Stranded with My Stepbrother Chapter 170

Will

“… And then Cass said, ‘It’s just peanuts. Why would I care?’” Joel Westlake chortled, nearly spilling his drink on me as he gestured expansively with it.

I took a prudent step back. “Gee that’s very… classist…” I muttered, knowing Joel was three sheets to the wind and wouldn’t clock anything I was saying anyway.

“I know, right?!” He didn’t stop laughing.

John Anders, our long-suffering host, came over then and took him by the shoulders. “Come on, Joel. Let’s go get you some water.”

Joel made a face. “Water? Who wants water?”

“You do. Trust me.” John gave me an apologetic look then steered Joel away.

I looked over at McKenzie. She was wearing a pretty white sleeveless dress with tiny pink rosettes on it. Her beautiful honey hair fell loose around her shoulders.

All I wanted to do was find some nice, hidden nook and divest her of that dress, but currently she was sitting on white wrought iron lawn furniture surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls.

She caught my eyes, and I could almost hear her mind screaming, Help me!

I smiled and started over.

A man in a white linen suit blocked my path.

I stumbled back. “I’m sorry, I….” I looked up and couldn’t hold back a gasp. “Holy shit—”

Bran’s livid red, scarred lips fought to smirk and failed. “I know I look like shit. Thanks to you.”

“I would argue that it’s thanks to you. What the fuck are you even doing here? I thought for sure you’d still be laid up,” I said.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” He was pocked with swatches of gauze, other burns left to heal in the open air.

Freddy Krueger had nothing on him.

“I can’t believe your vanity let you leave the house in your condition. Are you going to throw acid on me now, too?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Oh no. I was thoroughly frisked before I came in, as was every other person here, including the staff. No, I came to watch you squirm,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “I guess I would in the presence of a snake like you.”

He chuckled. “No, that’s not what I mean. I’ve decided I’m going to watch as you fall off your moral high horse and have your spirit crushed into dust. I will be at every meeting, every gathering, every party, every event. I’ll even keep going to gallery openings just to see you crawl, beg, and lick your grandfather’s boots. That will sustain me for the rest of my life, I think.”

“I won’t be licking anyone’s boots,” I stated coldly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me….”

“She would have liked it. Once I pinned her down, and she stopped struggling, she would have enjoyed being with me,” he said as I pushed past him.

I turned back, so furious I could barely see straight. Then, I looked at his ruined face. I gently tapped his cheek in a ‘friendly’ manner and he winced. “Sorry. I don’t punch out the feeble and infirmed.” I walked away.

Ike appeared beside me seconds later, another obstacle on my quest to get to McKenzie. “Your grandfather has requested your presence at the office on Monday. Since you were unable to make it last week, I would suggest being prompt.”

“I would hate to upset Grandfather,” I grumbled.

“I know you would. Because you know what happens to people who upset him.” He gestured to Bran.

Bran waved.

A sick feeling unfurled in my stomach. “He would never do that to me.”

“Don’t be so sure. You’ve made him quite angry.” He put an arm around me. “I had to remind him that Dolly and Milton’s impromptu escape plan was never your idea and, in fact, completely unknown to you. You did still fight Horacio, but we’ve decided to chalk that up to McKenzie’s influence. He’s starting to dislike that whole family as well. Do you see where this is going?”

And there it was, me being slowly crushed to dust right before Bran’s eyes. My jaw tightened, and I nodded. “I’ll be good.”

“What’s that? I can’t quite hear you,” Ike prompted.

“I’ve never been so committed to being good in my entire life,” I said more forcefully.

He smiled. “Good boy. Now, let’s go get a drink.”

“I was actually going to—” I pointed in McKenzie’s direction.

Ike shook his head. “A drink. Now.” His hand locked on my shoulder so I couldn’t get away without causing a scene.

Bran followed us into the house then into a well-appointed study. It was all wooden bookshelves and leather chairs. It smelled strongly of cigar smoke.

Ike sat me down on a sofa then took a seat next to me. Bran plopped down in a chair on the other side.

Slowly, John Anders, Morgan Franz, Joel Westlake, Heath Barnaby, Cassian Rice, and Don Fuegos filtered in. John himself set about getting us all cognac. I noted the striking absence of a servant.

Morgan closed the door. “So, Ike, can we call this meeting to order?”

“Yes. Mr. Masterson Sr. has made his wishes known,” Ike responded with a nod. “I will be representing him, as usual. Will is here to learn the ropes.”

They all looked at me with varying expressions of doubt. “The football player?”

“He did also achieve a masters in business,” Ike reminded them.

I wasn’t sure how grateful I should be that he defended me.

“Give the man a chance. He’s just getting his feet wet,” Bran said, trying to smirk again.

Everyone made eye contact with his chest and not his face. “You’re still in hot water, Bran. I don’t know if you should be saying much of anything,” Morgan chided him.

“What’s he gonna do? Fry the back of my head off, too?” Bran snorted.

I realized he hadn’t used the tragedy he’d suffered to grow a brain cell. I felt bad for him, for some reason. “Bran, I promise you, it is a very bad idea to tempt Grandfather into teaching you another lesson. I know from experience. You should, too.”

“Well, at least that one talks sense,” Heath said. “I don’t suppose we can keep Will and eject Bran?”

“Hey!” Bran protested. “You will do no such thing!”

“I have no objections,” Morgan said.

“I do!” Bran shot back.

Ike held up a hand. “Mr. Masterson believes Bran has been punished enough.” He glared at Bran. “For now.”

Bran harrumphed and crossed his arms mutinously over his chest.

“Fine then.” Don took in the room then asked, “What are the new orders?”

“We’re pulling out of the Iranian business. Too much unrest,” Ike said.

“Thank God,” Cassian replied. “That was a money pit to begin with. Whose idea was that, anyway?”

They all looked at Bran.

“What? It had great potential. Risk nothing, gain nothing.” Bran defended himself.

“Uh-huh.” Joel, looking much more sober, returned the conversation to Ike. “What else?”

I reluctantly raised a hand.

“Will?” Ike asked. “You have something to add?”

“I’m… sure I don’t want to know this, but have to know about it anyway…” I began.

Bran chuckled. “We were trying to entice the Iranians into buying nuclear waste from us.”

I blinked at him. “You were going to sell nuclear materials to Iran?!”

“For the right price. But we just couldn’t get them to bite.” Bran sighed.

“You couldn’t get them to bite,” Cassian corrected him.

Bran pouted. Or tried to. It didn’t quite turn out to be a pout. “I gave it my best shot, okay?!”

“Gentlemen! Mr. Masterson has already dealt with Bran for a multitude of failures, not the least of which being his ill-advised assault on Will fiancée. He believes Bran might learn from this experience.” Ike pursed his lips. “On some level.”

I barely managed to hide a snort with a cough.

It didn’t fool the other men, who smirked at me.

“Now, to the business in Guatemala. As you know, the new national policy is making it even more difficult for us to be involved in the illegal adoption business,” Ike went on.

My stomach clenched. “You mean the one where kids are kidnapped out of hospitals, off the streets, and out of the arms of their parents so that they can be adopted out to American couples who have no damn clue they were stolen?”

“I love it when he sounds so sanctimonious. It’s cute,” Ike chuckled.

Morgan tapped my knee. “Don’t think of it that way. The kidnappings and illegal adoptions were already happening. We’re just benefitting from it. Someone should.”

I was going to be violently sick after this meeting was over, I just knew it. But seeing Bran looking at me with that smug, well, smug-ish, expression on his face made me swallow the bile rising in my throat. “Do continue, Ike. I’m just fascinated.”

The whole room laughed, except for Bran and me.

Ike smiled and said, “We’re going to have to raise our prices for our help. Also, that alcalde in the district of San Pedro los Santos is being too obvious about disappearing the women of his political rivals. I mean, they’re beautiful and great additions to the sex trade, don’t get me wrong, but he’s starting to draw attention. He’s been cautioned twice, but he hasn’t corrected himself. Mr. Masterson is open to suggestions of how to deal with him.”

“I’m sorry, the mayor is disappearing the female family members of his political rivals and we want to be involved in that?” I interrupted.

“Yes. We keep him on a short leash, and he provides us with slaves. There a lot of volunteers through organizations such as the Peace Corps and Doctors Without Borders who go to that area to help. We don’t want him kidnapping Americans, now do we?” Ike said.

“I don’t suppose we can just back one of his rivals instead?” I suggested.

The room went quiet. Ike looked impressed. “We absolutely could. It might get a little messy, and they will surely evacuate volunteers from the area until the dust settles, but… that’s not a bad idea, Will.”

“I thought it seemed rather obvious.” Bran sniffed.

“And yet you didn’t come up with it,” Morgan said. “I like the idea. We’ve been dealing with that bastard far too long.”

“He’s a pompous little shit to talk to, too,” Don grumbled.

“Who, Bran?” Cassian grinned.

Everyone chuckled except for Bran.

“No,” Don said once he’d recovered himself. “The alcalde.”

“Yes, let’s send in a strike team. Gather up his women, as well. I think he has three little girls?” Ike mused. “And shall we kill the two sons? I so hate familial vengeance coming back to bite us in the ass.”

“Wait, what?!” I gaped.

Ike patted my hand. “It’s all right, Will. This is just the way things are done.”

“His kids?! SERIOUSLY?!!!” I objected.

“Yes, Will. Everything has collateral damage. Even above-board business,” Ike said patiently.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood and made a beeline for the door.

“Will?” John asked.

“I’m going to be sick,” I managed, yanking the door open and running out.

“Bathroom’s upstairs and to the left!” John called.

I could hear Bran’s cackling laugh drift up behind me.