Page 53 of Storm

I dream of dark hair and soft curves providing me a comfortable place to lay my head.

CHAPTER 25

KEVIN

As I stroll past reception into my office, I call out harshly, “Miss Burns! I need to see you in my office.”

Everyone sitting in the space freezes at my tone, and I’m happy they’re on edge. Today is not the day to fuck with me.

Since seeing Miriam, I’ve been ruminating over the lack of emails, and I’ve determined is absolutely was Sandra who tried to gatekeep her messages from me. I knew something was up when I went into my deleted emails and found every single one of them. Nothing goes in there unless someone physically selects the email to remove from my inbox.

Even if Miriam’s emails went to my junk mail, they would still have to be removed intentionally to the trash. Sandra didn’t take the extra step to empty it permanently, and she’s due for a rude awakening. Hearing her scramble from behind her desk, her hurried, clicking heels hot on my trail, I’m ready to lay into her.

As soon as she arrives, she breathes out, “You wanted to see me, Captain Cooper?”

“Sit,” I snap out, pointing at the chair in front of my desk.

She rushes to obey, and drops into the uncomfortable seat, uneasy by my change in demeanor. “Sir, what?—”

“I’m going to ask you some questions and I need you to give me your honest answers, or you’ll be escorted out of here within the hour. Do you understand?”

Sandra gulps and nods quickly. “Yes, sir.”

“Have you been monitoring my emails?”

Her brows furrow in confusion. “Of course. I always flag the priorities, so you know what needs to be addressed immediately.”

“Do you ever delete them?”

This time, she hesitates, and my blood boils when she lies to me. “No, not that I can remember.”

Leaning back in my chair, I fold my hands together over my stomach and sway slowly from side to side, locking my gaze on her face until she looks away. I’ve spent countless years interviewing people, and I know how to get the answers I want and when someone’s demeanor is telling me they’re lying.

Sandra is absolutely lying to me.

“Interesting. So you’ve never deleted an email out of my inbox? Particularly within the last three months?” I ask her, giving her one more chance to come clean.

This time, she fumbles over her answer. “I mean, if I had, it wasn’t intentional. Maybe something that looked like one of those spam emails. Sir, did I?—”

Cutting her off, I ask another question to throw her off. “When people call for me, what is your normal procedure for taking those calls?”

Again, she’s unsure, so she recites the procedure they’re all trained to follow. “If you’re available, I place them on hold and use the intercom to alert you of the call. If you’re not, I take a message and leave it on your desk.”

“Always?”

She’s wringing her fingers together in her lap. “Y-yes, sir.”

“That’s interesting,” I say, leaning forward and rolling my chair closer to my desk. I cross my arms and keep my stare fixed on her. “Do you know a woman by the name of Miriam Delgado?”

I know the moment I ask my question, she knows where this conversation is heading. “Sir,” she pleads. “I thought?—”

Losing my patience, I snap at her. “You thoughtwrong. The audacity you have to delete every single one of her emails, along with keeping her messages from me when she called in, is inexcusable. What were you thinking, Sandra?”

I’m furious with her and ready to fire her on the spot. Her mouth is opening and closing, attempting to come up with her defense, and I grow tired of waiting.

“Answer menow!Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?” My voice is growing louder, and I’m sure my employees can hear me outside. Rarely do I ever raise my voice, but her actions were personal to me.

“Ca-Captain, I’m so,sos-sorry! I thought I was helping!” she sobs, already losing herself to her emotions. It doesn’t move me in the slightest.

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