Page 26 of Obey

"Is that why you think we brought you?"

"What am I supposed to think? Not one of you said a word while he sat there implying I got this job because of my looks."

Elias studied me for a moment, his expression hardening.

"Do you know what surprised me most about what he said?"

"What?"

"That he thought he could say it in front of us and finish his fucking dinner."

Something in his voice made me forget about the car.

“Nate's making a few calls to ensure Fields's business associates understand that continuing their relationship with him wouldn't be in their best interests. Jace is taking care of his social calendar. By the time he's finished, Fields won't be welcome at a charity gala, country club, or private dinner on either coast.” His thumb moved slowly across my knuckles. “And I plan to have a conversation with Mr. Fields before the evening is over. Just the two of us.”

“What kind of conversation?”

“The kind where he leaves understanding exactly how much that little comment cost him.”

Something about how casually he said it made my stomach tighten.

"Elias."

"Hmm?"

"What exactly does a private conversation with you look like?"

His mouth curved, but there was no humor in it. "Depends on how quickly the other person understands me."

I searched his face for some indication he was joking. Elias had always been protective, but I'd never seen him look quite so comfortable discussing what sounded suspiciously like a threat.

I'd watched these men negotiate contracts worth millions and build partnerships that other companies could only dream of. But for a moment, I found myself wondering what happened when all that money, influence, and determination were aimed at a single person.

And whether Mr. Fields had any idea what he'd just invited into his life.

“For the record, Sloane, your looks have nothing to do with why you're in those meetings. You're intelligent, observant, and you've caught things the rest of us overlooked. I trust your judgment, and I don't give that trust easily.” He held my gaze. “Fields took one look at you and decided he knew why you were there. That's his mistake, not yours. There's a reason I want you in every room I'm in, and it has nothing to do with having someone pretty sitting beside me.”

The anger holding my hurt at bay loosened, though I wasn't entirely ready to forgive how they'd handled it.

"You could've said something."

“We should have,” he admitted. “I underestimated how our silence would affect you. I won't make that mistake again.”

When we returned, Fields was gone. Nate sat with his whiskey untouched, studying something on his phone, while Jace spoke quietly to someone across the table.

Neither looked particularly upset anymore.

Jace glanced up as Elias pulled out my chair. "Twenty minutes tops before he's begging for another meeting," he said. "Fifty says he sends flowers."

Nate slipped his phone into his pocket. "Peonies. He's painfully predictable."

I lifted my wineglass, still trying to make sense of what had happened.

They hadn't raised their voices or made a public spectacle of Fields. But watching the three of them settle back into dinner as though nothing had happened, I suspected the insult wasn't going to cost him an apology.

It was going to cost him something he actually cared about.

Nate, however, has apparently decided that my time belongs to him.