the pain.
“Sam, stay with her while I rustle up the Doc. I’ll be right back, honey. I want you to stop talking and rest. I’ll find you some tea, too.”
Jack left the room to find the doctor and Jenna seized the opportunity to enlist Sam’s help. She didn’t want Jack taking unnecessary risks, but Sam was a trained federal agent. She needed to trust someone. Her future brother-in-law, for better or worse, had her trust. She prayed she didn’t get him hurt or killed.
“Sam, do you really want to help me?”
He moved closer, so he could hear her weak voice. “Absolutely. I can do things to help you because I’m a federal agent, but more importantly, I’ll do things for you because you’re family.”
“I’m not family, yet.”
“Yes, you are. Those babies you’re carrying are Turners, too. There’s nothing I won’t do for family. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait to see those little ones. I’m happy for you and Jack. You and those babies are the family he always wanted. I envy him. You’re an amazing woman.”
Taken aback by his praise and easy acceptance of her into the family, she swallowed the lump in her throat. “You do realize my ex may try to kill you. Look what he’s done to me. He’s killed before. I wasn’t kidding when I said he killed my bodyguard. I can’t prove it, of course. It was a well-planned ‘accident,’ but I know he did it just the same. I don’t want you getting hurt.
“When I’m finished, he’ll be even more dangerous and unpredictable.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to start a fake FBI file on my death. Do you have someone at the FBI who will do you a favor? Someone who can go see David and make a little noise.”
“Yeah, I have a few favors I can call in. I’ve already put in a request to have someone on him round the clock. We’ll know where he is at all times, until we can spring whatever trap you have planned. Why don’t you want me to do this?”
“Because once he finds out I’m really dead, he’ll come after Jack.” She pointed to him.
His face told her he understood. They could set a trap for David if he didn’t know Jack had a twin brother who was an FBI agent.
“And why would he come after Jack?”
“Because I told him Jack is the beneficiary of my will. The money, my piece of the company, it all goes to Jack in the event of my death. He wants his company shares back. He’ll contact Jack to attend the big board meeting being held in a week. Jack owns enough of the company that he has a seat on the board and voting rights. I usually vote by conference call, so I don’t have to be in the same room as David, but Jack will tell David he’ll be there. Then I’ll spring the rest of my plan at the board meeting. I’m going to take everything from David. And that will make him very dangerous. I have no doubt he’ll come after me. With you by my side, I’ll have hard evidence from a federal official. I’ll get him for everything he’s done.”
“What do you have planned for the board meeting? Will you vote against David on something major for the company?”
“No. I’m taking over the company.”
Sam’s mouth fell open in shock. Merrick International was a huge corporation. Taking it over was a monumental undertaking, but she’d had her plans in progress for several years, and it was past time she saw them through.
“How can you take over the company? Doesn’t his family own majority shares?”
“Right now they hold controlling interest, because collectively they own the majority of the stock. The board has eight members, four of which are Merrick family members: David, his father, his mother, and the patriarch of the family, David’s grandfather.
“David and his grandfather are the ones who run the company, but his grandfather is looking to transfer power to David over the next year. David’s parents vote on the board and serve as figureheads at events for the company. They don’t actually oversee any of the business operations.
“I received a large portion of the company as part of the divorce and hold a seat on the board. The three other board members are shareholders from other companies that have a stake in Merrick International. One of those board members is Cameron Shaw. You might know