AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My neck snaps to him, as a wave of fury races through me. If I could kill a man with one look, he would be dead.
Savannah rests her hand on my arm, sensing my mood. “Thank you, Teddy, but I’d appreciate it if you kept those thoughts to yourself.”
Saved by my angel, Anderson.
My fingers clench in my pocket, as my anger ebbs.
Teddy inclines his head, oblivious to how close he’s skating to the edge, chuckling. “As you wish. How are you?”
A smile spreads across Savannah’s lips, the whiteness of her teeth a stark contrast to the red of her lips. “I’m just fine and dandy. How a—”
“Noah, it’s a wonderful turn out,” Patrick Olsen interrupts, his granddaughter, Evie, on his arm. “Teddy,” he greets tersely.
I thought I could keep them apart but I’ve been so distracted with my own spiraling panic that keeping an eye out for Patrick was the last thing on my mind. Taking his outstretched hand, I greet him distractedly.
The last thing I need is for shit to hit the fan between Teddy and Patrick. Teddy needs to let it go. CouldI do that with Savannah if I had to?
My response is an immediate–no. But in reality, would I have a choice?
The last time Teddy saw Evie was when she broke things off with him. He came in for the final takeover meeting and barely said two words the entire time, instead boring a hole into the side of Patrick’s head with his searing gaze. Fury and heartache rolling off him in waves.
Teddy knocks back his whiskey, his eyes on Evie as a tension builds, swirling around us all like a hurricane. “Mr. Olsen. Evie.” He inclines his head to them before continuing, “Please, excuse me.”
Turning on his heel, Teddy walks through the room, his back ramrod straight. I make a mental note to check in with him later.
“And who is this, Noah?” Patrick asks, as if Savannah isn’t perfectly capable of introducing herself. His inability to move into the present century is part of the reason his business was taken over by the firm.
Distractedly, I reply, “Mr. Olsen, this is Savannah. Jack’s little sister.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Savannah’s body tense before she forces herself to relax. Pasting a smile on her face, she holds out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Patrick lifts Van’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. He holds on a fraction too long, and I stiffen, giving him a stern glare. The silence building between us before he releases her hand and pulls Evie forward, presenting her to Savannah.
“This is my granddaughter, Evie. Why don’t you be a dear and give her a tour while the men talk business?”
His inability to treat women as equals is part of the reason we’ll be offering him a more than generous severance package come Monday. When we took over, we had no choice but to keep him at the helm, but with our handpicked team in place, now is the right time.
If he doesn’t accept our offer, we’ll terminate our agreement. Teddy doesn’t know, and I’m not entirely sure how he’ll feel about it when he finds out. My stomach twists, and a pain settles in it.
Savannah tips her head to the side at Patrick’s request. A fire burns bright in her gaze before she catches herself, shutting down in front of my eyes. “I would love to, but I was just telling Noah here, how I don’t feel too good, so I’m headin’ home.”
Confusion pulls my brows together. She didn’t say anything. God, I’ve been so wrapped up in worrying about being caught that I haven’t even noticed she’s not well. Resting my hand on her lower back, I lean into Savannah. My voice is low as I talk into her hair. “I’ll call Rupert and meet you out front in five. I’ve just got to say goodbye.”
When I pull back, her usually vibrant eyes are cold and hard. My stomach sinks when she takes a step back and my hand drops to my side. I watch as she retreats into herself, shutting me out.
“I don’t need you.” Her message is clear, even though she continues, “To come with me.”
With that, she wishes Evie and Patrick a good night before walking away. My mind reels from the interaction. I don’t understand what I’ve done wro—
Shit.
How could I be so stupid? I was too in my own head about Jack finding out, and I completely disregarded her feelings. We never discussed how I should introduce her to people. But of all the options at my disposal, introducing her as Jack’s sister was probably the worst I could have gone with.
I should have taken her out to dinner as our first date.
I’ve really fucked this up.
My chest tightens, and I instinctively rub my palm over the center as I stare after her.
