Page 33 of One
“I like to play closer to home and not with people who buy my product,” I said, motioning to the open suitcase.
He studied me like I was fascinating, like I was a wild animal he had never seen before, and it was unnerving.
“Rumors are you have Halloween Town under your thumb too.” He quirked an eyebrow at me. “At your beck and call?”
“Under my thumb?” I closed the briefcase before Shepard could reach for it. “What are you insinuating with that?”
“I don’t think he means anything?—”
“He’s a big boy, he can speak for himself, Arthur,” I snapped.
“Just an observation,” Shepard said, his face growing hard.
“I thought it was a rumor?” I was getting irritated. “So, what is it, a rumor or an observation?"
Shepard studied me as I let my face show everything I was feeling. This fucker made it sound like just by spreading my legs they were under my command, and it made me want to put a bullet in his head. When he said nothing, I grabbed the suitcase.
“This isn’t going to work out,” I said.
“If I offended you, that was not my intention,” he said, as I turned around.
“It was your intention,” I said walking away. “Have a nice day.”
“Noelle, I think—” I glared at Arthur as he immediately shut up.
“Coming all this way to leave empty-handed,” Shepard yelled. “A true leader?—”
“Let me insult the mother of your children by saying she spreads her legs for power,” I snarled. “She is a whore for men who can give her what she?—”
“You will keep her out?—”
“Don’t be a fucking hypocrite,” I snapped as he walked to me, fury blazing in his eyes. “Don’t disrespect me if you wouldn’t stand for disrespecting the mother of your children. Now go fuck yourself, Shepard, and if you want my product, you can pay me one-and-half, and visit me with a fucking apology.”
I walked away, fuming. Turning my back on him was idiotic, but I wasn’t going to show him an ounce of fear. Arthur walked with me in silence as we climbed into the cars and left. Not even distance could make my anger dissipate and the need to cry only grew stronger.
Fucking men and the need to bring down a woman in power saying she only got where she was because she spread her legs.
The jet was ready as we loaded everything back up. After take-off, Maverick handed me a glass of Tequila. I took it back as a shot even though it was more. She took the glass back with her eyebrows raised.
“Don’t,” I sighed.
“I wasn’t, but that was kind of sexy.” She smirked.
I shook my head as my chest grew tight, wondering if I had done the right thing and if I had reacted irrationally.
“A man would have shot the other man for any disrespect, so don’t think bad about your decision,” she said. “I’ve seen a man die for less, and you need to show men who’s boss.”
I looked out the window pondering her words. If I were a man, he wouldn’t have said what he said. He would have respected me from the get-go, maybe be wary of me, but this deal would have gone down without a hitch. Since I was a woman, why did men feel so threatened by me?
The flight felt quicker and by the time we landed, I was angry and starving.
“Let’s stop by the burger joint that has great milkshakes,” I said to Maverick, as we got off the plane.
“You got it, boss,” she said, as I walked to the SUV.
She and Winchester climbed onto their bikes, riding ahead of us to scope the area out. Arthur was quiet, but it was tense in the car.
“Say what you need to say once,” I snapped.
