Chapter 7 – Concerning the Line

"There has been some question as to my capability of running this organization as I once did," Jake said sternly as he sat at the head of the table of his most senior officers, this was the not the Board of Directors, this was his C-Level Board. The Chief Executive Officer, himself, was the head of it and the Chief Financial Officer, Maxwell, co-chaired it, "I would like to remind everyone here that if it were not for me, this company would still be a local cable channel in San Francisco. My son was not capable of running this business and I had to do something to stop the real self-destruction."

They knew better then to question him, the whole Donald Wilson Incident had set a standard in the Company that if you crossed him, he'd take you out of the game. Crossing his fingers together, he leaned back in his chair and glanced at all of their faces, they were reading the report that was now reporting the Marcus and Associates Retirement Fund calamity, "I want to tell you something, that if I had been in control during this time, this idiotic mistake would never have happened. This is a prime example of why Trevor was removed and this is why I don't have any qualms with the move, at all."

"He was your son," Chief Legal Officer, Alexander Newman said slowly.

Jake narrowed his eyes, "He had his mother's business sense."

"Did you're wife run the largest gun company on the east coast?" Alexander questioned again and this time Jake had to turn to suppress the little smile that came over his face, and he noticed Shawn out of the corner do the same thing. Everyone bought the story being Rose's money beautifully.

Jake turned and narrowed a well-practiced glare at the man, "She was a figure head, if anything her Board ran the company. She just sat back and collected the check, as I have said for the thousandth in the past few days, Trevor as other talents, being a CEO of this company was not one of them."

"What are you planning to do about this?" Alexander questioned tightly.

Jake sighed and looked contemplative for a moment, the man was one of the best lawyers in the world and Jake needed to be careful what he told him. Alexander was idealistic and he wouldn't take well to the fact that he was blackmailing the Attorney General of the United States, "Let's just say that I've taken steps to ensure that we have a chance to get it all back."

"Care to fill us in?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.

Jake shook his head and smirked, "Chairman and CEO's prerogative."

"In other words, it would be best if we didn't tell you," Maxwell added.

Alex sighed and shook his head before scribbling down some notes, Jake made a note to watch out for him, just the look on his face told Jake that the man was going to be a large problem if he couldn't get that money back fast enough. Jake was silent for a moment before his phone buzzed on the table in front of him, scowling slightly, he picked it up and his eyes widened.

It was a text message from his secretary, it was his policy that if something important were to happen while he was in a meeting, that she was supposed to send a text message to him on his work phone. Evidently his sister had created quite a stir to his secretary that she had decided to send the message to him. Sighing, he began to place documents back into the tan folder that they had come out of and when he looked up to Maxwell, who was very confused by his actions, he smiled apologetically, "Something just… sprung up and I have to go and deal with it, Ladies and Gentleman I am sorry – Maxwell will take over and brief you on the rest of the agenda."

Getting up from the table, he secured the folder in his free hand and dialed in his secretary's number with his free hand. Holding it up to his ear, he stepped onto the elevator that was just outside the Boardroom and sighed irritably, "Maureen, what the hell does my sister want right now?"

"Family issue," Maureen sighed, "I tried to get it out of her, but-…"

He had already had a very good idea what Haley was coming to him about, but he wasn't about to blurt it out to the girl, instead in yawned and nodded his head, "Alright, tell her that I'll be up there in a minute."

Jake looked around and it finally hit him, he cursed and held the phone tighter to his ear, "And send a message to Maxwell, tell him to let Shawn sit through the rest of the meeting and when he's done to bring up back to my office okay? I just sort of left him in there without really thinking about it."

O.O.O.O.O

Jake slammed the door to his office behind him and stormed to his desk, ignoring his sister, who was sitting in the chair in front of the desk looking rather uncomfortable. Haley and Jake got along in that sort of, brother and sister way, you could easily make the assessment that they were not friends. They were merely friendly with each other for the sake of their mother and father and the rest of the family.

Haley didn't like the fact that Jake had given up his duties as the American Dragon to become a Rich Tycoon. She hadn't liked the fact that her brother seemed to have everything that she had wanted in life and had made himself into something that she had wanted. She most certainly didn't like the fact that she was forced into being the American Dragon because of something that he did. Haley couldn't stand her brother.

For Jake, the feeling was warmly reciprocated.

He didn't like the fact that Haley resented everything that he had become, for years she wanted to be the American Dragon, and for years she had expressed the desire. He hated the fact that overnight she seemed to hate her new position. Resenting him and his success, continuing her childhood role as little Ms. Perfect to their parents, oh yes, he had plenty of reasons to despise his sister as much as she despised him.

"Haley, I was in the middle of a very important meeting, the welfare of tens of thousands of people are at stake and as you could imagine this is far more important than some Hunter mugging a leprechaun," Jake spat dryly as he set the folder down on desk and dropped into his chair, "I can't tell you have busy I am – so I'll cut the chase what the hell do you want?"

She took a deep breath in, "It's time for the review."

"Review, what review?" He shook his head irritably.

Haley sighed and shook his head, "Oh my god, you forgot?"

"I don't have time for this," He closed his eyes and began to rub his temples, "If you don't tell me in ten seconds, I'll throw you out."

Haley snorted, "Oh please – I can take your security guards."

"No I mean, I'll throw you out," Jake said, motioning back to the window with his hand, "You know, I'll throw you the window, it'll test your Dragon Reflexes, ever wonder how long it'll take for you to transform before you're pancaked on the pavement, so what's it going to be, will you talk?"

The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, "It's the Dragon Council's annual review, which means that they're going to decide if the Mantle of the American Dragon stays with our family and if you and I get to keep our powers, not to mention our children's powers as well. The flip side is, they might want to give it to one of our children, and we have to go both of us, and you have to bring Alex and Shawn along with you."

He looked at her blankly for at least two minutes and Haley thought that he might have just been fazing her out, but then he blinked and shook his head derisively, "I'm sorry – I don't give half a shit, I have nothing to do with that anymore, so I won't go, if you want to try and get Alex to go, that's fine, she's grown and she can do what she wants, but the prospect of Shawn becoming the American Dragon? No – over my cold, rotten dead body."

"As much as I'd like to see that-…" Haley began but Jake cut her off.

"What's the matter Haley, did you fall down a smack your little head on the pavement? I said no, I will not go to it and I will not subject my son to it, you can take Alex, but you're not taking Shawn and you are sure as hell not making me go," Jake scowled at her, and he did notice the smug look on her face, which made him growl, "What the hell are you not telling me?"

She smirked and cleared her throat before leaning forward, "This is a direct quote from the man who is making you come to this review and pardon me if I don't get the voice right: Oo-ya! Tell your brother if he doesn't come here, I will not only put a curse on him for the humiliation he has dealt me – I'll tell my daughter and son who-stole-my daughter and he'll have to deal with them !"

By that time, Jake had already buried his head in his hand, another relative that really had a sour opinion of him. If you thought Haley and Jake hated each other, the division ran much deeper with their Grandfather. Lao Shi, during the few times that Jake had seen him since he had come back from California, looked upon Jake with contempt. He didn't approve of Jake's decision and it was a betrayal in Lao Shi's opinion something that was far beyond forgiveness, "Fuck! FINE! We need to get Shawn and Alex and then we can go ahead and go to the Isle."

"I thought you might, ass wipe," Haley stood up from the chair.

"Bitch," Jake spat.

"Dick!" Haley looked back at him.

"Peasant," Jake looked satisfied as he walked past her and out the door.