Jake had used that tactic many times before.
“We had April Kellerman’s documents analysed, as well as those DNA tests,” Ric Perrini said now, indicating Jake should take a seat.
“And?” Jake sat and Ric and Ryan followed suit.
“It appears that you are James Hammond Blackstone.”
As one, they released a collective breath and the expectant hush in the room fanned out, spreading like a blanketing drift of snow. The air was just as chilly, with most of the freeze coming from the two men who had battled for the CEO’s position after Howard’s death.
Jake steeled his features to betray nothing. Emotion meant vulnerability, which meant your enemies had a weakness they could exploit. Show nothing, reveal nothing.
“So Howard was right all along,” Kimberley finally said.
Ric shrugged. “Looks like it.”
She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but Ryan interrupted.
“We asked you here to discuss a few things. One, your plans for Blackstone’s.” Ryan’s even tone belied the storm in his eyes. “And we’d like to make an offer for your shares.”
Jake stifled his surprise. Interesting. Business first. “I’m not selling.”
“You haven’t heard our bid.”
“I don’t need to.”
“Listen, Vance. If this is about payback or revenge—”
“Why would it?” Jake raised one eyebrow.
The men glanced at each other, regrouping. Finally Kimberley said slowly, “See it from our side. You and Quinn Everard are close. There’s been a long history of animosity between him and Howard—”
Jake smiled, an action he knew would throw them off balance. “Not my problem. I’m sure you’ve had me researched. So you know I never let personal feelings stand in the way of a business decision.”
“What about Jaxon Financial?” Ric asked.
Jake paused, letting the barb sink in without showing it’d hit a sore spot. “That was over eight years ago. And it wasn’t my company.”
“But you were accused of insider trading,” Ryan probed, his astute eyes unwavering.
Jake eased back in the leather chair and stretched his legs out, a calculated show of nonchalance. “Accused. Not charged.”
“You lost millions. The CEO fired you.”
“And I returned the favour eighteen months later when I bought them out. Look, we can go over my chequered history for hours, but it doesn’t change the facts. The way I see it, you have two choices. Fight me for the claim, which would tie us up in court for years, and see the shares plummet. Or work with me on this. Blackstone’s has a problem. Besides the press leak you’ve failed to plug, the company has been floundering since Howard’s death. Share prices are dropping. The power struggle between you—” he nodded at Ric “—and you,” then Ryan, “is unsettling the board, not to mention your shareholders. They’re getting antsy.”
“How do you know that?” demanded Ryan.
“I make it my business to know.” Before Ryan could interject, Jake held up a hand. “I plan to fix that.”
“Why?” Ryan asked, his eyes narrowed.
“Because I can.”
“I meant—”
“I know what you meant. Like it or not, Howard made me a beneficiary. You’re worried about Blackstone’s collapsing? I can fix it. It isn’t personal. It’s business.”
“So this is all just business to you?” Kimberley asked softly.
“Well, it’s certainly not about family bonding.”
He didn’t miss her brief flash of dismay as her eyes met Ric’s briefly.
“So what’s your plan?” Ric said smoothly.
Jake sized him up. Ric Perrini looked hard, with a reputation to match. He’d been Howard’s surrogate son, the only one deemed worthy to take over Blackstone’s. The man probably felt threatened. Hell, they all did.
Hardly surprising. Jake traded on his unpredictable reputation; it sent fear and respect into the hearts of his adversaries and made them careless.
That’s how he won.
He looked back to Kimberley, who’d been staring at him in silence. When he met her sharp green eyes, she refused to look away.
“You’re the spitting image of Howard,” she said now.
Thrown by such a personal comment, Jake frowned. He wasn’t sure she meant that in a good way, either. Should he thank her? Ignore it? He opted for the simplest approach.
“Blackstone genes.”
Kim hesitated. “You know we all thought Howard was out of his tree about you,” she finally said. “I just can’t believe you’re actually alive.”
He lifted his eyebrows and gave her a small, wry smile. “In the flesh.”
Kim paused, a moment too long.
“You have something to say,” Jake said calmly. “Just go ahead and say it.”
“Don’t you have questions about the family?” she asked curiously. “About Howard? Sonya? Vince?”
“Not particularly. I have a very efficient research department.”
“So where have you been for the last thirty years?” Ryan asked tightly.
“Queensland first. Then when I was about ten, South Australia.”
“And?” Kim prompted. Jake let them dangle for a few seconds before conceding, “I was kidnapped by Howard’s housekeeper and her boyfriend. Two months after the ransom note, around midnight, their car crashed into the Lindon River, five kilometres north of—”
“Newcastle, yes, we’ve read the police report,” Ryan interrupted. “Everyone assumed you’d drowned in the crash and floated out to sea.”
“April Kellerman was driving by when the car crashed. She pulled me free.”
“And kept you.”
The scorn in Ryan’s voice sent a fierce surge of protectiveness straight to Jake’s chest. “Don’t judge what you don’t know,” he warned softly, piercing the younger man with a steely look.
Silence abruptly fell.
“We need to know more if we’re to prepare a press release,” Kim finally said, then paused as a shadow passed over his features. “You don’t trust us.”
“I don’t trust anyone.”
“That’s a nice attitude to have,” Ryan muttered.
Jake raised one eyebrow. “I’m not the one with the press leak.”
Ryan tensed as Perrini said, “You know the press will fill in the blanks with whatever they can find, true or not.”
“I know.”
Despite a thorough going over, Jake was determined not to give anything away under everyone’s searching eyes. Kim’s small sigh a few seconds later was the only indication he’d won. Won what? The victory came with a surprisingly bitter taste.
“Your birthdate is wrong,” Kim said finally.
“Excuse me?”
“James was born on