The Ties that Bind (Kingdom) (26 page)

“Do you have it?”

Raising his hand, Jason placed a large envelope on Steve’s desk before taking a seat facing him.

“Jake gave this to me before he left this morning.”

Steve didn’t respond to Jason’s comment, his attention firmly on the white envelope sitting on his desk. This was it. This was what he’d been waiting for. Yet he hesitated.

“Do you know what’s inside?” Steve asked, looking up at Jason.

“No,”

Wetting his lips, Steve opened the envelope, and read the contents. Satisfied, he replaced the documents and again looked at Jason.

“Thanks for the help, man.”

“Anytime. If I can help in some way, all you have to do is ask, no matter how far away I am.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aviva and I have been talking about it for a while, and we’ve decided to move to New York.

“Ah, the lure of the new family.”

“I’m not going to lie and say that knowledge of their existence didn’t play a part in our final decision. But that’s not the whole of it. It’s just time for me to move on. Aviva likes L.A. well enough, but she prefers the east coast. She has the idea that we need to live in a smaller house, and get this, in the countryside.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Jason King has been domesticated!” Steve said with a laugh that Jason didn’t return.

“I love her man, and whatever she wants, if I have the means, it’s hers.”

Jason’s words were so uncomplicated they gave Steve pause. For a moment, he too took the time to look deep within.

He had just been handed an envelope that contained the evidence that he hoped would ultimately allow Hope’s family to finally be free of Nixon. Then he considered what had taken place on their wedding day, how much it had humiliated him, hurt him. But here he was going out of his way to help her.

“I understand. You probably think I’m a fool for helping Hope in this way. I need to know...”

“You need to know why she behaved the way she did?” Steve finished for him.

As matters had stood between them up until a few days ago, Steve had no intention of relating Hope’s story to Jason. He now changed his mind.

Pressing his intercom, Steve spoke into it, “Ms. Ellis, I don’t want to be disturbed for the next hour.”

His instructions given, Steve rose from behind his desk and began to pace the floor, wondering where to begin. As his thoughts took shape, he began to speak. “I’m going to tell you this because, I suppose you of all people deserve to know why Hope behaved in the way that she did. I also think it’s important that you know because Hope and Aviva are sisters. If you stand in their way of exploring that, somewhere down the line it might come between the two of you. Remember what Dad said the last time we got into it?”

“I remember.”

“He said there’s nothing family can’t resolve given time and the desire to make it happen. I hope after I finish telling you what’s been going on in that family, you’ll be willing to give her a chance, for Aviva’s sake.”

Retaking his seat, Steve leaned back in his chair and began to speak. He didn’t just tell Jason the mechanics, rather he spoke about how he felt, how Hope felt, and what her family had all been through.

Steve hadn’t realized that while he spoke he had taken on a faraway look. Refocusing, he finally looked at Jason and awaited his reaction.

“It will never cease to amaze me how some adults can fuck up children’s lives no matter how unwittingly.”

About to respond, Steve was distracted by the sound of the intercom sitting on his desk. A quick glance at his watch told him that he had been speaking far longer than he had intended. His next appointment had arrived. It hadn’t been his intention for Jason to be here, but his presence made no difference to what he had to do.

“Send him in please, Ms. Ellis.”

“You don’t summon me, Stephen Blackman!” The disgruntled man shouted as he stormed through the door.

“Be that as it may, you’re here,” Steve said, a look of steely resolve settling over his expression, “so why don’t you take a seat.”

Steve had never liked Percy Cox. First, he had a really dumb name, and second he thought he was smarter than he actually was.

“What’s the purpose of this little meeting?” Cox asked, ignoring Steve’s offer of a seat.

Refusing to relinquish control of the meeting, Steve continued speaking as though Cox hadn’t asked a question.

“You remember Jason King, don’t you?”

“How could I forget Mr. King?” Cox said, distaste dripping from his voice.

“I know, right. Man, I’ve just got it like that.” Was all Jason said by way of acknowledgment to Cox’s comment.

Steve took the time to shoot Jason a warning look, which stopped him from making further comment. His look also warned, keep quiet or get out. From years of silent communication, Steve knew Jason would get the message.

“Sit down, Mr. Cox.” There must have been something about the look in Steve’s eyes that made Cox comply. “Now shall we get down to business?”

“That’s why I’m here. This has gone on long enough. I’ve already informed you of your choices as I see them. Now I want answers. The court date is pending. Therefore, if you want to at least retain a modicum of your reputation, I suggest you accept my offer.”

“What offer is that?” Jason broke in.

“Jason!” Steve warned again.

“I don’t blame you, Blackman. The last thing you need in a situation as tenuous as yours is a hotheaded partner. Who from past experience is more than capable of derailing your chances of at least coming out of this with your liberty. If you disagree with my suggestions and if you can manage to retain your liberty, maybe you can both find work at one of the establishments you used to frequent.”

“Listen to me you ingrate bastard...”

“Jason, keep quiet or leave. Your choice!” Steve stopped him, exasperated with his lack of ability to hold on to his temper.

Jason’s only response was a lowering of his brows, which indicated his dislike of Steve’s tone.

Steve didn’t care. Jason no longer had an investment in the company and he wasn’t about to allow the hotheaded bastard to derail his business. The last time Jason had arbitrated in a meeting of his company, it had cost him dearly.

Jason settled back in his seat, crossing an ankle over his knee, and seemed to relax.

Aware that was all he was going to get, Steve shifted his attention back to Cox.

“Jason is no longer a part of this equation. You will deal with me, and me only. What’s your proposition?”

“You sell your land in Ojai, and we’ll call it quits. The lawsuit will go away, and you can resume your life or at least what will be left of it.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Jason interjected. “All this mess is about the Ojai land?”

Steve didn’t bother to react to Jason’s outburst. It was obvious the man wouldn’t, or couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Actually, it’s about the parcel of land you own that extends outside of that ten mile radius. I have it under good authority that all your money is tied up in that venture.” Throughout his demands, Cox had directed his comments towards Jason.

“You will not speak to him about this. You will deal with me and only me. As I already said, Mr. King no longer has any say in this matter.” Steve was a calm man, but he could feel his agitation rising at Jason’s constant interruptions, being ignored, and Cox’s outlandish demands.

“Your source of this information?” Steve asked.

“It’s reliable, that’s all you need to know.”

“I see. Please elaborate on your terms.”

The price Cox quoted for the land had Jason’s brows lowering ominously and Steve laughing out loud. But the sound carried no mirth. Steve could also see that his laughter had riled, Cox.

“You acquired the first parcel of land under false pretense. You and your friend over there tricked my family out of what has belonged to us for generations. I want it back!”

“What the hell are you talking about, Cox?” Jason interjected, uncaring whether Steve liked it or not.

Steve didn’t bother to voice a warning to Jason’s outburst. He too was curious as to what Cox had to say by way of an explanation of his peculiar comment.

“That land wasn’t for sale. You both lied to acquire it. You bought up the land surrounding ours until my uncle had no option other than to sell that land to you.”

The sound of Jason’s explosive laughter pulled the attention of the other two men. “That’s the biggest crock I’ve heard in a long time. Your uncle was a fool and so are you!”

“I couldn’t agree more. Your relatives were sitting on that land, without the foresight or knowhow of how to make it work for them.”

“They were doing just fine until you came along; flashing your money, buying up the land around us.”

“
Us
, you had no claim to that land, Cox. My company paid a fair price for that land. I know your aunt was doing her best to make that business work. Your uncle, on the other hand, was so deep into pissing her every attempt away that it was always going to be a losing battle.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I know that the price we paid was a fair one. I also know that your uncle went through that money in such a short amount of time it even boggles my mind.”

“I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say about my family!”

Steve could see that Cox was becoming more and more agitated with each truth he was confronted with. To Steve’s surprise, Jason picked up the story.

“Your uncle pissed that money away. Then he came to us and begged us for a job. We only agreed because of your aunt. We employed him because she begged us to. Fool that I was I agreed. I now know that it was your uncle who maneuvered her into the request.”

“What are you talking about, Jason?” Steve asked, confused by the direction the conversation had taken.

“Drake used his wife to reel us in. He saw something in us that made him realize that the way to get close to us was to use her to garner sympathy. The outcome of that was that they were in our home, close to us. They used that to their advantage. Because I didn’t recognize my enemy, it nearly cost me everything.”

Steve was concerned, knowing he had missed something vital in his preoccupation with what had been going on with Hope. “What are you talking about?”

“Not now.”

Jason’s curt reply was enough to pull Steve back to the matter at hand. It was time to conclude this fiasco. He knew that something had happened to Jason that he wasn’t cognizant of, but whatever it was had to wait.

This meeting was about Cox and showing him that he wasn’t someone who could be trifled with. He intended to be in the game for many years to come. Therefore, he had no intention of falling at the first hurdle.

Cox had already made mighty inroads into discrediting the reputation they had built over the years. It was time to settle the score.

Bringing the conversation back on track, Steve gave Cox a penetrating look. “What do you really want, Cox?”

At Cox’s preening, Steve knew he wasn’t going to like the answer to his question.

“I’m not a greedy man. Therefore, I’m prepared to offer you one quarter of the price you paid my family for the land you stole from us.”

Steve was convinced that the man had lost his mind. Wasn’t he listening to anything he’d just said? Steve had expected some form of interjection from Jason, but for once he remained quiet in the face of Cox’s outrageous demand. Finally Jason understood that this was now Steve’s business, and he was the only one who could rectify this situation.

Coming to his feet, Steve walked to the giant window that was the backdrop to the bustling city below. Maintaining his silence, Steve looked out of the window while he allowed the tension surrounding them to take hold. Steve knew the next words he spoke would define his future as a businessman. His mind was working hard at how to voice his next move because he understood his enemy.

Turning back to face the room, Steve looked Cox straight in the eyes. “This is what you’re going to do; you are going to sell me any land you still hold in the area. Unlike you, I truly understand the concept of fairness. Therefore, I will pay you the going rate for the land. That way you will have enough funds to start over.”

The sound of disdainful laughter was his answer. The sound didn’t faze Steve, he had expected nothing less. But he held his ground, sure of his position.

Cox’s next words came with amusement still apparent in his voice. “It would seem that you are still under the assumption that you have a hand to play.” Suddenly, all traces of his earlier enjoyment of the situation were gone. “This is what’s going to happen. You are going to sell me all of your Ojai holding, and you’re going to do it willingly. The consequence of not doing so will be that I will follow through with the court case... and I will ruin you. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll both be lucky if you’ll be able to sell crack to make a living!”

Looking over at Jason, Steve murmured, “Know thy enemy.” Steve witnessed the change of Jason’s eyes from their usual green to black. But he had to hand it to him, he didn’t say a word.

Chapter 28

Taking a few moments to gather himself, Steve recognized that he wanted the meeting to be over as soon as possible. Hardening his expression, he assured himself that he had been underestimated for the last time by this man. When Steve spoke it was with a deadly intent that neither Jason nor Cox had ever heard before.

“Nothing’s changed, Cox, and I will not repeat myself.”

“Really, Mr. Blackman, your words tell me you are not a business man. What you need to understand is that every man has his place. May I say that the business world is not yours?”

“You can say anything you have a mind to, Cox. The fact remains, you will sell me the land or I’ll take it from you!”

Cox’s laughter filled the room as he seemed to make himself comfortable in his seat, giving every indication of being supremely secure in his position. “This morning I signed documents that mean that I am now in possession of the land that surrounds yours in Alexander Valley. Between my holding that land and the money you spent on your investments in Italy, how shall I put it? I would say that I have your balls in a vice. ”