Page 5 of Kyle
Her brother was lounging against the wall, his bored look a prop, of that she was sure. Jack McCreary stood next to his father, a drink in his hand. Jessica McCreary-Sweeny was rigidly seated on a throne-like chair next to her father.
Her blonde hair was ruthlessly styled at the nape of her neck, her thin, narrow face stiff and unyielding. Taking the place next to her brother, she slipped her hand through his arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Now that we're all here, we will commence." Jack McCreary's sharp gray eyes swept over the group. "William and I will be conducting the meeting. We would appreciate it if there were no interruptions."
"What a shocker," Matthew muttered in an undertone.
"Shh."
"The McCreary/Ryder partnership has been around for more than a hundred years, since Ivan McCreary and Thomas Ryder came together and decided to start buying up parcels of land to make houses."
"A history lesson?" Matthew muttered, taking a sip of his drink. "Really?"
As if he had heard the words, Jack's eyes swept over him before settling on Ingrid.
"I will not go into the details, but we have come up with a solution to the problems we're facing."
"Problems?" Ingrid spoke up despite the earlier warning of no interruption. "I was not aware we had one."
She was pinned not only by Jack's gaze but her grandfather's as well.
"We need heirs to carry on the legacy." His gaze flickered without much interest on his granddaughter. Ingrid wondered what the woman must be going through right now. Her infertility was being spread open before everyone in the room. She felt sympathy lodge inside her throat.
"And since there's no hope of that happening from the male." William Ryder had taken over, and his disdainful and icy gaze flickered over Matthew. Ingrid felt when her brother stiffened and had to tamp down the anger rising to the surface. "It's left up to you." His eyes trapped his granddaughter's gaze.
"And you." Jack McCreary picked up the thread, sending his gray gaze to his grandson. "We've decided you two should get married."
The announcement left a stunned silence in the room. Everyone except the two old men were so shocked that at first there were no sounds in the room except the snapping of wood chips in the fireplace.
"No fricking way." Ingrid was the first to snap out of her daze. With blazing eyes, she dragged her hand from her brother's arms and faced the two tyrants who had become so accustomed to running their families' lives that it had become part of them. Well, to hell with that. "I'm not marrying that, that..."
Words failed her as she gestured towards a very enraged Kyle, who had slowly risen.
"Right back at you." He snapped. Wild Irish blue eyes raked over her. "I don't give a crap what you threaten. There's no way I would ever think of marrying someone like her. She's not my type."
Even though she had been the one to draw first blood, his words and the scathing tone of his voice had her hackles rising. Before she could hurl more damaging words at him, Matthew was across the room, his hands fisting into Kyle's soft cashmere sweater.
The murderous expression on his handsome face had Jason stepping between them and shoving them apart.
"Enough." William's voice cut through the chatter and confusion effectively. He held up a hand, his gaze slicing towards his granddaughter who stood quivering with fury. "Here's what's going to happen. You two will get married as soon as possible. There's..."
"I won't do it."
He sent Ingrid a cold look.
"If you refuse, you," he pointed to her, "will find yourself out of the company and your exalted position handed over to someone else."
"And you," Jack nodded to his enraged grandson, "you will no longer be in charge of acquisitions. I might not be able to stop your inheritance, but I can tie it up through legal tangles that would take years to untangle. And the privileges you enjoy as a McCreary will be rescinded."
Kyle felt as if his chest was being pushed through his ribs. Turning, he trained his blue eyes on his father.
"Do something."
His response was a shrug as he stepped back. There was no help there.
Turning to his grandfather, he tried reasoning.
"I'll get married. There are several females, suitable ones you would approve of. Pick one and I'll give you so many heirs, you'll have to call a halt."
