“You own Merkel Hotels and Spas,” I remind him. “You could potentially buy our shares and do something with it since you have experience.”
“Fuck no!” He growls. “It’s a money pit.”
He’s always growling like a wounded wild animal, pushing away everyone, in case they’re around to hurt him. I glare at him as a way to remind him I’m not part of his staff or in the mood to tolerate his fucking attitude. I wish his assistant, Sophia, was here. She seems to know how to control him. Instead, she’s in town with Arden, Mills’ son, and we get to babysit her asshole boss.
“Have you heard from Vance?” I ask Mills.
“No. I have a friend searching for his unit,” Henry interrupts. “He’s a fucking Delta Force or some special forces officer. Did you know that?”
I look at him. “Our little brother is a badass?”
“According to my sources, he is, and he’s not easy to track down,” he answers.
“As I said, we need everyone to be here in order to read this testament,” the lawyer says in a monotone voice and checks his phone. “Just a reminder, you’re running out of time.”
“We don’t even want the fucking money,” Beacon says. “Keep it, man.”
His green eyes, which look just like everyone else’s, spit fire, even when his posture seems relaxed.
He sits next to Pierce. Both wear suits, but even though they look alike, it’s easy to see the differences between them. Pierce seems like he’s in his element while Beacon is about to rip off his clothes because he hates wearing suits.
It’s surprising how six guys, who came from the same father, can be so different. I’m thankful that fifty percent of our DNA comes from a different source.
Science, gotta love it.
Blaire used to say I was the nerdy one of the seven, and she wasn’t wrong. Mom is a doctor. My grandparents were scientists. Science is all I know.
I could even explain to her why I loved her through science. Once upon a time, Blaire loved me because of that.
Blaire said it wasn’t just DNA, but the sociological and geographical elements around us that made the seven of us so different. We didn’t grow up together. We only saw each other twice a year up until Carter died.
“We get it. You’re important and have shit to do for your fans. I am a busy man, too,” Henry yells. “You’re not all that, you know.”
I look at Henry and say, “You could be less…”
I don’t finish. Why even bother. This might be the last time I see him, and there’s no point in telling him that he’s a fucking asshole.
“Excuse me if I’m not trying to be pleasant. Us faking being a family was over a couple of hours ago, once we buried William,” Henry grunts. “Just because we came from the same asshole, it doesn’t mean we’re brothers.”
“Well, this might be our last day faking it, so can you try for once in your fucking life to be human?”
He storms out of the conference room, and I wonder what’s really upsetting him. He’s an asshole, but he’s not as soulless as he likes to pretend. Clearly, he’s having trouble adjusting to something. Maybe Dad’s death affected him more than he wants to admit.
His mom died. We’re really all he has, and yet, he acts as if he doesn’t need us for shit. Maybe he’ll end up like our father, or he’ll be the one seeking us during the holidays.
Who the fuck knows what’s going to happen after today?
I learned early in life to be ready for the unexpected. Hope isn’t a word I use often. Not even when I explain to my patients what to expect after surgery. Too many times, the outcome isn’t what they expected. The damage is irreversible. I studied medicine to save lives, but truthfully, I don’t feel like I’ve done any of what I set myself to do when I embarked on this journey.
I don’t even remember what I expected when I chose medicine. Maybe it had to do with saving lives, but I haven’t saved anyone, not even my loved ones. I wonder if my father learned anything in his lonely, selfish life or while he was dying. If I could tell him something, it would be the fact that money can’t buy you everything. Not the love of his sons or his health.
Is that how I’m going to end?
Alone with not even one of these fuckers giving a shit that I died.
Without her.
“Oh, fuck,” Beacon says, his eyes open wide. “This is going to be fun. How are you, Gorgeous?”
“Hey, kid,” I hear Blaire’s melodic voice greeting my little brother.
I turn around to see her. The first thing I notice about her is her long dark hair, covered by a black beanie hat. Even when it’s braided, I can spot a few pink strands mixed in. She wears a long skirt that accentuates her curves, and my entire body is aware of her.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Henry asks, as he enters the room.
“Do you think I’m happy to be here?” Her voice is smoky, soft, gentle yet firm.
She tosses her hands up in the air. “Why don’t we just get this over with?”
“If my father left you anything,” Pierce threatens her. “I’ll make sure you never touch it.”
“She’s right. Let’s get through this last family reunion.” I swiftly put an end to the nonsense because if any of these assholes insults her, I’m going to punch him.
“Hayes,” she whispers my name, and all the emotions I’d buried deep inside my head when I entered this room unleash at the sound of my name.
I want to hug her, to kiss her, to tell her that nothing has been going well since I left her. That I…
“Why is she here?” Pierce asks no one in particular.
“Your father stated clearly that this can’t be read unless his seven sons were in the same room,” the lawyer explains, handing over a package to each one of us.
“That document is outdated,” Pierce states. “Our brother Carter died twelve years ago.”
“Let’s get this over with, so I can go to bed,” Blaire says. “Tomorrow, I have to drive back to the airport.”
“It’s only noon,” Henry says exasperated.
She huffs and ignores him.
“We have to catch up, Skittles,” Beacon says, calling her by her old nickname. “If you want, I can give you a ride. Where are you going?”
“You were always my favorite,” Blaire states. “San Francisco. I’m sure it’s out of your way but thank you for the offer.”
“Nothing is out of the way. I’ll do it,” he assures her with a serious expression.
Beacon was almost fifteen when Blaire came into our lives. We might not have the same mother, but our mothers and his grandparents tried to push us to have a relationship. Not that it worked that well.
In any case, these guys met Blaire almost at the same time I did, and they adored her. She has a way with people, but especially with children. She’s sweet, charming, even enchanting. I’ve seen her in action. She volunteered at the hospital while in college and would visit the kids in the oncology ward, playing with them for hours while bringing them treats, mostly Skittles. She always carried a few bags with her.
“Mr. Parrish, would you mind reading the will,” she says, ignoring everyone.