Straight From the Hip(69)
Izzy tried to laugh and choked instead. “Less of an issue for me today,” she said, touching the bandages. “We’re just friends.”
Rita snorted. “Sure. Like anyone believes that.” She stood. “The horses aren’t going to take care of themselves. Come on. We have work to do.”
Work Izzy could handle. “You have some really strange ideas.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But if I’m right, I’ll be the first one to say I told you so.”
“JED TITAN’S HERE to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment.”
Garth raised his eyebrows. Jed coming to see him? That could only be good. The winner in a war never bothered with personal visits.He pushed the intercom button on his phone. “Send him in.”
He’d barely had time to walk around his desk when the door opened and Jed strolled in.
His father was a tall man, fit, with only a hint of gray in his dark hair. Garth knew he looked a whole lot more like Jed than Kathy. He’d also inherited his father’s ruthless nature, quest for dominance and business savvy. He had a feeling that any softer characteristics his mother might claim had long been burned out of him.
“Jed,” he said, crossing the space between them and offering his hand.
“Garth.”
They shook. Jed eyed him, as if assessing him.
“Nice office,” the older man said. “You own the building?”
“Sure. Why pay rent when you can collect it?”
Jed nodded. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” He crossed to the leather sofas and chairs in the corner and took a seat. “It’s a little early for bourbon so I’ll take coffee. Black.”
Garth used the intercom to give his assistant the order, then settled in a club chair opposite Jed.
“Cowboys have a fair chance this year,” Jed said. “You follow football?”
“Not especially. Work keeps me busy.”
“It’s the Cowboys. They’re America’s team.”
“I’m not sure the rest of the country would agree with that.”
“Screw ’em.”
The coffee was delivered. When the door closed and they were alone again, Jed leaned toward him.
“Garth, I have a proposition for you.”
Victory, Garth thought, feeling a bone-deep sense of satisfaction. If not today, then soon. Jed was running scared. His visit here was proof of that. The plan was working.
“Which is?”
“A partnership. This has been a good game. You’ve given me a run for my money and I respect that, but we’re talking business. Why waste the resources?”
“Because I have money to burn.”
Jed’s gaze sharpened. “So do I, but it’s not necessary. Here’s what I’m offering. I’ll bring you in as president of Titan World with a generous salary. I’ll gift you a truckload of shares. The rest you’ll vest over time so that when I’m gone you’ll have controlling interest in the company. I mean the whole company. Not just a piece here or there. I’ll also cut my daughters out of my will. You’ll get it all. You’ll win.”
It was an offer made of desperation, Garth thought, pleased and a little disappointed. He hadn’t thought Jed would cave so easily and he sure wasn’t ready for the game to be over.
“What makes you think I don’t want your daughters to get anything?”
“You’ve gone after them plenty. Look, Garth. I’m impressed and proud as hell. This is a onetime offer. What do you say?”
“That I’m not interested in working for you. I’ve built my own business.”
Jed glared at him. “It’s nothing compared to Titan World.”
“It’s getting there. Give me another year. As for the stock, I already own nearly ten percent. I plan to take you down the old-fashioned way.”
Jed visibly relaxed. He leaned back against the sofa. “You want to play rough.”
“Absolutely.”
“I respect you coming after me. You have a bone to pick and maybe I earned it. But my girls are different. What you did to Izzy is just plain wrong. It’s also against the law.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with the explosion. I might be interested in having a little fun with my sisters, but I’ve done nothing to hurt them. I don’t know what happened on that rig, but it wasn’t me.”
Jed shook his head. “At least admit you did it.”
“If I had, I would. But I didn’t.”
Which left the same question on the table. Who else was after Jed? Who else had so much on the line that he would blow up an oil rig?
His gaze returned to his father. Had he been set up by Jed? Would Jed do that to his own kid, just to make Garth the bad guy? Why not? Jed was ruthless.