Page 151 of The Saint (Gentlemen Rogues 3)
"It's a good thing you can't actually fire anyone around here. Once you join the Rogues, you're always a Rogue, isn't that right?" I said, looking at the nurse, who just smiled back at me.
"I should change the bylaws," he grumbled.
I just stared at him lying in the recovery bed. We were not okay. I would continue to have problems taking orders from him, but he’d done the right thing by Kaya, and I owed him for that. Even if she didn’t want me.
When I turned to leave, I found Gemma waiting outside the door. "You know, I came here to tell you that I was going to have to kick your arse. Really, I was determined. I even packed my brassknuckles." Sure enough she pulled brass rings from her back pocket. "But seeing your face, the truth in your eyes, you don't need me for that. You look pretty miserable already."
"Thanks. I feel fantastic,” I said sarcastically. “Just bloody amazing."
"Did you tell her that you love her?"
"Of course, I did. But that doesn't change anything. I abandoned her when she needed me. I walked away. I don't deserve her."
Gemma threw her hands up. "Oh my God, you two are a pair. Seriously, a real fucking pair. Pain in my ass, the lot of you. You need to talk and get your shit together.”
I glanced back at Kaya. Her eyes were closed now as she fitfully adjusted her position on the bed. "She's not talking to me. And that's okay. I deserve her silence."
Gemma grabbed my sleeve before I left. "So what, you're just giving up?"
"Of course not. I have every intention of fighting for her. This is only the beginning. Right now she needs to rest. But sooner or later she'll realize that I'm not giving up. Not ever. Our souls are locked together. I was the idiot who didn't recognize that, but now I do. I'm not going to rest until she knows it too."
Two weeks later…
Saint
I should have expected to see my father. He was still a voting member at large, and he did like to make life very, very difficult for the board members who’d ousted him. He always liked to show off what stock he’d bought after he’dbeen stripped of the original shares and they'd transferred them to me.
I knew I had a way out of this mess with the company. Finally,finally, I could make choices and decisions for myself.
Let's hope you make a better choice. No more breaking up with Kaya.
First I had to get her back.
She still wasn’t speaking to me. Which was fine, even though it had been two weeks since she was safely rescued. Occasionally, I saw her on the Rogues campus. Saff had her training. She wasn’t officially a Rogue, but I could see where she was going with it. Not that I was stalking her or anything. I was merely checking up on her progress.
Gabe wasn't pleased about the idea of Kaya and me ever getting back together.
He probably could attempt to get me with some of thatyou're both agentsnonsense, though he’d had the no-fraternization policy revoked himself less than a year ago. And hell, she wasn't even trained, so that would be a bullshit argument. It didn't matter what anyone said though, I wasn't giving her up. Even if nothing I did brought her back, I would still give her everything because I truly loved her.
I would just be where she needed as long as she needed me. Even if I got nothing from her in return. But first, I had to deal with this family business shite.
Freedom would be a beautiful thing.
When all members were seated and the meeting called to order, I addressed the room and the voting members on the phone. "Thank you all for joining me for this session."
Bryson Date, an associate of my father's spoke up. "This is very unusual. Why are we all here wasting time on a meeting without a formal agenda?"
"Well, seeing as there is only one item to discuss, there’s no need for formalities. I would like to inform the entire board of my decisions moving forward as CEO of All Saints Tech."
My father leaned forward. I couldn't wait to see his face when this dropped on him like a ton of bricks.
"Regarding the voting shares I wield entirely for the Saint family, effective today, I am transferring equal share distribution between myself, my brother, and my sister."
Several board members muttered under their breath, their low whispers and hums becoming a cacophony.
"You do recognize you'll get paid less." My father sat forward as he said that.
I smirked. "Money is not my concern. My concern is doing the best for this company and the employees counting on us. I chose some great investment opportunities for our future, and this board can have confidence in those decisions."
