“I don’t give a shit about my reputation,” I cut in, my voice sounding like it was coming from someone else’s body. “Do damage control on behalf of the company. That’s your fucking job. Just get it done. Right now, I need to talk to my wife.”
There was a pause. “Alex?—”
“I said, I need to talk to my wife. You do know how to do your job without me, right?” I barked and ended the call.
My office felt too small all of a sudden. Chicago was spread out beyond my floor-to-ceiling windows, gray and indifferent, and I had the overwhelming urge to put my fist through the glass just to make the fucking space feel big enough to breathe in.
Jane wasn’t answering her phone. I’d called her twice, or maybe it had been three times, but it’d rung straight through to her voicemail every time.
Don’t panic. Jane is busy. Jane is at work. Jane doesn’t live with her phone glued to her hand the way I do.
Those lies I tried selling myself lasted approximately six seconds before I grabbed my coat. I was already moving toward the door when it swung open and Nate walked in without knocking.
“We have a problem,” he said.
My stomach churned. “If this is about the article?—”
“It’s not,” he said, which only made it worse. “Or maybe it is. Adjacent. I don’t know yet.”
Before I could ask what the hell that meant, my phone buzzed in my hand, the beginning of an email on the screen when I glanced at it.
Board of Directors – Thayer Steelworks
Subject: Emergency Meeting – 7:00 PM Tonight
Agenda: Proposed Sale of Thayer Steelworks
For a second, I couldn’t read it. The words were there, but my brain refused to assemble them into any logical order.This can’t be happening.
“What the fuck is this?” I demanded, shoving the phone at Nate.
He barely even looked at the device before he sighed and brought his gaze back up to mine. “That’s actually why I came up here.”
I stared at him. “You knew?”
“I knew there were rumors,” he said carefully. “I didn’t think they’d move this fast even if the rumors were true, though. I was coming to ask if you’d heard anything.”
I hadn’t. Not a word. Not from Zach, or the board, or Jane, but even as I shook my head, I realized I had heardsomething.
Mallory’s voice slid into my head, uninvited and oily.A little birdy told me?—
“Fuck.” My pulse kicked hard against my throat. “Holy fucking shit.”
The corners of Nate’s eyes tightened. “You know something, don’t you? What is it, Alex?”
“I had a run-in with Mallory Foundry at the club last Sunday,” I said. “She’s the woman Court Thayer had the infamous affair with.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “I think I remember the name and some of the history, but what does she have to do with this?”
“Everything.” I breathed out a harsh, humorless laugh. “She told me her new husband was sniffing around Thayer. Apparently, he’sa man of means. Her words, not mine, and he’s in manufacturing overseas.”
Nate let out a long, low breath. “Shit.”
“Yeah, I know.” I turned away from him to face the windows with adrenaline flooding my system. “This isn’t a coincidence, Nate. It’s a move and she’s the one behind it.”
“Do you know what she wants?”
“Outside of whatever is left of Thayer?” I scoffed. “Not a clue, man. I’m starting to think she’s stalking that family or something. She just can’t seem to leave them alone.”
