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Mr. James stared blankly at her. “Tell me about this Joe fella?”
She lifted her chin high, and questioned him in a tone she had never used toward him in the past. “Excuse me? How is my relationship with Joe any of your concern?”
“Elizabeth, you can make this easy on yourself or hard on yourself. It’s your choice.”
Oh, so now he’s threatening me. Isn’t it me, who is now in the catbird seat?
She studied the man sitting across from her. Though he was a big man in stature, he suddenly appeared very small. He’s a freaking bully. Nothing more than a schoolyard bully.
She figured out what she wanted to say but hesitated, giving herself time to think it through. Remembering Nick was nearby gave her the last bit of strength she needed.
“Mr. James, make no mistake about this. With what I know and what has happened to me, which I’m sure you are well aware of, it is you who must make a choice, and your choice is the one that will either make this whole thing easy, or hard on yourself, Patrick, and the company.”
“Listen here, missy,” Mr. James squeaked out before she cut him off.
“No, you listen. I’m done talking, and I’m done listening about this. I have work to do, so I’ll be in my office if you need to talk to me about anything work-related.”
She stood, turned on her heel, and headed out the door, leaving Mr. James standing in the conference room with a dumfounded look on his face.
Surprisingly, Nick wasn’t in her office when she returned. Where was he? She sat behind her desk and scanned a client file. Adrenaline swirled through her veins.
“Elizabeth.”
She glanced up to find Nick staring down at her. He couldn’t have looked more proud.
She placed her hand over her racing heart. “I thought you’d left.”
“I would have never left you by yourself with them. I slipped into the janitor’s closet next to the conference room so I could keep an eye and ear on things.”
She was stunned. She should have known that no brother of Joe’s would leave a woman in need unattended.
“I’m so proud of how you handled things, Elizabeth. Are you okay?” he asked.
“You know what, I am.” She leaned back in her chair, blew out a breath of relief, and smiled. “I don’t have to take their crap. I’m not the one that did anything wrong. You heard the conversation? You heard what he said to me? They think I’m pregnant, and he’s trying to secure his little heir to the company. That’s all he’s worried about. Not the fact that his nephew is a perverted pig.”
“It’s almost quitting time, why don’t you call it a day? Joe’s probably still in the parking garage waiting to see what happened, and I’m afraid if he sees Patrick again he’ll take matters into his own hands.”
The thought of Joe waiting in the parking garage for hours, concerned about her well-being, and caring for her that much, made her heart sing with joy, yet sadden her that he had to go through such an ordeal. The man had a heart of gold, and he didn’t deserve the pain she brought him. She desperately needed to find a way to put this all behind them once and for all.
The corners of her mouth lifted. “Yeah, I think I’ve had enough for one day. I need to make a phone call before I go, which will only take a minute. I’ll meet you by the elevators.”
Nick nodded and exited her office.
A few moments later, Elizabeth walked past her assistant’s desk. “I’ll see you in the morning, Darcy.”
The woman nodded in acknowledgment.
When she got to the elevator, she simply pressed the down arrow button. Risking a glance back, she caught Nick winking at Darcy as he thanked her for the info. He picked up his toolbox, and stepped into the elevator.
“What was that all about?” Elizabeth asked.
He chuckled. “I decided to pump her for some information while I waited for you.”
“What kind of information?”
“Just anything about why Mr. James and Patrick decided to come here at the last minute.”
“Did you find out anything?”
