and paid for.”
“Wasn’t it?”The broody Hispanic man’s voice was ice cold.“Win Halliday gave your mother money to use however she wanted as long as you left the city.You wouldn’t have had any of the opportunities you did overseas if that money hadn’t opened the doors for you.You’re a lucky son of a bitch.”
I tossed the spoon into the sink and watched it clatter around.“You’ve got half of that right.”I was definitely a son of a bitch on most days, but it had been a long time since I felt lucky.Well, last night on the couch with Winnie, I got really close to having my luck change for the better.Maybe I wasn’t as unfortunate as I kept telling myself I was.
“You know that Winnie deserves better than you, right?The kid too.”The man narrowed his dark eyes and gave me a once-over that ended with a curled lip of disgust.“It’s not even about the money.Winnie’s got a pure heart and untainted intentions.She’s a good person and a great mother.I’ve never understood what she sees in you or why she thinks Lowe is better off having you in his life.She’s smarter than that.”
I chuckled and lifted a taunting eyebrow.“Shouldn’t you be thanking your lucky stars that Winnie Halliday has always had eyes for a loser like me?Doesn’t that make it feel like a regular dude like you might have a shot if you stay by her side and give her whatever she asks for?If I weren’t her first love, there isn’t a chance in hell someone like you could take my place.I dragged her standards to hell and set the bar so low anyone can jump over it.”I wiggled my eyebrows.“You’re welcome.”
I went to leave but didn’t get to take more than a step when I was intercepted.I was taller than Winnie’s security guard, but he was bulkier.We were both in excellent shape, and I still wasn’t certain which one of us would win in a fight.In a war of words, he was the unrivaled victor as soon as he asked, “Don’t you regret not being there when your son was born?How can you stand knowing that another man is going to step in and raise him?You can fight for the most worthless things in the world, but not for something as important as your child?You really are a fucking loser, Kent.”
His words knocked me back like he’d landed a physical blow.I’d never given myself two minutes to consider who was standing next to Winnie when she was pregnant and alone.She brought a little life into the world, all by herself, without asking me for a damn thing.And just like the big bruiser said, she was too good for others not to notice.Just because I couldn’t bring myself to stand by her side didn’t mean there wasn’t a line of men waiting to fill the vacant position.
“Believe it or not, I never wanted to fight.Not when I was younger and I was just trying to protect myself.Not against my teammates when they turned on me.Not to pay the bills as a last resort.And I definitely never saw myself fighting over a woman.I guess I just have the type of face that incites a violent reaction in others.”
Helio made a disgusted sound and finally moved so I could leave.I was almost out of the kitchen when he called, “I hope you figure your shit out sooner rather than later, Kent.If you don’t, who knows what sort of man is going to end up raising your kid in your place.”
He pointed at the tablet, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw two pictures side by side.Winnie and I were limping out of the hospital, looking like a sad joke.The other was taken outside of an upscale restaurant and showed Winnie walking next to a tall man in a suit and tie.It looked more like a business meeting than a lunch date, but that didn’t stop the headline from comparing it to one.Needless to say, any description that followed my name was less than flattering.
“That guy is doing too much, too fast.I don’t know what his endgame is, but I hate that Ms.Halliday is spending her time and energy on him outside of work, even more than I hate her calling me in the middle of the night to bring you your phone.Something is off about him.”Helio sounded like he wouldn’t mind pushing Winnie’s business associate off the nearest cliff if he got the chance.
I took another look at the battling images, then shrugged.“He looks like any other guy who moves in Winnie’s circle.If you’ve got a bad feeling, be sure to tell her.She seems to trust you.Winnie’s not as naïve as people make her out to be.”She wasn’t afforded that luxury after her grandfather kidnapped her.“And she doesn’tneeda man to help raise Lowe.She’s been doing fine on her own.Plus, I’m not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.Anyone who wants to use my kid to get to Winnie or vice versa has to go through me first.You and I both know that even if I don’t love it, I can and will fight.”
I slipped out of the brownstone and thought about waving down a cab before I realized I didn’t have a working phone or my wallet.I swore under my breath and half-walked, but mostly jogged, to the old neighborhood, hoping to run into a friend so I could borrow a phone and call for a ride to my apartment.I needed a shower and a change of clothes in the worst way.I also needed to take care of the various scrapes and cuts that I wouldn’t let the doctors touch while at the ER.I was already dreading getting the bill, which I wouldn’t be able to pay until my shoulder was in better shape.
I really owed the jealous boyfriend a beating for making my life twenty times harder than it already was.
