Unleashed (The Elliott Brothers #2)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I barely slept that night, my mind spinning with thoughts of how to craft the perfect resignation letter. I wouldn't write it until the offer from Elliot was official, but that didn’t stop the thrill bubbling inside me. By the time I walked into the office the next day, I felt lighter than I had in months. Humming softly to myself, I made my way to the breakroom, filling a cup of coffee as the scent of brewing beans filled the air.

“What are you so happy about? Did you get some last night?” Thomas’s voice broke through my peaceful morning, his smug grin appearing in the corner of my vision.

I froze, my grip tightening on the cup before I turned to face him. My expression hardened. “That’s inappropriate and none of your business. If you’re going to be a manager, act like it.”

His grin faltered, eyes narrowing. “And you’re being insubordinate. I am your superior.”

I met his gaze, my voice steady. “I have a right to defend myself against sexual harassment.”

The shock on his face made me want to laugh. He looked like I’d slapped him. God, I wished I had.

“Sexual harassment? It was just mindless banter,” he sputtered, still trying to downplay it. “You take things too personally.”

I felt emboldened, knowing that soon I'd be free of this place. “I’ve been taking it personally for the past few years. I’m not an object for the men in the engineering department to leer at and make jokes about.”

Thomas scoffed, waving it off. “It’s not that way at all. You just don’t have a sense of humor.”

I could feel my blood boiling, but I kept my voice cool. “Suppose you worked in a group of women and all day we talked about your body parts and ogled you. How would you feel?”

His response was immediate and, of course, typical. “I’d enjoy it.”

I gave him a withering look. “You say that now.”

I tossed the plastic stirrer into the trash and brushed past him without another word. Leaving him there to chew on what I’d said felt satisfying. Thomas had always been an asshole, and now, I didn’t have to tolerate it much longer. The only person I’d miss was Slade, but even then, I knew his kindness wasn’t entirely selfless.

By 10 a.m., I could hardly contain my excitement. My phone buzzed with an email notification, and my heart raced as I saw the subject line: Official Offer from Elliot Group. I clicked on it, my eyes scanning the details quickly. The salary was exactly what Michael had promised, plus benefits—three weeks vacation, a gym membership, health, dental and vision, retirement and performance reviews in the first year. It was more than I could’ve hoped for.

Without hesitation, I signed the documents electronically and sent them back. My start date was in six weeks. I leaned back in my chair, a wide smile on my face as I sipped my coffee, already mentally checked out. Work was the last thing on my mind.

By 11:30, my resignation letter was finished. I printed it, signed it with a flourish, and scanned it into the system before sending it to HR. It felt surreal. I wondered if anyone would come by to ask why I was leaving, but I doubted it. I wasn’t the first woman to walk out of here fed up with the toxic environment.

I picked up my phone and dialed Erika. She answered on the second ring.

“I did it,” I said, barely able to keep the excitement out of my voice.

“You did what?” she asked.

“I handed in my resignation.”

Her scream of delight was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “I can’t believe you did it! Did you get the offer from Michael?”

“His HR department sent it to me at ten this morning. I signed everything and sent it back. I’m officially out of here in six weeks.”

“Are you taking a vacation before you start?” Erika asked, her voice still buzzing with excitement.

“Absolutely. I’m going hiking.”

“Alone?”

“Does it matter?” I asked, shrugging even though she couldn’t see me. “I just want to unwind and relax.”

“My idea of relaxing is a five-star hotel with room service,” she shot back, laughing.

“I know, you diva. You should come with me. Learn how to rough it for once.”

“You’re out of your mind! I don’t camp, and unless I can hike in heels, that’s a no for me.”

I chuckled. “I’d love to see you try.”

Before I could respond further, a hard knock on my office door startled me. My stomach dropped as Slade stormed in, waving a piece of paper—my resignation letter—in the air. I quickly told Erika I’d call her back and hung up, watching as Slade dropped into the chair in front of my desk.

“I’m leaving,” I said calmly, already knowing what this was about.

“Obviously,” he growled, thrusting the resignation letter toward me. “I thought you were going to give it some time.”

“I got an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

His eyes narrowed. “From who?”

I met his gaze, refusing to back down. “Does it matter? You can’t match it, and you can’t change the environment here.”

Slade leaned in, his voice dripping with accusation. “Was it that bastard Elliot? He’s been trying to poach our engineers for years.”

“What if it was?” I replied coolly.

His upper lip curled in a sneer. “Did he charm you out of your panties? Is that why you fell for his bullshit about a great working atmosphere?”

I snapped, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you men? You always think women fall for a man’s charm? I fell for his offer, Slade.”

“So, sleeping with him had nothing to do with it?” he asked, his voice thick with jealousy.

“It’s none of your business,” I shot back, leaning forward, “but no, I never slept with Michael.”

“It is my business,” he insisted, his eyes locking onto mine.

“And how do you figure that?”

His voice softened, but his gaze stayed intense. “Because I want to sleep with you. I’ve wanted you since the day we met, and you just keep turning me down.”

I let out a long, frustrated sigh, slumping my shoulders. “It would never work between us, Slade. I’ve told you that.”

“Why? Because we grew up so differently?” Slade’s voice cut through the tense air in my office, his blue eyes searching mine for understanding. “That’s a stupid reason. I want you here.”

I crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair, trying to keep the frustration from boiling over. “Your father doesn’t seem to care if I leave. If he did, I would’ve gotten the promotion.” My words came out sharper than I intended, but I was done sugarcoating the truth.

Slade's brows furrowed. “I had no control over that, but if you leave, I’ll never see you.”

He sounded desperate, and it threw me off balance. I swallowed hard, keeping my tone neutral. “We can still hang out. Go for coffee or drinks.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. Like my heart wasn’t racing.

“I want more.” His voice softened, a quiet confession.

My heart skipped, but I forced myself to stay focused. I couldn’t give him more. Not now. “I can’t give you more,” I said firmly, shaking my head.

His eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths. “Because you’re giving it to someone else?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “No,” I snapped, “it’s personal.” The idea that I was seeing someone else stung for reasons I didn’t want to explore right now.

Slade persisted, leaning forward as if proximity would bring him the answers he wanted. “Are you sleeping with someone else?”

“Stop asking,” I warned, my patience wearing thin. This was getting messy—too messy.

“I want it to be me.” His voice cracked, and suddenly, everything shifted. “I love you, Morgan. How could you possibly not know that?”

The air was knocked clean out of my lungs. I stared at him, my mind spinning. “You love me?”

“Yes.” He exhaled like it had been weighing him down for years. “I have for a long time.”

Then why didn’t you protect me? The thought screamed inside my head, and before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out. “Then why didn’t you protect me?! Why am I forced to go somewhere else to get what I deserve?”

Slade stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair. “I could only do so much, Morgan. I bowed out of the decisions for promotions voluntarily.”

I let out a hollow laugh, shaking my head. “You said your father didn’t want you involved.”

He stopped pacing and looked at me, his face hardening. “If I was involved, I would choose you all the time. But if we dated, he’d think I was showing favoritism.”

I stared at him, stunned. All this time, the little jokes, the late-night banter—everything had been leading to this? “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“That I was in love with you?” Slade stepped closer, his gaze intense.

“Yes. All those silly games and the things you said as jokes… they weren’t, were they?”

He shook his head, regret flashing in his eyes. “I meant every word, Morgan. You’re stunning, intelligent, and wonderful. I don’t want to miss seeing you each day.”

I couldn’t hold back the bitterness in my voice. “It’s too late, Slade. I was burned too many times by this company.”

He paused, then asked quietly, “What’s Elliot paying you? I can double it.”

I scoffed, the absurdity of his offer hitting me hard. “How would that look if we dated?”

To my surprise, his face lit up with hope. “You would consider it?”

I rolled my eyes, my words slipping out before I could stop them. “Or at least some hot sex.” It was meant as a joke, but the way his face fell made me instantly regret it.

“I don’t just want you for sex, Morgan,” he said softly, his voice carrying more weight than I expected. “I want you as my partner.”

I pressed my palms to my temples, overwhelmed by everything that was happening. “This is… so much to take in.”

Slade took another step closer, his presence commanding the room. “Have lunch with me. Let’s talk.”

“I’m leaving, Slade. Soon, everyone will know.” I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the pressure building in my head. This was too much—too fast.

His lips curled into a smile. “No, they won’t. I told HR to put your resignation on hold.”

My eyes flew open, and I shot up from my chair. “Are you out of your mind?! You can’t do that!”

Slade remained calm, his gaze steady. “I can. And I have. Go to lunch with me.”

I pointed at him, shaking with frustration. “You’re an ass.”

He grinned. “An ass who’s in love with you. Please, Morgan. Give me a chance.”

I stared at him, feeling a mix of anger and something else—something warm, dangerous. “Bastard,” I muttered under my breath.

Slade arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Why couldn’t you say something sooner?” I said, my voice trembling.

He raised his hands in mock defense. “Me? You can’t take a hint.”

I folded my arms, glaring at him. “Slade, you can’t just come in here and throw the love card out to make me stay.”

He stepped still closer, his tone soft but insistent. “It’s not just that I love you. I want you here. I value you.”

I shook my head, the walls closing in. “It’s better if I leave. Maybe we can date then.”

“Maybe?” he asked, his voice filled with frustration. “I want you to say yes.”

I sighed heavily, my mind racing. “I can’t. I’ve had a lot dumped on me the past few days: a denial of promotion, a job offer, an admission of love…”

“Think about it.” He softened, his tone pleading. “I’ll hold onto your resignation letter for a few days. If you feel the same, we can always retract it from HR.”

“I doubt I’ll feel differently,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “A few days won’t change that.”

The office intercom buzzed, announcing a call for Slade. He hesitated, then came around my desk, his fingers gently cradling my face. His lips brushed against mine in a soft kiss that left me breathless.

And just like that, he was gone, leaving me standing there with the ghost of his kiss and a knot of confusion tightening in my chest.