Page 50 of Elliot

“True.” Maya could tell she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so she shifted her focus back to the schedule. “What are we doing at the factory?”

“It's a walking tour, so wear comfortable heels. Then, there will be a meeting with the union representatives and, after that, a meeting with management. I’ve already approached the union steward to find out when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. I’ve sent the dates to our HR department.”

“Thank you. I’ll need a copy of the CBA, and I want our lawyers to review it. I don’t want an issue like the one we had with the electrical union.”

“I can do that,” Jessica said and started typing.

“Courtesy copy me on the email,” Maya said.

“Right, you need to see it done.” Jessica jumped when her phone rang.

Maya looked up. “In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never gotten a call at work.”

Jessica picked up the phone. “I need to take this.”

“Absolutely.” She watched as Jessica hightailed it out of her office and made her way into the small office where she worked. The door shut behind her. Maya lifted an eyebrow. Well, whatever the call was about, Jessica deserved her own space and privacy to talk. She wondered for a moment if the call was fromher boyfriend. Somehow, the idea that Jessica had someone was uplifting. Maybe it was because she had someone now, too. Her thoughts turned toward Elliot. His strength and power was undeniable, but he still had a shadow of that vulnerability. She could sense it. She could sense he wasn’t sure where their relationship was going. It was a silent communication in their glances.

She didn’t know either, but if there was a way to see where it would end or if it would last, she wanted to do that. Hopefully, he did, too. Never in her life had she had such an instant connection with someone. And yeah, she knew lust wasn’t a foundation for a relationship, but chemistry didn’t hurt. They meshed. He understood her. He actually saw her. Elliot noticed the generous things she tried to hide from the rest of the world. No one had ever called her out on it before, but then again, the only one who actually saw some of what she did was Jessica.

She cast a glance at the shut office door and smiled. Good for Jessica. Maya returned to the schedule and added notes to the appointments as she went through the program. Now that the last piece, the acquisition of the production factory, was in place, nothing could stop her company. She grinned at the tablet as she pulled up her project management checklist. Everything was right on schedule. She went down the list of items that needed to be completed in the next week and then month. It would be so easy to let her guard down and coast to the end, but that wasn’t in her DNA. She would be vigilant to the moment the Stock Exchange opened and her company was offered. If the valuation numbers were correct, the business could reach one billion dollars. That was a thirty-five percent increase over the cost of the planned offered shares, but with the marketing plan they had in place … She smiled. They could do it. Her team was nothing less than the best. She had a massive bonus planned for the key people in her organization. Jessica was at the top of the list.She’d been a rock, and Maya planned on offering her a position over the staff as her Operations Officer. It was a redundant position, but Jessica had earned the title and the respect.

“Ms. Callahan?”

She looked up and smiled at Silas. “Yes?”

“Lunch is in the conference room. Rob is waiting for you there.”

“Thank you. I’ll be along in a moment. I want to freshen up first. Go grab yourself something.”

Silas chuckled. “That sounds like a plan.”

She glanced at Jessica’s still-closed office door and debated whether to tell her lunch was available. Maya left her office, went to Jessica’s office door, and tapped on it. Jessica opened the door a crack. Her eyes were red and swollen. “Yes?”

“Oh, Jessica, are you okay?”

Jessica stuck her head out into the hallway. “Is there anyone here? I don’t want them to see me like this.”

Maya leaned back. “No, just the guard at the desk.”

“Good.” Jessica pulled out a knife and jabbed it at Maya’s ribs, lodging the tip just under her left breast. “You’re going to walk in front of me. You’re not going to say a word, and we are going to get on that elevator. If you do anything other than what I tell you, I will kill you.” Jessica slid the knife against her t-shirt hard enough for Maya to know she was serious. “Now, move, or you’re dead, you fucking ratbitch.”

Maya gasped at the hatred in Jessica’s voice. “Please, Jessica, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

The knife flicked toward her face, and Maya flinched. “I know what I’m doing. One more word, and I shove this knife into your heart.” She stepped behind Maya, and the point of the knife was in her ribs again. “Move now, or I’ll plunge this thing into your heart right here. I’d rather kill you slowly. I’ve wanted to for a long, long time. Please make my day. Fuck up and let me do it.”

A metallic click sounded behind her. “That’s the gun in my pocket. I’ll shoot anyone you alert. The knife is reserved for you.” Jessica jabbed her. “Go.” A thousand different thoughts slammed through her mind at the same time. The only one that struck her was she couldn’t put the people in the office at risk. The Guardians had accepted the risk, but the people who worked for her hadn’t. She nodded and started walking.

“Ms. Callahan, where are you going?” the guard at the desk asked.

Maya smiled at him. “It’s okay. I just talked to Silas. He knows. We’ll be right back.”

Jessica whispered, “Push the button to the garage. Now.”

Maya did. The door closed, and Jessica moved so quickly that Maya had no idea what was happening until she felt the explosion of pain in her head. As she hit her knees, she heard Jessica’s laugh. “Night, night, bitch.”

CHAPTER 18

“Elliot, talk to me. Elliot, fucking unmute me, man.”

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