The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

Showdown Part 52

"Ready for this?" Jackson gave Raymond's hand a squeeze, when he just nodded. Opening the door, they came face-to-face with Beatrice Dealer, who looked as if she was about to kill.

"Mother! What a nice surprise to see you here." Jackson smiled, waiving her into the house.

Once they were seated in the living room, she looked at Raymond as if he was dirt under her shoes. He could see her displeasure, but wasn't overly worried. There really was very little she could do but threaten and bluster.

"I think I should speak to Jackson alone." she looked pointedly at Raymond.

"I think that in our house, you don't get to choose, Mrs. Dealer." Raymond wanted to keep things civil for Jackson's sake, but obviously this was going to turn into a war zone soon.

"Very well." her mouth was set, lips pursed. "I disapprove of what is going on here, as you both know, but what you did yesterday was an embarrassment to our company and the Dealer family." Beatrice was barely containing her anger. 

"Mother, I'm an adult, I really don't need your approval." Jackson corrected her. Raymond had warned him to let him do all the talking, but obviously Jackson had other plans.

"What you did yesterday was disgusting and irresponsible and I will never agree to it! What you do in your personal lives is obviously beyond my control, but when it affects our company, I have quite a lot to say." She looked directly at Raymond, who kept his face expressionless. 

"You will retract your statement and you will do so immediately, because Dealers would never give you a penny! I suppose this was all your doing?" she accused Raymond.

"It was, actually." Raymond goaded her. "What will you do now? Fire your son as CEO, ruin my career or damage your company's reputation?"

"You forget your place Raymond!" she sneered at him. "After all that we've done for you, have given you, this is the way you repay us? By dragging our names through the mud? Don't forget that I still have influence in our business circles. One word from me and you'll lose everything." she let her threat hang in the air.

"I think it's you who are forgetting who I am." Raymond placed his hand on Jackson's arm, just as he was about to open his mouth. "I owe you nothing. Everything I have, I've worked for, and I would advise that you take a moment to think about the position that you're in before threatening me." he calmly informed her.

"Be that as it may, Dealers will not participate in this ridiculous idea that you've come up with. I don't know what sort of money Jackson promised you, but I'll make sure that it will never happen. You still need the board's approval, and that will never happen as long as I live!" her eyes shooting daggers at Raymond, her displeasure clearly written across her face.

"Maybe you'll want to speak to the board members first before you make statements like that. I don't need you, I just need a majority to go ahead." This conversation was long in the making and backing down was not an option once he'd set his plan in motion. "Don't underestimate me, I know that company from inside out. Just as you think you can destroy my life, I can take it all away from you." Raymond smiled at her, which seemed to make her even more angry at his words. Her eyes widening at his threat.

"So this was your plan the whole time? You want to steal my company away from me." Beatrice was taken aback by Raymond's attitude, his confidence and his certainty that he had that much power over the family.

"Don't you threaten me. All you are is a PA with nothing to your name and now that you've bamboozled my son, you think you have that much power?" her voice was and full of menace.

"Let me spell it out for you Mrs. Dealer." Raymond sat back on the couch, with a slight smile. "If you withdraw your funding, then it will become public knowledge, leading to even more bad press for the company, which will effect your stocks and bring you under more scrutiny. With that, Hellion will sue you for breach of contract, which has the support of the full board." He narrowed his eyes at her, watching the shocked expression on her face.

"I'm sure you know the influence that Hellion has and the way we do business. I'll take your company apart and sell it for nothing, just because I can. You're not dealing with a PA right now, you're speaking to a man who has all the resources at hand to make sure that everything you have gets taken away." Raymond had decided to take the kid gloves off and attack her directly. Why beat around the bush?

"You-you little..."

"Think very carefully about what you're going to say next," Raymond warned her quietly. "You're going to look like a bigoted old woman, who is against your son's relationship, which I may remind you, is now also public knowledge. I'm sure you've seen the headlines this morning? They've  called it a fairytale romance, an example of how the world is changing. That we are a couple to be commended for what we've done." 

If he had to be honest, he was enjoying laying out exactly how little choice she had in the situation. "Now, I don't think we have anything else to discuss." He got up, indicating that this conversation was at an end. "Oh," he turned to her, "if you even think of making Jackson resign or removing him from his position, you'll have to deal with me and I'm sure that after our discussion, you'll agree that I'm not to be taken lightly." When she didn't move, her face red with anger and unspoken threats, Raymond continued.

"You can leave now. I think we all understand the situation you are in."

--

"You're really scary, you know that?" Jackson kissed him  and made his way to the kitchen with Raymond in tow. "Remind me never to cross you." he grinned, handing Raymond a beer. "So what's next?"

"Now we wait and see what Lilith will do. I just hope that my uncle has done his part, so that we can put this whole situation behind us." At that moment his phone buzzed.

"Ray," Damon's voice boomed over the line. "I've just had a very angry call from Beatrice. Apparently you threatened to ruin her company and take it away from her." he laughed.

"I'm only doing what you've taught me. Only I'm doing it better than you now." he winked over at Jackson who looked at him enquiringly. Raymond put the phone on speaker.

"Well, it seems to have worked, whatever you've said to her. She's also mighty pissed off with all of us."

"Eggs have to be broken to bake a cake." Raymond laughed. "How are things on your side though?"

"It's all ready and in place. Will you be handling that as well?"

"You just don't want to get your hands dirty." Raymond accused him. "You'll have to come to the emergency meeting that she'd called. She's out for your blood." He reminded Damon.

"You stress too much Ray, after tomorrow we'll be out of the woods and then we can celebrate properly."

"If you say so." he laughed. "See you tomorrow." 

"Jackson?" he looked up at him with concern in his eyes. "I need you to stay at home for a day or so. Just until I've sorted this out."

"But..." he started to object.

"You promised me that you'll do whatever I asked." he reminded a frowning Jackson. "I need you to listen to me now, no argument." he made his intention clear.

"Yes, Mr. Inquisitor." Jackson caved, the worry still clear on his face. "So, when are we getting married?" he grinned, pulling Raymond in for a hug.

"When you ask me properly, Mr. Dealer."

"But you already asked and I said yes. You can't go back on your word now. We're an internet sensation." Jackson reminded him.

"That's true, but you still have to ask me properly and not in some sort of stupid way, like you've done before." Resting his head against Jackson's chest, he continued, "Now, let me go and prepare for my big battle tomorrow.