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Authors: Melissa Andrea
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over my head if I tried to stop you. ”
“ You should have taken one for the team! ” I growled.
“ Screw that shit. You ’ ve obviously never been hit in the head with a beer bottle. That shit hurts! ”
“ I ’ m not even surprised you know that. ”
He paused for a second. “ I ’ m assuming this has something to do with the bl— ”
“ Don ’ t! ” I snapped. “ Don ’ t say it. ” I glanced at it briefly once more before shoving my shirt down and pushing Sebastian out of my way. My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I was suddenly reminded of how bright it was outside.
“ Shit. ” Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone. “ Fuck! I ’ m late! ” I groaned and slammed my bedroom door. Sebastian ’ s snicker seemed to echo off the walls.
Two hours later, I arrived at the factory halfway between still semi-drunk and somewhat hung over. I tossed the almost thawed bag of peas into the passenger seat and pulled the visor down to look at myself in my mirror. There was nothing I could do about my battered and bruised face. J.D. would have to deal.
Careless was the first one I ran into. She looked at me briefly, with every intention of ignoring me, but she nearly tripped over her own two feet as she did a double take of my appearance.
“ Oh my God, Ryland! What the hell happened to you? ” She reached out to touch my face, but I pulled away from her.
“ I ’ m fine. Where ’ s J.D.? ” I eyed the office, but he was nowhere in sight.
“ He ’ s getting ready for a conference call and he wants you there. What happened? ”
She wasn ’ t going to drop it until I told her.
“ I went out with Sebastian last night. I ’ m fine, ” I repeated. And I actually was. At least for now, anyway. Last night had helped.
“ You were at The Underground with Sebastian? You were fighting? ”
“ Let it go, Careless. When ’ s this conference call? ”
“ In twenty minutes. You know he ’ s going to flip when he sees your face. ”
Yes, I did know that. There were bruises and cuts around my eye, cheeks, and lips, and they were definitely not business attire friendly. But I wasn ’ t here voluntarily so he could deal with it or fire me, and we all knew he wouldn ’ t do that. I sounded like a broken record- deal with it or fire me.
“ You know I don ’ t care, right? ” Looking around, I noticed people were starting to stare. Damn. It would get to J.D. before I could see that twitch of loathing in his eyes.
“ Yes, Ryland, we get it. ”
My attention snapped back toward Careless, but she was walking away from me. Her tone, the look in her eyes, planted a seed of guilt in the pit of my stomach. I didn ’ t have time to dwell on Careless ’ s drama though.
Just as I suspected, J.D. didn ’ t skip a beat when I walked into the conference room. There were a few gasps and hushed whispers, but it didn ’ t go further than that. I sat next to J.D. and hoped this would go by fast.
There was another loud gasp and I looked up just in time to see Mitchell come through the doors. Fuck, he looked bad. The area between his eyes and nose was an angry purple. His nose was bandaged and he looked fucking pissed off. He pouted his way over to J.D. and set down some papers in front of him.
“ Nice nose job, Mitchell. ” I smirked.
“ Go to hell, Ryland. ” He sneered and his face pinched together.
“ Mitchell. ” J.D. ’ s voice boomed and the room got quiet. All attention was on the three of us. Mitchell looked like he was about to piss his pants. “ You will refer to Ryland as Mr. Dare. And you will not speak to him like that again, do you understand me? ”
J.D. wasn ’ t looking at Mitchell as he spoke, but he was well aware of the flush of embarrassment creeping up his employee ’ s face. He looked like he was about to explode.
“ Jonathan, I was- ”
“ Have I given you the impression that we ’ re friends, Mitchell? ”
Mitchell was squirming. “ Excuse me, sir?
“ You should have taken one for the team! ” I growled.
“ Screw that shit. You ’ ve obviously never been hit in the head with a beer bottle. That shit hurts! ”
“ I ’ m not even surprised you know that. ”
He paused for a second. “ I ’ m assuming this has something to do with the bl— ”
“ Don ’ t! ” I snapped. “ Don ’ t say it. ” I glanced at it briefly once more before shoving my shirt down and pushing Sebastian out of my way. My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I was suddenly reminded of how bright it was outside.
“ Shit. ” Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone. “ Fuck! I ’ m late! ” I groaned and slammed my bedroom door. Sebastian ’ s snicker seemed to echo off the walls.
Two hours later, I arrived at the factory halfway between still semi-drunk and somewhat hung over. I tossed the almost thawed bag of peas into the passenger seat and pulled the visor down to look at myself in my mirror. There was nothing I could do about my battered and bruised face. J.D. would have to deal.
Careless was the first one I ran into. She looked at me briefly, with every intention of ignoring me, but she nearly tripped over her own two feet as she did a double take of my appearance.
“ Oh my God, Ryland! What the hell happened to you? ” She reached out to touch my face, but I pulled away from her.
“ I ’ m fine. Where ’ s J.D.? ” I eyed the office, but he was nowhere in sight.
“ He ’ s getting ready for a conference call and he wants you there. What happened? ”
She wasn ’ t going to drop it until I told her.
“ I went out with Sebastian last night. I ’ m fine, ” I repeated. And I actually was. At least for now, anyway. Last night had helped.
“ You were at The Underground with Sebastian? You were fighting? ”
“ Let it go, Careless. When ’ s this conference call? ”
“ In twenty minutes. You know he ’ s going to flip when he sees your face. ”
Yes, I did know that. There were bruises and cuts around my eye, cheeks, and lips, and they were definitely not business attire friendly. But I wasn ’ t here voluntarily so he could deal with it or fire me, and we all knew he wouldn ’ t do that. I sounded like a broken record- deal with it or fire me.
“ You know I don ’ t care, right? ” Looking around, I noticed people were starting to stare. Damn. It would get to J.D. before I could see that twitch of loathing in his eyes.
“ Yes, Ryland, we get it. ”
My attention snapped back toward Careless, but she was walking away from me. Her tone, the look in her eyes, planted a seed of guilt in the pit of my stomach. I didn ’ t have time to dwell on Careless ’ s drama though.
Just as I suspected, J.D. didn ’ t skip a beat when I walked into the conference room. There were a few gasps and hushed whispers, but it didn ’ t go further than that. I sat next to J.D. and hoped this would go by fast.
There was another loud gasp and I looked up just in time to see Mitchell come through the doors. Fuck, he looked bad. The area between his eyes and nose was an angry purple. His nose was bandaged and he looked fucking pissed off. He pouted his way over to J.D. and set down some papers in front of him.
“ Nice nose job, Mitchell. ” I smirked.
“ Go to hell, Ryland. ” He sneered and his face pinched together.
“ Mitchell. ” J.D. ’ s voice boomed and the room got quiet. All attention was on the three of us. Mitchell looked like he was about to piss his pants. “ You will refer to Ryland as Mr. Dare. And you will not speak to him like that again, do you understand me? ”
J.D. wasn ’ t looking at Mitchell as he spoke, but he was well aware of the flush of embarrassment creeping up his employee ’ s face. He looked like he was about to explode.
“ Jonathan, I was- ”
“ Have I given you the impression that we ’ re friends, Mitchell? ”
Mitchell was squirming. “ Excuse me, sir?
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