It was a bit rude since I was well aware that Tim didn’t like being interrupted mid-sentence, but he looked relieved. “Anyone who has questions knows how to get a hold of you, correct?”
He nodded. The poor guy must’ve thought that my lack of interest meant I wanted more in-depth information.
As everyone filed out of the room, I pulled out my phone and texted Liza.
You, me, and the sunshine. How about a run this afternoon?
We hadn’t shifted in a while, and I figured her wolf probably needed a nice long run by now. Even if hers didn’t, mine sure as fuck did.
She replied quickly.Are you sure it’s safe for me?
I didn’t have to hear her voice to know how fearful she truly was. She tried to put on a brave face, but she was terrified of Castro. Texting wasn’t good enough. She needed to hear me say the words, so I dialed her number instead.
“Hey,” I said, my tone gentle and reassuring when she answered. “I would never put you in danger, and if it was too risky for us to go running together, I wouldn’t even suggest it.” I would have hoped she knew me well enough by now to know that. If she needed some reassurance, however, I could give her that. “The grounds around the estate have been secured with round-the-clock security, so if anyone tries to enter without permission, we’ll know.” I paused, thinking about her nightmares. “If it makes you too uncomfortable, though, we can certainly do something else.”
She was silent for a bit before finally responding. “No, let’s go. I need the distraction.”
“I’ll see you soon.” A run was exactly what she needed—what we both needed.
I hung up and exhaled, relieved that I’d been able to convince her and that she hadn’t been too afraid to give it a shot. The fear of Castro wouldn’t consume her if she had something else to focus on, and hopefully running with me would allow her to forget about it all, if only for an hour or two.
I gathered my notes and shoved them into my briefcase, quickly making my way out the large conference room. To my dismay, Tim was waiting for me in the hallway. “Mr. Keller, do you have a moment to chat?”
I glanced at my watch, hoping he’d get the point that I had somewhere to be. “Sure. I guess I can spare aminute.” And I certainly meant only the one.
He seemed oblivious. “I hope you don’t think this is too forward, sir, but I couldn’t help but notice that you cut me off before I was done presenting this quarter’s numbers.”
Shit. I guess the look on his face earlier wasn’t relief. It was disappointment.
I nodded.
“Well, that kind of confirmed what I’ve been hearing around the office.”
I studied Tim’s face, trying to get a read on him and decipher his motives. A fine sheen of sweated glistened on his skin. “What have you been hearing?”
He grimaced and shifted his weight. “It’s nothing serious.”
“For God’s sake, Tim. Out with it.” I was quickly losing my patience.
He sighed. “People, not me of course…” He paused.
I nodded. “Of course.”
Large droplets of sweat beaded his forehead. “It’s just that they’ve been saying you’re... distracted.” He held his hands up defensively. “We all know you have a lot on your plate as CEO, but I can’t disagree with those who are saying that your personal life is getting in the way of your professional life.”
Ballsy.
Did this fucking guy have no idea to whom he was speaking? No way could he think that talking to me like this was professional or okay in any way. “Perhaps you should check yourself and stay in your lane, Tim. Last I checked, you workedin finance, not human resources.” His cheeks reddened, and he took a step back. “You are my financial analyst, and I am your boss. I wasn’t aware our positions had reversed. My personal life is, quite frankly, none of yours or anyone else’s fucking business.” I’d overshot pissed a couple of sentences ago.
This fucking guy had no business checking up on me, informing me that people were talking. Okay, so maybe I was a little preoccupied with trying to keep the Keller name from being ruined. If my employees knew that my change in behavior was due to a threat that could result in them all losing their jobs, I bet they’d spend less time gossiping and more time working their asses off in a job that paid them well above the average salary.
Instead of sharing my thoughts with Tim, I turned and stormed out of the building, leaving him standing there like an idiot.
My mind was in a million different places. I had to protect Liza and Keller Enterprises at the same time. It seemed like no matter what I did, one or the other would suffer. Sure, I was the upcoming alpha, but that didn’t mean I could be in two places at once. As long as Liza’s safety was in question, I couldn’t give my full focus to our businesses, and that was a problem.
I stopped in front of my car and looked up at the sky. It had been a long day, and I was exhausted, but my wolf kept pushing forward. He knew Liza depended on me, and that was all the motivation I needed to keep going.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. I tried to remember what our family’s yoga instructor had taught me back when I had the time to attend her classes multiple times a week. Something about breathing deeply and releasing the tension in our bodies. It had never worked for me, so I wasn’t surprised the cleansing breath had absolutely no effect on my mental state.
