Page 66 of Accidental Dad's Best Friend

He stares at me.

I grin at him.

And Rose, who is sitting between us, has no idea what to think. The nervous smile on her face hints that she knows better than to stay in the line of fire, though.

“Would you like me to do a coffee run?” She asks.

“That’s fine,” Liam says without looking at her. His eyes are still on me, scanning my face for any clues at what I’m up to. He’s not going to find anything. “I’ll take my usual.”

“Of course,” she nods, grabbing her purse and getting up. She practically ducks as she moves around me to get to the door.

“I’ll take an americano with cream–”

“No sugar.” She finishes my sentence. “Yes, sir. I mean Ethan. I mean–”

“That’s all, Rose,” Liam snaps. She leaves and Liam’s lips curve into a suspicious smile. “Walk with me, Savage.”

I follow him to his office. I know where this is going. He’s going to beat around the bush, try to get me to admit I was an ass the other day, and if I don’t, he’ll shoot me with enough passive aggressive jabs that I’ll snap at him and then he can come at me with two loaded guns instead of one.

Again, normally I would care. But today is different, although it’s still exhausting.

“Take a seat, Savage.” He gestures, closing the door and walking over to his desk. “Drink?”

“I’m good,” I answer as I sit down in front of him. I’m not looking to get drunk before noon. Not today.

“Don’t be a wet mop, Savage. I got a new bottle of bourbon. Triple barrel. He pulls the bottle out and sets it on the desk along with two glasses before his eyes meet mine. “I insist.”

AKA– Liam Sloane wants to make amends. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Unless he needs something.

He pours about a shot in each highball glass and hands me one. I take a sip and it burns.

“You know Chad never came back around.” He holds a tight grin after downing half his glass.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“You know the shady shit he’s doing for Muscle would have been a great article for us.”

“Remind me again why that’s our business?” I ask, leaning back and turning my glass in my hand.

“Because it’s good for business. And in case you haven’t realized, we are a business magazine.”

Business and gossip are two different things. Things that should have nothing to do with each other. But I don’t say that.Even though that is normally what I would say. I need to smooth things over. I need there to be no friction, no reason for him to get on my case about anything today. So I down the rest of my whiskey and set the glass on the table. I need the extra juice to force the next sentence from my mouth.

“Guess that was my bad.”

His lips tick in the hint of a smile and he pours me another glass. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was trying to get me drunk. Sloppy. Maybe he does know something…

“You know what your problem is, Savage?” He pours another two fingers of bourbon in his own glass and passes mine to me.

I work for you?

I’ve never told you to shove it where the sun don’t shine before?

I’m fucking your daughter behind your back?

“No, but if I had to guess you’re going to tell me.”

“You…are too soft. Look around you. We are working in one of the most highly competitive and yet rapidly dying industries on the planet. There’s no room for compassion, Savage.”

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