Page 40 of Playing By His Rules

It would be like a dream come true to work for an innovative company like Stephanie’s, but a part of her couldn’t help but wonder the reasons behind them making such a generous offer to a woman they’d just met. And one they really barely knew.

“Why me?” she found herself asking before she could stop the question.

“First off, you’re clearly talented,” Jillian said. “And secondly, we like to take care of our own.”

“Take care of your own?” she repeated, frowning.

Stephanie grinned. “Well, you being Rick’s girl, and all.”

Madison shook her head and tried to set them straight. “I’m not Rick’s . . . anything, really.”Except for an escort who’d agreed to spend time with him.

Jillian picked up her drink, her brow arched knowingly. “Oh, I think you’re Rick’ssomething,” she refuted. “Neither one of us missed how protective of you he was back at the suite, or the way he admitted that you weren’t some random woman to him.”

Stephanie nodded her agreement. “Clearly, we don’t know what has gone on between the two of you up to this point, but we both know Rick very well, and he’s more than just smitten with you.”

Madison swallowed hard, knowing she felt the same—that in a short time she’d fallen hard for Rick. More so than any man she’d ever dated in her past. Her heart was invested, but her life was still in a state of upheaval, and she hated that she’d managed to drag that same chaos into his life in a way that set him up for assault charges for defending her, not to mention the possibility of jeopardizing his job, or the contract with Reign.

Their affair had meant to be just that—a temporary fling with no strings, even if her emotions had managed to get tangled up in the deal. No matter how painful the choice, she knew letting Rick go was the smartest thing to do. Once he was gone and there was distance between them, she was certain he’d realized she’d made the right decision. For both of them.

Rick walkedinto the boardroom where he’d given his presentation earlier today, the mood much more somber and serious now than they’d been before the morning’s events with William had changed the dynamic between himself and the CEO. Flanked by Dean and Mac as a united front, Rick was surprised to see just Charles Coleman standing in the room waiting for them.

“Is your son joining us for this conversation?” Dean asked, clearly noticing William’s absence.

“No. He’s not feeling up to it,” Charles said, making Rick inwardly wince at that implication—and the busted-up face he was responsible for. “And honestly, I’d rather the three of us resolve the issue privately.”

Rick couldn’t get a bead on Charles or which way this conversation was headed—whether the other man was going to side with his son and renounce Reign’s interest in hiring Noble and Associates to upgrade their cyber security system, or if he was able to separate personal issues from business decisions. Not to mention the arrest he’d be facing if they decided to press charges.

Rick couldn’t deny his stomach was in knots. He didn’t regret anything that he’d done to William considering the prick had tried to violate Madison, but he didn’t want to lose the contract with Reign, either, and face Dean and Mac’s disappointment. Not because of Rick’s actions, which he knew they fully supported, but for the loss of a lucrative deal.

“Have a seat and let’s get started,” Charles said, his tone business-like as he waved to the three chairs opposite of his side of the table, where he took his own seat.

Charles exhaled a deep breath, met Rick’s gaze, and got right to the point. “So, based on what my son told me, your . . . female friend, who is also an escort at The Penthouse, invited him up to the suite while you were here giving your presentation. She propositioned him for sex, and you happened to walk in on them in the middle of . . . things.”

Rick’s anger shot through the roof at William’s altered, inaccurate version of events. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Mac cleared his throat and quickly intervened. “What Rickmeantto say was, that your son’s account of what really happened is grossly misstated and untrue.”

“My son’s face tells a different story,” Charles pointed out. “And he’s looking to press charges against Rick for assault and battery.”

Rick swallowed hard. Knowing that letting his anger get out of control would solve nothing, He forced himself to remain calm. “I don’t deny assaulting your son, but if I hadn’t walked into the hotel room when I had, he would have raped Madison.”

Charles was quiet for a moment, when Rick expected the other man to immediately jump to his son’s defense. He also wore one hell of a poker face and Rick had no clue what was really going on in the other man’s mind and it was driving him nuts.

“Show him the pictures,” Dean said quietly, but firmly.

Charles frowned, the first sign of concern showing on his face. “What pictures?”

Rick unlocked his phone and opened the folder that held the photos he’d taken of Madison’s injuries, then slid the device toward Charles, who reluctantly skimmed through the images, his expression at first shocked, then gradually grew horrified.

Rick didn’t hesitate to paint a complete picture of what had happened, so Charles could put his son’s heinous actions to the photos. “When I walked in on William, he was on top of Madison, pinning her down on the bed. He’d ripped her dress and bit her breast hard enough to leave teeth marks and nearly puncture the skin. He’d slapped her face so hard he’d left a handprint, and he had her in a goddamn chokehold so she couldn’t breathe or move while he was trying to open the fly of his pants. There isnothingabout that scenario that is even remotely consensual in any way.”

“Jesus, Christ,” Charles muttered, his voice filled with disgust, and a bit of anguish over his son’s abhorrent behavior. “I’ll take care of this.”

“Take care of it, how?” Dean pressed, clearly not satisfied with such a vague response. “I’d really hate for this to happen again to some other woman.”

“You’re right.” Charles nodded, shoving the offending pictures back toward Rick, his gaze agonized. “I’ve . . . heard things about William, but never could bring myself to believe them until now. He always had an excuse or reasonable explanation about what he calledrumors, but there is no refuting that kind of evidence.”

Rick relaxed a fraction at Charles’s insight, that the man finally realized what a scumball his son really was, even if it had been painful to view the proof of his transgressions.

---