Page 79 of Caged in Desire
Chapter thirty-seven
I take a minute to look out my office window at the sunrise over the city before settling in for some research. I left especially early this morning to try to make it here before anyone else, hoping for several hours of peace. Not many people should be here since it’s only a few days until New Year's, and almost everyone is off for the holiday week.
I’m lost in a trail of files pertaining to the land dispute when the lights in the main office turn on, and a glance at the time confirms I’ve been at it for a couple of hours.
“Good morning, Henry!”
I look up from my stack of papers to see Linda at my door, looking to be in good spirits. Smiling, I tell her good morning, hoping that will suffice and she’ll leave me be. Of course she doesn’t. “How was your Christmas?” she asks.
With a sigh, I place the papers I’ve strewn in front of me neatly back into a file and give her my attention. “It was wonderful, Linda. And how was yours?”
Somehow her grin grows even bigger. “Fan. Tastic,” she says, breaking the word apart in a way that has me grinding my teeth.
I know my time of peace has come to an end. I stand to leave, grabbing my file and keys from the desk. “Well, if that's all, I’ll be on my way. I just came in to grab a few things.”
I expect her to move from the doorframe to let me pass, but the closer I get, the more I worry a conflict might arise. I could just push past her or ask her to move like a nice normal boss.Excuse meusually does the trick.
“Oh!” she says, thankfully unblocking my path as she runs over to her desk. “Here, this is for Kat, erm…Mrs. Sinclair. I feel like the two of us might have gotten off on the wrong foot. I just wanted her to know I’m very happy she’s around to deal with your grumpy self now instead of me.”
Linda laughs as she hands me an elegantly arranged gift basket filled with assorted treats and…fruit.
Green fruit.
Green fruit I’ve become quite familiar with over the past twenty-four hours.
Cerbera odollam.
The entire world stands still as everything runs together. Linda S. Baker. I’ve only ever seen her full name a handful of times on official documents, but I remember it well enough. Suddenly, her strange behavior toward Katarina makes sense. Butwhy?In ten years, I’ve never had the slightest reason to suspect her of having any romantic feelings for me. Even when she was dealing with the applications and correspondents with potential submissives, not once did she demonstrate the slightest bit of jealousy.
“Is something wrong?” she asks, bringing me back to the moment.
Every ounce of restraint I have is being tested as I look up to see an obviously painted look of concern on her face. My instinct is telling me to end her life right now, but I know that would be a nightmare to clean up. No, I have to contain myself. She’s stillgoing to die for her attempt on Katarina’s life. But in the light of day, in the middle of the heavily surveilled office, is not the time or place.
Luckily, thirty years of business training have taught me how to think quickly in situations like these. Well, not necessarilythistype of situation, but still.
With a pained expression of my own, I sigh, “Actually, Linda, Katarina and I aren’t on good terms…”
“Oh, I hate to hear that,” she says, with a frown.
“Yes, I’m afraid whatever short stint of hope I had for our union to work was only ever that. Hope. Maybe we could discuss it later tonight? Over dinner?”
She reaches up to touch my shoulder, and it’s a fight for my life not to cut her hand off letting her touch linger on my chest. “I wouldlovethat.”
“Wonderful,” I spit out, removing her hand by her wrist as gently as possible, not wanting to give away my charade at the moment. “I’ll have a car pick you up at seven.”
“Well, lovely to see you too, brother…hey! ” Ledger yells as I pull him through the door.
As soon as I was safely in my car, I called him, letting him know to get his ass to the estate. Since Ivan and Sasha are already there, I thought it would be an easier base as we figure out everything before I meet with Linda tonight. I should’ve told her tomorrow and given us more time to get our ducks in a row, but she’s already lucky she has the extra ten hours to live.
I lead him through the house to the study and guide him behind my desk. He looks at me with suspicion as I push him into my chair. Ivan and Sasha are already sitting, so I pull up one of the more plush chairs between them and Ledger and waste no time cutting to the chase. “It’s Linda.”
Minutes pass as all three men look at me in confusion, until Sasha breaks the silence. “Who the fuck is Linda? I swear to God, Henry, if you’re cheating on my sister, I’ll kill you.”
“I suggest you take back that threat right fucking now,” Ledger growls. “I don’t give a damn if you’re the bratva or not, I'll beat you to a pulp if you try to lay a hand on my brother.”
Any pride I had in the way Ledger defended me is short-lived as he turns his attention to me. “Now, you better have a good explanation for who Linda is because if you’re cheating on your wife,I’llbeat you to a bloody fucking pulp.”
I look between the three men. Ivan is sitting with his hand over his eyes, massaging his temples, while Ledger and Sasha are both practically fuming. “Linda is my PA, you idiots,” I say, shaking my head. “And ifeitherof you ever questions my devotion to my wife again, I’ll beat youboth.Understood?”
