Page 34 of By His Vow
“Thank you, Judith,” I say as I walk down hallway with my muscles pulled tight with irritation. I’m late. I fucking hate being late.
And it’s all her fault.
I knock once and push the door open without waiting for a response. I already know they’re waiting for me.
As I step inside, my breath catches at the sight of my father sitting in Jonathan Warner’s seat at the head of the table.
I don’t know why I’m surprised. He isn’t the kind of man who will take too kindly to not being the most important person in the room at all times.
“Good of you to join us, Kingston,” my father chides while Miles frowns.
He knows as well as I do that I don’t make a habit of being the last to a meeting.
“I apologize for my lack of punctuality,” I say, addressing all the men sitting around the table before pulling out the empty seat between my father and Kian.
“Good to see you’re looking even uglier this morning,” Kian mutters quietly as I settle.
I shoot him a glare.
“Is everything okay?” Miles asks, able to read me better than most.
“I was with Miss Warner. Helping her come to terms with everything.”
“How very thoughtful of you,” Dad says while the other board members nod appreciatively.
“She should be here,” Miles suddenly pipes up.
“She isn’t in a senior role,” my father explains. “Nor is she on the board of directors.”
“She should be. Half of this should be hers now,” Miles argues while my mind drifts to places it shouldn’t.
I picture her here with us, sitting around this table in her sinfully short skirt, her blouse teasing me with what she’s hiding beneath, and her full, pouty lips that were made for kissing….
I shift in my chair as my cock begins to swell.
Stop thinking about Miles’s fucking sister.
“So, as I was saying,” my father continues, “we have a lot of decisions to make, a lot of changes to implement over the coming months and years, but I truly believe this merger will be a positive for both companies.
“While I might be sitting here now at the head of this table, I want to make it known that going forward, both Miles and Kingston are taking on the role of managing Warner Group.
“We will, of course, work closely together as we progress through the changes, but this is their future we’re carving out, the future for their children. And after all, I’m sure more than a few of you here will agree that it’s probably high time I consider taking a step back. My sons, and Miles, are more than capable of taking the reins on this while I consider doing more…enjoyable things with my time.
“Jonathan’s passing is a lesson to us in many ways. Life is short. We need to make fast yet well-thought-out decisions and think about utilizing the time and the opportunities we have wisely.
“We’re a long time dead, gentlemen.”
Agreement rings in the air.
“Now, and please feel free to interject, my first thought for how we handle this is…”
Dad might be right, Jonathan’s passing was a surprise to all of us, but sitting there and listening to him lay out plans for the company for well over two hours, I can’t help but wonder how much they’d discussed this happening. Dad sure seems very confident in his ideas.
The thought of our fathers planning what would happen in the event of Jonathan’s demise behind our backs—behind Miles’s back—doesn’t sit right with me. But there isn’t much I can do about it now.
“Ineed to head out,” Dad says not long after the board members have left. “Call me if you have any questions about all of this.”
“I have one question,” Kian says, having remained almost silent for the past few hours.