Page 6 of Royal Beast
DARCY
Asob rises in my throat as I stare down at the note in my hand.
“Pay up. Or else.”
I know what “or else” means. I’ve seen the broken kneecaps and the hands with missing fingers of men who can’t pay. I’ve seen what can happen when someone crosses the Brannagans and their associates.
My heart jackhammers as I glance around, paranoia flooding me. But no one’s there. Fear turns to cold fury.
“Fuck!” I curse, crumpling the note in my shaking fists. My dad’s fucked up again, but I feel like I can’t get mad at him because he’s sick. He doesn’t have much time left, and I don’t want to spend it fighting.
I feel tears begin to streak down my cheeks. Taking several deep breaths, I focus on the rise and fall of my chest as I try to calm down. I don’t have time for a breakdown right now.
I stop at the café and grab a coffee on my way to work, pasting on a fake smile as I walk to my office.
I’m on the phone dealing with a work crisis when Jessa appears with a stack of files. When she sees there isn’t any space to put them, she turns to leave.
“Leave the files!” I hiss, pointing furiously at my side table. Before she can speak, I glare at her. “Not right now!” I whisper loudly, cupping the speaker with my hand.
She hesitates. “Go bother someone else!” I snap. Her eyes widen before she flees, tears in her eyes.
Fuck. I pinch the bridge of my nose and stare at my cup of coffee. I shouldn’t have lost my cool at her, but I wish she would have waited until I was off the phone. Either way, I’ll need to apologize later.
Inhaling deeply, I turn my attention back to the person on the other end. “Uh-huh,” I say, my tone clipped. “We’ll be in touch with our lawyers.”
Just as I hang up, Miranda appears, hands on her hips.
“Darcy, can I see you in my office?” she asks, her tone leaving no room for argument. I blink, running my fingers through my hair, wondering what it’s about this time.
Once inside her office, Miranda fixes me with a pointed look. “What’s going on, Darcy?” she asks. “I saw your intern fleeing your office in tears.”
I sigh as I sit down in one of the chairs opposite her desk. “A lot,” I admit. “We’ve got an issue with one of our author clients that I’m dealing with and I have some stuff going on in my personal life.”
“You know you can always talk to me,” Miranda reminds me. I lean forward, burying my face in my hands.
“It’s embarrassing,” I mumble. “I don’t want you to judge me for it.”
Miranda shakes her head and sits down next to me. “I’d never judge you, Darcy. I’ve always seen you as a daughter. You can tell me anything.”
I bite my lip, unsure whether I want to unload my burden on my boss, but when Miranda reaches out and places her hand on my wrist, I find myself breaking down. I spill the whole sorry tale to her, explaining everything but leaving out the darker parts.
“It’s never been this bad,” I admit, a tremble in my voice. “He’s always gambled away a few hundred here, a thousand there, but the fact that he sold the house and still kept borrowing? I’m worried what’s going to happen to him.”
“Let me help you,” Miranda says, reaching for her checkbook and flipping it open. She pulls out a pen. “How much do you need?”
I gasp. “No, I can’t. I won’t. I couldn’t ask that of you,” I tell her. “You’re my friend but you’re also my boss. I could never pay you back, not in a hundred years.”
“It’s pocket change to me, dear,” Miranda insists. “You don’t have to pay me back. Tell me the amount.”
I think about it for a moment. It would be easy to just let her write a check. I open my mouth and then close it. I can’t allow her to do this.
“I appreciate the offer,” I say, balling my hands into fists on my lap, “but I have to decline. I can figure it out on my own.”
“Darcy, dear, this sounds like a serious issue. You should really think about accepting my offer.”
“I know. But I can’t, not in good conscience.”
Miranda nods, but there’s disapproval in her eyes as she puts the checkbook away. She looks back at me and gives me a soft smile. “If you change your mind, I’m here for you.”
