known he was an afterthought.
His mother didn’t want him, and his father? Hell, he didn’t even know who he was, and Jocelyn refused to tell him no matter how many times he asked or pleaded. Lucius had begun to suspect that his father was a married man. So what did that make his mother?
At a young age, he’d learned to harden his heart and toughen up. It was a lesson that had served him well in life and in business. Of course, it also happened to get him in a lot of trouble as a teenager. His grandmother had been called constantly because he was getting in fights or being suspended from school. Lucius had gotten something of a reputation in high school as a bad boy because he rebelled against authority. Meeting Adam had changed his life and shown him he wasn’t as alone as he’d felt in the world.
“I don’t think that’s true,” Adam interrupted Lucius’s musings. “It’s because you care. Every time your mother visits, you get riled up.”
Lucius took a long drink of his scotch. “That’s not true.”
“Do you remember the last time she was here? You were so out of sorts that it nearly cost us that Corinth deal because you insulted the man right when he’d agreed to not fight you on the takeover.”
“Yeah, well, he deserved it,” Lucius commented, even though he knew Adam was right. His hotheadedness was one of his flaws. “Speaking of takeovers, let’s talk about Brooks and Johnson.”
“Ah, are you ready to tell me why you’re so interested in the company?”
“Have you seen the numbers they’ve been bringing in?” Lucius commented. “They’ve grown steadily over the last three years, and their revenue is impressive and can double now that they’ve been public for a few months. And I’ve learned that one of the principals might be open to selling. So we should strike while the iron is hot.”
“Kelsey Johnson or Naomi Brooks?” Adam inquired. “Why would either of them sell?”
Lucius rubbed his chin. “Didn’t the dossier on Kelsey Johnson say she’s pregnant with child number two? She could be thinking of downsizing and focusing on her family. That could be our in.”
Adam leaned back in his chair. “I would think business is the last thing on her mind.”
“We need to convince her that now is the right time to sell.”
“And what about Brooks?”
“Let me handle her,” Lucius said. He was eager to reconnect with his high school classmate and see how the once nerdy kid he remembered had turned the tables and become a successful entrepreneur. He’d also seen a picture of her recently, and she’d blossomed into a fine-looking woman. A woman he wouldn’t mind getting to know better.
* * *
“You should be aware that Lucius Knight has been silently buying up Brooks and Johnson’s stock since the IPO,” Bill Andrews, Naomi’s vice president, told her the next morning after they went over some company business.
Naomi was leaving for Anaheim later that afternoon because she wanted to get a jump on traffic leaving Long Beach. She would check in to the hotel, pick up her registration packet and get settled before the trade show and conference started tomorrow. But first, she’d come into the office to take care of a few items. She hadn’t expected Bill to tell her that corporate raider Lucius Knight, her former high school crush, was interested in her company.
“Since when?” Naomi asked, staring up from her MacBook.
“A couple of months ago,” Bill responded. “At first I dismissed it, but then Knight International recently picked up another 5 percent, making his total stake in the company 30 percent.”
Naomi closed her MacBook. “That’s not good.”
“No, it isn’t,” Bill said. “Every time Lucius Knight sets his sights on a company, he either dismantles them or they wind up as part of his portfolio.”
“But why would he be interested in us?” Naomi asked. “We’re a far cry from his other holdings.” She too had done her research on the man. Ever since college, she’d kept her eye on her former crush—Knight International had a mix of industries in its portfolio, but they were mainly centered on technology.
Bill shrugged. “He could be looking to diversify. And given the success of Brooks and Johnson, he could get in on the ground floor. I received a call from his attorney Adam Powell—he’d like a meeting with you.”
“A meeting?” Naomi hated that her voice hitched and the question came out more like a squeak.
“How would you like to handle it?”
“Ignore it,” Naomi responded. “I’m not interested in talking to Lucius about my company or anything else.”
Bill stared at her.
“What?” she snapped. She knew Lucius was a large shareholder, but she didn’t care. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I haven’t seen you this passionate before unless perhaps we’re talking about a new product or launch.”
“Well...well, I just don’t like the thought of Knight thinking he can railroad me or my company. I’m no one’s pushover.”
“Never thought you were, Naomi,” Bill replied. “What you and Kelsey were able to accomplish is phenomenal.”
Naomi’s burst of anger fizzled, and she smiled back at Bill. “I’m sorry if I was a little abrupt,” she said. “I just get angry at the thought of someone trying to take something I worked so hard to build.”
“We won’t let that happen, Naomi. But he’s a major shareholder now.”
“I’m aware, Bill.” She began packing her computer and some work files into her leather briefcase. When she was done, she snapped it shut and reached for her purse inside a drawer. “However, I trust that you’ll keep the hounds at bay at least while I’m at the conference. When I get back, we’ll address this.” She started toward the door.
“Absolutely, boss.”
“I’ll see you when I get back.” Seconds later she was headed toward the elevator lobby.
She stabbed at the down button as she waited for the elevator.
Lucius Knight wanted her company? Her baby? Hell, no. There was no way she was going to let the man—no matter how good-looking—weasel his way in and take over everything she’d built. She would show him and every other local who’d discounted her in high school and thought she was less than just how strong she’d truly become.
“Grandma.” Lucius softened his tone when he heard his grandmother’s voice on the other end of his iPhone. “It’s so good to hear from you.”
“I hope that remains the case when you hear what I have to say,” she replied.
“I
