“I’ll hire a tutor for you. Go to San Francisco or Toronto or London . . . anywhere but here. I’ll find you a position in a West Coast bank where you can learn the ropes in anonymity. In five or ten years, you might be ready to join the board at Blackstone.”

“And will the U.S. Steel vote wait five or ten years until I’m on the board?”

Frederick shook his head. “That deal is going to be finalized in July.”

“Then I want to be on the board in July. I don’t want Oscar Blackstone having control over what’s rightfully mine. The fate of twenty thousand workers hangs in the balance, and I want the power to vote in their best interests.”

Frederick began pacing the floor, his face drawn in concentration, but with a hint of secret delight too. “Your arrival will put a burr under Oscar’s saddle, but that might be a good thing. Nothing inspires a man to fight more than a little competition, and I think you can give it to him, but you’ll need to control it. Funnel your passion toward the workers if you want. Perhaps in a few years we can put you on the board.”

Gwen stood. “But for today, will you welcome Liam into the family as your grandson?”

“I will. Some of the others might not.”

Relief trickled through her. Frederick’s acknowledgment was Liam’s best protection against a future attack. Few people paid attention if an anonymous steelworker met with foul play, but such wouldn’t be the case for a Blackstone.

“Liam is frail,” she said to her grandfather. “Three weeks ago, a trio of men showed up at his house and stabbed him in the belly. If Patrick hadn’t been there, they would have killed him.”

She watched her grandfather carefully. She wasn’t skilled at sniffing out deception, but Frederick’s complexion turned pale, and he seemed genuinely shocked. He stopped pacing to take a seat.

“Last week someone tried to frame Liam and Patrick for theft from a church,” she continued. “We suspect someone knows who Liam is, and they are trying to eliminate him before he gets any closer to our family.”

“And if they can’t kill Liam, they will ruin his reputation,” Patrick said. “They can take me down in the process. I can’t be a lawyer if I’m convicted of theft.”

“There’s a warrant out for our arrest,” Liam added. “Whoever sent those thugs after me hasn’t given up, and the odds are that person’s last name is Blackstone.”

Gwen cringed at the blunt accusation, but Frederick was impassive as he digested the news. His gaze flitted between Patrick and Liam, sizing up each man in his cold, methodical way.