Leaving me with a nowunembarrassed Marie.
In fact, she’s so far from embarrassed it’s not funny.
Because she’spissed.
At me.
As soon as the door closes, she marches over to me, dropping her bag in the chair Brooks recently vacated, stomping around the corner of my desk, not stopping until her toes brush mine. She jabs a finger into my chest.
“Ow,” I mutter, capturing her hand in mine and then rubbing the aching spot with my other.
Her eyes spark with fury. “You’re telling me that someone has brought the lackluster security to your attention and you haven’t done anything about it?”
I open my mouth to explain.
But I don’t get the chance.
“You’re a well-known, important man who’s doing important work. Do you truly not give a fuck about your safety?” A shake of her head as she tries to tug her hand free, but she’s close and smells like flowers and her body is pressed to mine and…she’shere.So I’m not fucking letting her go. Something she seems to realize a moment later when she continues snapping, “And if you’re so arrogant to not care about being safe, do you not understand that it can impact the safety of your employees? You’re doing important work here and they need to feel secure to make the most of it.”
“I know.”
“You have an unmanned security shed at the entrance of your campus, an unmanned security desk downstairs, unlocked doors, elevators than can be accessed by anyone?—”
“I know, cookie.”
“It’s so dangerous!” she exclaims. “I don’t know why you can’t?—”
I cup her jaw. “Iknow, cookie,” I repeat, finally managing to cut off the flow of words. “Security’s been a problem ever since we contracted with a new company. I’m working on it, especially because there’s absolutely no reason the doors downstairs should have been unlocked. We have a badge system for a reason and pay for twenty-four hour guards, but Duarte?—”
She jerks in my hold, so violently that I lose my grip on her.
And then she’s turning away from me.
Stepping back.
And running away.
Thirty-One
Marie
Oh,my God.
I’m an idiot.
Literally an idiot.
I came here to share information with him, to get on the same page—okay, no. I came because it’s important for him to know this, but it didn’t—or maybe itshouldn’t—have come before me telling Attie.
And then, instead of after relaying my information to Agent Phillips, calmly telling Jace about what I discovered, I throw a fit. In front of Brooks freaking Saxton no less.
Another billionaire.
This of the quieter variety.
He’s not in the press much, and he lives out of the country, but I know he controls an important investment fund that has had its hands in many a Bay Area tech start up.
He’s also in crypto.
