Page 136 of Release Me

Belinda checks her watch again. “So you’re aware, we have fifteen minutes before we need to be in the lobby to greet Henry.”

“Togreethim? What, are we rolling out a fucking red carpet?”

“No, a green one,” she retorts without missing a beat.

I grunt. “Fine, I’ll make it quick.” I plow through the meeting room door, holding it open for Belinda before pushing the frosted glass shut.

At the far end of the table, Mike sits wearing aWhat the fuck is this about, now? I’ve got shit to doexpression. Beside him is a young woman with long, cinnamon-brown hair and bold blue eyes that brim with apprehension.

Mike gestures at us. “This is Ronan Lyle, the director of operations, and Belinda Cartwright, the hotel’s general manager.”

“And you are Jasmine Guilly,” I say.

“Yes, sir.” She croaks and attempts a smile. She’s probably around my age.

I pull out a chair for Belinda.

Her brow flickers a beat—surprised that a Neanderthal can have manners—before she takes it with a murmured “Thanks.”

I round the table and sit down, willing myself to relax. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Jasmine clears her throat. “I don’t know what this is about.”

“Let’s get right to it, then. Did you share potential Wolf Hotel employee names and hiring decisions from the recent job fair with a man by the name of Cody Wilson?”

“I …” Her jaw drops in shock. “Yes, but …”

“But what?” I press.

Her bottom lip quivers, and then the floodgate of tears opens.

“You’ve firedyour first employee. How does it feel?” Belinda’s heels click as we head for the lobby.

“As shitty as I expected.” According to Jasmine, she and Cody were “dating” for a couple of weeks. She met him at Siren’s Call before the job fair, and they “really hit it off,” which, in my books, means he found out she worked in Wolf’s HR and saw an opportunity to give her dick in exchange for a job with us. Good plan. Jasmine was part of the team vetting people at the job fair. She admitted to making sure his résumé got pushed through. She was shocked when he got the rejection email.

Cody was angry and insisted she find out why. That’s when she started fishing around in the main drive for files. He ended things with her the day after she confirmed those names for him. His reasoning? He can’t handle a serious relationship so soon after ending his engagement.

What a motherfucker.

And now the girl—a four-year Wolf Hotel employee and a transfer from Chicago—is packing her things, a prosperous career with the company ended over an opportunistic asshole. “Is there any way we cannotfire her?” I ask.

“It wouldn’t be a good look for you, but stranger things have happened at Wolf. Still, we can’t have someone like that working for us in HR. The guy manipulated her into getting him a job in exchange for sex.” Belinda adds under her breath. “Must be one hell of a cock.”

I snort. Her thought process works a lot like mine.

“But for a bartending job? Who does that?”

“A thirtyish-year-old guy who is now selling boiled peanuts and ice cream from a dinghy.”

She cringes. “Seriously, who is this guy again?”

“Why? You want his number?” Belinda would eat Cody alive. I’d enjoy that.

She huffs. “Maybe. I could use a good dicking.”

I falter a step, not expecting that answer.

“What?” She shrugs. “It’s been too long since I had a good lay.” There’s humor in her tone.

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