Joanna's Highlander (Highland Protector #2)(60)
“Matthew didn’t consider them his children because they were adopted.” Lilian shrugged and lifted her cup, cool and calm as though discussing the weather. “But I assure you, I’ve always made certain my children felt loved and cherished even though their nonbiological father was a poor excuse for a human.”
“Was?”
“Yes.” Lilian took a drink and lowered her cup back to the table. “Was. You see, Joanna, there really is such a thing as karma. During our actual divorce proceedings, Matthew suffered a very debilitating stroke just six months after you left Chicago. He’s institutionalized now and I’ve signed him up for several of AP’s experimental drug programs. He might as well serve some purpose for what he’s cost me.” She looked at Joanna with a wicked smile that chilled her to the bone. “I thought for certain you would’ve heard that he’d become little more than a lab rat.”
Joanna shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t know about anything that happened in Chicago after I left. Due to the multiple restraining orders and threats of lawsuits, I’m sure you’ll understand why I didn’t exactly keep in touch with AP, your husband, or Mason.”
“Well, let’s see if I can catch you up.” Lilian’s eyes narrowed as she methodically tapped a perfectly manicured fingernail against the rim of her cup. “AP is finally recovering from Mason Tasker’s embezzling and the other unorthodox business practices he employed such as tax evasion, money laundering, and drug running. If I have my way—and with my money, let me assure you, I always have my way—the man will never leave prison alive. As I already stated, Matthew is now institutionalized and is Asclepius Pharmaceutical’s favorite lab rat.” She made a face and tapped her chin as if searching her memory. “I believe that pretty much sums up the past three years and gets you back up to speed on all things Chicago.”
“Okay then.” Oh holy shit. Karma, as Lilian had put it, had swept across Chicago with righteous vengeance. “I’m sorry. It sounds like you’ve had a hellacious three years. I had no idea.” Joanna leaned forward and tapped the table beside her cup. “And you’re really willing to bring me back? Won’t that stir everything up all over again and make things…uncomfortable for you?”
“Yes. Well.” Mouth still tensed, Lilian slowly raised her coffee cup again as though to take a sip, but then she paused. “Let’s just say AP needs someone we can trust, and from what I’ve seen of the audit of all your records—your legitimate records, which were found on one of Mason Tasker’s dump drives—you can be trusted. Contrary to what the Tasker brothers led everyone to believe. As of yet, we’ve been unable to fill the position of CEO. I’m offering you the job. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?” She lowered her cup to the table without taking a drink, scowling down into its contents. “I see no need to drag up undesirable details about the past and relive them.”
“No,” Joanna agreed. “I’d rather not dig up the past either.”
After an uncomfortably long moment, Lilian shifted her gaze back to Joanna. “I’ll have my assistant email all the details regarding the position—clearly listing responsibilities, perks, and benefits. Since you’ve no experience as a CEO, your starting salary would only be six figures to begin with, but I feel certain we’d be able to bump you up to a healthy seven-figure base within the first year.” Once again, she brightened with a genuine smile like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. “Well? What do you say, Joanna? Will you at least consider the offer once you’ve had a chance to look everything over?”
A great-paying job. Enough money to pay off all her debts as well as help Lucia and T. Maybe even acquire all the respect she’d always craved. But she’d have to go back to Chicago—and Grant was here and she’d promised to marry him in August. She already knew what he was going to say. But the money—and to be debt free. What a weight off that would be!
She finally nodded. “Send me the details and I’ll get back to you.”
Chapter 20
Joanna glanced up and down the double rows of twelve-foot-long tables in MacDara Keep’s formal clan dining room. She’d never eaten in this room before, a room that was more the size of a high school gymnasium than a formal dining room. Grant had told her this room had been fashioned after the great halls where the chieftain would hold audiences with his clan to settle grievances or see to the general well-being of his people.
Usually, when she’d dined with all the MacDaras, they ate in the much smaller dining room adjoining the keep’s commercially equipped kitchen on the first floor or when it was just a few family members, they ate at the table in the smaller kitchen on the second floor. Two kitchens, and all I ever use is a microwave. Joanna pulled in a deep breath, blew it out, and continued to allow her gaze to flit about the room. The last thing she felt like doing right now was attending engagement celebrations. She had a lot on her mind and if she decided to take the extremely lucrative job—and she’d pretty much decided she was going to—she had to figure out how to sugarcoat the idea to get Grant to swallow it.
She resettled herself on the long bench, trying to maintain the appearance of being happy to be there instead of being distracted by the shit storm of possibilities that Lilian Tasker had offered. The entire MacDara clan was in attendance, as well as Dwyn MacKay, Taggart MacClendon, several members of his clan, and Lucia and Tyler. All those considered to be family. The engagement party had been the official announcement to the public. This meal was a more personal celebration of Grant and Joanna’s pending nuptials and the possibility of Lucia and Taggart becoming an “officially wooing,” as Grant had put it, couple.