Page 36 of Dirty Little Secrets
Thunder rumbles in the distance slashing the silence in the room.
Jeremy at the far end of the table coughs. Mike and Steven hide their grins behind their fists. Chloe’s eyes widen in embarrassment. Landon looks like he’s been sucker punched with his hand covering his face.
When the meeting ends, Landon corners me near the break room. “You think that shit back there was funny?”
“I think you underestimate how obvious you both are.”
His face tightens. “Is that why you’re fucking him? To get even.”
I almost laugh at how ridicules that sounds.
“You are, aren’t you?” he snarls, face twisted. “I knew you were a whore sleeping your way to the top.”
I slap him. Hard.
Ignoring the sting on the palm of my hand. Rage triggering the violence I’ve been dying to unleash. As always, Landon flips the narrative, painting himself as victim and me as villain. And I am the villain—just not in the way he thinks.
His shock turns to rage as he grips my arm, fingers digging into my skin. I whimper as he shoves me into the wall.
Something glints across my vision; a hand wraps around Landon’s throat. “If you don’t let her go, I’ll break it.” Xaiden’s voice is low steel.
Landon gasps as Drazen tightens his grip.
“Let me go,” Landon wheezes.
But he doesn’t. My arm throbs as the feeling returns. I watch as Drazen leans in close, whispers something to Landon that makes his eyes widen with fear. “Nod,” he orders.
When Landon finally nods, he releases him and shoves him back. Xaiden waits until Landon composes himself and walks away.
Phone out, Xaiden turns his back to me, makes a call. When he’s done, he turns, meets my eyes. The look says:Follow.
In his office, he pours himself a Scotch. No ice. “Do you think what you did back there was wise?”
“I did what was necessary.”
He turns, gaze skating over me and shuts the door. “Humiliating him in front of everyone.”
“I gave him a dose of his own medicine. He's humiliated me for months.”
His gaze dips. “Are you hurt?”
I look up trying not to get lost in his dark gaze. “I’ll survive.”
His jaw tightens. “Why? You could have put yourself in real danger. Please don’t misconstrue what I’m saying he has no right to touch you but this is an HR nightmare.”
He means we could all lose our jobs and that can’t happen. Not when I’m this close.
He’s right about HR having no choice to terminate us if this went further but it had to stop. Landon still thought he stood a chance with me. Denting his inflated ego was the most effective way to get him to back off.
“I knew he’d confront me. I’ve moved out. Blocked his calls. He saw me here and assumed.”
“And what did he assume, Ms. Summers?”
“That I’m just another woman screwing her way up the ladder.”
“What did he say when he grabbed you?”
“Exactly that. He accused me of sleeping with you.”
