Ruin Me (Savage Bosses)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

K ent

“Thank you, everyone for all the long hours you’ve put in over the past few weeks. We appreciate your dedication to the company’s success while we navigate the speculation in the press.” Hal closed his leather-bound portfolio and turned to me. “Kent, can I have a word?”

I settled into my seat while I waited for everyone from the legal and public relations department to file out of the conference room.

Hal rolled his pen against the tabletop. Back and forth. Back and forth until the last person closed the door behind them. I studied the head of Luxe Locations’ legal team, wondering what had him so rattled he displayed his tell.

“Kent, I wanted to make you aware…” Hal cleared his throat. “Someone on the board is secretly setting up meetings with other members.”

“Do you know the reason behind these meetings?” I leaned forward but kept my voice level, although I was keen to identify any disloyal member on my staff or board.

Hal flattened his lips. “I only have speculations. I haven’t been invited to the discussions.”

“Give me names.”

“You should be more worried about why.”

“Hal, I asked you why. You came back with you have guesses. Well, I can conjecture as well as the next man.”

“Good, so let’s get ahead of the message before more board members jump ship.”

I steepled my fingers and looked at him over the tips. “You have a suggestion?”

Hal relaxed his stance and exhaled. “Yes. The woman you hired from the crisis management firm… She’s bringing a lot of unwanted attention with the men who follow her everywhere. They're causing disruptions in the office.”

“I hired them for her safety.”

“But they don’t work for Luxe Locations. They shouldn’t have been given clearance to enter the building let alone terrify the employees.”

“Hal, be honest. Those men probably make our workers feel safer.”

“I have to disagree, Kent. But there is another solution if you don’t want to remove them. Get rid of her. That way they’ll continue to protect her without disturbing our work. It’s not like she’s up to the task. Her job is to revamp our image and she’s failed.” He held his hand to stop the objection on the tip of my tongue from issuing forth. “Look, Kent. I know you said she did a great job with that rockstar and prince, but from what I’ve seen, I wonder if she…” He lapsed into silence and pinched his lips.

“If. She. What?” I said each word with strained patience.

“If she didn’t take credit for someone else’s work. You can’t deny she’s the classic definition of a DEI hire.”

The urge to leap across the table nearly overtook me. “In what way?”

“Come on, Kent! She’s a woman trying to rehab a man’s image. What the hell does she know? On top of that, she’s?—”

“Hal, you need to shut up and leave.”

He jolted. “Kent, I’m trying to help save you from being ousted from your own company because an incompetent woman?—”

I stood, glaring at my counsel. “If you don’t walk out of here on your own, you won’t be walking anywhere ever again.”

Hal jumped out of his chair. “I hope the pussy is worth it when you lose your company.”

I lowered the veil over my emotions, showing Hal who I was for the first time. His eyes widened and he fled toward the door.

Too late.

As rage fueled me, my fists pummeled his face. I didn’t hear his screams, only his disparaging remarks about Madison. I didn’t see his face as blood spurted from his mouth and nose, only the slimy, patronizing grin as he denigrated my woman’s accomplishments.

I hit him, blow after blow feeding my fury until Madison’s voice penetrated the fog and three pairs of hands dragged me away from Hal.

Madison’s concerned face swam into view, clearing the haze. He cupped my face as her stare delved into my eyes.

“I’m good now,” I said.

She sighed in relief. “Okay, now tell me what the hell this is.” She pointed toward Hal.

His secretary assisted him into an upright seated position. His left eye was swelling fast, almost completely shut, his nose bent at an awkward angle, and blood made it difficult to see if there was more extensive damage.

I curled my fists again, wanting to ensure he hadn’t gotten off lightly. If not for the gentle pair of hands raising my bloody hand to Madison’s face, I would have charged over to Hal and finished what I’d started.

“Kent?”

“Something I’ll handle.” I kissed the tip of her nose then approached Hal. “I’ll understand if you want to hand in your resignation. If not, don’t think you can use this incident to threaten me. Use it to remember to mind your tongue. Got me?”

Hal glowered at me through his good eye for two seconds before begrudgingly nodding.

“And if you’re in touch with those traitorous board members, make them aware that no one can take what’s mine while I have breath in my body.” I turned to Madison and held my hand out to her.

Without hesitation, she placed her palm on mine. Her immediate acceptance despite the blood still dripping from my knuckles was more proof, not that I needed any, that I needed her by my side.

As I left the conference room, more faces came into focus. Omar, Mal, Deke, and a few office workers. Given what I’d done to Hal, I’d have to engage Quarren’s firm to keep everything under wraps.

As soon as we entered my office, Madison fled to the bathroom. She returned with a small first-aid kit and a roll of paper towels in hand. I stared out of my glass walls to observe my employees as they pretended not to avidly watch us. With a disgusted tsk, I stood to my desk and frosted over the glass for my privacy.

Madison followed and laid bandages, antiseptic wipes, saline solution, gauze, and the roll of paper towels beside me before taking my right hand in hers. With her focus on my bloody hand, she asked. “Are you going to tell me what made you go fight club on your lawyer’s ass?”

“He made a suggestion I didn’t like.”

She raised her face and quirked her brow. There was no judgment in her eyes, just a need to understand.

“He thinks having you around is bad for business. Even implied I might face a coup over you being here. Nothing I’d ever entertain.” I smiled at her, trying to reassure her, but the corners of her mouth fell and sadness entered her brown eyes, distorting them with an unwelcome shadow.

She bowed her head over my fist and flushed the blood from my hand with saline, exposing several cuts I wasn’t aware I had. “Maybe you should,” she said to my hand.

I stilled. “Maybe I should what?”

Madison shrugged, still without looking me in the face. “Consider not having me around.”

“Try telling me that shit to my face.”

She glared at me, a sheen glimmering over her eyes until a tear spilled onto her cheek. “If someone or a group of people are actively working to take your business from you, don’t let me be the reason they succeed.”

“That memory of yours is doing that shit again,” I growled about to rise and show her why this conversation was a nonstarter.

“I’m not suggesting we break up. We can go back to keeping our relationship a secret. Instead of working in the office, I’ll work upstairs.” She cupped my cheek and pressed her forehead against mine. “Pretending will buy you time to find out who’s working against you.”

“And how does it help you on your quest to exonerate me?” I inhaled her scent, allowing it to settle in my lungs and calm the adrenaline running through my blood at the mere possibility of ending our relationship. “Didn’t you say the man working with Carol might be on my payroll?”

“Yes, but I have a plan that doesn’t require me to be in the office.”

I arched my brow, needing more than a vague plan to ease my sense of loss at the thought of not looking up from my computer to see her head bent over hers.

“Remember, you asked Omar to help me on that end? He’s pretty dedicated to getting Elsie justice.”

I grunted, not entirely pacified but curious, nonetheless. “They’re getting serious? He works fast.”

Madison peered up at me from lowered lashes. “Right because me moving in with you a few weeks after working for you would be considered a slow burn romance?”

I smirked. “There goes that memory again. Must I remind you how many years it took me to see you?”

“Only if you want to sleep alone on the top floor tonight.” She dropped her hand and pulled away.

I grabbed her around the waist until she landed in my lap.

“Kent, you’re going to get blood all over my clothes.”

“Can’t have that, can we?” I dragged her blazer over her shoulders, smearing Hal’s blood on her blouse..

“This is the opposite of helping.” She writhed in my lap, awakening my cock every time her ass rubbed against me.

“The change of clothes in the bathroom would beg to disagree.”

She opened her mouth to protest, and I swallowed it and her moans as I worked her body to a fever pitch of need. I wanted no more talk about her spending time away from me or pretending we weren’t together while I planned a future with Madison.

We hadn’t discussed the future of her business in DC or how to tell Ife about us. So many unknowns still surrounded us, but one thing I wouldn’t relent on was having Madison facing our troubles proudly by my side.