Chapter Three

Hollis

Although Hollis had expected this invasion that crowded into his office the next morning, he'd hoped for a little more time to gather his thoughts before being confronted by his team of PAs. However, they didn't need to know that, or that he'd spent most of the previous evening evading his own thoughts about a certain someone and focusing his attention on how he could move forward and get his team to work with him—and with the brothers—in close quarters.

He'd gone through their WhatsApp group chat and figured things were going to be rocky for a while, once he assigned the PAs to the brothers they didn't enjoy working with for extended periods of time. They were all in for a sharp shock at his strategy to keep the brothers in line.

What the brothers felt about him and his new role was the least of his worries. He eyed the men crowding his office and speaking over each other and sighed in frustration. It went unheard because of the multiple questions they peppered him with.

Giving up, he lifted a hand to draw attention to himself, waving his fingers at everyone other than Ziggy. Their newest recruit, an omega snake shifter, was the only silent one in the group who just watched Hollis.

Hollis had been convinced—initially—that Ziggy wasn't the right person for a PA job when he'd interviewed him with Lane. He couldn't see Ziggy working closely with any of the brothers. Alphas really hated to be challenged, as Hollis had learned very early on. Ziggy's appearance had confused him and others into thinking he wasn't an omega. Big and muscly, with a shaved head save a small strip of dark hair on the top of his head, neck tattoos, and piercings added to Ziggy's overly macho appearance. He looked more suited to being in a biker gang than working for a billion dollar company.

Looks could be deceiving.

Ziggy was very much an omega with an analytical brain that could fathom out problems quicker than anyone Hollis knew. In the few weeks he'd worked at the company, he'd so far kept to himself and only spoke when absolutely necessary. Hollis liked him for that alone, once he'd got used to his appearance.

"Why weren't we told our bosses were retiring?" Isley, a tiny sugar glider, muttered, wearing a sullen frown.

"Are they retiring or are you just making an assumption, as usual?" Frey asked, rolling his eyes when Isley glared back at him .

"You were the one who mentioned the brothers were coming to take over the business," Montague, an otter, who everyone called Monty, pointed out to Frey. Monty's scowl was about as terrifying as a butterfly flapping its tiny wings.

Lennon rolled his eyes heavenward, revealing his irritation. His vampire bat half wasn't tolerant of bullshit. "Didn't Bowie say that it was Taylin who was moving back here?"

Bowie nodded, but no one looked at him. They were all focused on Hollis, who used his hardest stare to create a semblance of order and authority. Some days were harder than others!

"If you want me to answer your questions, then I'd suggest you stop shouting over each other." Hollis added enough force to his voice to get everyone's full attention.

Silence descended, and he released a shuddery breath, hoping no one noticed he was shaking a little while still struggling to come to terms with what this would all mean to him—to the company.

"Let's take this to the coffee lounge. There are more seats there and we won't feel crammed in like sardines." It was how he felt with his team crowding him.

A bunch of over excited men who loved to gossip as much as they liked to work got encouraged out of Hollis's space and down the corridor. Other members of staff working on the floor stopped as they passed, curious looks aimed their way, which Hollis ignored.

There would be an all staff bulletin put out to let everyone know what was happening. But with how things were with his team, he didn't have the patience to field all their questions until that occurred. They would be incessant, prying out all the answers until they had the full picture. A trait which was part of the reason they'd been hired for the roles in the first place. A trait Hollis admired, even when it irritated him when their tenacity was aimed in his direction.

Hollis was fairly certain they wouldn't come across any of the brothers as their offices were on the floor above, something that had thrown him when he'd started working for the company. Lane had explained the PAs' role in the firm was slightly different to other companies. There were secretaries assigned to each of the brothers to manage their day-to-day office requirements, and they were on the same floor as the brothers' offices. Even with the brothers spending little time in Hazardville, their secretaries remained based here working alongside the PAs.

When Hollis first started at the company, he'd expected the PAs would do the secretarial work as well. He'd quickly got dissuaded from the notion that he would have time to complete office work, type letters, make appointments, and so on. Lane had explained the PAs role was far broader and much more challenging—especially with how demanding the alphas were. One week in the job had proven just how silly his notion was that he could do everything.

Hush fell when everyone took colorful, padded seats around the coffee scented room that held a hint of sweetness to the air too. Hollis suspected that it came from whatever was in the white confectionery boxes on the far counter, next to the coffee machine .

Tension rolled through Hollis as he closed the door, not wanting anyone else to overhear what he was about to disclose. The group looked expectantly at him as he rested his ass against the counter and put his thoughts in order, figuring out where to start. "Lane and Derick are retiring. They have asked all their sons to return to Hazardville and run the company jointly."

The dry chuckle that came from Monty, a cunning otter, held no humor. "As if they'll be able to do that!"

"Yes, well, that's not for you to worry about." Hollis grimaced at Monty, who wasn't wrong after what Hollis had seen and heard the day before. "For now, your biggest concern is that for the transition to happen smoothly, you will each find yourself allocated to one of the sons who work in the area of your expertise."

"What… no… you can't be serious," stuttered Bowie, a furious blush coating his cheeks.

Frey waggled his thumb at Bowie. "What he said! You know I—"

"I know perfectly well your opinion of a certain brother. You have made that abundantly clear. As I have said before, that is not my issue. My job is to ensure that my team, who are paid a princely sum to do their jobs," he met each man's stare, "do it. If you are unhappy, then I'm sure there are other firms looking to hire."

"Hollis, do you really need to be an A-hole?" Frey asked, lounging back on his chair. The hand resting on the arm of the chair moved continually, belying his relaxed posture .

Hollis bristled, his lips thinning into a tight line as he gave Frey a stare that expressed his displeasure.

"Leave him be, Frey. This applies to him too," Bowie pointed out, looking at Hollis sympathetically.

Hollis worked hard not to think about changes to his role, because if he did, he'd break out in a cold sweat. "My role is changing—"

"How so?" Isley questioned, paling. "We aren't going to get a new boss, are we? I like working with you, even when you're bossy."

The backhanded compliment slid off Hollis like water off a duck's back. It was the weight of the following silence that followed Isley's question that got him responding.

"No."

Being the deciding vote if things got out of hand shouldn't affect his team too much, but Hollis hadn't dwelled on that. Because how did you measure something when it hadn't happened yet?

"I'll still be your boss. Although there might be times when I can't stop what I'm doing to deal with your issues, like I have in the past." His gaze landed on Monty and Bowie. The two men often came to his office to bitch about working with certain sons.

"Hey, why are you looking at me?" Monty muttered, shrinking down into the seat as if trying to make himself invisible.

Frey rubbed a hand over Monty's shoulder. "'Cause we all know that Tweedle-dee gets irked when you spend any time sorting out his lengthy line of wannabe models that think if they shag him, their asshole will be better than a gold-coated heaven and become the next Mr. Starling."

Chocked laughter came from everyone, including Ziggy.

"Please, the only thing Jupiter is interested in is getting his end away in—"

"Enough, Monty," Hollis snapped, doing his best to contain his own amusement. "It's bad enough in the group chat. At least there I can skip by your comments. Now, shall we get back to why we're here?"