The Law of Motion (Law Series) (7 page)

             
He sighed. “In time you will come around. Please realize everything that I have risked to give you this.”

             
“Risked?” I huffed in outrage.

             
He nodded. “I just announced that I had a daughter that no one knew about to the world, and that I was leaving decades of legacy to that daughter. Do you understand how scandalous that looks? I made myself look like a Casanova that gallivanted all over the world seducing women.”

             
“But that’s what you
are!
You’ve been married to Stephanie for years and I’m willing to bet you
still
aren’t faithful.” When he didn’t answer, I knew I hit the nail on the head. “Look, don’t make it seem like you are doing this for me it’s about
you,
and I refuse.”

             
“I already signed everything that I needed.” He sighed, sitting down in his chair.

             
I let go of Adrian’s hand resting them both on the desk. “Then
un
sign them.”

             
“The company is yours when I am gone.” He stated with finality.

             
I scanned over everything in my head. “Then I’ll sell it, give the money to charities and let it go to shit.”

             
A hint of worry crossed his face, but then he nodded with resolve. “If that’s what you choose to do, then that’s unfortunate, but it will be your choice to make.”

             
“This isn’t over.” I promised turning around and storming out of the office, everyone one else behind me.

             
“It was nice seeing you again Margaux.” He called after my Intel expert. He always coveted what he couldn’t have.

             
“Bye Paul.” Tink sighed, completely polite.

             
I fought the urge to scream when we were all piled into the elevators. “That was some man.” Dario mused. “He really wants you to have this place.”

             
Jackson spoke for the first time since we left the car. “He really wants Chance, but I don’t think he understands that gifts won’t work with her.”

             
“It’s a damn big gift,” Tink gawked looking around the lobby again. “The things that I could do in their labs with government approval…

             
I shook my head. “Well it’s yours. Wedding present.”

             
Adrian chucked, trying to make me feel better, “Love, most people give away toasters, and shit, not multi-billion dollar corporations.”

             
“Oh, so he can, and I can’t?” I snapped back unintentionally. He rubbed my back as we opened the first set of doors. Macon and Jackson stepped in front of me. “No guys move aside. He wants to turn my life upside down, I’ll do the same.”

             
I pushed the second set of doors open standing at the top of the stairs the crowd, which had been idle standing around the front of the steps, looking for someone that was in the web of this story to resurfac
e
caught a glimpse of me and started running up the steps. I held my hand out. “If you want a comment from me, then no one take another step forward. Ask your questions from where you are.”

             
And they all came at once.

              “Miss Marshall, what are your plans with Neil Industries?”

             
“Do you have a relationship with your sisters?”

             
“How does, Stephanie Neil feel about this sudden news?”

             
“Miss Marshall, do you know of any other illegitimate children fathered by Paul Neil?”

             
The last one caused a reaction from Adrian more than me. He was angry, “Alyssa Marshall is a human being. Not an object, there is nothing
illegitimate
about her.” I squeezed his hand, my mouth quirking into a smirk. An apologetic look filled his eyes as I took over with what I had to say.

             
“Paul Neil isn’t my father. I do not want this company, nor do I want to be involved in it in any way. I have my own business, my own money, and my own life. If he insists on forcing the situation, I will sell it the moment I am in control. That is all I have to say.”

             
The crowd burst with more questions though some thinned off to get some type of news in before their deadlines. The six of us made our exit back to the SUV.




             

             
“Did you get a chance to check your schedule?” Mrs. Flowers asked as I packed up Juan and helped him in his coat.

             
“No, I didn’t, I’m sorry. There is a lot going on right now.” I answered truthfully. “I’m not even sure if Tawny is going to let Juan go now.”

             
“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” Mrs. Flowers nodded understanding; no doubt she had seen the news or read a paper sometime today.

             
Juan, however, didn’t. “Tia Awyssa, I
want
to go.” He whined, his face twisting into a little pout of disappointment. “All of my friends are going.”

             
“I know Juan, but it’s not up to me.” I explained. Then he gave me that look I couldn’t resist. I sighed looking up at Mrs. Flowers. “I’ll clear my day, but it isn’t up to me. If Tawny and Ross agree, then I’ll be there.”                           

             
Juan was in the car talking a mile a minute, completely oblivious to the fact that there was even a problem. He just assumed that all of his uncles came with Tink and me to pick him up from school.

             
I held him in my lap as he leaned over the middle seat showing Dario all the artwork he made during class. “That’s something,
bambino
.” Dario looked in awe trying to match his excitement.

             
“Who are all them people?” Juan asked looking out the window as we pulled upfront.

             
“
Those
people Juan.” Tink corrected.

             
Juan repeated the correction. “Those. T-h-o-s-e.”

             
“Better.” Tink nodded smiling. “
They,
are no one you need to worry about.”

             
I got out of the car extending my arms so that he could jump in. “
Ugh!
You’re heavy.” I groaned dramatically securing him before we tried to force our way inside.

             
“No I’m not!” He laughed looking around at everyone, completely distracted by the attention.

              My lady was downstairs in the kitchen before me this morning. I stared at her in the doorway watching her make her breakfast. She was wearing just a tank top and the sexiest pair of boy shorts. Watching her stretch up to get the peanut butter from the cabinet was beyond drool worthy, and was only topped by her bending into the fridge to get the orange juice.

             
“Now you’re just playing with me.” I groaned walking all the way in. She already had a glass of juice on the table.

             
She flashed me a smirk that let me know that she was completely guilty. “I heard you when you came downstairs.” She confided spreading the peanut butter on her waffles.

             
I should have known, there wasn’t much she missed. “Any good news today?”

             
“Yeah, it is the first day there is no mention of us in paper in any way.” She reported, her green eyes ecstatic. She hated everything that involved Neil Industries, President included.

             
“Really?” I asked surprised, taking the eggs out of the fridge. “What took the attention?”

             
She shrugged, “Corrupt senator.”

             
“Ah,” I nodded recalling glimpses of the news last night, when the story first broke.             

             
“I’m thinking of cleaning out the tree house.” She mused looking in the back yard.

             
When Kristen had first gotten pregnant, Chance would lie in bed, talking about all of the things she wanted when she was younger but couldn’t have. A tree house was one of them. She said that
if
she ever had children that she would want them to have one.

             
I immediately got to work on planning it, determined to give her whatever she wanted. I brought it up to her as something that Juan could play in since he was at our house almost as much as Doc and Ross’s place. Though skeptical of my reasoning she agreed because Juan was already for it.

             
So as the girls lounged in hammocks all summer, the guys and I got to work on a tree house that would rival anything from a Home and Gardens magazine. It was technically two tree houses with a rope bridge connecting them. They had locking doors and windows, with a balcony and stairs instead of a ladder. The thing was fucking awesome.

             
“Do you think Juan is spoiled?” She asked shaking her head, coming out of her own thoughts. “Maybe the tree house here was a bit much.”

             
“I
know
Juan is spoiled.” I joked leaning against the counter. “But it wasn’t just for him.”

             
Alyssa thought about it and then nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure Makenna will be trekking through it when she’s old enough.”

             
She missed my point entirely. “That too… but, so will our
own kids
someday.”

             
Alyssa completely changed the subject. “I am going to need one of the guys for a security job in Baltimore. Some fashion designer is opening a new line downtown. She needs to get from the airport, to the show, to a meet and greet, and then back to the airport. It's just a day job, but an
all day
job."

             
"Dario can probably take it," I grunted hating when she did that.

             
She nodded once grabbing her phone to send a text. "Okay, I’ll get Kristen to give the details to Dario before confirming it.”

             
“Do you really not want a family with me?” I asked bringing the conversation back to the original topic.

             
She pushed her bangs from her face, but didn’t look up from her food. “I told you, I wouldn’t make a good mother.”

             
I groaned ignoring my eggs on the stove, not feeling so hungry anymore. “Honeyface, don’t do that. You can’t say that you wouldn’t make a good mother, or a good wife. I see you with Juan and Makenna
every day
.”

             
“Yeah, and every time one of them is in my possession I obsess over every little thing to make sure nothing happens to them while they are with me.” She disagreed, standing up, abandoning her food as too.

             
I stopped the argument before it could start, because I knew that she still struggled with losing a team under her command all of those years ago in Cuba. She’d been careful with
everything
since then. But now that we were together, we’d been working on her fears and issues and she had been doing so fucking well. So I calmed myself, attempting to put myself in her head. “I know that you’re worried; but I love you, and you love me. That is
more
than enough to handle anything. Throw in our
special abilities
and we are unbeatable, Love.”

             
“I don’t
want
to have a child, which I am not even sure I’ll be capable of loving properl
y
the way they would
need
to be loved.” She emphasized. “Juan has Doc and Ross, and Makenna has Macon and Kristen to handle the bonds of love and connection. That would be
our
job, and I’m not sure I can do that. You don’t get it. It isn’t an option—for someone like me. ”

             
“You love me don’t you?” I asked not understanding how it was different.

             
She washed her dish, and put it on the dry rack. “Don’t I
show
you?” She asked like she normally did.

             
In times like this it bothered me that she never out right said it, though I knew that she did. “Every day—and it would be
exactly
the same with a kid.”