Page 36 of Boss

He was the one who went to the door to answer it.Kassidy stepped back prepared for whatever came next. Yegor walked inside with another man. If she thought Tarek was the victim she soon discovered how wrong she was. Yegor’s face was covered in lumps and bruises. All she could see of him was the horrific brutality. What the hell had happened between them?

“Tarek. This is doctor Clevek. He will have a look at you. Good morning kroshka,” he said to Kassidy and tried to smile. He grimaced instead. The doctor walked past her and Tarek followed. He sat on the bed.

“Morning,” she said. “Rough night?”

Yegor chuckled. “Da! Very good. Tarek and I had a business meeting. We came to terms on some matters. Now we understand each other perfectly. Are you hungry? I can have one of my men walk you to the cafeteria.”

“She stays with me,” Tarek winced as the doctor squeezed his chest and back with both his hands. “She eats when I eat.”

“Da, I understand. Then you both join me for breakfast. When the doctor is done.”

Kassidy stared at Yegor. One of his eyes was swollen shut. The other was glistening with madness as it focused on her. Yegor turned and left.

She glanced back to Tarek who was breathing for the doctor as he listened to his chest through a stethoscope.

“How is he?”

“Can you raise your arms above your head for me?” the doctor asked.

Tarek struggled but managed to raise them both.

“He’ll live. Nothing broken, I don’t think. I would suggest you see a doctor as soon as you return home.”

“I’m fine.” Tarek said.

“Can you give him something for the pain?” she asked. The doctor tossed her some pills. Tarek ignored them both. He stood and returned to the desk and laptop.

“Thank you doctor.”

Kassidy followed the man to the door and let him out. She locked it behind him.

“This is good Angela. Damn good. I can use it,” Tarek said.

“It needs to be put through your legal department. I’m not sure if what I even propose is legal or violates any laws.”

“It’s fine. It can get scrubbed later. Right now I need to get this back home to my people. And we need to schedule a meeting with LuxeOil.”

There was a loud horn. It blared like a siren. It pierced with the noise and she put her hands to her ears.

“What is that?” she yelled over the horn. She could barely be heard. Tarek limped to his clothes and dressed. She helped him. The horn kept blaring. She wasn’t sure if it was an evacuation or worse. She put on his coat and then hers. He gathered her laptop and put it in her bag and they packed the rest of their things pretty quickly.

There was a pounding on the door. “Downstairs. Now!” A man yelled.

“What do you think it is? The storm?” she asked.

“Possibly. Sounds like an emergency of evacuation alarm. If we have to leave,” he panted. “I’ll have someone bring down our things.”

She went to the door and tried to help him but he refused. He wanted to walk upright on his own. She could see the pain over his face. She didn’t bother to fight with him. She let him handle it and was close if need be. She had so many questions for him. Questions about what happened between him and Clarissa. And what was it his family did that caused her father to leave with them in the middle of the night. That caused the death of everyone she loved. She wanted those answers not this corporate espionage bullshit. But she’d backed herself into a corner.

Together they went downstairs. Men were all gathered. Many of them. So many that they were stuck on the bottom step not able to go lower.

Then Yegor and a police officials appeared. Kassidy knew there was something seriously wrong.

“Everyone, there has been an accident. I’ve been informed by the Sheriff that Alec Dresden is dead and several of his men. Last night the storm brought down a crane on top of the command post. They were crushed to death and discovered this morning. We need as many volunteers as we can get to assist.”

The men all mumbled that they would volunteer. Yegor glanced to Tarek and then to his men. No one questioned his banged up face or Tarek’s. They all acted as if it were normal. Kassidy knew it wasn’t. What she couldn’t fathom was how Tarek was involved.

The men started out with the officers. Yegor walked toward them.

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