Page 44 of Ruthless King (Mount Trilogy 1)
“I shouldn’t. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
I lean both elbows on my desk, my glass hanging between my thumbs and forefingers. “Just freaking tell me. Whatever you say stays between us and will have zero impact on your job. I promise.” What I tell her is the absolute truth, because there’s no way I can afford to lose her.
She refills her glass and takes another sip. “Let’s just say that if it hadn’t been for you being kind of my idol in the business world, and the shitty state of the job market around here, I would’ve quit as soon as Brett came on board.”
“What did he say to you?”
The color drains from her face and her gaze darts around the room, eager to land anywhere but on me. “I submitted a request for a raise, but I didn’t realize you’d already left for a meeting. Brett reviewed it and called me into his office to discuss.” She pours another measure of champagne down her throat, as if needing the liquid courage.
I, on the other hand, need it to numb the rage boiling through me. “And?”
“He said that if I wanted a raise, I’d have to earn it the old-fashioned way. I thought he meant working harder.” She pauses, her lips pressed together as if not wanting to voice the rest of the horrible truth. I nod, prompting her to continue. “He unzipped his pants and told me I better get to sucking.” She chokes on the last part, just like I would choke the life out of Brett if he were still alive.
I reach for the bottle of champagne and refill both our glasses. “I am so fucking sorry. I can’t apologize enough. You should’ve quit. Hell, you should’ve filed a sexual harassment suit. I would’ve if I were you.”
A moment of silence passes as we both drink.
“I looked for other jobs. I’m not going to lie about that. But there wasn’t anything even close to comparable. I stayed for selfish reasons mostly, and because I told Brett if he ever said anything like that to me again, I’d tell my brother and he’d cut Brett’s dick off with a bowie knife before he filleted him like a fish.”
That knocks me back in my seat. “Would your brother really have . . .”
“If you had a brother, wouldn’t he?” she replies.
“Did you tell your brother?” I ask, a thought dawning.
Her eyes widen. “No. Oh my God. No. He had nothing to do with Brett’s death. I swear on my grandmother’s grave.”
“I didn’t mean it to be accusatory. I just—”
Temperance shakes her head. “No, I’d be asking the same question if I were you. Besides, if I’d told my brother, Brett would’ve been dead a whole lot sooner. Not that that’s any comfort. Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry. I’m such a bitch.” She rises halfway out of the chair, as if preparing to flee my office.
“Stop. Sit. It’s fine.” I can barely process the conversation we’re having, but I decide to tell her something very few people know. “I was already in the process of leaving Brett when it happened. I mean, it still hurt like hell to lose him because of what I thought we had in the beginning. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that he was cheating on me.”
Temperance returns to her seat, sympathy creasing her features. “I’m so sorry. For all of it. For men being dicks. For the fact that you had to deal with everything that happened.”
“It’s not your fault.”
She lifts her glass. “Not yours either. To the good men out there who still exist, even if they’re not perfect and sometimes a little downright bad.”
I raise my glass and we touch the rims together again, but her toast sends my brain into a tailspin. I assume she’s talking about her brother, but the downright bad piece applies thoroughly to Mount.
I drain the glass, knowing it will be my last. Any more and I’ll contemplate running again so I don’t have to face him, and that’s not an option.
No, tonight we need to hammer out the terms of this bargain since he walked out on me last time.
I lower my empty glass to the desk and meet Temperance’s gaze. “Thank you for being honest with me, although I wish you’d told me as soon as it happened. I totally get why you didn’t. Thank you for sticking it out when you shouldn’t have, because I couldn’t have made it through these last few months without you. You’re definitely going to get that raise.”
Temperance’s smile is warm and genuine, just like she is. “I love this job. I love this company, and I’m proud to work here.” She rises from the chair again. “Just so you know, you’re an incredible boss.”
Her words fill me with pride, but on the flip side, I think about how easily she could have had a totally different boss today. One who was brutal. One she wouldn’t be proud to work for. Actually, Mount probably would have chained the doors shut with no warning, and all my employees would be looking for new jobs.
This is why I agreed, I tell myself.
“Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.” I hope she knows how sincere my words are.
“I better head back to my office to work for another hour before I drive home. Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Smart girl.”
