Page 18 of The Bishop

I nodded in agreement. “I see what you mean. Thank you for having such confidence in me.”

He came into my office and sat across from me. “The more I think about it, the more I think you need to stop running that fraternity and find better things to do with your time.”

“But the guys need me,” I argued.

“And you need to be here,” he shot back. “It’s time Rector. You need to step up, be the man that I need you to be. It’s time to put aside the games that you play and be the mature adult that you really are.”

“Are you saying that I should drop out?”

“No,” he said, though he seemed to contemplate the possibility. “Get your degree. But maybe you can look at splitting your time between the campus and here. Like I said, leave the frat business to your friends.”

I clasped my hands together and set the atop the desk, staring at them as his words sunk in. “Things are that bad, huh?”

He nodded. “I don’t want to lay all my problems on you, Rector, but… yes. I need you here.”

We sat in silence for a moment. This was big. This was important. If the company failed, we would lose everything.

“Okay,” I finally said.

He looked up at me. “What does that mean?”

“I’ll put aside my studies for a while. There may be a few courses that I can take at a distance… you know… study at home and get to class once a week or something like that. I’ll check it out and see what I can do.”

He offered me a hesitant smile as he stood and headed for the door. “I’ve had to let go of many people, Rector. And it kills me. It kills me to have to tell an employee who’s been with me for years that I have to let them go. They have mortgages and families and responsibilities and…” He turned to me.

I’d never seen him so pained.

“I come off as the cruel millionaire who doesn’t care, but I do care. I have no choice.”

“How many people have you let go?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I think we’re closing in on a thousand people laid off. Most of them are out in the field, but there are a few high-salary employees in the office that I’ve had to let go as well.”

“Like Mr. Poe,” I said.

“Like Mr. Poe. But that’s a whole other story. As head of finance, he should have seen this coming. He should have warned me. He let the numbers get out of control and never said a word. Never advised me to change anything.” He looked up at me. “That’s why I need you.”

I stood and went around my desk to face him, man to man. “I’m here for you, Dad and I’ll do everything I can to get this company back on track.”

He gripped my shoulder and gave me a loving shake. “I knew I could count on you.”

As he turned and walked away, I thought of Bishop and Deacon. Were their families going through the same hardships? Were they about to lose their fortunes as well?

My phone dinged and I turned to see Deacon’s face on the screen indicating he’d sent me a text.

“Reading my mind, Deac?” I said as I picked up the phone and opened the text.

“What the fuck?” I let out.

I was slapped with a photo of Deacon fucking Brook from behind while Bishop lay under her, eating her from below.

“What the fucking fuck?”

The blood rushed to my face as I was suddenly sweating from the stifling heat. I closed the door to my office and leaned back against it.

“What the hells is this supposed to mean, Deacon?” I muttered into my office.

Brook was a virgin.

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