The Merger: The Ryan Family Books One-Three Read online

  Stepping out of her reach, I shake my head in disgust. “I’m making such a fuss, as you put it, because you refuse to listen to me. We were done before I met Madison. Even if I had never met her, I was still done with you. Now, I'm getting married, and I plan on being faithful to my wife. Just so we are clear, I do not have to marry her. I want to marry her. Get it through your thick head. She is my choice. You and I are done. Ended. Over. Finished. There is no other way to say it. Get the fuck over it. I'm not going to explain myself to you again. Leave me, my fiancé, and my family alone, and take the job you have been offered. And fucking stop with all the other shit. Now, this is your last chance. Leave. Do not fuck with me, or you will regret it."

  "Come on, Luke, I know all about the agreement. Remember, I have been your assistant for a long time. You are never going to convince me you suddenly want the drab, little princess." She makes another move to grab my sleeve, and I step back and signal a security guard over.

  "Last chance, Marta. I am under no obligation to explain myself to you. But I will tell you, Madison is my choice. You mean less than nothing to me, and she means absolutely everything to me. I hope I have made myself clear enough for you to understand. Now, fuck off. You were not invited. This nice security guard is going to escort you to the door.” As I turn and walk away, she starts spewing filth at me, but Drew’s guys are great. They quickly shove her out the door.

  Monday morning, I will have to make the decision on whether or not I trust her working at Sterling–Ryan. If she continues being a stalking bitch, then I will have to take the appropriate actions against her.

  After getting back to Madison, I see she got our glasses of champagne. She is still standing with the rest of our families, and I hope she missed Marta being tossed out on her ass. I see Nikolas's date giving her a glare, and I want to smack the hateful look right off her face. When I saw Nikolas walk in with Leslie, I knew there may be a problem. Last year, I took her out a few times and found her to be very clingy, so I broke it off almost immediately. Hopefully, Nikolas sees her real personality as quickly as I did. As long as she leaves Madison alone, she's my brother's problem.

  Now, we can enjoy the rest of the night and wait for the big announcement to be made. I lead Madison to the dance floor and take her in my arms; she is so damn tiny. When I stepped into the car tonight and saw her for the first time, she took my breath away. If Gramps George wasn’t announcing our engagement tonight at the ball, I would've said screw it and taken her somewhere where we could be alone. She’s so beautiful, and all I want to do is protect her from everyone and everything. It is unexplainable how Madison brings these feelings out in me. Ever since the first night I saw her, weeks ago, she has had a hold on me I can’t break. I realize the announcement of the end of my freedom is not quite as scary as I thought it would be. I really am in love with Madison. Fuck me!

  6

  Lukas

  We spend the rest of the weekend together, and I realize we actually have quite a bit in common. Besides being absolutely gorgeous, Madison is insanely intelligent and hilariously funny. We have lunch at a small diner known for serving the best hamburgers in town. I watch in stunned amazement as the tiny woman, who weighs maybe one hundred pounds, eats a whole burger, an order of fries, and a milkshake.

  After lunch, we watch the new action movie at the massive theater across from the mall. When we get there, it hits me that I haven't been to the movies in years. I didn't know theaters had recliners in them now. When I'm with Madison, I find it so easy to forget the stress of keeping Sterling-Ryan at the top, the pressure of keeping my brothers in line, the stress of keeping our other family obligations, and I can enjoy myself for a small amount of time.

  After the movie starts, I take Madison's hand in mine, and she leans over and snuggles into my body. I sit back, planning to enjoy the film, but can barely pay attention to the movie because my dick is throbbing painfully the whole time from having her so close in the dark room. Once the show ends, I have to sit for a few minutes to give my cock time to calm the fuck down before we can leave. Madison looks at me with her eyebrow raised, and I look at my lap to show her the issue. Her face reddens, and she sits her little ass back and waits patiently for me.

  Trying to find a way to extend our date, when we get to the car, I ask her, "Would you like to stop by the mall on the way home for some ice cream?"

  "That sounds great. I love the ice cream parlor in the mall. Can we also run into the cell phone store? My phone has been acting up lately, and I need to get it checked out." She holds up her phone to show the screen blinking lights on and off.

  My stupidity shocks me. I should have added her to my phone plan before now. "Madison, let's get ice cream at the mall, and I will call tonight and have a phone delivered to the house for you. It will be linked to my phone plan. Soon, we are going to be married; it is better for you to have a phone on my plan."

  "Lukas, it wasn't my intention for you to buy me something new." She puts her hand on my thigh and driving the car takes all of my concentration.

  Trying hard to follow the conversation and drive, I tell her, "I know. Now, let's go get our ice cream."

  For the first time in my life, I'm in a relationship with a woman who actually engages my mind as well as my dick. This whole relationship has thrown me into uncharted territory.

  Because Max is helping at Steele Co., I am stuck doing both of our jobs at Sterling–Ryan, and my schedule is crazy. Therefore, spending time with Madison while she's planning our wedding is next to impossible, so I asked Gramps George and Brayden to step in and help her.

  To further my campaign of having her fall in love with me, I've been sending her weekly flowers, and I'm working my ass off so I can get a little bit of time with my girl after the wedding. She has no idea of the hoops I'm jumping through entirely for her. To get a week off for our honeymoon, I'm living on five hours of sleep a night and gallons of caffeine. But, in the end, I know it will all be worth it.

  Every time I think I’ve got a handle on things and my head is above water, one of these motherfuckers goes and pulls a stunt. At my meeting with Gramps George and Bradley last week, Bradley stated he agreed with Annie. He asked Gramps George to hold off a little before announcing their engagement. I approved of the delay only because I didn't want my Angel's night ruined, but I knew something else is going on there. I figure I will demand answers as soon as some of my stress has eased.

  Max informs me there is definitely something going on between Bradley and his Uncle Drew. He says, every time they're in the same room, they nearly come to blows. Everyone witnessed that shit first hand at the Autumn Ball.

  Like I have time to deal with their family drama. Bradley is coming in today so I can try to figure out what the fuck is going on with him and his uncle. I also talked to my head of security and made sure Marta only has minimal security clearance until I decide what to do with her ass.

  My new assistant, José, is a great kid right out of college. He buzzes me to let me know Useless is here. Once Madison and I are married, I may have to start calling her brother by his real name. Back to Useless though; I let José know to send him in.

  Once he comes in and is seated, I get started. "Bradley, Max has informed me something is going on, and I need you to tell me about it. Between you wanting to wait to announce your engagement and the way you and Drew acted at the ball, I know something has happened. Maybe you could let me in on what it is."

  He keeps sitting there hitting his closed fists on the tops of his knees, and his jaw is tight, with a tick in it. I'm about to get up and throw him through the wall to get an answer. It's probably a bad thing to do if I want to stay on his sister's good side.

  Maybe I'll try a friendly way again. "Bradley, answer me. What the fuck is going on with your uncle?"

  "You really want to know what's going on?" Bradley's face turns red, and he grinds his teeth so hard I think they may crack.

  I look at him like he's crazy. Does he thi
nk I would ask if I didn't want to know what was going on? No shit, I want to know what's going on!

  Fuck me, I almost fall out of my chair with what he says next. "Maybe you should ask your sister what's going on. After all, she's the one fucking my uncle! I'm all for family togetherness and sharing, but fucking each other is a little too fucking much!"

  After sitting in stunned silence for God knows how long, with really nothing to say, I try to come up with something. For God's sake, what can I say to him? What the fuck now? Goddammit, is the fucking uncle going to marry my sister now? I try to gather my thoughts and answer him. "Bradley, are you absolutely sure? I mean, maybe you are wrong.”

  "No, Lukas, I can promise you I am not wrong, I walked in, and his dick was so far up her pussy, I'm surprised it wasn't coming out her throat. So, I can promise you, I didn't get this wrong. He was definitely fucking Annie. I do know what I saw, and I saw my uncle fucking your goddamn sister. I wouldn't marry her now if she were the last woman on earth." He gets up and paces around the room, and I can't blame him when he puts his fist through my wall.

  I get up and hand him a towel to wrap around his bleeding hand. Fuck this shit. Drew Steele is an unbelievable bastard. The only thought going through my mind is making sure my marriage to Madison takes place, and I tell him so. “My marriage to Madison will have to be sufficient to cement the relationship between our families and the partnership between our companies. I will talk to your uncle and Annie and find out what the fuck is going on with them. In the meantime, Max will continue helping you get settled in Steele Co., and hopefully, soon you will be ready to take over more of the responsibility on your own. My grandfather and I still believe my marriage to Madison needs to take place within the next couple of months to keep Steele Co. as stable as possible. You need to do your part and pick the shit up as fast as you can so we can keep your company from going under. Does Madison know anything about the situation?"

  "No, she has been trying to reach me, but I keep avoiding her. I know she is under a ton of stress with your engagement and upcoming wedding, and I didn’t fucking want to add any more stress." As he sits down and rubs his hand, I actually feel sorry for the poor bastard.

  "I appreciate you considering your sister's feelings. I will decide when to tell her. So, keep avoiding her until I find the right time. She is innocent in the whole goddamn mess. I won't tolerate anyone fucking with her." Bradley looks at me like I'm crazy as I’m speaking.

  "You really care for my sister, don't you?" He shakes his head and laughs as he asks.

  "You just worry about your own relationships, and I'll worry about mine. Now, go and get to work at Steele Co., and get that hand looked at. It looks bad,” I call as he slams out the door.

  After he leaves, I sit in stunned silence and wonder what the fuck to do with the situation. What the fuck was my sister thinking? She's been spoiled her entire life, but she really has pushed things too far this time. I have no idea how the fuck I am going to fix the situation. I need to find time to tell Madison about the affair.

  As for Drew Steele, he came begging to my grandfather for help keeping his older brother's company from going under after his brother's death. Now, he’s fucked everything up because he couldn't keep his dick out of my sister.

  If I hadn't fallen in love with his niece, I'd walk away from all of the shit and let him try to find another way to save his dead brother's company. Of all the fucking shit I have to deal with, now I have these idiots and their drama.

  Madison

  Lukas is taking me out to dinner tonight, and I’m so excited. He called earlier and asked if I could be ready at seven o'clock because we have reservations at Porter's Place, the new steakhouse in town. I spend two hours getting ready, wanting to look great for him since this date will be the first time we have spent out alone since the weekend after our engagement was announced.

  When Lukas knocks and walks in my suite door at six fifteen, I'm standing at the mirror in my bra and underwear. He comes to a dead stop and stares at me. He clears his throat and blinks a couple of times. "God, if I didn't want to take you out so badly, I would strip your tiny ass and throw you on the bed, and we would stay in for the rest of the night."

  His words shock me so much, I just stand there and look at him without responding.

  He gives me his arrogant smirk, and both of his dimples flash at me. "I see you are almost ready. You already look beautiful, but your outfit is not appropriate for public viewing."

  He winks at me and walks to the door. “I’m going to hop in a quick, icy shower. It’ll only take me a few minutes to shower and change clothes, and then we can leave. We have eight o'clock reservations, and if I don't leave now, we have no hope of making it."

  After he rushes out the door, I walk over to the closet and grab my robe before I finish applying my make-up. Hopefully, my little black dress and four-inch black heels make Lukas sweat.

  When he walks out of his room thirty minutes later, he's wearing a black V-neck sweater and gray dress slacks that hug his ass and thighs perfectly. I am tempted to ask if I can take him up on his earlier suggestion to stay in, but before I can form the words, he looks me up and down approvingly and says, "You look beautiful. I can't wait to take you out."

  The whole way to the restaurant, while cuddled up to Lukas, I'm enveloped in his soothing scent. When we get to the restaurant, Lukas gives his name to the hostess, and we are taken immediately to a dark, intimate booth in the back of the restaurant, and Lukas sits right next to me. Lukas’ breath whispers against my ear as he asks me what type of wine I prefer, and I barely have the brain power to tell him to choose.

  Before I know it, we have our wine and have placed our orders. While we wait for our food, Lukas holds my hand and plays with the back of my knuckles. Every now and then, he lifts my hand and kisses the back of my fingers, and the Lukas Fog surrounds me.

  As we eat dinner slowly, Lukas tells me he is swamped helping Bradley with Steele Co. and running Sterling-Ryan. He apologizes for all the time he is away from home. I let him know I understand how hard it is to run one business, much less two. After dinner, he asks me if I want dessert, but I'm so stuffed there's no way I could eat another thing, so he orders my favorite cheesecake to go. After we leave the restaurant, he tells Roger, my bodyguard, and Wyatt, his driver-slash-bodyguard, that we are going to go for a walk in the nearby park.

  We walk hand-in-hand slowly through the park until we find a bench and have a seat. He takes my hand and kisses the back of my knuckles, and then he looks up at the sky and takes a deep breath. "I've had such a great time with you tonight. I hate that I can't be home with you every single night. Shit, I hate to ruin our perfect night, but there's an issue I have to talk to you about.”

  He gets up and starts rubbing the back of his neck, and my heart drops when he continues. “I know this situation is going to come as a great shock to you, but I want you to know our arrangements won’t be affected. Our engagement and our marriage will still happen as planned."

  "Lukas, you're really scaring me right now. Just tell me what's going on. I hate when something is kept from me." Tears overflow and run down my cheeks as he sits and stars wiping my tears.

  Then Lukas holds my face, and when he looks directly into my eyes, I can see how serious he is. "I give you my word, what I'm about to tell you does not affect us at all. I had a talk with your brother, and he let me know he has been avoiding talking to you. I know you could sense the tension between your Uncle Drew and Bradley at the Autumn Ball. Evidently, Annie has been carrying on an affair with your uncle Drew behind Bradley's back. There is no way Bradley is going to marry Annie. The negotiations for their marriage have fallen through, but our arrangement is still the same. Our marriage will take place very soon. Drew, Annie, and Bradley know not to involve us in their mess."

  "Oh my God, Lukas, our families play musical beds and marriages regularly." As I look up into his serious eyes and laugh, the tears continue running down my
face.

  "Angel, I want you to know you will never play musical beds or marriages. My bed is the only bed you will sleep in, and ours will be your only marriage. I don't give a fuck about the rest of our family. Now, let me take you home. After we are married, I'll show you how you and I will make music in our bed." When he wiggles his eyebrows at me, I can't help but laugh through the tears.

  "Let's go, the rest of them can figure out their own lives." Lukas leans over, kisses me lightly on the lips, and we get up and walk to the car.

  I'm so relieved my engagement to Lukas hasn’t been canceled along with Bradley's. In just a few short weeks, I have given my heart to Lukas, and the thought of losing him makes me sick. Bradley has never said how he feels about Annie, so I'm left to wonder if his anger is because he was betrayed or if he is so angry because he genuinely has feelings for her. Right now, he is refusing to talk to anyone about the situation, so I am going to wait until he’s ready to speak to me.

  7

  Madison

  Lukas calls one morning and asks me out on a date. He tells me to be ready at seven that night and to dress in evening wear. For the rest of the day, excitement buzzes through me. I have the perfect dress to wear tonight. It’s made of the sleekest silk in a deep purple hue and is long and fitted. It has spaghetti straps made of lavender crystals, and there is a long slit up one side so I can walk comfortably. Annie talked me into the gorgeous dress the first time I shopped at La Femme, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear it for Lukas. With my hair curled and my make-up light, I’m ready when he knocks on my door at seven on the dot. He looks gorgeous in his fitted tux with his hair still slightly damp from his recent shower.