Free No Strings (Broken Strings) by Jo Briggs

the vehicle was unloaded of luggage, the three men headed into their own
villa leaving Indi to make her own way into hers.
    When he arrived into her villa a few minutes later, she was
already busy folding up the clothing from her luggage.
    “I shouldn’t have to make more than a couple of calls then I
am all yours for the evening,” he explained setting up his laptop on the dining
room table.
    “Of course, I’m going to do some washing and start dinner
anyhow.”
    A while later, he paced up and down outside on the terrace
as he chatted on the mobile, discussing the vineyard details with Olivia.  It
was a pet project that he had helped her to fund initially. All the wines from
the vineyards had exclusivity into the Bailey hotels’ wine cellars and had
become a lucrative sideline for them both.
    “Have you been purposefully ignoring Caitlin’s messages
while you’ve been there?”  Olivia asked once their business discussion
concluded. 
    “Yes, why do you ask?”  Grey frowned down the phone at his
sister, not wanting to discuss her.
    “She tried to grill me about your whereabouts.  She seems to
be getting close to guessing your locality, and I think you not replying to her
messages has irritated her to the point that she might consider flying out to
confront you,” Olivia warned.
    “She hadn’t better not!”  Grey clenched his fist. 
Could
that woman not leave him alone for even a couple of weeks?
  “What makes
her even think I’m here unless someone has opened their big mouth and told her?”
    “I’m not sure, I told her nothing.  Do you think Father
would be cunning enough to divulge it?”
     “Maybe, he knows her showing up unannounced would get under
my skin,” Grey considered.  “Well, if she comes she comes, but I am getting to
the point that they will push me into pulling the plug on their scheme publicly
and to hell with the consequences.”  His original plan was to turn the tables
on his father’s dirty tactics but to do it discreetly to save the embarrassment
of being associated with his dealings, but now he was thinking total public
humiliation was the only way to stop him once and for all. 
    “I wish you would do that anyway. I cannot bear knowing you
are tying yourself to that woman just to stop him pressurising Freya and me
instead.”
    “Don’t worry whichever way I decide to handle this will not
reflect back to you or Freya. The documents you sent me have made compelling
reading. I have almost enough information on his coercion cover-ups to back him
into the corner so that he never has the upper hand ever again either way.”
    “Is it really as bad as I thought?”
    “Yes, he has clearly been getting away with it for years.
Once I get back we can discuss it with the guys, but I will recommend we push
for a vote of no confidence with the Trust's board and put you in his place.”
    The board of trustees were made up of the five siblings,
their Uncle and Aunt, and several other distant relatives. None of whom overly
trusted John Bailey and there had already been recent suggestive undertones
before this about someone else taking over the reins.
    “Me?”
    “Yes you are the only one qualified to lead.  Noah, Ethan
and I are tied up in record company obligations to run such a massive
organisation full time. But you are the one with the business degree and
experience, so what is a few more companies on the side of the hotel!”
    When the Bailey Family Trust Constitution had been updated
by their grandfather, only the direct descendants or their siblings of the
current President could take over.
    “I know that I could do it, but I am scared.”
    “Scary is good, it keeps the heart pumping and makes you
feel alive. It will keep you in good stead for thorough decision making because
if you get too cocky that is when you are likely to make costly off the cuff
mistakes.”
    “Wow that was kind of deep, who are you, and what have you done
with my brother?” Olivia