Page 59 of Bossed By the Orc

“Oh, Pen,” my father sighed, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t put that kind of pressure on a relationship.”

My mother nodded, hugging my father around his shoulders. “If we’d waited for everything in our lives to be settled, sweetheart, we wouldn’t have gotten married. We wouldn’t have had you. And you’re the best thing that ever happened to us.” She said the words with a matter-of-fact tone and I couldn’t stop the tears that popped into my eyes.

I made my way over to them, dragging Becca with me to form another group hug. I felt my mother gesturing behind me and when I felt my male join the hug—reluctance clear in the way he only pressed against me—it was as though I was experiencing pure happiness for the first time in my life.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dristan

A few hours later, I sat with Rudgar in the front seat of the tiny SUV all we’d been able to get within short notice, as we drove to the bank. I’d asked my lawyer to meet us there, and while Penelope had insisted that she wanted to join me, I didn’t want her to see what I was about to do. I’d asked her to sit this visit out, assuring her that it was more reconnaissance than anything else—which was a lie.

I planned to pay off the mortgage and ensure that every debt in my mate’s family’s name was settled before I left the bank. I’d already had my accountant settle the medical bills that had piled up at the local hospital for my mate’s mother.

Rudgar’s job would be to find anything I’d missed and handle it. I’d already transferred money to my mate’s account—which had shocked me. My perfect female had been living on almost nothing before she took the job with me and after paying off the missed payments—with interest—on the mortgage, she’d been wiped out once more.

That was never going to happen again. She’d never have to do without as long as I lived—and after, if I had anything to say about it.

“You realize that you haven’t done anything but mutter angry things since you got in the car,” Rudgar told me, giving me a mean side-eye. “What happened with our new in-laws?”

I felt a small, satisfied smile curl my lips. “They love me, of course,” I chuffed. “What else did you expect?”

“Ever the charmer,” he muttered, pulling into a parking space in front of the bank. I ignored his sarcasm, eyeing the tiny building.

“How the hell is this a real financial institution?” I grumbled, exiting the SUV and glancing over at my lawyer as he joined us. This wasn’t one that I kept on retainer. This male was an old friend who’d gone to school with me. “Kor,” I sent the male orc a nod of acknowledgement and he grinned in return.

Always such a cheerful motherfucker.

The male was my opposite in disposition, which tended to set his clients at ease, but he was also a shark in the courtroom. That was the energy I needed now. He didn’t have much experience with the financial side of things, but what I needed was what he’d specialized in. Criminal law.

The developers were up to something and I needed the best to represent me. That was Kor. He slapped his hand across my back and I grunted at the enthusiasm.

“Great to see you, Dris. It’s been too long. Did you get my invitation?” he asked, and I nodded. The male had met his mate a few months ago and he’d already proposed. It grated on me that he was further ahead in his mating than I was. My competitiveness scratched to the surface. “V’s the boss and she’s brutal about RSVPs. I squeezed you both in and included dates, though.” He sent a wink my way.

“I’ll be there, but I’ll be attending alone,” Rudgar told him.

“I can set you up with someone,” Kor said, with a shrug. “And when I say I, I really mean V.” He grinned at my brother, who just shook his head and waved him off.

“I’ll be sending along an invitation of my own soon,” I told him, baring my fangs in a semblance of a smile. His eyebrows swung up and he swatted me across my back again, earning another grunt as he almost shoved me forward.

“That’s great, Dris! I didn’t think you had it in you!” he chuckled, and I gritted my teeth in annoyance while Rudgar laughed behind me.

“Is that what we’re here about? Something with your mate?” He cocked his head to the side, his expression growing serious. “Is someone harassing her?”

I nodded, turning to face the bank with narrowed eyes. “We’re going to figure this mortgage business out and then I want you to file a harassment suit against the fucking developers who’re doing all of this.”

“No problem,” he said, a smile on his face but a gleam in his eyes that told me my trust was in good hands. The bastard was tenacious when he decided on something and it looked like he’d taken this on as a challenge.

That was how we’d become friends. I’d ignored him for the first few months of knowing him, but he’d stuck to me like glue, forcing his friendship on me until I’d given up and accepted him. Now that he’d moved into the suburbs, we saw each other less often, but he was someone I could always count on in a pinch.

“Let’s get this done so I can go home to my mate,” he said, slapping me across the back again and I was propelled forward an inch. My scowl would have sent anyone else scurrying, but it didn’t even faze him.

He was already headed toward the bank before I could stop him. With a heavy sigh, I followed.

When we entered, everyone inside the bank turned to gape at us. I was sure it wasn’t every day that three orcs in suits turned up in their establishment and, from the wary look I was getting from the two tellers, I was pretty sure they were about to sound some kind of silent alarm. My scowl grew.

“Well, I hope everyone’s having a wonderful day,” Kor called, a friendly smile on his face. “Can anyone point us in the direction of the manager?”

The tension eased in the room and one of the tellers pointed at a closed door near the back of the building.

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