“Then we need to start counting votes. Because even if we get to twenty percent, we’re still down five percent.”
“I know that,” Grant said as he scrubbed his face. “And I’ve already got several people on that board who are going to defect. They’ve been after me for two years. Some of these people are chomping at the bit to strip me of this.”
“Anybody who’s definitely loyal?” Mike asked.
“A few. We need to start doing the math and determining if we’ve got enough to hang on. If we can squeak by this vote, we could turn this around.”
“Unfortunately,” Mike answered, “I’d say she didn’t do this without being assured of a good chance of ousting you. Let me get with Mitchell on this and give you a call back. How’s your son?”
His mind flicked to Kyle. They’d had a rough relationship from the start, and for most of it, they had been at odds. But when he’d learned that the man had nearly died…
The guilt he’d felt in the moment he’d learned what happened ramped up in him again. The months Kyle had spent infiltrating DG Industries to help them defeat Lydia had put him in the direct line of fire.
After he’d been exposed as a double-agent, Lydia had been sure to punish him for his disloyalty. And he’d ignored all the signs, too busy being angry with his son for his interest in Julia. He’d nearly cost him his life.
“He’s, uh…fine, thanks to Julia. If she hadn’t found him when she did, we’d be having a different conversation.”
“Mrs. Harrington is certainly an amazing woman.”
“You’ll get no argument from me there,” Grant answered.
A moment of silence stretched between them before Mike spoke again. “As soon as I hear from Mitchell, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
Grant ended the call and sucked in a breath. They’d need a strategy session to count votes. His mind whirled as he started to do the math in his head. Could he slide by with the percentages they had at the moment? What if he got the extra two percent and made it up to twenty percent?
Did Mike have a point, though? Did Lydia already have her ducks in a row?
He guessed he’d find out if she hit the twenty-five percent and forced a board vote.
“Daddy? You okay?” Sierra asked from behind him.
He twisted to find his daughter hovering in the doorway. “Hey, baby, yeah. I’m fine. How are you?”
She shrugged as she crossed to him. “I’m okay.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Are you?”
“Yeah, why?” She crinkled her brow as she glanced up at him.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk at all about what happened in that warehouse.”
“Oh,” she said with a nod, “yeah. I’m okay, though. He mostly went after Julia. But I wasn’t going to let him hurt her.”
“While I’m glad you were there, Sierra, I don’t want you doing anything like that ever again. Okay?”
“Of course, I would do it again, Daddy. I have to make sure Julia’s safe, too. She’s my step-mommy. I love her.”
“I know you do. I don’t want either of you doing this stuff.”
Sierra flicked her icy blue eyes up to him again and raised her eyebrows. “If you want me to promise, I’m not going to. Not while Mom still walks this earth and has her sights set on this family. I’m going to fight right alongside you, Julia, and…well, Kyle is kind of not in fighting form right now, but whenever he is…”
Grant smiled at his daughter, proud of the woman she’d become since Julia had been with them. Gone were the days of a spoiled, entitled brat who worried more about her manicure than anyone’s well-being. His new family was truly something special. “Well, I am very lucky to have you on my side.”
“So, what’s our next step?”
Grant licked his lips as he avoided her gaze. “Well, we may not have many moves to make.”
