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Celine and Amber weren’t going to take the news well – not with the holidays right around the corner. Our joint trip to Colorado would have to be canceled. The kids would be so disappointed, but money was going to run out.
The money was going to run out.
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? Why did you keep this from me, Dad? I can’t do anything to fix it now! We’re going to lose everything!” I slammed my fist down on his mahogany desk, and he cringed. His blue eyes – an exact replica of mine – bored into mine with great sadness.
“I thought I could fix it,” he mumbled, looking over my shoulder at a picture of our family. Celine and I were still in high school, both so young and naïve to the world around us. “I’m sorry I’ve let you down, son.”
Some of my anger deflated, but it was still coursing through my veins. I felt myself losing control.
“It was either this or another tour. How can I leave Amber alone for another year? You promised me this company so I wouldn’t have to leave my family. You promised Celine and I this legacy, and you didn’t even let us try to save it!”
“What were you going to do?” he demanded. “I have more money than both you and Celine – better credit – and I wasn’t going to let my kids take the fall for my careless choices!” He slammed both of his hands on the table and stared at me, anger filling his eyes. His gray brows furrowed in frustration.
“You should have told us!” I sneered, standing to meet his gaze. “Now, we have nothing!” Throwing the financial report on his desk, the papers scattered, but those numbers glared up at us – a crappy reminder of the world I was about to face.
I turned, striding to the door.
“Where are you going?” I heard the crack of pain in his voice, the disappointment in me for not understanding.
“To figure out a plan with Ace. We have two families to take care of, children to support. Sitting here isn’t going to help me.”
I threw open his office door and let it slam behind me. A few employees gave me the side-eye as I walk down the hall, their nervous eyes not meeting my gaze.
All these people were going to lose their jobs. My fists tightened at my sides. Christ.
I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket, my fingers trembling with rage as I raised it to my ear, waiting for Ace to answer me.
This had become a catastrophic storm. I couldn’t believe Dad had hidden this from me. Now, all of our families were going to suffer. Now, people were going to lose their jobs right before the holidays if Ace and I couldn’t figure something out in time.
“What did you find out?” Ace didn’t waste time, cutting right to the chase like he always had. He didn’t have time for bullshit – none of us did. Ace just had less time for it than the rest of us.
“Are you alone?” I reached the seclusion of my office, closing the door firmly behind me before I fell into my desk chair.
“Just left Celine to pick up the kids. What’s going on, Ryan?” I picked up on the worry in his tone. He had three kids to think about – one of those being a teenager who was starting to talk about college.
“We’ve gone bankrupt,” I whispered into the phone, not believing the words myself.
“Shit,” Ace snarled. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t do anything rash. We will figure this out.” He ended the call. I turned my head to stare at the picture of my smiling family, of Amber’s green eyes shining brightly with happiness.
I was going to have to rip all that away from her. I wasn’t going to be able to provide for my family the way they needed me to.
I was going to have to enlist again.
I had to leave them to keep food on the table, to secure all their futures. I only hoped Amber would be able to understand – to forgive me.
But I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to forgive myself. I was going to break my promise to her.
* * *
Ace sat across from me exactly ten minutes later, worry lines creasing his forehead. He listened as I explained everything, his blue eyes unnerving as he stared right through me.
“Maybe we can fix this. I’ve been playing around in the stock market for a few years, and I’ve made a small penny, I can sell the lake house, too. Celine will understand.”
I shook my head. We needed millions to save this company – this legacy.
“How much do we need?” Ace asked. I swallowed past the hot lump in my throat.
“Millions – fucking millions.”
