Page 16 of Big Bad Boss: Midnight

“Which one?”

“Ruby.”

She probably needs my help with the Blackthroat Foundation charity ball. Eagle said one of the land purchases may fall through. Since New Girl is so clever, I put her on that task. “Get her on the line and then research all available parcels of land that may connect wildlife corridors near the city.”

Madison blinks, quickly absorbing the random order. “Yes, sir. Size requirements?”

I hide my satisfaction at the fact that she doesn’t hassle me with stupid questions. She may be the first assistant I can actually stand.

“Ideally five hundred acres.” Since she’s so astute, I don’t play my usual authoritative games and keep her in the dark about what she’s doing and why. “Ruby’s foundation–our family foundation–offers grants for wilderness conservation projects, and one of her current deals may fall through. Send your findings to Eagle, my executive counsel.”

Madison nods. “Ruby’s husband.”

I raise my brows, surprised that she knows that after working here all of five days.

“I’m on it, sir.” She pivots and sashays past me. I watch her hips sway for longer than I should.

ChapterSix

Madi

“So what’s the deal with the Adalwulfs?” I ask Indira, fishing baby corn out of my chow mein. It’s after three p.m., and we’re taking a late lunch while on hold with Benson’s executive team’s assistants, trying to nail down details of the Moon Co./Benson meeting.

“The Adalwulfs?” Indira’s voice drops to a whisper, and she looks around as if we’re kids talking behind the teacher’s back in class. “You mean Adalwulf Associates?”

“Yeah. The family company, if you can call it that.” I wouldn’t call a hedge fund worth billions a “family owned business,” but it is. Most of the board members and C-suite all share the Adalwulf name. Either they’re cloning themselves, or every extended cousin gets a job.Yay, nepotism.“I overheard Mr. White talking about them to Mr. Cavendish.”

Indira gulps. “They hate Adalwulfs.”

“I get that.” Mr. White–Billy–muttered something about out-bidding the ‘Adal-fucks.’ “The Adalwulfs are behind this bid on Benson. But I get the sense there’s some bad blood.”

“Not just bad.” Indira’s still whispering. “Worse.”

“The worst blood? Now I’ve gotta know.”

She gulps and beckons me to the kitchenette, where she continues to whisper even though we’re the only ones on this floor. Brick is out of his office. “There’s been a rivalry for years. Decades even. The Adalwulfs killed Blackthroat Investments. That was the company–”

“Brick Blackthroat’s dad, Bruce Blackthroat, ran.” I repeat my research. “I know about that. Bruce died unexpectedly, and Brick tried to take over.”

“Yeah, and, uh, it didn’t work out.”

“I read about that.” Brick Blackthroat was only eighteen and untested. “None of the big investors stayed with Blackthroat Investments.”

“Yeah, because Adalwulf Associates poached them. Told them they couldn’t trust someone young and green with their money.”

“Yikes.” So that's why there’s such a feud.

“Blackthroat Investments doesn’t really exist anymore. They only work with family money.”

I snort. “There’s plenty of that.” But I see how Brick Blackthroat and his buddies would see it as a huge defeat. “So they founded Moon Co. It makes sense now, why they’re so intent on getting one over on their rivals. I’ll see what I can dig up on the Adalwulfs. See if we can get an edge.”

“I should’ve thought of that.” Indira scrubs her face. We return to the phones, which are still playing sad elevator music, designed to be annoying enough to make someone want to end the call after the first five minutes.

“It’s all about power plays, right? We just have to play the game.”

“You fit in here far better than I do,” she tells me with a note of despondency. “I have a degree in finance, not psychology. I like numbers, not people. I am so not into this.”

“Where did you go to school?”

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