Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rory
‘Kit.’ My address is sharp, my blood having drained from one head to the other.
‘I expected to see you in the office this morning.’
‘Something came up.’ Please don’t ask what, because the current answer ismy dick.
‘So you didn’t fly down this weekend?’
I really didn’t think he’d notice this quick. He’s usually too busy sitting at the helm.
‘I was going to, but you know how it is.’ I keep my answers vague, sure of one thing: Kit doesn’t know his site manager is a woman, because if he did, he’d put two and two together. Then he’d fly up here to remove my balls. He’d totally blame me—claim he could see a pattern forming—but it’s not like I go out of my way to screw our employees. Anna’s contract was already up and Fin wasn’t working for us... first time, at least. Besides, given the chance I’d like to rewind and unscrew Anna. With Fin I wouldn’t change a thing.
‘I’m guessing you found someone to fuck over the weekend and you’re holed up in some tiny flat somewhere.’
‘Then you’d be guessing wrong.’ Mostly.
He makes a very Scottish noise from his throat; a sceptical sound, following it up with a very sardonic, ‘Is that so?’
‘Yep.’ Hearing Fin’s shoes begin to slam against the gravel, I realise I don’t have to be so vague. ‘I’m over at the house. I decided to have a look at the gardens. A proper look.’
‘You did?’
‘You asked me to, didn’t you?’
‘Yeah, but—’
‘Then don’t ask questions. I was gonna come back, but now I’ve been sucked into this.’Sorry mum.Looking up, I address my thoughts to the sky, dumb fuck that I am.
‘You said you didn’t want to work on them.’
‘And I don’t.’
‘Okay—calm down.’
‘I am calm. Perfectly so.’
‘You’re a perfect arsehole.’
‘And you’d know because... you’re the arsehole expert?’
‘Ah, for fuck’s sake,’ he says, half growl, half laugh. ‘I don’t want to get into this with you.’
‘Harsh,’ I reply, full of faux hurt. ‘I thought brothers were meant to share.’
‘While we’re on the subject of sharing...’ The sudden tension in his tone clues me in to where this is headed.
‘Beth,’ I answer. ‘What’s going?’
‘I think I might be making progress. She’s talking about letting the crews return to the jobs.’
I huff out a laugh, but don’t elaborate. She hasn’t had a change of heart because she hasn’t got one. She just thinks she’s getting what she wants.
The line call drops out for a second, Kit’s voice beginning to drift in and out just as he’d said something of note.
‘Fucking perfect,’ I grumble. ‘Why couldn’t the call have been like this from the off?’
