Page 19 of Twisted Knight

“Of course you did. Taking care of you is what you do best. Did you forget that it’s my company too? My family legacy? I could have turned this around myself.”

“You’re in marketing, Row. The model on the ad campaigns. You don’t know what the hell you’re doing when it comes to profit margins and bottom lines,” Rhett says.

“That’s your excuse?” I bite out. He’s wrong and he knows it. “Dad?”

Rhett’s flicker of a smile says it all. Our dad knows. Approves.

It seems I’m the only one who didn’t know.

My heart twists. Gran would be rolling over in her grave knowing he’s selling what her grandfather started.

Tears burn in my eyes as my pulse races with fury. I will not show any emotion. I will not give Holden the satisfaction of seeing me break. Of knowing I’m affected in any way, shape, or form.

Your secret’s safe with me.

And I will not acknowledge that I gave the asshole directly across from me, the one already dominating this conference room like he owns it, the ammunition he needed to know where to attack.

Rhett may have weakened the company, but I led the wolf right into the henhouse.

A henhouse that, clearly, he was already casing when we talked on the balcony.

“Is the family drama done?” Holden looks from Rhett to Chadwick to me. “I don’t like my time wasted. Let’s start yet again, shall we?”

“Please,” Chad says.

“As the soon-to-be majority-owning entity of TinSpirits, there will be new commands and controls implemented immediately. You will be receiving an email by morning with a detailed list of expectations and pathways on how to move forward.”

“What about layoffs?” Marcus asks at the far end of the table, concern etched in his expression. “Employees are going to worry.”

It seems details haven’t been ironed out yet, and by the uncertainty in Marcus’s voice, maybe I was wrong. Maybe this has all been sprung on them as well.

“Entry-level and intermediate employees need not worry. Their paychecks and jobs are secure. As for upper management? For you? That remains to be seen.” Holden offers a shark’s smile. The room does a collective shift of discomfort from effectively being put on notice.

Play the game or you’re out.

“I’m quick to pull the trigger on things I don’t like. Take that warning however you see fit,” he says.

“I propose that you take your finger off the trigger and wait until you officially own the company to make any changes,” I say, pushing for a fight.

“Don’t you remember the other night? I thought we already established that I don’t care what people think. That still stands. And as for what I do or don’t do, that’s my prerogative.” He challenges me with his stare, daring me to push harder. “Changes will start promptly.”

“You’re making a mistake,” I say to everyone in the room.

“You’re free to leave so you don’t have to watch, then.” When I don’t move, he turns his attention to the room. “As I was saying, it will be business as usual for all outside of this room. Seamless. That’s how I expect this transition to be.”

I glare at my brother as Holden drones on about things I currently don’t care about. Expectations. New agendas. Site visits. One-on-one meetings with him so he can figure what “fat to cut.”

This has to be a dream. Or a nightmare. I will Rhett to meet my eyes. For Chad to do the same.

But both are too chickenshit to face me.

“Seamless,” Rhett says, standing to assert authority over the company he essentially just gave away. “I hope now that you’ve all heard Mr. Knight’s plans, it’s helped to assuage any fears you might have had. While Knight Holdings will own the majority stake in TinSpirits and Mr. Knight here will be integral in making some important changes, I remain the CEO. Chad the COO. Everything will be the same but different.” He smiles to reinforce the words he just spoke. “We’ll be a better company because of this welcome partnership.”

A man buying the majority of our company is not a partnership. It’s a takeover. Plain and simple, and my brother’s naive if he thinks that “hostile” and “takeover” don’t go hand in hand.

Everyone starts shuffling their papers and laptops click closed as our upper management tries to come to terms with what just happened. No doubt there will be a lot of texting from office to office.

“I need a minute alone with Mr. Knight,” I say.