Page 16 of Degrading Her

Yes, baby,the stripper murmured.

My father stroked her hair and chuckled:That’s true power, son.

And in a way, what he said was true. When it came to my only desire, to lead the family business, my father held it in front of me like a treat in front of a dog. He even took me to unnecessary business meetings, like right then, to give me a sample of what that power would be like.

The stripper unzipped his trousers, pulling out his dick, sucking on it greedily. Perhaps he thought I shouldwantthat kind of power over her. But I wasn’t interested in that.

It was later, when he convinced that same stripper to be the bait for a particularly difficult kill, that I became intrigued. In the end, she didn’t survive, but we had the cash from a satisfied client.

Thatwas the power I wanted: control over others.

And the only way to get my father’s position as leaderwas to be more like him, and kill him. To mirror his language, so that he thought I was loyal to our family’s business, and above all else, loyal to him.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Now, my father was gone. Roth of Hatchcom Focus, in comparison, was a new kind of obstacle. Buying his company would have been the easiest way to deal with the issue, but it was not our only solution. We could always get rid of the competition.

But first, off to my latest project.

The parking lot contained a half-constructed building—what was supposed to be a multi-purpose room. The main brick building had a high ceiling but stood only one story tall, with a large room in the corner for a computer center and a children’s area in the other. A staff room was settled in the back, with several computers and book racks. Two women worked in that room, one with black hair, and the other with chestnut hair.Fiona.A smile painted on her face as she buzzed on, filling in her new co-worker about the intricacies of the New Host Library. Based on the eyes I had watching her over the years, this was the place where Fiona was most content, where she seemed the most confident and at peace. Which was exactly why I bought it. The library was a piece of my puzzle.

The other woman waved. Fiona’s jaw dropped when her eyes landed on me.

“Ladies,” I said, nodding my head. I turned to the other woman. “You must be Erica Houston.”

The black-haired woman nodded. “Yes. And this is?—”

“Fiona Ross,” I said, finishing her sentence. My eyes fell on Fiona, penetrating her with my gaze. So her new boss and her coworkerhaddecided to show up today. She could clock out when she was assigned.

“Mr. Feldman,” Fiona said, sucking in a breath. She narrowed her eyes at me, leveling her shoulders. “You must be the new owner.”

“You told me that, right?” Erica said to her.

“There is a managerial position that needs filling,” I interrupted. “I’m planning to open it to the current staff first, only focusing on the full-time hires: you two.” I motioned to each of them. “I know you started today, Erica,” I nodded at the black-haired woman, “but the Board showed me your resume. It’s impressive. And Fiona, I know you have plenty of experience here. But I won’t be judging on a resume or interview alone,” I angled myself toward Fiona. “You will each create a program. Whether it’s for adults or for youth is your choice”

“Um, sir?” the other woman said, shaking her head. “I just got here.”

Fiona crossed her arms. “You’re making us compete? That’s not fair to either of us. Including Erica.”

“It’s anassignment,” I corrected them. “Regardless of whether you have an interest in the managerial position, it is a chance for you both to show off your creativity and leadership skills. Do you have any questions about that?”

Fiona bit the inside of her cheek. “I’d love the opportunity,” she said. It was hard to argue with me when I framed it like that. Community programming was part of her passion.

“Erica?” I asked.

“I guess I’ll learn on the job,” she said. She patted Fiona’s back. “Will you help me?”

Fiona nodded.

I continued: “The New Host Library will go through many changes over the next few months. I expect both of you to give your best efforts.”

“Of course,” the other woman said. She nudged Fiona. “Fi?”

“Happy to oblige,” Fiona said.

I used my key to open the small office tucked inside of the staff room. A giant painting of Pierce Mountain hung above the filing cabinet, a desk on the opposite side. I made a few phone calls to the local cattle backgrounding operations while staring out of the window connecting my office to the staff room. It gave me a perfect view of Fiona as I droned through each call.

Once I was done, I found Fiona shelving in the fiction section.

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