Page 32 of Kennedy

KENNEDY WAS IN HISoffice when trouble found him. He had a meeting with Bennett later to discuss his future within the council organization. He’d already told Bennett that he wasn’t leaving town, which hopefully meant he’d be allowed to stay at the facility, but he wouldn’t be sure until he talked to Bennett, and the anticipation was killing him.

He supposed that if things didn’t work out here, he could always work with Lewis at the flower shop. He didn’t know how much work there was since both Lewis and Danny already worked there, but he was positive he’d find something. The only thing that mattered was that he’d be with his mate, and he’d sacrifice pretty much anything to do that.

He pressed a hand above his heart, where the mark with their initials was branded into his skin. He still couldn’t believe Lewis had wanted them to bond. He’d been so intent on taking things slowly, yet when the time had come, he’d rushed into bonding. Kennedy didn’t regret it, and he didn’t think his mate would, either. At the very least, he couldn’t feel any regret coming through the bond.

What hecouldfeel was satisfaction and quiet happiness. He suspected that if he were with Lewis right now, he’d be able to hear him hum. It was something Lewis did as he worked, and Kennedy was fascinated. The few times he’d been at the flower shop, he’d watched him work in awe.

There was a quick knock on the door before it opened, and Hawthorne barged in. Kennedy could tell from his expression that his reason for being here wasn’t good, and he briefly wondered if Hawthorne would notice him if he hid under his desk. Since Hawthorne was staring at him, he suspected he would.

“What is it now? Has Barry returned with his father?” Kennedy asked.

“Worse. Bennett wants to see us.”

Kennedy frowned. “Why? I have a meeting with him in a few hours.”

“Yeah, he told me, but he just texted and asked me to fetch you and bring you to his office. He also said I should stay once we get there, which makes me wonder.”

“He’s not afraid I’m going to pitch a fit if he fires me, is he?”

Hawthorne snorted. “Why would he think that? Besides, he’s not firing you.”

“Maybe he’ll gently ask me to leave?”

“You’re not going anywhere. Come on, let’s see what’s going on.”

Kennedy sighed and followed Hawthorne out of the office. Even his last day couldn’t be peaceful, could it? He didn’t really think that Bennett believed he’d throw a tantrum if he was told he couldn’t work at the facility anymore, but if that wasn’t what was happening, what was the problem? Normally, Bennett would’ve texted or called him. He wouldn’t have asked Hawthorne to fetch him, and he definitely wouldn’t have asked Hawthorne to stick around once they reached the office. It was as if he was afraid someone would be attacked.

Kennedy was nervous as they walked down the hallways, and it didn’t get better when they got to Bennet’s office. He was only half surprised to see Wallace Senior sitting by the desk, a smug expression on his face. His lips twisted in an expression of disgust when he saw Kennedy, but he didn’t say anything to him. Instead, he turned to Bennett and nodded. “That’s him.”

Kennedy frowned. “I’m not sure what’s happening.”

Bennett gestured at Kennedy to sit down in the other chair in front of his desk. “Mr. Jones came to warn me of something,” he said.

That didn’t explain anything. “Okay. I thought he couldn’t enter the facility.”

Wallace Senior’s cheeks turned a deep red. “The council doesn’t want home wreckers working for them,” he snapped. “I already warned them against Seymour, but I had to do something about you, too.”

Kennedy rolled his eyes. “Really? That’s what you’re going with?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not doing this for the council or their reputation. You’re doing it because you’re angry at Jimmy and want to ruin his life.”

“I’m not the one sleeping with his mate. You’re ruining my son’s life, not me.”

Kennedy glanced at Bennett and arched a brow. Bennett shrugged, looking as if he didn’t care much about what was happening. It was clear that he was on Kennedy’s side, which was a relief. Jimmy and Kennedy had talked to him after the first time Wallace Senior had confronted Lewis and Kennedy, and Kennedy was glad they had. It felt like overkill back then, but at least Bennett hadn’t been caught unaware.

“Now that Kennedy is here, would you mind telling me what’s going on in more detail?” Bennett asked.

“I caught him kissing my son’s mate in the middle of the street,” Wallace Senior said as he pointed his finger at Kennedy. “He’s a homewrecker. The council has a reputation to maintain, and I’m sure they won’t want to keep him around. You need to fire both him and Seymour.”

“What you’re describing didn’t happen during work hours, though. Why would I fire them?”

“Because there’s a law against intervening between mates. This man clearly broke that law.”

Bennett looked at Kennedy. “Did you?”

“I didn’t break any law.”

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