Page 25 of Drilling Deep

Peter.

He’s been extra weaselly and annoying this week. Everything he says hits me the wrong way. I’ve almost thrown him off the damn rig and straight into the ocean more times than I care to admit the last few days.

The arrogant ass is telling some story to Henry, another crew member on the first shift. I turn my attention away from them, not wanting to risk being seen. But then I hear my woman’s name on Peter’s lips.

That has my attention snapping directly to that little shit fuck.

“Yeah, that Cora chick. Her dad is the president, so he has all the power,” he says to Henry.

“Okay, so what does that have to do with you being the new Foreman?”

I nearly spit out my coffee when I hear Henry ask that.What the fuck is this now?I knew Peter was angling for my job, but there’s no way he’s qualified for this position.

“Do I have to spell it out for you? I knew something was going on between her and Titan, and I may have tipped her old man off.”

“Titan?” Henry says in a hushed tone. “There’s no way that man has been laid in a decade. Why else do you think he’s so disgruntled all the time?”

I roll my eyes, not giving a shit what these two think about me. I’m far more interested in getting my hands around Peter’s throat and demanding he tell me exactly what he said to Cora’s father.

“Believe it. The president did. I’m sure Titan will be gone any day now. I don’t know why he’s still here.”

I’ve heard enough. I jump to my feet and the chair clatters to the floor behind me with a loud bang. All eyes turn toward me as I shove the tower of pallets out of my way and train my gaze on Peter.

His eyebrows lift to his hairline, and he shrinks back when I come to a stop in front of him.

“Do you want to tell that story again?” I growl, fisting the front of his shirt.

“Um, I… what?” he stutters out.

Lifting his string-bean body by his collar, I pull him to the tips of his toes, my eyes blazing with righteous anger I know he can feel.

“Tell me again how you went behind my back and talked to Big Dan. Or how you plan to take me down and steal my job. Tell me, you backstabbing motherfucker.”

I shake him, a twisted sense of satisfaction rolling over me when he whimpers. He claws at my hand as I hold him up. Releasing my grip, I watch as he tumbles to the floor, gasping for air.

I step toward him, and he scrambles backward, falling on his ass while holding his hands up, palms out, in surrender. Pathetic.

“What did you tell Dan?” I snarl. “Tell me word for word unless you want to be breakfast for the next shark we encounter.”

“Okay, okay,” Peter chokes out. “I heard my uncle talking to Big Dan on the boat ride over here at the beginning of the month when Cora first came on board.” I don’t like where this is going. “He said you were on thin ice with all the paperwork stacking up, and if Cora couldn’t help get you more organized, you’d be gone.”

I grunt, crossing my arms over my chest. Peter tries standing, but I jut my chin out and flare my nostrils, silently daring him to make a move. He backs down, knowing I can make good on my threat.

“S-so, um…” Peter trails off, swallowing audibly as a thin sheen of sweat covers his brow and upper lip. “Well, at first, I was going to, um, seduce Cora.” He flashes me a submissive, apologetic smile before quickly continuing. “But I didn’t. I didn’t!” he rushes to say. “I didn’t need to. You were already so possessive of her. I saw it the first day she went up to your office. The way you shouted at me to back off. It was only a matter of time before you slept with her.”

“And then you called the big boss to tattle on me and get me ousted from the rig,” I finish for him.

“D-don’t shoot the messenger,” he says in a weak, shaky voice. Peter tries laughing, but it comes out stilted and awkward.

“I’m not going to shoot you. I’m going to break your fucking nose.”

His eyes widen a second before my fist makes contact with his face. His nose snaps beneath the weight of my knuckles, and the caveman part of my brain is satisfied at the show of dominance.

He thought he could step in between me and my woman? He sure as fuck doesn’t think so now.

“Assault!” Peter shouts, cupping his nose, which is now bleeding profusely. “Did you see that? Titan assaulted me!”

“Shut up,” Otis, one of the old-timers on the rig, says in a lazy tone. “No one wants to hear you whining. We’ve all broken a nose while aboard. That’s just rig life. Toughen up, kid.”

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