Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 162003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 810(@200wpm)___ 648(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 810(@200wpm)___ 648(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
The guy he’d punched spat blood out of his mouth before a crazy grin spread across his face.
“Your girlfriend’s a fucking idiot…”
Again, he was cut off by Ryland’s fist. I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in my shirt as I heard his body crumple to the ground. I knew he was out cold this time.
I darted back towards the kitchen, but a hand wrapped around my arm and stopped me.
“You’re coming with me,” Ryland clipped out.
“I’m not going anywhere with…”
“It’s cute how you think you have a choice.”
He grabbed my hand and tugged me along behind him. Everyone in the bar was dead quiet as they watched the show, including David. I was humiliated.
“Ryland,” I hissed. “Let go of me.”
“What’s going on here?” David asked.
“You can consider this her resignation,” Ryland informed him.
I panicked and shook my head. “That’s not true, David. I’m so sorry about all of this. Could I just have one minute, please?”
David gave me a sympathetic glance and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Brighton. But this isn’t going to work out.”
I nodded and gave him a watery smile. I’d never been fired from a job before, and I was absolutely mortified. Ryland walked on, pulling me along with him, and I didn’t resist this time. But as soon as we were in the parking lot, I jerked away from him.
“I hate you!” I spat. “How dare you come in here and pull that crap. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Tears streamed down my face, and Ryland didn’t look the least bit guilty. He tried to pull me back into his arms. I wouldn’t let him. No way could I allow that. I wasn’t strong enough to fight the comfort he provided right now.
“Brighton, you can’t work here,” he stated. “Let me take care of you. You have a card, I want you to use it. I’ll pay your rent, whatever you want. Just tell me where you’re living…”
“You mean you don’t know that already?” I accused. “I know you’re having me followed.”
He tightened his jaw and looked away. “You make it sound so…”
“What?” I interrupted. “Crazy? Because it is crazy, Ryland.”
“It’s for your own safety,” he said. “I’m worried about you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I insisted. “And I’m not going to humor these tactics of yours just to put you at ease. You need to let me go, Ryland.”
He looked like I’d slapped him as his eyes fell on mine. “I can never let you go, Brighton.”
“You have to,” I croaked.
“No.” He shook his head. “I know that isn’t what you really want. I can see it on your face, baby girl. So why are you still pushing me away?”
I couldn’t answer him. Because my reasons wouldn’t sound convincing enough with the mood I was in. My resolve was already wavering after being in his presence for five minutes. What the hell was wrong with me?
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Let me take you home.”
“No.”
“Brighton…”
“No,” I said again. “I’ll have Nicole come and get me.”
“Then I’ll wait with you.”
“I don’t want you to!” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “Can’t you understand that, Ryland? I don’t want you here. I don’t want anything else from you. So just go!”
His eyes filled with pain, and I had to tear mine away. I couldn’t look at him. I knew I was hurting him, but it was necessary. It was the only way I could truly do this.
“If that’s what you really want…”
“It is what I want,” I assured him in a shaky voice.
He nodded and gave me one last glance before he walked away.
Chapter Seven
Ryland
There had been times over the years- during the rise of my career- when I needed a man without a whole lot of scruples. Though I preferred to grind most axes myself, some things in the business world simply weren’t done this way. There was an entire invisible rule book one must abide by. It involved bandwagons, fire and brimstone, horses’ mouths, and so on and so forth. All very secret society type stuff. I wouldn’t bore you with the details, and you probably wouldn’t believe me anyhow.
But the next time you cross paths with a CEO richer than God, you look him in the eyes and tell me if you still feel the same. It was a cutthroat world, and I was just living in it. The competition was fierce, and if you thought the things I did were bad, you should see some of the other guys. I looked like the virgin fucking Mary in comparison.
There wasn’t an ounce of pleasure in underhanded business tactics. Frankly, I’d prefer to get by on something I’d built off my own back. What pride could there be in something not earned through blood, sweat, and tears? These notions were all well and good in theory. But from the moment I launched my company, I had a giant thorn in my side by the name of Alex Burton. He’d been out to sabotage me from the word go. You thought I was a prick? Wait until you met this one.