Page 18 of Darkness Tempt Me
I straighten in my seat, cheeks flaming hotter with rage and embarrassment. My gaze bounces over to my boss, and he’s still watching me, looking ready to storm over here like a dark knight in shining armor. He starts to stand, probably to come over here and check on me. I give him a sharp shake of my head, and without another word, I transfer the call, too fucking angry at the audacity of this Hunter guy.
Yeah, I’m totally fucking jealous, and I need to get my emotions under control.
Mavik’s smooth voice comes through the line. Unlike me, he must have seen the caller ID, because he immediately knows who it is. “Hunter, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Instead of hanging up like I should, I focus on Mavik and the small smile on his face and stay on the line. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I’m not entirely sure what Mavik would do if he found out I was listening in, but this asshole has me feeling all kinds of ways.
“We have an emergency.”
Mavik leans forward, smile dropping. “Then why did you call this phone?”
“Not that kind of emergency,” Hunter replies easily.
Mavik’s shoulders relax.
“Well,” Hunter teases. “Not entirely.”
Mavik growls. “Get to the damn point, Hunter. What’s this about?”
“It’s about your uncle. And the company.”
I gasp. The line grows deadly silent.
Mavik’s furious gaze locks with mine. I’ve never seen him look at me like that. Heart racing with fear, I hang up the phone as quietly as possible, placing the receiver down gently as if I wasn’t just caught listening in.
My heart continues to pound at a frantic pace as I just sit there like a naughty child caught in the act. Mavik’s unwavering, angry gaze stays fixed on me as he talks with Hunter. Am I in trouble? Mavik nods a few times and lets out a sigh.
“Peyton!” Mavik shouts suddenly, causing me to jump. “Cancel all my meetings for today. Now.”
Fuck me. Guess I’ll be playing Tetris all damn week.
Chapter eleven
Mavik
Hunter chuckles, the rumbling sound mocking. “I can see why you find that bratty little assistant so damn attractive.”
I growl low in my throat. “Stay away from him, Hunt. He isn’t yours to look at.”
Hunter laughs.
“I fucking mean it.” The asshole might be my best friend, but he has no right to look at Peyton. Nobody does. My eyes narrow on my assistant possessively. “Peyton is mine.”
“And does he know that? Does your little assistant know just how often you watch him? Or how much you’ve invaded his privacy? Does he understand just how much you’ve done for him… behind the scenes?”
I grind my teeth together to keep myself from saying anything. Hunter already knows Peyton is oblivious to just how far I’d go to keep him near me.
Peyton’s gasp of shock echoes in my head as I continue to stare at him. Why the hell was he listening in on my call? Asfar as I know, he’s never eavesdropped on me before. Rage and confusion swirl together in an intoxicating whirl. What if Hunter said something incriminating? What if I slipped and said something? Peyton could have heard. On the other hand, Hunter and I understand the rules. There’s a reason we have meticulous plans and took expensive and illegal measures to maintain security. Murder discussions are limited to our encrypted burner phones or shared in person over coffee.
“He hung up. Now, what’s this about my uncle?” I ask, dodging the questions. Answering Hunter would only encourage the fucker to ask more questions about Pey, and I don’t have any answers at the moment. I continue to stare Peyton down as Hunter talks.
Peyton stares unseeingly at his computer screen, face flaming a bright red, shoulders tense. I drum my fingers over my desk, palms itching to take my assistant over my knee, peel off his tight pants, and discipline him for listening in on my phone call. I’d mark his porcelain skin with cherry handprints and make him squirm on my lap.
“I’ve been going through all the legal documents your uncle left me in his will.” Hunter chuckles again. “Uncle Mick has been very naughty.”
A sickening feeling sours my stomach. What the fuck is Hunter talking about? A million different scenarios race through my mind. My uncle, Mick Blackwood, the late owner of Blackwood Investments, was the only other individual aware ofwhoandwhatI am. Did he tell someone about me? Did he leave our family business to someone else? I have a few distant cousins who have been champing at the bit and wanted to purchase stock right before Mick passed.
No, he’d never betray me. Just like I know Hunter never would either. Mick saw what my father did to all those women. To my mother. Thank God my uncle was there for my mother whenI was younger and couldn’t be, but when he found out what I did to my father, he congratulated me. Encouraged me even. He thanked me for saving those who couldn’t be saved. Uncle Mick helped me clean up the mess and was there for me when I realized this darkness inside of me didn’t end with my father’s death.
