11. Liam

CHAPTER ELEVEN

liam

Noah is saying some bollocks about the damage dad inflicted on me and how not all women are after my money and name, but his words become background noise, drowned out by the thought in my head screaming, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?

I see red.

Max and April? He opens her door and now they're talking—about something hilarious by the stupid smile on their faces—holding each other's fucking hands. With an intimate kiss on her cheek and without letting go of her fingers, he leads her towards the locker room.

Did Max hire a hooker as his assistant? It wouldn't be the first time, but fuck me if it isn't going to be the last.

She's good to go already? April has some fucking stamina, I'll give her that.

I hang up on Noah and rip open the door from my office to Mia's, almost pulling it free from its frame.

"Who's the head of PR here?" I interrupt Mia's babbling to George, my voice many decibels louder than needed inside close quarters.

"What the hell?" George squeals and slips from where he was leaning his ass at the edge of her table, stumbling to get back on his feet.

Mia, on the other hand, soars under pressure and is already getting me an answer. "Hmmmm, here. Melanie Groff." And that's why she gets away with running that smart mouth of hers. "What do you need?"

"Get her to call me now." Mia nods, but I don't see her typing or calling the damn woman, so I lose it. "I said now, Mia!"

"Jesus. Fine."

"Come get me 10 minutes before the stakeholder's meeting. Please clear the floor."

It's for her own benefit. Only Mia and I have offices on this floor and she should keep a safe distance when I'm this toxic. I slam the door and march to my chair.

April is a hooker. Why am I this enraged?

No amount of reasoning helps me process this madness I'm feeling. It's not jealousy. It's not.

A few minutes later, my desk phone rings.

"Hello, Mr Gunn. This is Melanie Groff. I've been told you needed my assistance." Could she speak any slower? Is everyone out to test me today?

"Yes, thanks for getting in touch, Miss Groff. I'm in a bit of a rush, so I'll cut straight to the point. Do you have a standard non disclosure agreement for visitors?"

"Yes, we do, in case—" I really don't have time for this.

"Great," I cut in. I'll get Mia to write her an apology card later. Fuck, who's going to write Mia's apology card? "Send it to my email now, and I do mean now. This is an urgent matter. I'll make some amends to it and get back to you."

I force some oxygen in through my nostrils and exhale long enough to make a new hole in the ozone layer. "Please free your agenda for the next hour. I have a situation for you to handle to the best of your ability and discretion. The FC is in the fucking tabloids enough as it is and we don't want any more scandalous headlines. Correct?" I can hear her cloying breathing, so I know she's just mute, not dead. "Correct, Miss Groff?"

"Absolutely. N-no pr-problem, Mr Gunn. I'm sending it right now and I'll be on call for further instructions."

If she's stuttering now, imagine what she'll be like when she reads my fucking amendments. God help her.

I hang up and refresh my email non-stop until the contract comes in. I make it so April will be legally obliged not to reveal her previous or future arrangements with myself and that she's prohibited from offering her services to anyone else inside this club. Sure, I'd rather write "world" instead, but that sounded a tad unreasonable.

Fuck me in the ass with a razor blade and pour some lime juice as lube. Nothing about what I'm doing is reasonable.

Once I'm done, I send the document back to Miss Groff and tell her I've been made aware that Max has an escort named April in the building, possibly acting as another assistant or masseuse and that I regretfully have engaged her in an activity before. I ask for her utmost discretion to handle this situation and avoid any of this getting out of hand or becoming public knowledge.

Then I pour myself a scotch and drag my chair to the other side of my office, to where I'll have the best view to watch April being escorted out of here. Pun not intended.