Page 507 of Savage Bosses

“This is the best strategy for the company, Ambrose. I wouldn’t advise you to move in this direction if I didn’t think it was advantageous for the company,” Brynlee says.

Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my desk. “You’ve been with this company for one month, Bryn. You’ve tried to change everything about our operations in one month. We have a relationship with Brooks and Searcy that has worked for the last seven years. Why would we change that now?”

“I’ve been looking through the financial records, Ambrose, and there are several errors that the auditors have overlooked. If the feds were to come in and look at these books, though they’re not glaring errors, I assure you that they will find discrepancies that will raise concern,” she argues.

“And I’m telling you that I’m sure there’s a plausible explanation for what you’re finding. I saw the same thing that you saw. In the worst-case scenario, we’ll get penalized a small fine. That’s nothing compared to firing a company with an outstanding reputation and searching for a new one.”

She tosses papers on my desk. “Here are multiple RFPs from reputable auditing agencies that would love to take our account. Aside from those, I have connections at PWC, Deloitte, and Marcum. TT’s current auditing firm is unknown in that arena, but the company pays an astonishing sum to them to do shoddy work. I mean, come on, Ambrose. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear someone was cooking the books!” she hisses.

I sit back in my chair and cross my ankle over my knee. “You might want to watch your words,Ms. St. Clair. That’s a serious allegation.”

She sits back and glares at me. “If it’s that concerning to you, then I think you would want to investigate it,Mr. Charles.”

“I have no need. I know this firm is reputable, and anytime a human is involved, there’s a chance for errors.”

She frowns at me. “Are you in on it? Are you benefiting from this collaboration?”

I walk around the desk, and she stands up, glaring at me. I tower over her five feet at six-two, but she doesn’t back down.

“I’m not intimidated by you.”

“You should be.”

Her chest rises and falls to a count of six times before she speaks.

“Why won’t you investigate the allegations?”

“Because I believe your claims are unfounded.”

“And I believe that you’re biased. What I want to know is why?”

“Is this another attempt to stop the staff cuts? Because if so, I can assure you that you’re wasting your time.”

“Maybe if you’d look further into this, you would see that our bottom line is healthier than you realize.”

“I know the bottom line is healthy. That’s not the point, but they expect it to improve by twenty percent.”

“If they’re following the auditors' suggestions, I understand why. It’s not the company I’m questioning, Ambrose, it’s the auditors. They are rumored to have mob connections.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “What’s wrong, Bryn? Too many late nights with Netflix or Crime TV?”

“Don’t worry about what I do with my nights,” she says, moving away from me and walking to the door, and I’m right on her ass.

“I once used to occupy your nights,” I whisper, standing closely behind her.

Brynlee tenses at my words. Inhaling her cinnamon scent, I wish that I could hold her again.

She spins around, glaring angrily at me. “That was a long time ago, Ambrose. I told you no more references to our past.”

“I don’t give a shit what you told me,” I rumble.

“I’m no longer that foolish girl you once played.”

She turns back toward the door, and I grab her hand. “I never meant to play you. I swear.”

Bryn jerks her hand free and turns again. “What is it that you want from me?”

“Forgive me. I fucked up, Bryn. I can’t take that back although I wish I could. Fame, money, and all that shit went to my head. I never cheated on you. Not intentionally. There’s so much more to that story, but you never gave me a chance to explain. Being so far away from you…I lost my focus and trusted people I shouldn’t have.”

---