“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen.”
“You want to rethink that answer?” I asked, my tone calm despite the chaos rioting through me. I stared her down, and she swallowed hard.
Surprisingly, Maddie and Easton didn’t jump to her defense. They both silently waited for her to reach a decision. If she pushed to leave, I knew without a doubt they would have her back—even if Easton had to physically restrain me to stop me from following.
I would do it anyway, not giving a single, solitary fuck who in her building saw me.
I didn’t want it to come to that. I couldn’t stand the thought of her walking away from me.
“Stay and talk to me,” I pleaded. “If you still want to leave after, I’ll drive you home myself.”
She held the eye contact for a few beats before nodding.
“I can send Vic to get you if you need,” Easton offered, his guarded gaze darting to me like he expected an argument.
I wasn’t going to say shit. She’d agreed to stay, I wouldn’t fuck it up.
“He’ll get you tacos,” Maddie added as she tugged her friend out of the room. I could hear their whispered conversation, but not what they said.
“Warned you about getting involved with her,” Easton said.
“I’ll take my legal counsel’s advice on a lot, but not that.”
His lips curved in a smirk. “Yeah, Maddie said you really like Greer.”
“I do. Things were getting good. Now this fucked it all up.”
“Think this was Alex taking his revenge?”
On the list of suspects, he was at the top.
The fact he was theonlysuspect made that easy.
“That’s my guess,” I said. “But to be fair, I haven’t always been as cautious as I should with my house, security, and phone. For all I know, this was a rando who partied here and has some grudge.”
“Or a jilted woman.”
My mind went to the wannabe whatever who tried to leave the nightclub with me. “Or that.”
“I’ll get in contact with Alex tomorrow, see what I can get out of him while also reminding him again about the terms of his employment and his severance.”
I dragged my palm down my face. As badly as I wanted to tell him not to worry and that it would blow over—my usual method for handling shit—the old screenshots had done enough damage. If this was the starting point and there was more he had on me, I didn’t want it escalating.
Easton clapped my shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Sorry to drag you out on Christmas.”
“You did me a favor. We were staying with Maddie’s parents for the night, which meant I was in a guest room as far from her bedroom as possible. It was fucking torture.” The professionalism and the friendliness both disappeared to leave a warning on his somber face. “If Greer wants to leave?—”
“I’ll let her.” It would fucking gut me, but I would.
Eventually.
“Good. But fix shit so that doesn’t happen. It was stupid for you to get involved with your employee, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t good for you.”
“I’m trying.”
I just wasn’t sure what the hell to do.
