He Rescued a Dog Over My Gran, So I Took His Helicopters novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: Majority

I walked into the hangar at noon with Gran's lawyer's paperwork in my hand and Jude one step behind me.

A dozen people were on the floor.

Pilots in flight suits, two medics eating sandwiches, and the crew chief with a torque wrench still in his fist.

They stopped talking when they saw my face.

Half of them had been at the funeral.

"I'm Victoria Riordan," I said. "Some of you know me as Beck's wife."

Nobody said anything.

"As of Thursday morning, the Riordan Trust owns sixty percent of this company, and I am the Trust."

The crew chief put the wrench down on a workbench, very slowly.

"Jude Merrick is not suspended," I said. "He flies the night shift as usual, and anyone who has a problem with that can bring it to me."

A medic at the back said, "Holy shit."

"Yes," I said. "That's about right."

Someone started to clap, and then stopped, because Beck's lawyer had come in through the side door with his briefcase.

He read me a letter about a "dispute over control."

I told him the Priority Line would ring in this hangar as it always had, and that if he stood in the way of one launch I would find out.

He left.

I did not feel brave.

I felt sick and steady at the same time.

That night I let Jude in through the gatehouse door without a knock.

He stood just inside with his jacket still on and his hands at his sides.

"You said not while you flew for him," I said.

"Victoria."

"Who do you fly for, Merrick?"

His throat moved.

"You," he said.

"And the other half of your rule. I'm his wife on paper."

"Yes."

"I own the paper."

He laughed, very quietly.

Then the laugh went out of his face.

"I need to say something first."

"Say it."

"For three years you called me and said, 'Thanks, Jude,' and hung up, and went home to him." His voice was low and rough. "I used to hate how polite you were. I'd sit there with the phone and think, ask me for something, ask me for anything."

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