AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Please?” I added extra sweetly.
“No,” the guard intoned, spinning around to slam the door, the sound echoing through the room with finality.
I was all alone again, with the books and the roaches.
Chapter2
Ash
Rachel eyed me as I ambled through the office, a coffee in hand, and a newspaper in the other. I paused at her desk, unsure of what to make of her expression. I cocked my head back and smirked at her, daring her to challenge me. Our morning banter was part of the routine.
“I’m not sure if you’re looking at me like that because I’m old school, or because you’re mad I didn’t get you a coffee. Or because—”
She finished my sentence. “—there’s been someone chewing off his nails for the past two hours in your office?” she concluded. “And he won’t stop coming out here to bother me about when you’re going to show up?”
I smirked and deliberately stopped, flopping into the chair in front of her for effect. The fae rolled her sooty eyes heavenward and lit the tips of her fingers playfully with electricity.
“You’re not impressing me by this show of power, you know? Barney can’t see you taking your time out here, Ash.”
“Maybe not,” I agreed. “But he knows he’s been sitting in there by himself for the past two hours.”
My assistant grimaced slightly and turned her attention back toward the computer screen in front of her as I opened the newspaper and pretended to read.
“You’re not fooling me, Ash,” she called after a minute in a singsong voice. “But you are distracting me from my work.”
I snorted and rose, closing the periodical.
“Fine,” I grimaced. “I may as well get it over and done with, anyway. Rabbit sweat stinks and stays in the furniture forever.”
“Barney’s not a rabbit,” Rachel reminded me as I walked away.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
I had known that, but it was irrelevant. I didn’t care.
Throwing open the door to my office, I studied the well-dressed figure sitting in front of my desk. He didn’t appear as stressed out as I’d expected, given the circumstances, but I could smell his uneasiness when he turned to look at me.
“Ash!” he said, jumping up to extend his hand.
I ignored it and stalked around to my high-backed leather chair, settling in comfortably to peer at him.
“Let’s get down to it, shall we?” I said, as if I hadn’t left him to stew on his own actions for the past one hundred and twenty minutes.
Opening the manila folder in front of me, I pushed the pages toward him.
“This is the last time I’m doing this, Barney,” I informed him without emotion. “You understand that, don’t you? This is the end of the line. I can’t bail you out anymore. Learn to live within your means.”
“Yes! Yes, of course I know that. Obviously, I get that.”
“I want my money, Barney,” I went on, as if he hadn’t spoken, tossing a fountain pen toward him. “I’ve bent over backward making accommodations for you, enduring one excuse after another—”
“Three weeks,” Barney interjected quickly. “That’s what it will take to get you the money. In three weeks, you’ll have the money, and…”
He offered me a weak smile that immediately turned to water under my withering, demon stare.
“That’s what it says in the contract,” I intoned, tapping at the pages. “Three weeks. At which time, if I am not paid what I am owed—in full, plus a twenty percent interest charge for this hassle—I will keep Briar forever.”
“It won’t come to that,” Barney choked. “I-I promise.”
