Page 24 of The Revenge Agenda

The emails last night feel like a dream, but as I read back over them, it becomes very clear, very quickly, that they actually happened, and I think Rush was completely serious.

I lean back in my chair, eyeing the resignation letter left open on my screen. I’d been a second away from emailing it through to Ted last night when Rush’s email came through, and then after the strangest exchange, I’d fallen asleep and forgotten about it.

Kinda easy to do when Rush was the only person on my mind.

Rush, and how much I actively want to hate him, even if he’s making it difficult.

Speaking of … nine rolls past with still no sign of him. Autumn, Gates, and Eloise are all at their pod, Gates punching away at his computer while Autumn and Eloise laugh at something over coffee. The glass office wall separates me from the bullpen, and while I’ve been gunning for an office like this for years, it also makes me feel … cut off.

Which won’t matter if I resign.

Though if Rush doesn’t get here soon, he’ll be out of a job, and then I won’t have anything to worry about.

Before I can follow that thought too far, I check my reflection in my laptop screen to make sure my hair is still meticulously styled after I’m sure I’ve run my hands through it a billion times already. Then I haul ass out of my office and head toward my team.

“Good morning,” I say, forcing myself to sound confident.

“Hunter.” Eloise greets me with a kind smile. “You disappeared last night.”

Not my most professional moment. “Yes, I wasn’t feeling the best. I think the stress of the move and a new job got to me.”

“Poor thing.” Autumn’s hands are clutched around her mug, and I get a flash of Rush’s emails and wonder if her drink tastes like dirt. “You should have said. We didn’t have to catch up last night.”

“Well, one of the things about me is that I like to keep my commitments.” My gaze strays to the obviously empty desk. “Unlike some people, it appears.”

“Who, Rush? He’s always late.”

My gaze flies back to Autumn. “Always? And it’s allowed?”

“Rush is … umm … forgetful.”

I take a measured breath. “Unfortunately, being forgetful isn’t reason enough to not meet the requirements of your role.”

Autumn shrinks in on herself.

Shit.

Gates snickers. “Talk to Ted. He loves Carey—that kid can get away with anything.”

I check the time and find Rush is already half an hour late. “I think I’ll do that.”

Ted is on the opposite side of this floor to me, in a bank of offices the managers work out of. As a supervisor, I need to be accessible to my team at all times. Ted’s role is more hands-off than mine.

His door is open when I get there, which I take to mean he’s free, so I knock lightly on the frame.

“Morning, Hunter. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to talk to you about R—Carey, actually.”

Ted grins like he already knew. He waves a hand toward the seat across from himself, so I step inside, close the door behind me, and take it. “What’s the problem?”

“He’s late, and the team tells me that’s normal for him.”

“Correct.”

I’m surprised that he straight up admitted it. “I’m unsure how to word this politely, so I’m just going to ask: is being late acceptable here?”

“Carey does his work.”

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