Page 52 of Privileged (Adrenalin)

“I think so, yes. We’re in agreement then?”

“It’s your money.” His shoulder lifts and lowers indifferently. I can’t tell if he’s deferring because he disagrees or because he doesn’t think it’s his place to comment.

“Your purview, as head of operations,” I point out, “and your plan. If you don’t like it, speak up. There’s no changing things once they’re set in motion.”

“It’s solid. What about staff?” He locks eyes with me.

“What about them?” I hold his stare.

“We’ll need more to manage the new terrain, where will we put them?” he asks through a stiff jaw, giving me the distinct impression that’s not his primary concern.

“You’re saying we don’t have enough employee housing?” I know what he’s getting at, but he’ll have to be the one to say it.

“We must not if you’re putting people up here in the hotel.”

There it is.I’d prefer him to come right out with it, but I suppose a partial confrontation is better than none if this is going to be an issue. I had hoped including him in my plans would be the extent of what he needed for a fresh start, but I suppose after holding him at arms’ length for months, I’ve earned this skepticism. I wish that skepticism wasn’t directed toward the employee housing arrangement I made with Sloan since anything Finn asks is likely to reveal the truth, but I knew it would come up eventually. For Sloan’s sake, I won’t make this easy, but if Finn asks me point blank, I’ll give him the truth, just like I told Sloan I would.

“You’re referring to Sloan’s living arrangement?”

Finn nods, jaw locked tight.

“Is there a problem with it?”

“I don’t think I need to tell you what it looks like.” His posture is stiff, verging on angry, but his voice is level.

“Maybe you should.” I lean back in my chair and fold my arms over my stomach. “From where I’m sitting it looks like I’m testing a new option for employee housing.”

“I’d buy that if you offered the room to the next person in line. My brother-in-law isn’t even on the waitlist.”

“So he isn’t,” I agree.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say?”

He pops up and slams his hands on the desk, leaning over it in a menacing way. “Are you going to sit there and deny you’re sleeping with him?”

It’s only because I think Finn has Sloan’s best interests at heart that I manage to stay seated myself, though I can’t deny part of me respects the way he comes to his brother-in-law’s aid. I’m curious why he does that so vehemently—I’ve been led to believe the in-law relationship is one you tolerate rather than one you champion—but for Sloan’s sake I’m happy to learn he has such a staunch defender, even if that person is trying to defend him from me.

“It’s not my place to answer that, and even if it were, it’s none of your business,” I reply diplomatically.

“Typical.” Finn shakes his head in disgust. “You sit up here in your untouchable little tower and leave Sloan to suffer the stigma of sleeping with the boss.”

That’s exactly the kind of thing Sloan wanted to avoid, and I’ll be damned if I let his brother-in-law perpetuate it. But matching Finn’s anger won’t get us anywhere. “As you pointed out—” I manage to keep my tone level “—Slown was never on a waitlist, and all anyone in reservations can see in the system is that the room isn’t available. On paper, Sloan isn’t tied to it, or me, in any way. So, unless you’ve told someone he has a room here, no one should be speculating about where he sleeps.”

That seems to take some of the venom out of his stare.

“He doesn’t deserve the kind of scrutiny that will come from being linked to you.” Finn exhales heavily and sinks back down in his chair.

“No, he doesn’t. And I’m doing everything I can to keep that away from him.”

“It’ll find him eventually, though. This shit always comes out, and in a town this small that’ll happen sooner rather than later.” Finn closes his eyes and lets his head loll until it hits the back of the chair.

“Even if we take care not to be seen together in public?” I give up trying to perpetuate the lie. Finn’s too smart to fall for it anyway.

“All Sloan has to do is change his routine. People will notice,” he tells the ceiling.

I have to admit I didn’t think about it from that angle. If Sloan comes to the hotel once or twice before his shift at Murphy’s it wouldn’t register, but if he does it daily that becomes a pattern. A pattern that anyone who works here is bound to notice.

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