Shoving Finn’s door open, I walk into his office. “Not the person you expected?” I mutter.
Lifting his eyebrows, he asks, “To what do I owe the honor so early in the morning?”
“Kiara is employed as a receptionist for the lobby. Stop calling her up to your office and do your own fucking work. Last warning.”
Finn stares at me for a moment, then snidely answers, “Yes, sir.” Just as I’m about to turn around, he asks, “When will you let me into the mafia?”
A chuckle bursts over my lips. “Never.” The mafia will fucking chew him up and spit him out.
“Do you expect me to be happy with the scraps you throw my way forever?”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Yes.” I gesture around the office. “This is all you’ll ever get from me.”
Finn darts up but catches himself in time from losing his temper. “I deserve more.”
Taking a step closer, I lock eyes with him. “You deserve nothing. Just because your mother married my father doesn’t mean shit to me. You might have the last name, but you’re not a Byrne.”
It looks like Finn’s about to choke on his tongue, then he threatens, “I’ll tell our parents.”
I shake my head at the level of this man’s stupidity. “Finn, when will you realize they have no power over me? This company belongs to me. The mafia belongs to me. I fucking own everything.”
Frustration tightens his features. “This isn’t fair.”
Narrowing my eyes, my temper starts to spike. “I don’t have time for your tantrums. If you want a better income, there’s the door.”
Done with this conversation, I stalk out of the office and head to my own. The second I shut my door behind me, Will grins at me from where he’s perched on the corner of my desk. “Denise said yes.”
I shake my head, and letting the tension roll off my shoulders, I joke with my friend, “Only because you kept groveling.”
“You’re okay with me taking her out on a date?” he checks with me again.
“She’s an adult and can make her own decisions,” I mutter while taking a seat behind my desk. Glancing at Will, I ask, “Are you going to tell her what you really do for a living?”
“I don’t think she’d be impressed hearing how I kiss your ass,” he jokes but then shakes his head. “Not until things are serious between us.”
“Make sure you can trust her,” I mention. Opening my laptop, I check my schedule for the day. “Only two meetings.” Just then, the page updates, and I glare at the screen. “Make that six meetings.”
“The life of a CEO. Rather you than me.”
“Get off your ass and go check the warehouse. It’s less than two hours until the shipment arrives.”
“Yes, boss.” The fucker salutes me before he leaves the office.
Relaxing back in the chair, I rest my elbow on the armrest, my thumb brushing over my jaw. Kiara’s pale face suddenly flashes through my mind, making me frown.
The woman didn’t look well enough to be at work.
But she said she’s fine.
Shifting in my chair, I bring up the proposals I’m working on. When I have to reread a sentence for the third time, the frown darkens on my forehead.
There’s something about Kiara Murphy that bothers me, and I can’t place my finger on it.
She’s beautiful, her auburn hair thick and silky, her amber eyes, with the dark ring around the lighter irises, absolutely striking.
But that’s not why she grabbed my attention.
She seems skittish.
Come on, Liam. Most people are shit scared of you.
If it bothers you so much, send the woman home.
I don’t like the interest Finn has in the woman.
Tapping my fingers on the desk, my eyes narrow. Honestly, I don’t like any interest Finn has in a woman. Not after finding out he started an illegal sex ring.
Kiara is young and stunning. She’d be a perfect target for flesh peddlers.
That fucker better not look at any of my employees.
Pressing the button for Devon’s extension, I wait until he answers, “Yes, sir?”
“Come to my office.”
Seconds later, my door opens, and Devon gives me a questioning look.
“Come in.” He shuts the door behind him, then I ask, “Has Finn shown an interest in any of the female staff members?”
Devon thinks for a moment, then answers, “He called Julia up quite often.”
“Julia?”
“She was the lobby’s receptionist before Kiara joined us. She resigned just after you went on vacation.”
“Do you know why she resigned?”
Devon shakes his head. “I didn’t speak to her often.”
“Have HR send up her file to me.”
“Yes, sir.” Then he adds, “He’s also calling Kiara up often and had her escort him to a function last week.”
What? I don’t like that one bit.
“Let me know if he calls her up again.”
“Yes, sir.”
I watch Devon leave my office then force my attention to the proposals so I can get them done before the meetings.
When the email pops up from HR, I click on it and skip through the basic information. Getting to the reason for resignation, I note Julia left because she got a better offer in Miami.
Nothing weird about that. I close the email and return to the proposals until it’s a couple of minutes before my first meeting. Knowing Mrs. Crowe loves attention, I head downstairs to meet her in the lobby.
Stepping out of the elevator, Kiara’s alone at reception. She rubs over her forehead, then her head snaps in my direction, and she practically jumps in her chair.
I’m used to people fearing me, especially on the mafia side of things, but I find Kiara’s reaction a bit extreme. Stopping near the counter, I ask, “Everything okay down here?”
She nods quickly, her head bobbing up and down, her face still too pale. “Yes, sir. Denise just went up to the accounts department to hand out an access card.”
My eyes drift over Kiara’s face. “Are you still feeling okay? I can get someone else to cover for you.”
A smile wavers around her lips, and I wonder if she’s always so nervous.
“I really feel better, sir.”
“Liam,” Mrs. Crowe croons as she walks into the lobby. “Don’t tell me you’re waiting for me.”
Taking a deep breath, I force a smile onto my face. “Of course. How are you?”
“Just fabulous.” Her eyes dart to the side, then she makes a beeline for the reception. “Oh my, you have to tell me who colored your hair. I’d kill for that shade of auburn.”
Kiara blinks at Mrs. Crowe, who can be overwhelming at first, but the woman is really harmless.
“Ah… it’s my natural color,” Kiara answers.
“Would you mind if I took a photo? Just so I can show my hairdresser.”
“Oh, sure.”
Kiara stands up, then Mrs. Crowe asks, “Do you mind taking the clip out, dear?”
Kiara shoots a nervous glance my way, then does as Mrs. Crowe asks.
My client turns her attention to me as she digs her phone out of the huge-ass bag she has under her arm. “Be a sweetheart and help me take the photo.”
Careful not to accidentally touch Mrs. Crowe, I take the device from her, and after opening her camera, I look at Kiara just as she runs her fingers through the long strands of silk she calls hair.
I pause for a moment, and when Kiara glances back over her shoulder at me, my heart squeezes at the sight of her.
Fuck, beautiful. The woman is otherworldly.
The second our eyes lock, she quickly turns her head away. Not wanting to waste more time, I zoom the camera in on Kiara and take the photo.
Handing the device back to a beaming Mrs. Crowe, I notice how Kiara quickly clips her hair back up. Without thinking, I say, “You should let your hair down more.”
“Huh?” Kiara freezes as if I just threatened her.
“He’s right, dear. Your hair should be down,” Mrs. Crowe adds her two cents.
Gesturing toward the elevators for Mrs. Crowe to start walking, I catch myself stealing another glance at Kiara before returning my attention to my client.
