Page 27 of Some Like It Hops

“My client has no comment.”

“Like hell,” I snap. “Marlena. What does Brad have to do with this?”

Javier makes a clicking sound with his tongue, but the puzzle pieces falling together in my mind are louder, deafening, blocking out all other sounds. I rub my hands over my face as the weight of this hits me. “Oh, fuck me,” I groan into my palms. My best friend. My right fuckinghand. I breathe deeply through my nose, shaking my head and rubbing my eyes. I made him my goddamn CFO, for Christ’s sake.

“Griffin, I… I’m—”

The look I give her stops her dead in her tracks.

Marlena’s mouth slams shut and she pales. I wish that gave me even an ounce of satisfaction, but the weight of what I just figured out is heavier than anything else.

“How long has it been going on?”

Her lawyer clears his throat, but I press on. “Before the holiday party?’

Marlena nods and my stomach sinks.

Nodding slowly, I ask, “What was the end goal here?” I don’t want to know the answer, but I have to ask. “Did you two think I’d just throw money at this so it’d go away? That I’dsettle?” The word leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. You only settle if you’re fucking guilty.

“That’s enough,” Marlena’s lawyer says. “My client has no comment.”

Right. I watch Marlena, waiting. For what, I don’t know. Maybe for her to tell me I’m wrong, that I wasn’t just betrayed by my best friend of twenty-some-odd years.

Why? What would drive him to do this? My gears turn at a rapid rate, too fast to make much sense of my thoughts. The half-a-mill salary wasn’t enough for him? That wasn’t enough to run this place by my side?

Oh fuck. That’s it, isn’t it? He doesn’t want to run this placeby my side. A bitter laugh slips past my lips. “He wants Fast Lane.”

Marlena hangs her head, giving me the only answer I need.

“How long have you worked for me, Marlena?”

She shakes her head, still not looking up at me.

“You falsely accused me of sexual assault, tried to take my fucking company. The least you could do is look me in the eye.”

She swallows hard, then lifts her head and meets my gaze, her eyes wide like her whole world is about to implode.

Fitting when you consider how she just tried to crush mine. “Five years, Mar. You’ve worked for me for five years. I’ve taken care of you, haven’t I?”

Her eyes start to well up with tears, which only makes my anger rise.

“Yeah.” I bring my fist to my mouth, then point at her. “I want you out of my building. Don’t stop at your desk. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.” I push out of my chair and turn to Javi. “We’re not paying them a fucking cent. This deposition is over. Thislawsuitis over.” I swivel and point at Marlena’s lawyers. “Your fucking careers are over.”

I open the door to the conference room and step out, letting the door close softly behind me. I adjust my cuffs, then smooth my lapels and straighten my shoulders, tensing when Brad steps out of his office down the hall and heads toward me.

“Hey, man,” he says as he reaches me. “How’d it go in there…” His words trail off as his eyes focus on something behind me.

I glance over my shoulder and catch Marlena shaking her head at him inside the conference room. My muscles tense.

When I look back at Brad, the guilt in his eyes drives a spear through my heart.

My blood runs hot, anger like fire in my veins. I lick my lips and cock my arm back, then slam my fist square across my best friend’s jaw. Pain radiates up my arm from the point of impact as I watch him fly backwards and land on his ass. He rubs his jaw and I shake out my hand. That didn’t give me nearly the satisfaction I thought it would.

Looking down at him, I shake my head. “Consider yourself relieved of your duties as Chief Financial Officer for Fast Lane Brewing.” I pull out my phone and dial the lobby desk. When the receptionist answers, I say, “Yeah, this is Griffin Lane. I need security sent up here immediately. I have two people who need to be escorted out.” I hang up and slip my phone back into the interior pocket of my blazer and look down at Brad once more. “You and your girlfriend have five minutes to leave the building or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

I step past him and make my way to the elevator at the end of the hall. I have work to do, but I can’t fuckingbreathein this place. With my back to Brad, I close my eyes as I wait for the elevator, my jaw clenched so tightly I’m probably going to crack a fucking tooth.

He’s been by my side for everything.

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