Eight

Eight

Parker

It’s hard for me to concentrate on work over the next few days. I can’t stop thinking about my father being out of prison so early. When I glance out the window in the morning, I can swear I see him walking by. But when I check again, it’s just a stranger.

So I push my mind to focus on something else, and it goes automatically toward Rhys, which is what’s been happening over the last couple of days. Even though he talked about Tony with so little emotion, I could see the pain in his eyes. I hate the idea of him being jerked away from his family—his whole life—to be thrown into that situation. No wonder he’s so wary of everything and everyone. He’s been fighting to survive since he was fifteen years old.

A knock sounds on my door, startling me back to the present. For a heart-pounding second, I expect to see my father there. But it’s Phil who leans into my office. “You have a minute?”

I’d really rather not spend even a second with this creep, but I wave him into my office anyway. I didn’t tell anyone else about what happened at the party because I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. If Cameron heard about it, he’d probably fire Phil for the way he acted, and Phil would probably bring a lawsuit against the company because he’s the kind of guy who never believes anything’s his fault.

“Look,” Phil begins, sitting in the chair across from me. He crosses one leg over the other and steeples his fingers together. “I’ve spent the last few days thinking about what transpired at the party.”

I stay silent during his pause because I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like what comes out of his mouth when he opens it again.

“I know your brother is the CEO of this company, but that doesn’t excuse unprofessional behavior on your end. You interrupted my date and threatened me. I haven’t brought this to Leigh’s attention yet because I wanted us to have the chance to talk it out first.”

My eyes widen when he looks at me expectantly. He can’t be serious.

But as he keeps staring at me, I realize he is fucking serious. He thinks I owe him some kind of apology because I made him stop beating an innocent guy he brought to our company party.

“Are you aware that as COO, I outrank you by a mile?”

He laughs a little, and the small sound reminds me of every reason why I’ve never liked this smarmy bastard.

“I’m aware that your big brother appointed you COO right after you graduated college with little qualifications,” Phil says, his tone sharp despite his laugh. “Are you aware that I worked at this company for the last twelve years and know more about this business than you ever will?”

Irritation prickles under my skin, but I don’t let it show on my face. I shadowed Cam the entire time I was in college. I know how to do this job.

“Do you want to know the real reason why I’m COO and you’re not?” I don’t wait for him to form an answer before I continue. “Because you don’t have the temperament for it. Clients have to be able to count on management. No one can count on you. If you were worthy of a higher position, you would’ve been promoted at some point. Twelve years is a long time to work in the same starting position.”

He opens his mouth, but I press on before he can say anything.

“As for the New Year’s Eve party, I witnessed you assault someone. It was caught on our security cameras too. That man could decide to press charges against you and maybe the company as a whole. You’re lucky you weren’t fired on the spot for committing a misdemeanor by hiring a prostitute.”

His face pales. “I…”

“Be quiet,” I cut him off. “Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to go back to your desk and get back to work. I don’t want to hear from you again. And I instructed Anton to get in touch with me if you ever reached out to him again. Consider this your one and only warning. Now get the fuck out of my office.”

Phil stands immediately. All the self-importance he came in here with is gone. He turns wordlessly toward my door and exits the office a lot quieter than he entered.

I let out a sigh and lean back in my desk chair. He’s not the first person to point out the fact that my brother appointed me this position right out of college, but it doesn’t usually bother me. I know I’m good at what I do, and Phil would be horrible at this job. But it annoyed me more than usual today. Because I remember the fear that flashed in Rhys’s eyes when Phil hit him. That handprint that slowly formed on his cheek.

Phil is in no position to be judging anyone. I want to bring him back in here and ream him even more for what he did. It’s no wonder Phil’s husband left him. If Phil was willing to hit a stranger he’d hired for the night, who the hell knows what he did behind closed doors.

The whole thing makes me want to call Rhys just to talk to him. But I stop before my hand gets halfway to my phone on my desk. He’d seemed so out of sorts after he talked to me about Tony and how he started in this life. We’ve already set up for the next time we’re meeting, and I don’t need to bother him in-between that.

Even after telling myself all of that, I still want to reach out to him. I just want to make sure he’s okay. I want to encourage him to get out of that life because he shouldn’t have to be around guys like Phil. But from our conversation the other day, it’s clear Rhys’s sense of self-worth was damaged a while ago. All I want to do is help him get it back.