Page 38 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

I let the phone fall from my hands and collapsed back onto the bed, curling up with Daisy. She nuzzled into me, her warm body a small comfort against the chaos swirling inside me. I rested my hand on her fur, hoping it would help calm the storm that was raging through my mind—and my stomach.

But even with Daisy there, my thoughts kept circling back to Liam. I had to hear from him. I needed him to tell me that everything was going to be okay, that I hadn’t uncovered something terrible—something that could ruin everything between us.

Nineteen

Liam

I woke up to the pale morning light filtering through the blinds, my body still sluggish from sleep. I squinted at the clock—barely 7 AM—but something felt off. My mind, usually sharp the moment I opened my eyes, was still heavy like I was forgetting something important.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, planning to check for messages and maybe snooze for a few more minutes. But as soon as I unlocked the screen, another text from Mia popped up.

My heart stuttered in my chest.

MIA: Please contact me ASAP. I definitely found something unusual in the files you gave me to review. It’s big, but I need your help to make sense of it. I miss you!!

For a second, I just stared at the message, trying to make sense of it. Something unusual? Big? I sat up quickly, my mind kicking into high gear as adrenaline coursed through me. Miadidn’t scare easily, and if she was spooked enough to send a message like that, it wasn’t just nothing.

I dialed her number without a second thought with the phone pressed tight to my ear. The ringing felt like it dragged on forever before she picked up.

“Liam?” Her voice was shaky, and that hit me hard. Mia never sounded scared.

“What happened? What did you find?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. My chest was already tight, my pulse hammering in my ears.

“I was going through the files,” she said quickly, her words tumbling out. “There are payments—big ones—that don’t make sense. It looks like Riverstone Children’s Hospital has been funneling cash through a company called Golden Rock Consulting. But the work they’re being paid for doesn’t add up. It feels like... something’s really wrong. And... I found some emails from Derek that don’t look good.”

My jaw clenched. Golden Rock. That was Derek’s connection, no doubt about it. “And you think Derek’s involved?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice dropping. “But it’s bad, Liam. Really bad. I... I didn’t even go to work today because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Hearing the fear in her voice made something twist in my gut. Mia was never one to back down from anything, so if she was rattled, I knew I had to act fast. She shouldn’t have to deal with this on her own, not after I’d dragged her into this mess.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “This is my fault. I should’ve seen this coming.” My mind was already racing, thinking about how to handle the situation. “I’m coming to Cedar Cove. I’m in Dallas right now, but I’ll be there in a few hours. Just hang tight.”

“Liam...” Her voice was quieter now, almost a whisper. “Please hurry.”

The raw edge of fear in her tone made my chest tighten even more. “I will. I’m leaving now. Don’t do anything until I get there.”

“I won’t. I just... I need you here.”

“I’m coming, Mia. I promise.” I ended the call and stared down at the phone for a beat, my mind still spinning. Golden Rock Consulting. Derek. Of course, it was him. This had his name written all over it, and he had a key to my cabin.

And now Mia was caught in the middle of it. I swore under my breath, already on my feet and grabbing clothes from the dresser. I’d fix this. I didn’t care what it took—I’d get to her and make sure she was safe.

Getting dressed was a blur, with Mia’s voice still ringing in my ears, full of fear. It twisted in my gut relentlessly. My jet was unavailable due to maintenance, so I grabbed only the essentials—phone, keys, wallet—and bolted. There was no time for the elevator, so I took the stairs two at a time. My head was buzzing with guilt and worry. This was on me. I should have never involved Mia with my mess, but now she was stuck, probably sitting at home, poring over those files and scared out of her mind.

Hitting the garage, I slid into the Lamborghini, the leather seat wrapping around me. I fired up the engine, its roar cutting through the tension for a second, but it wasn’t enough. Mia was out there, waiting, probably terrified, and I couldn’t waste another damn minute.

The tires screeched as I punched the gas and flew out of the garage. There was no time for traffic. So I took the backroads, cutting through Dallas like a man on a mission. Nothing mattered but getting to Mia as fast as possible.

The countryside blurred past me, but I barely noticed. My foot was heavy on the accelerator, and the speedometer was inching higher. Normally, I’d be more cautious, especially withthe cops patrolling out here. But today, I didn’t give a damn. If I got pulled over, so be it. I'd pay the ticket later. I just needed to get to Mia as quickly as possible.

My mind kept replaying her voice, that tremor in it. Mia was tough—hell, she wasn’t scared of anything, at least not easily. That’s what made this worse. If she was shaken, I knew it had to be bad. Really bad.

And it was Derek. Of course, it was him. He always had a way of worming himself into everything. I should’ve known he’d try something like this, but I’d been too focused on other things—focused on Mia, on my feelings for her. And now look where that got her—wrapped up in a scheme I should’ve seen coming a mile away.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. I wasn’t just pissed at Derek; I was pissed at myself. I should’ve been on top of this. No doubt Mia was sitting there thinking I’d be able to explain all this away, but the truth was, I didn’t have all the answers yet. I could piece things together based on what she said—the payments, Golden Rock Consulting—but I wouldn’t know the full picture until I saw the files myself.

Derek had been a good friend for years. I just hoped Mia had only seen part of the picture and that once the rest came out, Derek would be cleared from suspicion.

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