Page 11 of His Wild Seduction

He lost, and the people who worked for Gray Corps would suffer because of it.

“Shit,” I said, lowering my gaze.

“There is another way, Meredith,” Josef said, calling my name, but I was too distraught for words.

“Really, What would that be, Josef? I’d give you everything I have in the bank, but it wouldn’t make a dent. God, all those people without jobs,” I muttered, putting my elbows on the table, and holding my head.

I couldn’t bear to think about it.

Desperate people did desperate things, and I’d spent much of my adult life trying to help those who found themselves in desperate situations.

I stood to leave, holding on to the back of the chair while I looked at the man I once knew for any sign of recognition.

But the old Josef was gone. I didn’t know whether to be glad for him or remorseful.

Just then, my cell phone chirped, and I took it out of my bag. It was the hospital.

“Hello?”

“Miss Gray, this is Dr. Montgomery, I am sorry to inform you, your father has expired.”

I closed my eyes, the weight of expectations sinking me to my knees.

My stepfather was dead. And now, the company would die, too. All those people would be fired. Countless lives ruined.

I failed.

CHAPTER FOUR

JOSEF

Ivaulted over the table the second I saw Meredith falter.

“Meredith!” I roared, my pulse racing as I cradled her close to my chest.

My ass landed hard on the unforgiving floor with a dull thud. But I caught her before she came into contact with the hardwood.

Thank fuck.

“Boss?” Mario, one of my personal guards, called me.

But I wasn’t focused on him. My attention was on her.

Meredith always had the uncanny ability to capture every bit of my focus.

For a guy, whose primary job was protecting people and being aware of my surroundings, that sure as fuck was not good.

Sure, I’d stepped back from personal security. Adrik was married now, and so was Marat. I had excellent men and women working for me, and they did their jobs well.

Besides, I was starting to feel like a goddamn third wheel. I was the president of my own company and had enough stock in theirs that I did not need to play bodyguard any longer.

I only did it for so long because I had nothing else to do. The cold, dark shadows I lived in were just so empty. Guarding Adrik and Marat myself was simply a way to remind myself I was still human.

After all the years of committing God knew how many sins, I was at my core a man.

Not just the Big Bad Wolf. But a real flesh and blood man.

Being near Meredith was a sore reminder of how much I’d cut myself off over the years.

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