Page 8 of After-Hours Heir

He was always around, a shark cutting through the water.

It was… It was like he hated them, hatedher: she could not understand it.

Then she looked into his eyes, and she saw something worse than hatred.

She saw nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“I’m asking you not to do this,” she said. “Because I love this publishing house. Because it is my life’s work. Because it belongs to my family…”

“Because your family built their empire?”

“How can you stand there and call this an empire when you’re absorbing it without lifting a finger. Into yourconglomerate.”

“You misunderstand me. I don’t think people ought not to have empires. But if you’re going to step into the arena you must be prepared to do battle. As I am. I do not believe in taking advantage of the weak and the innocent. The Jones family is neither. You have built the company on the back of those that could be taken advantage of. There was much free labor being done, particularly in factories doing bookbinding and printing back at the founding of this place. You swallowed up smaller publishers on the way to greatness, and now your era of greatness is past. No one is innocent. If you are going to engage in such tactics, you cannot weep when they are used against you.” He lifted a dark brow. “Rather you can, but I will not respect it.”

“You don’t respect me,” she said. “Don’t pretend that you could if I responded with as little emotion as you seem to have.”

“Do I put on such comfortable pretense, Miss Jones, as to make you think I am pretending to care? I did not think so. Perhaps I need to stop being so soft.”

There was something disquieting in his words, and it sent a skitter of electricity over her skin.

“Maybe the company wasn’t founded in a perfect way,” she said. “I’m quite certain it wasn’t. Human beings are awful. That has nothing to do with me, and it has nothing to do with myfather. You don’t have to continue to act in such a ruthless manner.”

“Of course I don’t. Ienjoyit. And make no mistake, I’m not a crusader. I am merely pointing out that your protestations are hollow. This is the arena. Gladiators will act accordingly.”

He moved closer to her, and she felt her breath simply leave her body. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move. He was even more glorious up close. She would love it if media photos overinflated his beauty.

If anything, the camera hated him.

He was so much more mesmerizing in person. Every line, every angle, cut to perfection.

It was a shame about his soul.

And she had no idea where it came from, but she found the strength to meet his gaze and hold it. “Then, you won’t be surprised if I fight back.”

“I would be disappointed if you didn’t. But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I will find it quite sad. You have no weapons, Miss Jones. And I myself am a whole armory.”

He straightened, and she felt like that frozen air was suddenly pulled straight from her lungs in one gust.

“What is your plan for the company?”

“The same as it ever is. I plan to keep what is profitable and make use of what might be a unique asset for me. Your foreign distribution channels are strong. Stronger than the other publisher in my stable, and I think there is benefit there.”

“You want to strip it for parts.”

“Not immediately. And not necessarily. I am moving quickly to complete the acquisition, but changes will not occur overnight, and you’re of course welcome to negotiate the contract.”

“You’ve excluded me from the process. The board is flinging me under the bus.”

“You can still read a contract from under the bus.”

“Not if I’m being squished by the tires.”

His gaze was uncompromising. “You don’t look damaged to me.”

She hated him. Right now more than she ever had. What did he want her to do? Peel her skin back and show him every place where she’d ever been hurt? Never. She would never give him that. She wanted to beg him to leave her alone. To leave her family business alone. To stop dancing on her father’s grave.

She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t let him see her break. She wouldn’t let him see the things he made her feel.