individually and spoke
with them while Malachi and his six lawyers looked on with cold disdain. They
were reminded of the confidentiality clause in their contract as well as how
much they would be sued for breaking said clause. Panicked, each man swore up
and down he wasn’t the one who’d approached Koko, and one even volunteered on
his own to take a lie detector test.
Since neither man had been on Reese’s very short list of
who’d done it, the offer wasn’t taken up. Once Reese was finished talking to
them, he called Calverton into the office. Five minutes into the meeting,
Calverton was laughing so hard he could barely talk. He pleaded with Reese to
allow him to stay in the room when he interviewed Putney, but Malachi nixed
that idea. Malachi was a stickler for detail and he wanted everything on the up
and up. Reese finally agreed to give Calverton a play-by-play at a later time
then had Calverton send Putney in.
“Reese, I want you to follow my lead. Say nothing. Do
nothing. Unless I invite you to do otherwise.”
Reese looked over at Malachi and snorted. “That’s not going
to happen.”
“Oh, but it is.” Malachi stared at him with cold eyes
similar to those of Reese. “You will be silent, until it’s time for you not to
be silent.”
“Fine, as long as we both know where this is leading.”
“Ambulance or back of a police vehicle. I have no intentions
of holding you back. He deserves his comeuppance and she deserves her retribution.
On this we agree.”
“Exactly.” If this was the way Malachi wanted to play it,
Reese would go along with it…for now.
Before the two brothers could discuss it more, the door to
the office opened and Putney walked in. When he caught sight of all the men in
suits standing behind Malachi with Reese to the right of him, his easy grin
disappeared. He was no longer a man going into this blindly. Which made it all
the better for Reese.
Malachi rose from his seat then extended his hand to the
empty chair in front of the desk. “Please have a seat. You know most everyone.
Reese, my lawyers, names not important.”
Putney nodded politely and took the seat offered.
“Gentlemen.”
Malachi took his seat and folded his hand on top of Putney’s
employment folder. “Do you know why we’ve called you here, Mr. Putney?”
“I don’t suppose it’s about a well-earned raise.”
Putney’s snide tone grated on Reese’s nerves. The balls on
this man must have been ten times the size of his belly. And if Putney hadn’t
disrespected the woman he cared for, Reese might have been amused by his
bravado. Instead, he was insulted by it.
“I can honestly say a raise is not why you’re here.” Malachi
opened the folder and extracted a mound of paperwork. He took the first section
that was paper-clipped together and turned it out so Putney could see it. “This
is the confidentiality agreement you signed when you were employed with Sarraf
Enterprise. The gentlemen behind me will gladly go line by line with you to
point out how your little lunch outing is grounds for termination.”
“I can eat anywhere I please.”
Reese took a step forward and opened his mouth to blast the
insolent fool, but was stopped by Malachi, who calmly held up a hand. “Very
true, Mr. Putney, but what you can’t do is insult my future sister-in-law.”
“Future…” Startled, Putney glanced over at Reese, who was
doing his best not to react at the label Malachi gave Koko. “He’s your
brother?”
“You mean you didn’t know?” Malachi asked, deadpan. Of
course Putney didn’t know, not many people did. Malachi resembled his Israeli
father more than he did their German mother, but brothers they were just the
same.
“How was I supposed to know? Or know she was his? It wasn’t
as if he wasn’t letting us watch videos of his missus just a few days ago.
Doesn’t sound like fiancée stuff to me.”
“How my brother and my future sister-in-law choose to act
out their bedroom hijinks is
with them while Malachi and his six lawyers looked on with cold disdain. They
were reminded of the confidentiality clause in their contract as well as how
much they would be sued for breaking said clause. Panicked, each man swore up
and down he wasn’t the one who’d approached Koko, and one even volunteered on
his own to take a lie detector test.
Since neither man had been on Reese’s very short list of
who’d done it, the offer wasn’t taken up. Once Reese was finished talking to
them, he called Calverton into the office. Five minutes into the meeting,
Calverton was laughing so hard he could barely talk. He pleaded with Reese to
allow him to stay in the room when he interviewed Putney, but Malachi nixed
that idea. Malachi was a stickler for detail and he wanted everything on the up
and up. Reese finally agreed to give Calverton a play-by-play at a later time
then had Calverton send Putney in.
“Reese, I want you to follow my lead. Say nothing. Do
nothing. Unless I invite you to do otherwise.”
Reese looked over at Malachi and snorted. “That’s not going
to happen.”
“Oh, but it is.” Malachi stared at him with cold eyes
similar to those of Reese. “You will be silent, until it’s time for you not to
be silent.”
“Fine, as long as we both know where this is leading.”
“Ambulance or back of a police vehicle. I have no intentions
of holding you back. He deserves his comeuppance and she deserves her retribution.
On this we agree.”
“Exactly.” If this was the way Malachi wanted to play it,
Reese would go along with it…for now.
Before the two brothers could discuss it more, the door to
the office opened and Putney walked in. When he caught sight of all the men in
suits standing behind Malachi with Reese to the right of him, his easy grin
disappeared. He was no longer a man going into this blindly. Which made it all
the better for Reese.
Malachi rose from his seat then extended his hand to the
empty chair in front of the desk. “Please have a seat. You know most everyone.
Reese, my lawyers, names not important.”
Putney nodded politely and took the seat offered.
“Gentlemen.”
Malachi took his seat and folded his hand on top of Putney’s
employment folder. “Do you know why we’ve called you here, Mr. Putney?”
“I don’t suppose it’s about a well-earned raise.”
Putney’s snide tone grated on Reese’s nerves. The balls on
this man must have been ten times the size of his belly. And if Putney hadn’t
disrespected the woman he cared for, Reese might have been amused by his
bravado. Instead, he was insulted by it.
“I can honestly say a raise is not why you’re here.” Malachi
opened the folder and extracted a mound of paperwork. He took the first section
that was paper-clipped together and turned it out so Putney could see it. “This
is the confidentiality agreement you signed when you were employed with Sarraf
Enterprise. The gentlemen behind me will gladly go line by line with you to
point out how your little lunch outing is grounds for termination.”
“I can eat anywhere I please.”
Reese took a step forward and opened his mouth to blast the
insolent fool, but was stopped by Malachi, who calmly held up a hand. “Very
true, Mr. Putney, but what you can’t do is insult my future sister-in-law.”
“Future…” Startled, Putney glanced over at Reese, who was
doing his best not to react at the label Malachi gave Koko. “He’s your
brother?”
“You mean you didn’t know?” Malachi asked, deadpan. Of
course Putney didn’t know, not many people did. Malachi resembled his Israeli
father more than he did their German mother, but brothers they were just the
same.
“How was I supposed to know? Or know she was his? It wasn’t
as if he wasn’t letting us watch videos of his missus just a few days ago.
Doesn’t sound like fiancée stuff to me.”
“How my brother and my future sister-in-law choose to act
out their bedroom hijinks is
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