“Because Marcus implied he had information he’d use to discredit all of us if I wasn’t ‘nice’ to him.”
“Excuse me,” Ares said.
And he flew out of the room without another word, leaving me there alone.
Yep, I’ve lost everything.
Chapter 14
Orion
I wasthree emails deep into damage control with Mitchell—our largest investor—when Ares kicked open my office door hard enough to make it bounce off the wall.
“We need to talk,” he said, voice flat and dangerous.
I looked up from my laptop. “I’m in the middle of?—”
“Now.”
Ares didn’t lose his cool. Military training had beaten that out of him years ago. But right now, he looked like he was holding onto control by his fingernails.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Tashi.” He crossed the room in three strides, planting his hands on my desk. “When exactly were you planning to tell me you’ve been fucking her?”
The words hit like a physical blow. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t play dumb. She told me. This morning. After I—” He stopped, jaw clenching. “Apparently I wasn’t the first. Or the second.”
My stomach dropped. “What are you talking about?”
“You and Leo. She’s been with both of you.” His eyes were cold. “So, I’m asking again. When were you planning to mention it?”
Heat flooded my face—half anger, half from my perfidy. Tashi, as an employee, was supposed to be off-limits.
“And what business is it of yours?”
“Mine?” His laugh was sharp. “Because it’s mine, yours, and apparently Leo’s business too.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Instead of answering, Ares pulled out his phone and called Leo. “Get to Orion’s office. Now.”
“Ares—”
“Five minutes or I’m coming to find you.” He hung up.
We stood there in silence, the air thick with accusation and ugly things I would rather not name. Jealousy. Competition. Betrayal.
We’d never had this situation before. We made it a point not to let women come between us or our business. It was why we had never married. It would complicate our business should a wife want a divorce.
Leo arrived in four minutes, slightly out of breath. “What’s the emergency?”
“Close the door,” Ares said.
Leo’s expression shifted from concerned to wary. He closed the door and leaned against it. “Okay. What’s going on?”
“Tashi,” Ares said. “What’s this I hear that you’ve been with her?”
