85
TY
Iclutched the envelope in one hand and the steering wheel in the other, feeling more than a little fucking annoyed. My thoughts kept drifting back to the meeting I had with the inspector earlier that day. He’d confirmed my worst suspicions. Someone had intentionally tampered with one of the machines at the warehouse. A cut cord had caused the machine to malfunction. The machine had been set to warm up far earlier than scheduled, which was a blatant and malicious act that could have cost lives.
“Ty, are you okay?” At some point, Liza had stopped staring out the window and had shifted her focus on me.
“Someone messed with one of the machines at our warehouse,” I said, gritting my teeth. “And now I have HR and the manager investigating and questioning workers to find out who’s responsible.”
“Gods, that’s awful. Why would someone do that? Do you think it was an employee?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m hoping the manager can make sense of it.”
We pulled into the estate driveway and walked inside silently, no doubt both of us completely drained of our mental energy.
Just as we crossed the threshold into the house, my phone rang, slicing through the air like a blade. Glancing at the screen, I saw Tim’s name flash before me.Fuck me. What fresh hell did he have in store for me now?
“Tim,” I answered, my voice clipped. “What do you want?”
“Ty, I need you at the main office immediately,” he demanded, and I clenched my jaw, annoyed by his entitled and commanding tone.
“Right now’s not a good time, Tim. Surely whatever you’re worried about can wait until tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid not.” Tim’s heavy sigh distorted his voice over the phone. “It’s urgent.”
“I’m on my way.” I hung up and handed Liza the envelope. “Don’t open it until I get back,” I instructed, pressing my lips to hers in a lingering kiss, my apology for being so absent lately.
Her mouth moved against mine, the heat of our connection making my wolf stir, but there wasn’t time to indulge in the passion that brewed between us.
Pulling away, Liza looked into my eyes. “I know your world doesn’t stop just because I’ve got things going on.”
“Wrong,” I corrected her, hoping I could make her see my fierce devotion to her. “You are my world, Liza, and I’d stop the Earth on its axis for you. Your problems are my problems, and we’ll get through them together.”
Reluctantly tearing myself from her embrace, I headed back out the door, steeling myself for whatever awaited me at the main office.
The moment I entered the building, the tension prickled the hairs on the back of my neck. Something was off, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I strode into Tim’s office, and my suspicion was confirmed when I saw Hiram lounging in one of the leather armchairs. My gut clenched. This situation was about to go from bad to worse.
“Tyson,” Tim began, standing up in a huff. What the hell was his problem? “You should have informed me about the deal Maximus proposed. Why you didn’t take it, I have no idea.”
Tim’s accusatory tone had me growling low in my throat, my wolf bristling beneath my skin. “I make certain business decisions without your advice, Tim. You do know that it’s my business, right? That you work for me? I am perfectly capable of making decisions and making deals without you.”
Before I could continue, Hiram cut in. “I heard about Maximus’s little casino plan, Ty, and I wanted to thank you personally for not becoming my competition.” His eyes flicked over to Tim, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “A little birdie shared some interesting information with me. It seems Tim here tried reaching out to Maximus to continue negotiations, despite your decision to shut it down.”
My anger flared, and I glared at Tim with barely controlled rage. “What the fuck’s gotten into you, Tim? You know good and well that you don’t make decisions about my businesses without my knowledge or consent. You need to remember your damn place.” Tim opened his mouth to defend himself, but I cut him off, my patience wearing thin. “No. I warned you when you went over my head to sell one of my own damn factories. I’m done. I’ll see you’re paid till the end of the month. I think it’s best if we part ways.”
For a moment, I thought he’d argue, but he thought better of it. Gritting his teeth, he started clearing out his desk.
Realizing that Hiram was the reason I’d been called in, I turned to him. “Would you like to talk over a drink?”
Hiram agreed, and we left Tim’s office, my irritation still simmering in my blood like one of Liza’s pots on the stove.
As we walked to the parking lot, Hiram glanced over his shoulder. “Keep an eye on that one, Ty. He smells like a rat.”
“Trust me, I plan to.” I nodded, picking up my phone. I called security and asked them to ensure Tim left with nothing more than his own belongings, making it clear he was no longer welcome on the premises. My wolf strained beneath my skin at the betrayal.
We arrived at the bar—a dimly lit establishment with worn leather seats, and the faint aroma of cigar smoke lingering in the air. The bartender, an old, grizzled man with a thick beard, nodded in our direction as we took our seats. Hiram and I both ordered whiskey neat, and the amber liquid slid smoothly down my throat, the warmth doing little to quell the burning of my anger.
