Free Not Until You Part VIII: Not Until You Love by Roni Loren Page A

clenched his teeth, having flashbacks from his high school years. He’d won a lot of awards, but the popularity contest was one he’d never had a shot in.
    “You need to show me you’re capable with this part of the business. Otherwise, you’re starting to make me wonder if you’re the right person to take over the top spot when I step down.”
    Wyatt’s fingers dug into the arms of his chair, cool steel in his voice. “Excuse me?”
    That position had been decided since Wyatt’s first IQ test in grade school. Like an Olympic athlete, his whole life had centered on getting groomed and trained for this role, especially after his father had realized that his other son, Jace, had absolutely no interest in taking over the family business.
    Wyatt thought of all the things he’d turned down, walked away from, or not tried because he was on this path. Because he was the “good” son, the heir apparent. All the hours and blood and sweat he put into this company. Now that role was up in the air?
    “My first responsibility is to this company,” his father said curtly. “You know I’ve never given you anything simply because we share DNA. You’ve earned everything you’ve gotten so far. But now you need to earn this. If I don’t think you’re the best candidate, I won’t hesitate to give it to someone else. Eric has been in line for it for years and has as much experience as you do.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    “Look at my face,” his dad said, using the same words he used to say to Wyatt when he was a child. “Does this look like my kidding face?”
    Wyatt made a sound of disgust. “You’re a coldhearted sonofabitch sometimes.”
    “I am. That’s what gives me my edge, son. If I made decisions based on emotions, you’d have grown up in some shithole in the suburbs. This is a weakness of yours, and my future CEO can’t afford weaknesses.”
    “I got it,” he snapped, bitterness leaking into his words.
    “Good.” His father pulled a paper from the inner pocket of his jacket and laid it on Wyatt’s desk. “That’s a list of people going whose business we want to acquire. Do whatever it takes to get them.”
    Wyatt unfolded the paper and scanned the neat list of typed names. Some of the biggest players out there were listed, of course. His father always aimed for the outfield. But Wyatt’s gaze snagged on the name at the bottom of the page. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
Andrew
Carmichael? If you think I’m going to go kiss Andrew’s ass, you have an—”
    “He’s the biggest fish on that list now. Ed’s health has been in the shitter lately, and he’s handed over lots of responsibility to Andrew, including this year’s retreat. Retirement is probably inevitable within the year. So you need to work the son. And you two used to be friends. Use that.” His father straightened his coat.
    “Friends? That’s quite a revisionist history there, Dad.” The guy had made grade school painful and high school a fucking nightmare.
    “Come on. You can’t still be hung up on stuff that happened so long ago. So he liked to pick on you. He was just threatened because you were smarter than him and got more attention.”
    Wyatt gritted his teeth. Childhood teasing he could’ve forgiven, but Andrew had upped the ante when they hit high school. When Wyatt had been chosen for a prestigious scholarship over Andrew, the bastard had retaliated by getting Wyatt’s longtime girlfriend tipsy at an after-prom party and then fucking away her virginity on Wyatt’s bed, making sure Wyatt walked in at just the right moment. Wyatt’s one and only fistfight had ended with a naked Andrew knocked out in the middle of the hallway.
    “I want him on our roster.”
    “There are other big players we can go after. We don’t need him.”
    “We do and you’re going to get him.” His father stood and pulled out an envelope. He dropped it onto the desk. “Nancy in travel has already changed me and