Page 67 of Boss Daddy

Chapter 25

Samuel

James bursts into the office, his expression grim. Without a word, he drops into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and regards me with a look of total seriousness.

“We’re not knocking anymore?” I ask, kind of joking but kind of not.

“Two barbacks and a bouncer quit,” he says.

“The hell?” I straighten in my chair, my jaw tightening. “When?”

“Before their shift tonight,” he replies. “They called in one after the other and said they weren’t coming back.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting the surging wave of frustration. “Why?”

James hesitates, which only pisses me off more. I’m not shy about hearing bad news. When it comes to matters like these, I want to know the facts, and I want to know them ASAP.

“Come on,” I snap. “Out with it.”

He sighs. “I think they were threatened,” he finally says. “None of them said it outright, but you could hear it in their voices. They’re scared.”

I slam my fist down on the desk, the sound sharp in the quiet room. “Goddamn it. I knew Misha wouldn’t back off, but this...”

James doesn’t say anything, just watches me with a steady, assessing look.He knows better than to tell me to calm down.

“This week’s been a fucking nightmare,” I mutter, pushing back from the desk and standing. I pace the room. “Wednesday, the front of the club gets tagged, and I have to scramble to get someone here to clean it up before opening. Friday, we’re walking half the staff to the subway because they’re scared out of their minds after what happened to Erin and Tiffany. And now this? Three quitting without notice?”

“It’s Misha,” James says simply. “You know it is.”

“Of course it’s him,” I snap. “A man like Misha doesn’t let go when he wants something. And apparently he really fucking wants Erin.”

James shifts. “So what’s the plan, boss? Because this isn’t going away on its own.”

“I know that,” I bite out, but the frustration in my tone is more at the situation than at him. “He’s pushing, trying to rattle us. And I’ll be damned if I let him win.”

James nods. “We’ve got staff quitting, people scared to come to work. He’s hitting us where it hurts.”

“I’ll find replacements,” I reply defiantly. “And I’ll make damn sure everyone feels safe. Whatever it takes.”

James nods. “You know I’ve got your back, but damn, part of me hoped this whole thing would just blow over.”

“No chance of that happening. Hell, I’m pretty sure he’s had it in for me since I turned down working for him all those years ago. Men like Misha are petty. They hold grudges.”

“Then the only move to make is to take his ass down.”

I stop pacing, my fists clenched at my sides. “I’m not letting that bastard ruin what we’ve built here. And I sure as hell am not letting him get to Erin.” I look at him as I ask, “How is she out there? Guessing she’s heard the news about the staff quitting.”

“She’s holding her own,” James replies. “But this has to be eating at her. You’ve talked to her about it?”

I pause, releasing a sigh as I think about Erin. She’s tough as they come, but even the strongest people have limits, and Misha’s relentless games are pushing her closer to hers.

“I’ve talked to her,” I tell him. “But she doesn’t need words right now. She needs to know I’ve got this—thatwe’vegot this.”

“And we do,” James says. “But don’t forget—she’s got your back, too.”

I nod, my jaw tight. He’s right. But I’ll be damned if I’m about to let her fight this battle alone.

James sits back. “What do you want to do about the staffing issues?”

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