“You okay, bro?” his brother asked. “I heard the fight. That was brutal.”
Braxton glanced in the direction Lenna had fled. “I have to go,” he murmured and started toward his Land Rover.
“Good luck.”
Curious to find out exactly what had been done in his office, Braxton didn’t chase Lenna down. He drove to Farris Industries at nine o’clock on a Sunday night. He hurried through the empty building until he reached his office. Seating himself at his desk, he fidgeted as he watched his computer boot.
As soon as he logged on, he could tell someone had been snooping. But it hadn’t been Tom. Whoever it was must’ve shown him Lenna’s pictures, though.
His face heating with indignation, Braxton used his techno-savvy knowledge to decipher exactly when and where his cyber-guest had gone.
What he found left him sick to his stomach.
CHAPTER 22
Tom walked into work Monday morning, having no idea what the day would bring.
Though he refused to regret lying to Lenna, he still feared the repercussions.
Farris might be a punk, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d figure out Tom knew the truth...that was, if Lenna had dumped him yet. But knowing his girl, she’d already visited the kid and stomped all over his nuts.
Strolling slowly toward his office, Tom almost expected a pink slip waiting on his desk. But he never made it to the room. On the way, an anxious Ben intercepted him, grabbing his arm and yanking him aside.
“What the hell did you do to Farris?”
Tom froze. Oh, shit. “Why?”
“He’s called an emergency meeting this morning,” Ben hissed. “He wants everyone in the conference room...immediately. Tasha said he’s pissed. Dear God, Tom. You didn’t tell him I snuck onto his computer, did you?”
“No. God, no.” Tom drew in a deep breath. “What’s the meeting about?”
Ben could only shake his head. “No one knows.”
Even more on edge, Tom changed his course and moved toward the conference room. He wondered if this had anything to do with Lenna.
Lord, he hoped not. He did not want the boy to announce he was screwing Tom’s daughter. God, anything but that.
Fearing publicity and termination, Tom entered the room and was doubly shocked to find Spencer Farris seated to the right-hand side of the head spot at the table.
It was a surprise to see his former boss in the first place, but to see Spencer anywhere other than the lead chair was even more disconcerting.
Pat Foley walked in behind Tom and also halted when he spotted Spencer. But Pat grinned at their former boss instead of sending him the sickened I’m-going-to-lose-my-job-aren’t-I look Tom gave him.
“Hey, Spence. Couldn’t handle retirement, huh?” Pat asked.
Spencer merely chuckled. “To tell the truth, I have no idea why I’m here. Braxton asked me to come in as a consultant. I’m just as clueless as to what he has planned as everyone else.”
Braxton appeared in the doorway.
Talk in the room died as soon as everyone saw the stony expression on his face.
Glancing around, Braxton shut the door and strode to the front of the large conference table.
Tom couldn’t breathe so well.
The boy tossed a file he’d carried in with him onto the table and remained standing as he glared accusingly around him. “Someone’s been hacking into my processor,” he said without preamble. “And I want to know who.”
Silence cloaked the room; a person could’ve heard a pin drop. The employees looked at each other, confused. Tom’s face drained of color. He itched to glance toward Ben, see how his friend was holding up, but didn’t dare. Ben would be fired if Farris found out it’d been Hendricks.