Page 138 of Twisted Knight

“Well, it was either stay and cover for you in your meeting with Allied Industrial or leave like you did and hang you out to dry.”

Oh. Shit.

The meeting. I forgot all about the fucking meeting. Between Leo and … and then taking Rowan to the coast.

The wine.

The moonlight.

Her kiss.

“Why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t—”

“Kind of hard to do that when your phone is off, now, isn’t it?”

And the hits just keep on coming.

“It’s a long story. The phone I mean.” I try to explain away like a teenager in trouble. My pride has me biting back the excuse, but the fact that this woman can see right through me has me putting it out there regardless.

“I’m sure it is. Long and full of bullshit.”

“I’m human, Audrey. I forgot.”

“But that’s the thing. Holden Knight never forgets a thing. So that begs the question: What is it that has you so distracted?”

I stare at Audrey. Big eyes. Clenched jaw. This is as close as she gets to reprimanding me, and that’s happened fewer times than I can count on one hand.

My chest constricts in my chest, but I don’t give her question an answer.

“Like I said, it slipped my mind.”

“Uh-huh.” She’s not buying it.

I snort. “I apologize. I deserve whatever shit you’re about to hand me.”

“I’m not handing you anything, Holden,” she says like a true mother, a master at guilt. “I’ve worked for you for many years. Hell, I even picked up my life to come here with you while you’re doing whatever it is that you’re doing here.” She knows what it is that I’m doing, but her glance down the hallway tells me she’s choosing her words wisely. “But in all that time, I’ve never seen you turn your phone off, let alone miss a meeting. Not once.”

I scrub a hand through my hair. She’s right. She’s fucking right. “Stuff happened.”

“Stuff?” She lifts her eyebrows, clearly not buying my story. “I’m sure stuff happened.”

“What? Just come out and fucking say it. You’re going to in the end anyway.”

She rises from my seat and stops as she passes me. Her voice is soft, stern, when she speaks. “I understand why this project has you rattled a bit. There are a lot of moving parts and even more history behind why they’re moving. But the Holden Knight I know doesn’t fuck up like he did tonight. He’s meticulous. He’s calculating. He puts the end game before all else.”

A nod is my only response.

“If you want this to all go down like you’ve planned, then I suggest you figure out why you fucked up tonight, what distracted you, and fix it fast.” She lifts an eyebrow with a glance toward Rowan’s office. I don’t dignify the supposition with a response. “Figure out how to undistract yourself. You’re only going to get one shot at this.”

“Noted.” I clear my throat and move to take back my seat. Audrey’s lecture time is now over, and as irritated as I am that she just read me her riot act, her words eat at me more than they should. “A kid named Leo will be calling you tomorrow,” I call after her just as she’s about to leave my office.

She turns and meets my eye. “He already did. Hours ago. Said he wanted to make sure your word was good, whatever that means.”

“Great. He was part of the reas—”

“Don’t try to blame some kid for your fuckup.” She gives me major side-eye that has me laughing and holding up my hands in surrender. “There’s more to the story. Just don’t get so lost in its chapters you forget about the ending you want.”

I watch her walk toward the elevator, purse over her shoulder, and pinch the bridge of my nose.