Jack's POV
"Wild cat, uhn?" Taylor teased as he drove me home later that day.
"Shut it," I hissed at him, rubbing my head as I stared at the screen of my iPad.
I didn't want to think of that lady and the weird meeting I had with her. Of all the crazies I've met in my life, she was the unexpected. How dare she try to trap me with a baby?
As if I had the time to be a father at the moment. I snorted as I got back to work.
"I thought I had heard everything until I heard that." Taylor chuckled, clearly not interested in listening to me and shutting up as I wanted him to. "Is that what you call her in bed? What does she call you? My beastly prince?" he laughed at his own joke.
I couldn't take it anymore. "Shut it, Taylor." I growled at him.
I hated that he could read me easily. I blushed that he knew I had slept with the lady. Strangely, I felt a desire to correct his assumption that I was still sleeping with the lady. I didn't know why I bothered but I had to make sure that I wasn't sleeping with her.
"It was a one-night stand, Taylor. She doesn't have to give me a pet name. I didn't even know her name until today."
"I bet that name would have been good on you." He laughed and focused on driving.
I was relieved he wasn't teasing me anymore but couldn't stop thinking of the name he had given me.
My beastly prince? He was right. If Katherine had heard that name, she wouldn't have hesitated to call me that, especially after I treated her today.
I stopped thinking of her and focused on the deal I needed to close in the next few days. I couldn't believe I had been excited to see her when I saw her before knowing what she came for.
Sex with her had been great, super great that I had relived the night the moment I saw her until she ruined it.
My phone rang, jarring me from my thoughts and I scowled at the distraction. I sighed when I saw my mother's name flashing on the screen and ignored the call. The phone rang again and I rolled my eyes at how persistent she was.
Taylor glanced at the back but didn't say anything. His phone rang and I could see the slight grin on his face. I knew even before he spoke that the call had to do with me.
"Don't answer it," I ordered.
He nodded and let the phone ring. I got back to work and let out a curse when the phone rang again.
"Hello," Taylor spoke into the phone.
"I told you not to answer it." I hissed behind him.
"I can't try things you can." He reminded me and continued speaking into the phone. "Yes, ma'am." He said and dropped the phone.
Suddenly, he changed lanes and my eyes widened as I realized what he is doing.
"That isn't the way to my house."
"I know. It's the way to your family house."
"What!" I scowled. "I didn't tell you that I'm having dinner with my family. Get me to my own house, Taylor." I growled like a man throwing tantrums but I didn't care.
It's been a long day and I wasn't in the mood to deal with my family drama.
"They aren't having dinner with you as well. Your grandfather slumped."
"What?"
"Aren't you glad I picked the call? That was why your mother kept calling."
I winced as I realized how bad of a person I was. My mother had probably been freaking out and I had added to her worries by ignoring her calls.
"Get to the hospital as fast as you can, Taylor." I ordered, dumping my iPad in my bag.
"On it, boss." He said and pressed hard on the accelerator.
I prayed, letting out short sighs as he rushed to the hospital and hoped that my grandfather would be fine. I had thought that it was a long day but it seemed it was about to get longer.
******
"Where is he?" I heard my grandfather saying in a loud voice as I moved closer to his VIP room in the hospital.
The old man was still as energetic as he used to be that I wondered if he was actually sick.
"I'm here, grandfather." I said as I made my way inside.
My mother had given me a look with her tear-stained eyes as I made my way inside. I knew I was in for a scolding when I was done with my grandfather.
"You brat!" He hissed, turning to the door to look at me. "Did I have to slump to see your face?"
"You didn't have to see my face as much as you didn't have to slump. I'm busy running the company."
He snorted. "I didn't ask you to work that hard."
"Of course, I have to work that hard. How else would I be the next chairman if I don't show you that I'm capable of handling the position?"
"Who says I want to make you the next chairman?"
I grinned at his words, knowing he was joking. Who else would he give the position to if not me? I squeezed my nose at the idea of the position going to John. That was a disgusting idea.
Asides the boy being younger than I was, he didn't have the smarts to run a business, much more one as big as ours. I didn't work my ass off all these years to have it handed to him. My grandfather had to be joking.
"That was a joke, right?" I asked to confirm.
My tone was light but I couldn't deny the thudding of my heart as I stared at the old man who could crush my world with a simple word. I knew he loved the company as much as I did and was smart enough to know John wasn't a suitable candidate, but I also knew to be an unpredictable fellow. That was why I felt sweats on my skin at the moment though I knew the air conditioner was working perfectly.
"It isn't."
"Grandfather," I groaned.
His eyes twinkled and I hated that he was having fun at my expense. "Do you know I'm dying, right?"
"Dying?" I echoed like an idiot.
I should have gone to the doctor, get the details of what was wrong with him before I walked in here.
He winced. "I'm old, child, and my body is giving up on me."
"I think you should call a board meeting as soon as you can and announce your successor. You don't want everything you've worked for to lay in ruins when your grandsons start fighting for it, because you didn't do what you had to do when you had the chance."
He chuckled. "You are too much of a businessman. It's not a surprise to me but I can't believe that is what you thought of first."
I winced, feeling his words like a slap on my face. I hated that I was insensitive. I couldn't help it despite how hard I tried. That was the reason most of my relationships failed.
"It's okay." He grunted. "I love how your mind works but it makes me worry about you."
"You don't have to worry about me. Your company is in safe hands, gramps."
He snorted, coughing when he started to chuckle. "I never doubt that my company is in safe hands. What about you? In whose hands are you?"
"I'm in your hands, gramps." I smiled at him.
"Don't tease me, young man. Have you forgotten that I'm dying soon?"
"You aren't dead yet."
"But I might die soon."
I rolled my eyes at his repeated mention of death. It seemed like he was enjoying this. I wondered if he was getting high from the thought of his death.
"Wait till you die before you start sputtering nonsense." I said, pushing the bed back so he could rest.
He chuckled. "How can I sputter nonsense when I'm dead? This is my chance to sputter all I want."
I rolled my eyes. "Let me get the doctor. I don't understand you."
"Wait." He croaked, reaching out for me. "I have to say something before they give me what will make me sleep off."
"Anymore word about death and I'm going to be giving you that injection myself." I said as I sat down.
He chuckled and then cleared his throat. "Do you want my company, child?"
I arched my eyebrows at him, wondering what kind of question he asked. "You know I've never wanted anything else in my life."
"Then get married." He blurted out.
"What?" I gasped, wondering if I had heard him wrong.
I blinked, looking at him as if he had told me to die. He could have told me to do that. Telling me to get married wasn't any different from telling me to die. That was the last thing on my mind.
"Get married, Jack."
"I have a lot to do."
"And I don't have much time on my hands." He reminded me. "I'm worried you are too obsessed with running the company to see something else. We are family and I had to faint to see you. You are still a CEO, I don't want to think of what will happen if you become the chairman and get busier. Even if you don't have time for us, I want you to have a family to get home to when you go home."
"I doubt I will go home much when I become the chairman. There is a lot to do."
He gave me a look that clearly told me what I said was stupid.
"I'm fine, grandfather." I cleared my throat and said, trying to do damage control to what I said.
"I'm not fine." He insisted. "I hate watching you single and lonely."
I laughed. "I'm not lonely." He couldn't have been more wrong.
"You don't know what it means to be lonely if you don't know what companionship is."
I chuckled at him. "Let me get the doctor before you become a full-time philosopher."
"On your way, think of what I said because that is the only condition you are getting my company, child. I'm not making you my successor unless you are married." He grinned. "For your sake, I hope you aren't single."
I was single. I couldn't remember the last time I was in a relationship. How was I to get married when I didn't even have a girlfriend? I didn't have the time to start dating to find a suitable bride and with the look on his face, I could tell he meant what he said.
If he was dying, that meant I didn't have much time. I didn't have much time or I might end up losing the company to my useless step-brother.
I remembered the wild cat and winced at how I had treated her. I wouldn't have been rude to her if I knew I was going to need her so soon.
I needed to find her. Right now, she seemed like the key to getting my dream position.