Page 25 of Reluctantly You

He doesn’t answer, but his knuckles crack slightly as he continues to stand there, staring at the wall behind me.

It makes me furious, irrationally so. He can’t even look at me when I’m speaking to him. Just ignores what I’m saying. Like I’m below him. I should fire him, should make him pack up this instant, but I’m always one to let people have second chances. I was given one. It’s why I always let people have them as well. There’s still a very small chance he can turn this around.

But then he just scoffs again. “Fuck this,” he murmurs.

My anger surges up, enveloping me.

“Like I said. A write up, but if you’d rather I fire you now, I can do that.”

He doesn’t answer, his shoulders going tense.

“You’d probably like that, huh? Go cry to Daddy about it. Well, the problem is, your father isn’t here to save you. Maybe you could have gotten away with this shit a few months ago, but you can’t now, Mr. Morris. I won’t keep you on because I feel sorry for you.”

My chest is heaving by the time I’m done, and Mitchell’s eyes move to meet mine. They flash with anger, and I feel the snap before it actually happens.

He lunges at me, his fist pulled back to strike me, but I outmaneuver him, wrapping my arm around his neck and pulling him against me. He struggles and he’s just as strong as he looks. He twists out of my hold, and I curse myself for letting him slip through my fingers.

He lunges for me again, but I kick his feet out from under him and he lands on the ground. I follow him down, grappling with him in my suit and tie until he’s immobilized. My forearm clamps his throat, my leg now wrapped around his and bending his right one at such an angle to keep him still.

“Don’t you ever fucking come at me like that. I will always win,” I hiss, my mouth right at his ear.

He’s heaving against me, his chest billowing in and out like a sail flapping in the wind. I can feel his rage pulsing off him in waves, and I lean into it. I want to bite down on his earlobe and hurt him. Want to make him cry.

“Let go of me,” he hisses, so I push into him further, twisting his leg back even more, almost painfully.

“If I do, will you behave?”

He grunts, and so I let myself loosen up, my grip on him growing lax. And as soon as I do, he lashes out, knocking me in my shoulder with his elbow and trying to scramble away. But I’m on him in an instant, my training in martial arts coming into play. I pin him down on his back, his arms above his head, my knees on his thighs.

His chest is rising and falling roughly, and I can see the fury in every part of him.

“You are a stubborn little shit,” I murmur.

He tries to pry his wrists from my hands, but he can’t. He can’t fucking move.

“I am so sick of you,” I spit, our noses so close they’re almost touching. His whole face is bright red now, the scruff on his facehiding some of it, but I can see how upset he is.Good. He’s been coddled enough in his life. He needs to hear the harsh truths.

“You are useless. A piece of shit who doesn’t want to work for what he has. And now you’re throwing a tantrum because you aren’t getting what you want. Well, tough shit. Welcome to the real world. I’m writing you up for insubordination and I hope you fuck up again because I want to fire your sorry ass. This company would be better for it. You’ll do nothing but run this entire place into the ground.”

The words spill out of me as he just stares up at me, seething.

“Get off me. You’ve made your point.”

“Yeah, I fucking did. And if you come after me again like that I will knock you out.”

He blinks and then turns his head as I let his arms go and push myself up. He sits up and throws his arms over his knees, looking at the floor as I brush the dust and wrinkles from my suit.

“Your write-up will be in your folder, Mr. Morris. If you don’t get it together, you’ll be looking for a new job. Not that you haven’t started already. I’ve received the calls from other employers inquiring about your applications. Remember, this is a non-compete contract.”

Mitch glances away and doesn’t acknowledge me.

“I expect to see you tomorrow in the office on time, ready to work.”

His fist curls as he grabs his bag off the ground.

“You done?”

“Yes.” I feel like I have more to say, but the scuffle on the ground has only confused me, scrambled my thoughts a little.

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