“Morning, Sia!” Cora shouted from the other end of the corridor, barreling toward us full of morning beans already, Lewis in tow. “Wow. What the fu–”
“Not. A. Word.” I glared at her. Whatever Valentine knew, she did too. And I didn’t need our new office intern wading through my dirty underwear drawer. “Shoo. All of you. I need-”
“Hey. Coffee?” Hallie appeared behind me like an avocado toast bearing wraith. Her breakfast warred with a coffee stack that Cora usually juggled about. The curvy girl’s gaze drifted to my broken door and her mouth dropped open. “What the hell happened? Did Ward—”
I threw my hands up. So much for secrecy. “I. Give. Up.”
Hallie shut her mouth and stared at me with big eyes. “Imorry,” she mumbled through the corners of pressed lips, making some semblance of sense. “Oooaneeelp?”
I huffed a laugh. “Fuck, you’re cute. I know why Solace adores you.”
Hallie’s face lit up. “That, and I can recite all his stats at once.” She bounced on her toes and stuffed a full piece of avocado toast in her face in one go.
I watched with fascination, then turned my attention back to the small crowd studying my decimated office, and sighed. “Okay, let’s clear the air. My husband—not ex—did not destroymy property or club property. Just because we’re strange,” —ha, in joke between the estranged husband and me. I ignored the confused faces around me— “does not mean that he is either dangerous or unhinged.”
No. Just my personal stalker.
I kept that little morsel of information to myself. Whatever everyone at the club had guessed, hopefully that’s exactly what the rumor mill stayed as—guesses. Okay, so maybe that last one was stretching the truth. A lot.
Ward Bishop was most definitely unhinged when it came to the things he consideredhis.
“Good to know.” Cora hit the business button, tugging her jacket around herself even as Valentine slid a possessive hand across her lower back. She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder that said she appreciated the gesture. “We need security here.”
Hallie’s cheeks pinked, and she turned away. “I’ll head down to the rink,” she mumbled. “I think the team’s still training.”
Lewis loitered in the hall behind them, his head on a swivel. Damnit, one more problem for today.
“Security, absolutely.” My head wasn’t screwed on straight. That should have been my first thought. Not Ward.Damnit.“Thanks, Cora.”
“No problem.” She ducked through the door, but Valentine pulled her back, muttering in her ear.
Lewis looked on with fascination as the big Chimera slid one hand between her breasts and closed it around her throat. Cora’s whole body softened as she leaned against him. Suddenly, Hallie’s face wasn't the only red one in the corridor, and sure as hell wasn’t mine. Our poor intern’s entire head turned a special shade of tomato, and all I could see was a future letter fromour CEO’s dean friend and a sexual misconduct lawsuit in the making.
“Okay, we don’t all need to be here. Hallie, can you take Louie– Loovie,” —damnit, someone would get fired and it was likely to be me— “Lewisfor a training induction day with Coach, please?” I turned snake eyes on her.
She gulped and nodded.
“Not a word,”I mouthed.
Hallie froze in place. “Yes. He’ll love that.Wewill love that. The whole team.” She nodded enthusiastically. “Ward is welcoming. Lewis, we’re going. Now.Move,” she insisted with a little shove when the intern didn’t budge. His focus switched between my door, me and Valentine.
I gave him an easy nod. “We can spend some time going over office and HR work tomorrow, okay? Once you understand the lay of the land. And that gives me time to clean up this mess. Have fun with Coach,” I called, knowing I was doubling down on duties but right now Lewis needed to be somewhere else.
“Nice work,” Cora breathed when Lewis and Hallie finally rounded a corner and were out of sight.
I turned my attention to her and Valentine. “You two.” I straightened, uncaring that I was not the fittest person in the space, or that Valentine towered over me. “Putting on a display like that in public?” I held up a hand. “I do not care what you do in private, provided it’s consensual, preapproved between you, and not in a workplace environment. Otherwise, go bounce like bunnies, butnotin front of the dean’s pet. Is that clear?”
Cora closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I made a growly noise. “You know better.” Lack of sleep left my other side on display. “I’m sorry I got cranky. Valentine, I need to hear it from you, too. Keep it out of the office. Please.”
“Ma’am.” He nodded respectfully and dragged Cora away from me down the hall.
Okay, that wasn’t exactly an apology but at least it sounded like he agreed. A moment later, I figured it out.
Ward strode up the corridor, followed by a swath of Chimera uniformed security.
Apparently that call did go through after all.
