Page 61 of Camping with the Boss

“Okay—”

Fuck this. “It’s none of your business, River.” I jab my finger at him. “This is between your brother and me.”

“You can’t bully your way out of this, Wade.” He shakes his head. “You’re fucking unbelievable.”

I can’t believe this guy. I clench my hands to keep from grabbing him. “I’m still your boss. You remember that, right?”

“Not. For. Long.”

A cold chill runs down my spine. “What does that mean?”

“Meredith is coming for you, Wade. She put all of this in motion.” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Well, not all of it. But I suspect you sleeping with another employee will fit right into her plans.”

Thursday, June 12th, 10:00 a.m.

“You can’t kill him,” Jared says softly. Casually.

I snort at that.

River strides out of the dining hall as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. I know it’s an act. Doesn’t make it easier. “Even if it looks like an accident?”

He rubs his jaw as if he’s considering my question. Then he shakes his head. “Canyon would find out. And…you fucked up the Tim thing pretty good.”

“I should have just killed him.”

He glances around. We’re alone. “Not funny.”

“You told me not to tell Canyon.”

“Yes. But I didn’t tell you to sleep with Tim.”

I rub my eyes. I’m so fucking tired. “The Tim thing wasn’t my fault.”

“It wasn’t…and it was.”

I glare at my friend. “What the hell, Jared?”

He holds up both hands. “I get that you can’t possibly know all four hundred of your employees. And that your first question when hooking up with a random guy in a bar might not be ‘Do you work for me?’ but, man, I’ve harped on NDAs until I’m fucking blue in the face.”

“He wasn’t a hookup. I told you that. He was a guy in a bar with a sad story. Needing—” I stop there. Jared knows the truth up to a point.

“Needing what?”

I shrug, not looking at my friend. “A shoulder to cry on.” Which is as close to the truth as I wanted to get. I’m not telling him Tim was sad and needy and wanted a Daddy to help him forget.

“The guy used your protective instinct against you. He’s a manipulative dirtbag, but—” Jared’s eyes dart to mine and his mouth drops open. “He knew exactly what to do to lure you in.”

“Thanks. Rub it in my face. Very helpful.”

Jared grabs my arms. “He knew?—”

“Stop saying that.”

“Wade, you were set up.”

“By Tim. I know.”

He shakes his head. “How did he know?”

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