Page 311 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

This is the downside of houses like this. She could be anywhere, and as long as she hears me coming and relocates, it could take hours for me to find her.

“Nan!” I shout.

Still no answer.

Finally, I stop playing nice, “Nan, if you don’t tell me where you are I’m going to have Zach send over some of his guys to take you back to the airport!”

“I’m in here!” Naomi calls, and I follow the sound to a room just off the main hall.

She’s standing in front of a large painting. If I knew anything about art, I’d probably be able to tell you which of the masters painted it, but to me, it just looks like an incoherent blob of color.

“Check this out,” Naomi says and grabs one corner of the painting’s frame.

“Wait!” I say, but the frame swings easily on a hinge, revealing a hidden safe behind it.

Naomi gives me a quick eyebrow raise and puts her ear to the safe and starts turning the knob.

“What is the matter with you?” I ask. “I’m gone a couple of weeks, and you turn into a nosier version of MacGyver.”

She asks, “What do you think is in here?”

“I have no idea,” I tell her, “and I bet that’s the way Zach wanted it.”

“There’s another one on the other wall,” she says. “I’ll race you.”

As terrible an idea as it is, for a moment, I consider it. I bet I could crack a safe way before she could.

That’s all interrupted, though, by the sound of the front door closing.

Naomi and I hurry out of the bedroom, though I have to send her back in to put the painting back the way it was.

I get out to the front room, and Zach is crouched down next to Max, scratching the dog behind the ears.

“You’re home early,” I say. “I thought you were working late tonight.”

“Yeah,” Zach says, but doesn’t look up at me. “There was a change of plans.”

I walk around so I can see Zach’s face. He looks like he’s seen a ghost.

CHAPTER10

SEEPING THROUGH

ZACH

Ihave an early meeting with the board, but I’m having trouble seeing the upside of going.

Marly wasn’t lying when she said I didn’t have the people on my side I thought I did. Over time, though more usually from event to event, employees will see their employers in various ways.

All of the stories in the press about me fooling around while my company tanks have done an impressive job of making me almost universally hated among the higher-ups here at the office. Not that any of them have come right out and said it.

Malcolm has a different, somewhat more diplomatic style than Marly did, but so far, it’s proven to be just as effective. I already know what every member of the board is going to say.

So, I get up from my desk, and I walk down the hall toward the board room. As I go, people chatting at the watercooler grow silent, those at computers stop typing. They know where I’m going.

I get to the board room and I show myself in. The members of the board are gathered and waiting for me. I take my seat in silence.

Leaning forward, I put my elbows on the table, my forehead on my clasped hands and take a breath. I raise my head and look at the eight people who might, it turns out, be able to remove me from the company.

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