Stealing Her (Covet 1)

“Julian.” She said my name like she knew me intimately, and I got even sicker. “I think we should talk.” She followed that with a wink.

“I’m not in the mood to talk,” I said through clenched teeth, ignoring her completely as I walked into my office and shut the door behind me.

I barely had time to register the massiveness of the room or the view of the financial district before a knock sounded and the annoying woman let herself in and shut the door behind her.

She clapped her hand over my mouth and slammed her hand against the door. “Yes, right there. I missed you so much, baby, so much.”

My eyes widened as I shoved away from her. “What the fuck!”

“Shh!” she snapped and then grabbed me by the arm and dragged me around the corner to the couch. “She needs to think we’re having sex.”

“She?”

“Amy.” She rolled her eyes. “Receptionist number two, dumb as a bag of rocks and useful because she distracts old board members, mainly your father.”

“Too much information.” I held up my hand. “And what do you think you’re doing? You can’t just—”

“I know you’re not Julian,” she said softly, her eyes searching mine like she was waiting for confirmation.

My mouth snapped closed. I was not prepared for this. I abruptly stood and paced the room. “You need to leave now. That’s completely false.”

“You look like him, but he’s leaner. He’s also better at playing this game than you are.” She sighed. “Use your passwords to unlock the computer, I’m sure by now you know something’s not right. Before the accident, Julian found out that your father had created a trust for you but wasn’t going to release it. Julian joked about using it as leverage one day. Not only would it set you up for life but it would give you a one-third ownership of the company. It was just what Julian needed, the power he needed, both of you owning your shares so you could take over the company.” She opened her hand. On it was a tiny USB flash drive that was shaped like a tube of lipstick. “I’ve been helping him access files as much as I can without getting flagged, but he had big plans once he became CEO, and now that he’s in a coma, I figured he would want you to continue making them.”

I grabbed it. “Trust me, I know. Edward showed me the papers and used it as a bargaining chip over the upcoming wedding, knowing I didn’t want to get in this deep.” I sighed. “There’s nothing I can do, not with Julian still in a coma.”

“His toes moved.” She said it slowly. “I overheard your father on the phone when I was bringing papers to sign into his office. He distinctly said, ‘Toes moving doesn’t mean anything, I want more results.’”

It made me a horrible person, didn’t it? That my relief was mixed with dread, dread that he would walk in and pick up right where he left off.

The company I didn’t care about.

Izzy, however . . .

I looked up. “What was Julian planning?”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Look, just go over the documents he drew up, the letter to the board members, the business plan for the future of Tennyson Financial once the buyout was completed with IFC. I think you’ll be impressed.”

“Does my father know?”

She shook her head. “No, but a week before the accident I found him in Julian’s office rummaging around, typical for Edward since he has no personal boundaries, but still.”

“Shit.” I groaned and leaned against the couch. “I wasn’t prepared for this level of insanity. I thought Julian just wanted to be CEO.”

She shrugged. “Of course he wants to be CEO, because it’s the only way he wins.”

“Come again?”

“You don’t know your brother very well, do you, Bridge?”

“No,” I rasped. “Apparently not, but I’m here, aren’t I? I’m trying with everything I have to give him what he’s always wanted.”

She licked her lips and looked away. “I think what he always wanted is standing in this office . . . I think you should keep praying for more toe wiggling, because he’s going to have a lot to say to you.”

“How did you even know about me?” I crossed my arms. “According to the records my name is Bridge Anderson.”

She grinned. “Who do you think helped draw up all the paperwork? Your father trusts me, and shouldn’t. Julian, however, trusts me with his life, even the one people don’t know he has.”

I groaned into my hands. “And the cheating?”

She frowned. “Julian? Cheat? With me? You’re crazy, but how else could he get all this done without his father stomping in here? We may have at times let him assume the worst. It was only supposed to be a cover until he got the board on his side. He’s been working tirelessly on something for months.”