Rule's Property (The House of Rule Book 2) (9 page)

Nick stood at the sideboard in the dining room pouring a drink, and Courtney couldn't believe he was letting his agitation show by mixing a cocktail in the middle of the afternoon. As far as she knew, he never drank during the day, unless absolutely forced to because of business reasons, and certainly not on a normal Thursday afternoon. But she'd been gone a while. Who knew?

"Hey," she greeted as Garrett strolled inside and looked first to her and then to his brother with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"What the fuck's going on?" he asked as he continued to look between the two of them.

Courtney was guiltily aware that her hair was wild and her color was heightened. She glanced at Nick who was grimacing as he swallowed a hefty drink of his bourbon. He made no attempt to answer his brother; he didn't even glance in his direction.

"Nothing," Courtney answered Garrett as neutrally as possible. "I was unpacking in the closet and didn't hear you. Where's my hug?"

With another quizzical glance in Nick's direction, Garrett took her in his arms and embraced her. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she said, looking up at him.

"We're all proud of you, you know," his deep voice resonated through the room.

Pleasure infiltrated her at his compliment. "I know. Thanks."

As he ruffled her hair and let her go, she surreptitiously glanced at Nick who was wearing a full-blown scowl as he watched them.

Courtney stepped back as Garrett turned his attention to Nick again. "Why are you drinking? It's two o'clock."

"Who are you? My mother?" Nick sneered.

Garrett narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. Ignoring Nick's sarcastic quip, he questioned his brother in pulsing anger, "What the hell's going on with you, Nick? You trying to get to Courtney first? I told you.
I get her
. I've been telling you that for the last six months."

Courtney sucked in a breath, confusion coloring her expression.
Get her?
What the hell?

Nick slammed his glass down on the glass-topped sideboard and finally turned to fully face his brother, his eyes lighting with rage. "And I told you there's no fucking way she's going globetrotting with you.
It. Isn't. Fucking. Happening."

Globetrotting?
Courtney was sure she was missing something. Trying to understand the sudden dynamics in the room, she looked between the two men.

"You're not her goddamn keeper, Nick. She's a full-grown woman now and she can make her own decisions," Garrett shot back.

Courtney had had about enough. "What's going on here? One of you better start explaining. And quit talking as if I'm not standing in the same room."

The brothers continued to glare at each other and then began talking to her at once.

"I want you for Acquisitions," Garret announced.

"You're going to work in Restructuring," Nick shot out, looking directly at her and pinpointing her with his gaze.

Garrett turned and blasted Nick with a look of disbelief. "You have more than enough people in Restructuring. I'm going to build the fucking holding company with or without The Rule Corporation backing me and Courtney's coming with me."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Nick fumed.

Garrett's voice deepened and the control Courtney heard in it was almost chilling. Where had she ever gotten the idea that this man was more approachable than his brothers? "I'm goddamn sick and tired of my brothers telling me what I can and can't do. It's time to start making some real money and I know exactly how to do it. If you and Damian want in on it, fine, but if not, I'll do it myself, and I'm taking Courtney with me."

"Jesus Christ, Garrett, you don't think we're making
real money?"
Nick bellowed in disbelief.

"It's time to expand, Nick.
Structural leverage,
that's what it's all about. We can make a shit-fuck ton of cash."

The two men stared each other down while Courtney tried to get a grip. Dissension in the family was not a good thing.

At Nick's continued silence, Garrett began to state his case. "It'll be straightforward. We form an investment LLC. We fund it, open subsidiaries--"

Nick cut him off in a tone that dripped impatience. "I know how a holding company works, Garrett. But there's a problem you're not considering. Damian and I don't like debt of any kind and you know it."

When Garrett narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, Courtney glanced at Nick. As the silence continued to pulse between the two men, she took a deep breath and said what she was thinking, "Yeah, but the risk would be minimal. It's an amazing idea."

Nick turned to her with an expression she couldn't read, but she never floundered, continuing, "You ought to at least consider it, Nick. Like Garrett said, you could buy the investments through an array of LLCs. You'd actually only have to contribute a small, fixed percentage to each, and you'd draw up an operating agreement that would allow other investors to buy in." As the two brothers listened, their attention fixed on her, Courtney continued, "If the remainder of the debt for each investment was financed through secured, non-recourse loans, then your actual risk would be negligible."

As Courtney's words came to a halt, Nick appeared pole-axed while Garrett broke out into a huge grin and said to her, "Told you that MBA would be a good thing." Then he turned to Nick. "And I told
you
; she's mine."

When the last two words left Garrett's lips, Nick turned to his brother with fury in his eyes. "She's not yours and you best not ever say that again."

A long moment of heated silence filled the room as the two brothers stared at each other.

"What the fuck, Nick?" Garrett hissed.

"Was it your idea for her to stay the extra two years in Florida?" Nick asked hotly.

"No, I only supported her decision to get her master's degree," Garrett replied.

As Garrett watched his brother with a look of confusion on his face, Nick took a deep breath and stuck to the original conversation. "We have two issues here. One is the question of forming a holding company and if we're going to do it--"

Garret cut him off.
"I'm
doing it. The question is whether or not my brothers want in on it."

Nick glared and continued, "And the other issue is Courtney. She's not working for you, and that's final."

Courtney felt a hot jolt of anger at that decision being made for her. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked sarcastically.

"You're not working for him," Nick restated as he turned his glare on her.

Suddenly so mad that she could barely breathe, she snapped, "I don't think you get to make that decision."

Nick blasted her with a look and then glanced over at Garrett who'd suddenly gone still and was watching them once again with suspicion.

Nick turned back to her and Courtney could tell he was at least trying to control his impatience. "He travels all over the world, sweetheart. Personally, I think we make enough money within the U.S., but if he wants to chase after more, I can't stop him. Overseas travel is dangerous, and you're not doing it."

Courtney stared at Nick.
Why she was surprised?
This was exactly Nick's method of operation and why it should shock her now she didn't know. She had a couple of different thoughts clamoring for room in her brain. The first and foremost was the fact that Nick couldn't be allowed to get away with treating her as if she were his puppet to control, and the second was that, in this instance, it was going to be difficult to prove her independence because she didn't
want
to travel overseas on business. Within the U.S. would be okay, but she didn't want to live out of a suitcase for the foreseeable future and she wasn't a traveler by nature.

So what was she supposed to say? She decided to ignore his over-the-top behavior and turned to Garrett instead. "Thanks for having such faith in my abilities. Even though your brother is wrong when he thinks he can make decisions for me," she turned and gave Nick a glare for good measure before turning back to Garrett, "regardless of that, I don't want to travel all over the world."

Garrett answered back swiftly, "You both have it wrong. I don't need you overseas at all. I need somebody focused, somebody trustworthy and ambitious to run things here while I'm gone. You're the perfect person. You're smart, that can't be denied. You're family so there's no question of your loyalty. But I'm sorry if we made an assumption that you'd want to work with us. Erin has fit in perfectly and we just assumed after you came home that you'd want to come on board, too. If I was wrong, I apologize."

"No, that's fine. I'm honored that you think so highly of me."

"Well, shit, Courtney. It's not just that," Garrett said. "Of course it helps that you're brilliant. But, you're family. Of course you're going to get the first shot. Even if Nick and I can't agree on which division will get you, you'll always have a place at the corporation if you want one." He glanced at his brother for corroboration. "Tell her, Nick."

Courtney glanced over at Nick and wasn't the least bit surprised at what she saw. A mask had descended over his features, but his body language spoke volumes. His arms were held rigidly at his sides and his muscles were corded like steel. Although she couldn't read his eyes, his features told her all she needed to know. His facial skin was pulled tautly across his cheekbones; his jaw was clenched in lines of tension. When he finally answered, his voice was flat and terse, "Of course. Family first." His gaze left hers and fixed on Garrett. "We done here? I've got work to do."

Chapter Four

Courtney stiffened, dismayed that Nick had just left the penthouse so abruptly.

Garrett released a pent-up breath at his brother's curt retreat. "Ignore him. He's too damn controlling, just like Damian. So, are you in?"

Was she in? She'd like to be, but she didn't want to work directly for Nick. Garrett, though, working for him would be perfect, especially if she didn't have to travel all the time. "It sounds great, but I've got a couple of interviews lined up. I should really go to them."

"Sure, do that." He gave her a measured look. "Actually, that'll be good experience for you when you start having to hire people for us.

She grinned. "Thinking about it that way makes going to an interview easy."

Garrett's lips twisted into a smile. "Absolutely. And when you're done, I think you're going to like your first assignment with us."

"Oh, yeah?" She asked, tilting her head in question.

"Yeah."

"Just as long as you don't have me travelling to crazy-ass places no normal person would want to go."

"No?" Garrett asked with a teasing note. "What if I told you I need you in Florida for a couple of weeks?"

At his words, a fierce shot of pleasure shot down her spine. Florida would be perfect. Getting away from Nick for a while and planning her strategy would be even better.

"Done," she agreed happily.

"Welcome aboard."

****

Nick sat at his desk and pressed his fingers into his temples. He'd popped three ibuprofen, but the painkillers weren't helping yet.

Why the fuck did his feelings toward Courtney sometimes feel vaguely . . . incestuous? A river of guilt ran through his blood. For the hundredth time he reiterated to himself: She wasn't his sister. No blood connection. Different last names. Never lived in the same house at the same time.
Nothing wrong with his feelings for her.

Thank fuck. Because he
would
have her. He wasn't waiting any longer. His balls were as blue as they could possibly be. Courtney was his, she always had been, and she and his family would just have to come to grips with that fact.

****

Three weeks later

Courtney walked away from the remodeling contractors, about to tear her hair out. Why the hell couldn't they follow simple instructions? It was as if someone were sabotaging everything she did and said. How could things keep going so badly? This Florida trip was supposed to have been simple. Nothing more than a hotel remodel. Was Nick lurking somewhere, trying to aggravate her life so much that she'd come running home to St. Louis?

She walked back into the office and tossed her notebook on the desk she'd been using. She looked across the room at the young woman who'd worked for the hotel since she was a teenager. Maria was about her age, possibly a bit younger, but that's where their similarities ended. Where Courtney was blonde and of medium height, this girl was a dark brunette, petite in height, but voluptuous in every other way.

As the girl glanced up and couldn't contain a slight glare, the truth hit Courtney all at once; she was looking at the culprit. This girl was the thorn in her side. She was the person who was undermining all of Courtney's orders. She saw it in a flash, how easy it would have been for the other girl to accomplish her manipulations.