“He’s still here in Sydney,” Liam said. “We’re watching him.”
“Anything to report?” Jack asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do have something interesting. Documents,” he said. “I’ve e-mailed them to you, Alec. I think, once you’ve read through them, you’ll understand why I can’t stop smiling.”
“That good, huh?”
Liam nodded. “Yes, that good. It’s dry reading but worth it. Just don’t ask me how I got them.”
As soon as Liam ended the call, Aiden suggested that he, Jack, and Alec go down to his office to print out the e-mail and start reading.
“This will probably take a while,” Jack told Sophie.
“The hotel limo driver will take both of them home,” Aiden offered.
Jack and Alec kissed their wives good-bye, then waited at the door for Aiden, who had crossed the room to Cordie.
“Don’t you dare leave this suite,” he ordered.
“What?” She acted shocked. “But we were going pole dancing.”
“That’s not funny. I mean it, Cordelia. You stay put.”
“Yes, sir.”
And he was gone.
“Your brother is like a general. I know he means well, but he’s beginning to get on my nerves,” Cordie said.
“He’s been on my nerves for years,” Regan said.
Sophie spoke up. “I love him. He can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned.”
“We all love him,” Regan conceded. “Cordie and I just recognize his flaws.”
Sophie was in a nostalgic mood. “I never told you what happened to me when I was nine years old. It was pretty awful. Aiden became my champion.”
“What happened?” Regan asked.
“My dad was in trouble with the law . . . again. I was home with the housekeeper when two scary-looking men with guns and badges came in and took me to the police station. I was so frightened. This one detective kept threatening to put me in foster care, and no one would ever know where I was. He’d make sure of it.”
“Why was he threatening you?”
“He wanted me to tell him where my father was. I didn’t know the answer, but even back then, if I had known, I wouldn’t have told. He also wanted to know if there was a safe hidden in my house. The questions went on and on. To this day I don’t know how Aiden found out what was happening. Maybe the housekeeper called him. I asked her, but she insisted she hadn’t.”
“What did he do?” Regan asked.
“He saved me,” she said. “When I saw him, I started crying and ran to him. He put his arm around me and told me everything was going to be all right. He brought a couple of attorneys with him, and he threatened the detectives with all sorts of things. He swore if they ever came near me again, he’d have their badges, and from the way the attorneys were backing him up, I think he could have done it.”
“Why didn’t you want us to know?” Regan asked.
“Back then it was because I cried, and I thought you two would think I was a baby. Time passed, and I just never got around to it.”
“Do you realize how young Aiden was? He couldn’t have been twenty yet,” Cordie said.
“I wish you had told me when it happened,” Regan said. “Talking about it would have been therapeutic.”
“I knew,” Cordie said.
“How?” Sophie asked, surprised. “Aiden promised me he wouldn’t tell anyone, so I know you didn’t find out from him.”
“We were having a sleepover at Regan’s house, and back then I had such a crush on Aiden. Remember?”
Both Sophie and Regan laughed. “We didn’t know,” Regan said. “Not then. Not until you told us.”
“I heard the housekeeper tell Aiden he had a phone call from his family’s law firm. I was such a worrier, like you two were, and I thought Aiden might be in trouble, so I listened to the conversation. That’s how I found out.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Sophie asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I figured that if you wanted me to know, you’d tell me.”
“The driver will be here in a minute. Why don’t we help you get ready for bed before we go,” Regan suggested.
Cordie appreciated the help, and while they were in her bedroom, they continued to chat.
“What’s the deal with Liam?” Sophie asked as she turned down the comforter.
“He and Alec have been friends a long time,” Regan said. She opened a drawer and brought out a pair of pajamas. “I think Alec arrested him once. That might be how they met. I still haven’t gotten the whole story.”
“Cordie, don’t you think he’s gorgeous?” Sophie asked. “Did you notice how he smiled at you and how his voice softened when he was talking to you?”
“No, I didn’t notice, and yes, he is good-looking.”
“I love his accent,” Sophie said.
“He lives in Australia. Would you like me to move there so I can go out with him?”
“Of course not. Make him move here. You’re worth it.”
There was a knock on the door.
“There’s our driver,” Regan said. “Let’s go, Sophie.”
The friends gave Cordie a hug and left.
Cordie was exhausted. She settled into the soft bed and turned on the television. She scanned a few channels and found Fishing with Larry on one of the cable stations. Cordie thought the show would put her to sleep, but she actually became interested. An hour later, she decided Larry was turning her into a fisherman.
She heard the outer door open and the men laughing as they came in. Curious to find out what was going on, she got out of bed. It took her a few minutes to put on her robe and sling, but by the time she padded barefoot into the living room, they were opening beers and toasting one another. Aiden dropped a stack of papers on the table in front of them.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
All three looked at her and smiled.
“Do you want to tell her?” Jack asked Alec.
Alec pulled out a chair for her to sit. “As it turns out, there’s more than just a scandal driving Simone to get rid of you.”
They started laughing again. “Aiden, you explain,” Alec suggested.
He pushed the papers toward her. “When we’re done with the Taylors and the Rayburns, you’re going to own their company.”
TWENTY-SIX
You’re the firstborn,” Aiden explained.
“What does that mean?” Cordie asked.
“When you turned twenty-one, you inherited twenty percent of the Merrick company stock. It was in Merrick’s will.” He shook his head and continued. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t imagine why Merrick set up his inheritance this way. I guess we’ll never know.”
“Twenty percent doesn’t sound like much,” Jack said, “but in fact it’s huge. It’s worth millions. Simone inherited her shares of Merrick Enterprises from her mother, Alice. Simone wanted the perks, but she didn’t want the responsibility, so she handed over the management to her father. According to the will, you now own twenty percent of her share, which is just enough for her to lose majority control.”
“And that’s why Simone or someone else in the Rayburn family wants you out of the way,” Alec reasoned.
“Someone else in the family? No,” Cordie said. “Simone wouldn’t have told anyone about me. She used a fake name when she married my father. She was Natalie Smith back then.”