Lost in Distraction (Lost #1)(34)
Author: B.J. Harvey

Finally, he breaks the uncomfortable silence. “The Halliwell girl? Interestingly enough, no I don’t. Now you’re got me curious. Who do you think it is?”

“I’m not sure now. I just want assurance from you that there isn’t going to be any trouble,” I say. There is no way I’m letting him intimidate me again.

“No trouble from me, son,” he says with a dark look on his face, like there is something he knows but isn’t sharing.

“And what about from Brimstone?” I ask, looking him straight in the eye. If he lies to me, I’m wanna be able to tell.

“Brimstone is none of your concern,” he says darkly.

“Why don’t I believe you? Why has he called you in on this?” I’m hoping I can get some answers straight from the source.

“It doesn’t concern you, boy,” he spits out.

“Don’t be offended if I don’t entirely believe you,” I retort, getting angrier the more time I spend with this man.

“Good to see you’re still on top of your game, Braxton,” he sneers.

“Always will be when it comes to you,” I add with a smirk, knowing how much my attitude annoys him.

“Now, Now. You sure you don’t want to come work for me, we’d work well together. You could go a long way with me,” he says with a slimy grin.

“Never going to happen,” I say, effectively dismissing his invitation.

“You’ll change your mind one day,” he muses.

“Not in this lifetime. Right, well great to catch up,” I say sarcastically. “Hope you rot in hell and all that.” I move backwards towards the door. I don’t trust the man enough to turn my back to him.

“Aww, Brax. You break my bleeding heart. Where is the love?” Evans says just as I reach the door.

“Pfft, that was gone a long time ago, Dad.”

Chapter Fifteen

I get home after a successful shopping trip with Shay. He wasn’t all that helpful in the end, he kept suggesting clothes that would look better on a street worker than in a bar. There were lots of short skirts that would barely cover my ass and tops that could double as lingerie. He did make me laugh a lot so that made up for his hideous clothes sense.

I stepped of the shower and started getting ready to give Brax a private demonstration of my new underwear, when I hear my phone ringing in the kitchen. I put my robe on and rush to answer it, seeing Uncle Harry’s name on the caller ID as it falls out of my purse. I groan at the thought of talking to him because I know he’s wanting a final answer on the company. C’mon, Elle, you can do this. You can tell him.

After a lot of thinking and talking it over with Brax, I’m ready to give Harry my decision. I don’t want to sell Brightlight, but I don’t know if I want to run it either. Ultimately, if it came down to a choice between Brimstone or myself, there would be no question and I would step in immediately. I know I should be thankful to him and Sylvia for taking me in after my parents died. It meant I could stay at my high school without having to worry about where I was going to live, the amount of money I’d just inherited, and the multi-billion dollar company that was now mine. I had nowhere else to go and Aunt Sylvie wanted to try and keep my life as settled as possible, even during my self-destructive phase. I can’t pin point it exactly, but I don’t trust his reasons for wanting to buy the company from me. It would crush me to see him run it into the ground, or split it up and sell it off to the highest bidder.

My father started the company when I was a little girl in order to provide us with a better life, and he succeeded many times over. Brightlight Industries is the reason why I wouldn’t see him for days on end, why he would go away for lengthy business trips, and why my parents always had functions to attend at night, leaving us in the care of babysitters. Despite his demanding job, he would always make time for us. I feel like I need to hold onto the last thing left that was his. The thing he worked his ass off for, for me.

“Hi, Uncle Harry,” I answer the call, trying to sound cheerful.

“Darling Elle. How are you?” he says in his usual greasy way.

“I’m good, just got back from a few days away. How about you?”

“I’m good. I’ll be even better when you tell me you’re going to sell the company to me,” he says confidently. I can just imagine him rubbing his hands together in glee, champagne at the ready, waiting for me to tell him yes.

“Uncle Harry, I’m sorry but the answer is no. I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but I can’t give up the last part of my family, even to you,” I explain, swallowing back the tears building in my eyes.

“What?” he bellows down the phone, barely letting me finish. “You mean to tell me that after everything Sylvia and I did for you, you show me gratitude like this!”

“Um….Uncle Har—”

“No, Elise. No Uncle Harry now. You are dead to me, child. Your father would roll over in his grave at what you are doing!” he shouts down the phone. I feel that familiar tightness spread through my chest, I know that I’m just moments away from a panic attack.

“I will make this company mine, whether you like it or not, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it, girl! That boyfriend of yours is to blame for this!”

“No, Brax has nothing to-”

“Brax? Well, he’ll be getting an earful from me too. Wait a minute. Brax James?”

“Yeah,” I answer, confused as to how Uncle Harry knows Brax’s surname.

“That little f**ker! Goddamnit!” he shouts down the phone.

“Don’t you dare talk about him like that! You don’t even know him,” I say vehemently. I’m getting angry now.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Never you mind, girl. Mark my words, I will get my way, Elise One way or the other, you and your boyfriend will rue the day you ever crossed me!” he warns angrily, before hanging up in my ear.

I stare at the now silent phone, shocked at Harry’s reaction. I’ve never had anyone threaten me before. Why would he do that? The tightness in my chest has moved up to my throat and I’m powerless to stop it this time. I drop my phone to the floor and slide down the kitchen wall. I burst into tears, pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around myself as I try to calm down.

I need Brax to make everything alright.

I need Brax to fix this, to fix me.

I get home after my meeting with Evans to find Elle curled up against the wall with her head down. I drop my bag, rushing to her side.