Page 71 of Breach of Honor

We exited the elevator to a commotion in the lobby. A woman…Simone? I rushed over to the security desk.

“Let go of me! You don’t know who you’re messing with!” my sister yelled, trying to break free from the grasp of a new security guard who was jerking her around like a ragdoll.

“Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is going on here?” I pulled her away from Scout, one of York’s men. I scanned the area, hell’s fire bellowing in my core. “Where’s Jorge?”

“Lunch.” Scout sneered, eyes dark as night.

“Can you explain what just happened?”

“She refused to show an I.D.”

“I’veneverhad to show identification before. He wouldn’t even let me use the phone to call anyone.” She sniffled into my chest, heart pounding against my hand on her back. I pulled her closer.

“It’s okay, Sim. It’s okay.” I stroked her back to calm her. The asshole had really freaked her out, but Scout appeared indifferent. It pissed me off how he didn’t show the slightest remorse for scaring her. This treatment of my sister was unacceptable. I didn’t care about the breach. If York’s men didn’t learn who was approved to enter without a pat-down, I’d lose my shit on all of them.

“Where’s York?”

“Lunch.”

“Is there anyone else here?” I tried to keep my voice down to defuse the scene because a small crowd had formed. I knew I wasn’t succeeding, my face was hot and Simone was sniffling in my arms.

“Mr. St. James, everything okay?” Jorge asked, eyes wild with worry.

“Who’s in charge when York is gone?”

Jorge stared at me blankly.

“Who?” My voice echoed in the lobby.

“Will, I want to go up to see Eva,” Simone whispered. “Please. I don’t want to be down here.”

I looked over my shoulder at Jason. “Hey, can you take her up?”

“Sure, no problem.” He collected Simone in his arms. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you out of here.”

Simone willingly went with him. Her long brown hair shielded her face so nobody could see her tears.

“I’ll be up shortly.”

Jason nodded. I waited for the elevator doors to close and then I turned toward Jorge.

“Mr. St. James, I don’t know who’s in charge. I just do my job.”

I believed him. Jorge had worked for SJI for the last five years and was a good man. Over the years at Christmas, his wife would send a dozen tamales for us.A humble gift, he’d say, handing me the package. They didn’t understand how much it meant that they even thought of me. And Rosemary’s tamales were the best I’d ever had.

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“It’s fine, Jorge. Go back to work while I have a few words withScout.” I glared at him, jerking my chin for him to follow.

I wasn’t scared of Scout despite his beastly size. He had to be at least six foot three, weighing in at two hundred and thirty, maybe two forty, all muscle and a fierce stare. He could easily rip me to pieces, but this was my damn company, and these security guys better know their place and that I was in charge.

He followed me off to the side. “Who’s running things when York is gone?”

“Office five,” he said quietly.

“There isn’t an office five.”

He didn’t answer me, just headed down the service employees’ hallway and opened the stockroom door.

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