Page 93 of Stuck On Them

“Yeah, they’re talking about the gala. What do you need me to do?” He put his hand on my arm reassuringly. “I’ve got your back.”

I handed him my purse and tote bag. “Put those in my office for me?”

“Um. I will but what are you doing? Are you going in there?” He looked uncertain but also excited.

“Do you have a better idea? I’ll just ask to speak to him alone.” It was bold to do in front of his bosses and my boyfriends, but the contract was signed and they’d see it anyway whether it was in the hall or the conference room.

“I’m going to need to see this.” He slung the bags over his shoulder, shifting his laptop and notebook in his arms. “Should I make an announcement like the WWE? You can be known for your uncanny ability to deliver life-threatening paper cuts.” He laughed at his own joke. “Get it?”

“You’re ridiculous.” I laughed. “No, it won’t be violent.”

He stepped out of the way just as the door opened with Ryker on the other side. He looked confused at first and I didn’t give him the chance to ask me what I was doing back.

I walked in, my eyes finding Daniel, who was busy putting his things into his bag. “Daniel, I’d like to speak to you. Alone.”

The room went silent, like someone had pressed the pause button for everyone except Daniel. He zipped his bag and looked up at me, amusement on his smug face. I wanted to slap it off him.

“Paige, what’s going on?” Ryker said under his breath.

Heads ping ponged between me and Daniel and my cheeks heated. No one was moving and I didn’t necessarily want an audience. “We can just go to my office.”

Garrett was staring intently at Daniel who was now leaning back in his chair with his arms across his chest. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of everyone.”

Luca suddenly stood, his chair flying back and hitting the credenza behind him. “No. Fucking. Way. You’rethatDaniel?”

I moved toward the conference table, bracing my hands on the back of an unoccupied chair. “Yes. I need to speak to him alone. Don’t make this into a big deal.”

“Maybe just wait until he goes to the bathroom and catch him unaware. It’s only fair,” Ethan said.

Gabriel looked at me. “He followed you into the restroom? Is that why you left?”

This was not going to plan—not that I had much of one in the first place. “Daniel is my ex-fiancé.”

Daniel cleared his throat. “She’s why I amicably parted ways with my father’s firm. She was his executive assistant. I guess she decided to move up from the owner’s son to the owners themselves.”

The door shut loudly behind me. I could practically feel Ryker’s anger radiating off of him, and I hoped none of it was directed at me. I hadn’t been forthcoming with the bit of information about my employment status with Daniel’s father.

Luca and Garrett both looked ready to throw punches, and the Badden brothers and their other lawyer were just along for the show.

Be strong.

“What you said in the bathroom wasn’t true.” I held up my hand when Garrett started to say something. “They aren’t going to get bored with me because they care about me and there is nothing boring about what I have with them.”

Daniel laughed mockingly. “They saw the perfect opportunity. You’re desperate for attention, and they were willing to take advantage of that. Without a doubt, they’ll break your heart and you’ll come crying back to me. I can guarantee it.”

The room was silent and thick with tension as my hands squeezed the chair in front of me. But I didn’t look away from the man I’d thought loved me.

He had no idea what he was saying, but it didn’t matter; his words would continue to do damage if I let them. “You don’t know anything about Ryker, Garrett, or Luca... or me for that matter. You claim you cheated on me because I was boring in bed, but there has been nothing boring with them.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Of course they aren’t bored yet. You’re their new shiny toy.”

I ignored him and started counting off on my fingers. “Nothing boring in the gym, in front of the window, on the counter, with all three at once, in a dark cornfield-”

Ryker stepped behind me and put his hand on my hip, squeezing possessively. “Don’t forget all the times you’ve made all three of us come at once.”

Daniel’s face morphed from smug to a mixture of anger and disbelief as he stood, his hands planted on the table. “What kind of men are you?” He looked over at Gabriel. “We can still void the contract. There’s a forty-eight-hour cancellation clause with good reason, and this is a very good reason. You don’t want to do business with people like this.”

“You can’t do that.” I gave the brothers a pleading look, unable to get a read on how they were feeling.

---