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“The partners stayed in the conference room for hours after you left,” Renee continued. “Sabrina stormed out, but then they met again two hours ago. As soon as they finished, Raul started cleaning house.”
“Shit!” The word punched from Alanna’s lips. They couldn’t fire anyone in the company without her authorization, unless… but no. Sabrina wouldn’t.
Alanna calmed her mind. She was practiced at walking through every emergency imaginable, from flights delayed on the way to a huge client pitch to CEO panic attacks before a major media interview. If she could handle all of that, then she could damn well handle the knife currently sticking out of her back.
“Renee, you are NOT fired,” Alanna said into the phone. “Don’t you dare pack up one thing, not even those used flossers you keep in your desk. Tell Mac, Hiro, Dessie, and anyone else on my team to stay put.”
“But Alanna,” Renee whispered into the phone. “They have the power to…”
“Hey, none of that” Alanna ordered Renee. “The others are going to need you not to lose your shit. I’ll fix this. I promise.”
A deep breath sounded on the other end of the line. “Okay.”
The sting of tears in Renee’s voice heated Alanna’s blood hotter than the volcanoes of Venus. Chip was going to pay for this.
“No one is going anywhere,” Alanna said. It was a promise. A sacred vow.
Alanna hung up the call and immediately dialed Chip’s cell.
“Alanna.” The sound of her senior partner’s voice was cheerful. “Busy day. How’s your mom?”
“She’ll live. Not sure I can say the same for you.” She forced her voice to sound smooth, unruffled. “Mind telling me what the fuck is going on?”
“You’re out.” Chip matched her devil-may-care tone.
Alanna’s grip tightened on the stem of her wine glass. “Wrong answer.”
“Sabrina was stubborn. I’ll give her points for loyalty. Even all those zeroes on the Jordan Boon contract couldn’t sway her.”
“Sabrina would never vote me out,” Alanna growled. Okay, so the calm and controlled thing wasn’t holding up so well.
“You know, that’s what Raul thought, too, but you both simply lack imagination.” Amusement touched Chip’s voice.
Acid claws wrapped around Alanna’s stomach. How could she have been so stupid to leave Sabrina alone with those two?
“Everyone has a price,” Chip said sweetly to her. “When I offered to make Sabrina a senior partner in the firm, she came around. You should have seen her face when I showed her the bonus she’d get from the Boon contract.”
The claws sunk deeper. Alanna could envision how it all went down. With her veto on the Jordan Boon contract, Chip was shit out of luck… unless all the partners unanimously voted her out of the firm.
“If you’d agreed to the Boon contract, I wouldn’t have had to…” Chip paused delicately, “take drastic measures.”
Alanna plunked her elbows on the table. She could practically feel her soul draining from the knife wound in her spine. “You always wanted me out.”
“True, but you would’ve done the same thing to me if you’d had the chance.”
“Not like this.” Alanna could barely whisper the words.
“Oh yes, exactly like this.” Chip’s voice was a purr of satisfaction on the other end of the phone. “We’re the same, Alanna. We do what it takes to win. Whatever it takes.”
“I’m nothing like you,” Alanna hissed. She had to stand up. Her feet needed to pace. “This isn’t over. I’m going to comb every single word in our partnership contract, and I’ll find something. You are NOT taking my company away from me.”
“Now, now, don’t be a sore loser,” Chip said. “Check your email. Sabrina insisted we send you on your way with a tidy severance package. It’s far too generous in my opinion. Go quietly, and it’s all yours. Just remember that little non-compete clause in your contract.”
“Go quietly,” Alanna repeated the words and laughed. “You know me better than that, Chip.”
He sighed. “Very well, unleash your lawyers. They’ll be glad to take your money to tell you exactly what I’m saying now. Our partners voted unanimously. You’re out. The partnership rules are clear. No need to come back in. I’ll have your things dropped at your place.”
“Don’t you dare touch my things or my people,” Alanna snapped. Disbelief was giving way to righteous anger. “I swear to God, I’m going to destroy you for this.”
