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And that money went into my dad’s campaigns. It paid for many of his glitzy fundraisers. It even paid him directly for speaking engagements.
“Are you okay, Allie?” Mike leaned forward, his eyes intent on my face. “You look pale.”
I forced a breath into my tight lungs. “Y-yeah,” I managed. “I just… I think you’re right,” I babbled, searching for something to say so I could get out of his office and break down somewhere private. “I think I’ve taken on too much. I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately.”
His brows lowered. “I think there’s something else going on.” His voice was heavy with something like condemnation.
All my muscles locked up, and fear bloomed in my belly. Had he figured out my suspicions? Did he know about the Ivanovs? About my dad?
No, not my dad. Even if the Ivanovs were corrupt, Daddy couldn’t possibly know. I rejected it on a soul-deep level.
“I’ve let this go on for too long,” Mike continued. “I’m going to handle this for you, Allie. Whether you want me to or not.”
“What?” I asked on a little puff of air. My mind was too scrambled to decipher what he was talking about.
He ignored my soft query and reached for his phone. A second later, he barked into it. “My office. Now.”
My head was spinning, and I couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs. All I wanted was to escape, so I could hide in the bathroom to hyperventilate where no one would see.
“I’ll just go—”
“No.” Mike’s voice was sharp, and he slashed his hand through the air, cutting me off. “You stay right there.”
A knock on the door was immediately followed by his snapped “Come in.”
I turned, and all the blood drained from my head. Gavin stood in the doorway. His jaw ticked when his navy-blue eyes sparked on mine, but he quickly arranged his features into a respectful mask and addressed Mike. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Callahan?”
“You’re fired,” Mike said coldly, the words dropping from his lips like blocks of ice.
Gavin’s face went slack with shock, then his eyes narrowed on me. “I don’t know what Allie told you, but—”
“Miss Fitzgerald hasn’t told me anything,” Mike barked, his expression thunderous. “In fact, she’s tried to protect you from the consequences of your actions. But I’ve seen it for myself. I’ve only held off for this long because she asked me to. I don’t tolerate harassment in this office, Mr. McCrae. I want you gone.”
Gavin blinked away the hatred in his eyes and offered Mike a deferential tone. “I think this is a misunderstanding. Allie and I—”
“I understand perfectly. Get out of my office and leave the building immediately. Not one more word, Mr. McCrae.”
My bully’s teeth clicked when his jaw snapped shut. “We’ll see what my father has to say about this,” he hissed.
Mike’s eyes flashed. “Your Daddy can make all the calls he wants. I’m in charge here, and I say you’re out. Period. Now, leave.”
I managed to collect some of my scrambled thoughts. I couldn’t let Mike fire Gavin because of me. Our dads’ relationship was at stake. I couldn’t risk my father losing one of his biggest donors. That was why I’d always tolerated Gavin’s bullying. I hadn’t broken yet. I could endure his cruelty.
“Seriously, Mike. It’s not a big deal. I—”
“Mike?” Gavin’s eyes flared, and his gaze flitted between us before narrowing on our boss. “You’re pushing me out because of your friendship with Allie’s dad,” he accused. “You can’t do that.”
Mike stiffened, but he held his ground. “I can and I will. This has nothing to do with my friendship with Ron. It has everything to do with you being a nasty little shit. If you don’t leave my office within the next ten seconds, I’ll call security.”
Gavin gnashed his perfect teeth and shot me one final, warning glower. He turned sharply on his heel and stalked away.
My stomach dropped to the floor. This wouldn’t be the end of it. Someone would pay for this, most likely my dad. Mike would definitely face repercussions from his superiors if Kelvin McCrae made some calls.
“Mike…” I began weakly, not knowing how to repair what’d just happened. Gavin was gone, fired and humiliated. The damage was done.
Suddenly, my boss was at my side, crouching down so he was eye-level with me. His fingers curled beneath my chin, lifting my face so he could pin me with his steady gray gaze.
“He got what he deserved.” Mike said firmly. “I don’t want to hear another word about it. It’s better this way. He can’t upset you anymore.”
I pressed my lips together, holding in the panicked contradiction that he’d just incited something much bigger than Gavin’s private bullying.
The final, hateful glint of my tormentor’s eyes flashed across my mind. This was far from over.
