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“Warren!” A woman I vaguely recognize as the charity's chairwoman places herself between me and Crawley's retreating figure. “We were hoping you would announce the final figure we raised this year.”
“Give me a minute, please.” I brush past her as politely as possible, given the circumstances. Where is he, the bastard?
The restrooms are directly across the hall from the ballroom, but that's not where Crawley was headed. No, he’s beside the door leading into the kitchen, his back to me, one palm against the wall as he leans in. “There was nothing wrong with my food. I only said that to get your attention.”
There's no seeing what's between him and the wall. But I don't need to see. I hear her. “I'm sorry, sir, but I need to get back into the kitchen.” She tries to slide past him, but he angles himself to stop her. “I have to go, sir.”
“If you tell anybody Mr. Crawley wanted to have a word with you, they'll understand.”
Everything around me goes red while the war drums begin pounding in my head. “Crawley!” My shoes slap against the floor in time with my pounding heart. “I think the young lady told you she has a job to do.”
He's sneering when he turns my way, squinting as if trying to place the face. “Oh, it's you. The guy who thinks he's going to steal my company out from under me. What, you think I don't hear things?”
As if that matters now, with Winter trembling. The urge to hold her is almost too much to fight. “This young woman has a job to do, and you’re being an ass.”
“Why don't you mind your own business? I'll deal with you another time.”
That's when he makes his mistake. That's when he reaches out and chucks her on the chin. “I was just telling her how much I appreciate the fine job she's doing tonight.”
“Keep your fucking hands to yourself,” I snarl, slapping his hand away from her face, making her yelp like a wounded animal.
The kitchen door swings open, and a man in a suit and a name tag joins us.Manager. “What is this?” He glares at Winter. “We're plating the next course. What are you doing out here?”
“I... I mean...”
He turns away from her, looking at Josh and myself. “My apologies. Some of these kids use events like this to get friendly with our guests.”
“What can I say?” Josh asks with a grin and a shrug, the picture of affable respectability now. “I’m a sucker for a pretty face. Though you might want to be more careful about who you hire for these events.”
“Wait a minute.” I take him by the shoulder, turning him around. “You know damn well—”
“Please, gentlemen, allow me to handle this.” The manager looks Winter up and down. “Get your things and go.”
Her mouth falls open.
“This is unnecessary.” That's nowhere near what I want or need to say.
Winter bursts into tears before disappearing through the swinging door. The manager mumbles further apologies before following her. Dammit. If I didn't know it would end up across the front page of every newspaper by morning, I would set things right here and now. Preferably by snapping Crawley’s neck, then pissing on his dead body.
I'll find her. I'll set things right then.
For now, I settle for shoving Josh hard enough that he bounces off the wall. “You got that girl fired, you piece of shit. All because you can't keep your pencil dick in your pants.”
“The fuck do you care?” he asks with a laugh, brushing himself off. “She’s nothing.”
Nothing? It’s a wonder I can speak with my teeth gritted like they are. “I plan on making you regret what you did. Every minute of the rest of your life.”
He has the nerve to roll his eyes, which has the effect of pouring gas on a fire already threatening to burn out of control. It takes a real, focused concentration to keep my hands from wrapping around his throat and squeezing until there’s one less useless piece of shit in the world.
“Talk is cheap. If I rolled over and played dead for every peasant who thinks he's a big shot, I'd be in pretty sad shape.”
His laughter dies when a growl stirs in my chest. “Laugh while you can. You're going to remember this as one of the last times you did.”
Destroying him was a foregone conclusion before I left home tonight.
Now? I’m going to burn his entire world down.
Don't worry, Winter. I'll find you.
