Page 14 of Dirty Little Secrets
“You have a minute to decide,” I state. “If you cannot come to a mutual decision then you’re both fired.” I pause, waiting for a response but they remain stunned and muted. I sigh. “How unfortunate. It’s a shame I'll have to lose both my COO and CFO on the same day.”
“Fire Yannis,” Markus peeps, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. “He… He was the one who suggested the Li’s. He’s the one who…”
My gaze floats to Yannis. “Is that true?”
Yannis swallows. “Yes, it is.”
“I see,” I hum, pursuing my lips. “Alright then. Yannis,” his eyes widen with trepidation, “take thosecontracts and process them immediately.” He blinks, confused, as I turn my attention to Markus. “Clean out your office. Miranda will go over severance with you before you leave.”
“What?!” Markus shouts. “But you said?—”
“While I think self-preservation is a valuable asset, loyalty, in my opinion, is far more important,” I state. “You’ve worked with Yannis for over five years, and it took five seconds to throw him under the bus. I don’t need people like that working for me.” I push myself to my feet. “Best of luck to you, Mr. Fields.” I nod at Javier, and he follows me out of the office. “Make sure security is on standby. I don’t need Markus making a scene.”
“I can’t believe you did that!” Javier hisses under his breath as I walk to my old office. Hesitating for a split second before entering, I swallow away my demons and step inside. “What are we going to do now? Markus was single-handedly?—”
“We’ll find another CFO,” I say, gliding my fingers along the desk. No dust. “Has someone been in here?”
Javier pinches the bridge of his nose. “Of course. It is not a crime scene. We have cleaners.”
“Right,” I hum, leaning against the edge of the desk. Javier continues to grumble. “Enough theatrics, Javier. I had no intention of letting either of them go today. Markus should’ve kept his mouth shut, and he’d still have a job.”
“I don’t believe you,” Javier admits. “That was a power move, and you know it.”
“And so what if it was?” I cross my arms over mychest. “You wanted me back here, right? Well, here I am.”
“You could’ve eased in, Damon,” Javier says, shaking his head. “You do not need to dive head first.”
“Too late now,” I say, glancing around my office, my gaze landing on the stocked liquor cabinet on the far side of the room. My stomach churns. “I want those gone by tomorrow morning.”
“Why not take Jonathan’s office?” Javier suggests. “It is cleaned out and ready for you.”
I swallow. “No. I’m fine here.”
“If you want to be the boss, Damon, thenbethe boss,” Javier says. “Your father’s office cannot remain empty forever.”
“And it won’t,” I grunt. “Leave. I have work to do.”
“As you wish,” Javier says, striding to the door. He turns his head over his shoulder. “Oh, by the way, I found some more information on that stripper you wanted me to find for you.” My lungs expand. “Just some school records and shit. Nothing too exciting. It’s all in your inbox.”
“Thank you,” I say, circling the desk and sitting down. Once Javier exits my office, I quickly turn on my computer, anxious anticipation thrumming through my veins. A dialog box pops up that reads:Updating System. Do not turn off the computer.Tapping my fingers on the glass desk, I stare at the loading bar, growing more impatient as the minutes pass.Fuck!This is going to take forever.
Needing to keep myself preoccupied so as to not punch a hole through the fucking screen, I beginmindlessly rummaging through desk drawers that haven’t been opened in two years. Old files. Random stationery. A bottle of scotch.
I reach further into the drawer, slicing my finger on the edge of something sharp. Wincing, I tug on the culprit and pull out a picture frame. I stop breathing. The catalyst. The first domino I knocked over. The beginning of the end. My finger traces the engraved writing on the bottom, leaving a trail of bloodstain in its wake.To my love. If I just?—
“Do you love me?” Alison whispers, nuzzling her head into my chest. “Damon? Do you love me?”
I stare up at the ceiling, bedsheets tangled between my legs. “Of course, I do.”
“Then why…” She swallows. “Then why can’t I meet your family? You’ve met mine. Don’t you think it’s time? It’s been?—”
“Soon,” I whisper, kissing her hand. “You’ll meet them soon.”
A hot tear drops on my shoulder. “You promised, Damon. You told me?—”
“I know, but I need more time,” I say, hating myself for keeping her a secret, but my father would be livid. The wound is still fresh. I can’t risk opening the healing skin. Not yet. “Just a little while longer.”
Her jaw clenches against my skin. “You said you were ready this time.” She sniffles. “And I believed you, Damon. I stupidly believed you, but you—you’re ashamed of me, aren’t you? You’re?—”
