Page 41 of Ghost of a Chance
“You have completely ruined my business. You have messed up my schedules. I’ve got contractors walking off the job, downing their tools, and walking away as though they didn’t have contracts, as though the work they were doing wasn’t important.Telling methat under no circumstances are they ever going to work for me or any of my projects again. They laughed. They were fucking laughing at me when I ordered them back to their work.Laughed. At. Me.”
Lionel leaned back in his chair, suppressing a smirk. “I don’t understand why you think this has anything to do with me,” he said, keeping his voice low and calm. “I don’t run construction crews. I’m a mortgage financier. A person whose services you claimed at our last meeting that you’ll never need. Furthermore, I’m a person you banished from the pride. You shouldn’t even be talking to me. That’s one of the main policies that the pride lives by, isn’t it? In fact, I think it was a rule that you implemented.”
“You’ve got no right telling me what I can and cannot do.” Pennington hadn’t sat down, and much like he had done with Jasmine, he placed his fists on Lionel’s desk, looming over it. “It’s because of that little thing you mated with, isn’t it? That fucking poodle. What did you do? Go running to his daddy? And now his daddy’s pulling some strings?”
“I’d thank you not to insult my mate.” Lionel sat upright. “I don’t know what they have said or what has been done in relation to your business. That’s got nothing to do with me. Did I tell Brad that you banished me from the pride? Of course I did. He’s my mate. I have no secrets from him. Admittedly, he is an extremely well-respected contractor who is currently managing major projects. As I’m sure you’re aware.”
He tilted his head to one side. “Or was it that you didn’t know? You didn’t think to find out who my mate was before you startedslandering him?” Lionel chuckled. “I can’t be held responsible for what my mate’s father might do or who he is. I met him myself only this past weekend. I found him to be a very agreeable man. I’m not responsible if he believes that you have slandered his son’s good name. You did, by the way, when you banished me because we claimed each other. Why would Brad’s father want to work with you after that?”
“You don’t get it.” Pennington was spluttering, he was so angry. “These projects cost me millions of dollars. It’s not the small fry fucking mortgage financing that you do here. These contracts are worth tens of millions. I have deadlines that have to be met. I have people waiting to come into the mall project. Contracts have been signed. Deposits have been accepted.Those buildings need to be finished.”
“Why are you yelling at me about it? As I said, I’m a mortgage financier. I’ve got nothing to do with the building project side of things.”
“It’s not just the mall.” Pennington was shouting now. “My home is a complete disaster zone. Walls pulled down, mess all over the floor, and the men working there haven’t been seen since fucking Wednesday.”
“I’m banished, remember? There’s no way I have anything to do with what’s going on with your house. If the workmen you hired aren’t doing the job, call another contractor.”
“I’ve fucking tried.” Pennington thumped the desk, scattering pens, and Lionel’s lion growled. Not that Pennington noticed. “I’ve spent the last four days trying to call every person who can lift a hammer in this godforsaken town, and nobody will come and work with me. No matter how much I’m prepared to pay, they’ve all said no.”
“I still don’t see why you’re yelling and telling me all this? It’s not like I can do anything about your building issues.”
“I’m ordering you to get those men back working for me.”
Lionel’s eyes narrowed on Pennington despite his amusement. “You can’t order me to do anything.You’re not my alpha anymore.” Lionel struggled to hold on to his amusement at just how far his new family had gone to teach Pennington a lesson. “I can’t say or do anything to help with Pride business.It’s against the pride policy.As I said, you shouldn’t even be here. You shouldn’t be within twenty feet of me. Remember? Pride members who are banished are invisible. They don’t exist. I don’t even understand why you’re in my office,” he repeated, seeing as Pennington wasn’t listening to him.
“Because this is all your fault! If you had just mated with a lioness, if you had just done what every other alpha lion in town has done—”
“Done what? Followed your archaic rules, licked your ass, and sucked your balls.” Another voice said from the doorway.
Lionel’s eyes widened. “Mom?” He quickly got to his feet. “What are you doing here? I mean, it’s lovely to see you. When did you get back into town?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Brad
The weekend had been one of the best of Brad’s life. The “baby talk” had proven not to be the mountain he’d considered it would be. Lionel was just the most perfect mate.
“Boss… Boss… Boss, what the heck is with you? Your weekend being a lovebird make you deaf?” Vene shouted right in Brad’s ear making him jerk and drop the level he was using—supposed to be using—to check the wall alignment now that the plaster was dry. It clattered to the floor sending up a plume of dust.
He glanced sideways and scowled at Vene, who gave him a toothy grin. “There’s no need to shout in my ear.I’m not deaf.”
“Seems like you are when I call you three times and you don’t answer.” Vene pointed out, cracking Barney up, who bent double laughing as he was. “Seems sex is messing with your head.”
All was forgiven between them, and the morning had been a dream compared to Friday. Brad aimed a hard stare at Barney, who didn’t notice as he was too busy wiping his eyes with the back of his dirty hands, still working on trying to get his laughter under control. “That’s right, laugh it up,” Brad griped. “You wait till you find your mate. Then we’ll see who has the last laugh.”
“Nah, I’m far too long in the tooth for that nonsense,” Barney finally managed to croak out.
Brad eyed the other man, realizing he wasn’t exactly sure how old he was. He’d been on Dad’s crew before Brad had left college. He shrugged it off and switched his attention to Vene, who wasn’t that much older than Brad. Jabbing a finger at him, Brad cackled, “There’s still time for you.”
“Leave off, I’m a confirmed bachelor. I don’t need no beta or omega coming in thinking they can change me.”
It was Brad’s turn to laugh uproariously at how adamant Vene was. “Fate,” he spluttered, “she doesn’t listen when she knows best.”
Vene paled and rubbed at a spot of dirt on his hand, shaking his head. “Don’t need nofe—maleworking her juju shit on me.” On that note, he scurried out of the room like his ass was on fire.
Barney glanced at the doorway Vene had left through, brows drawn together. “Wonder why he’s acting all weird, we were only messin’.”
“Who was messin’?” Brad said all teeth and attitude.
