Chapter 2
***Aggie***
“Wow.” I whispered the single word under my breath and then did my best to regain my control.
Sure, the Graves brothers were much better looking than their pictures did justice, but that didn’t matter.
What mattered was that I needed a job. The job they were hiring for.
There wasn’t another job in the country that would allow me to do what I needed to do; they were it.
Still, I couldn’t help noticing the height and strength of the men in front of me.
I’d always been a sucker for well-built men and they didn’t lack in that area.
The three of them all had the same thick, dark hair that reminded me of melted chocolate, and unfortunately, I loved chocolate.
Their intense gazes were identical in the way they seemed to want to ignite me on the spot.
Those dark gazes helped me refocus on why I was there.
Arrogant men with attitude problems had to learn to play nice.
“Ms. Young. We’ve been waiting. Take a seat.” The oldest brother, Zander Graves, looked me over with the coolness of an iceberg. “I’m not sure how you’re used to conducting business, but we run a tight ship here at The Graves Company. Punctuality is important.”
I smiled. “Of course, Sir. That’s why I knew something had to be wrong when my ten o’clock appointment came and went with no word. I hope everything is okay.”
His eyes flashed as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and folded his long body into the chair at the head of the table. I couldn’t see what color his eyes were from across the room, but I couldn’t mistake the fire in them. “Cute.”
I barely resisted making a face as I settled into the chair across from him.
I had spent a decade of my life working at their biggest competitor.
I’d bought into the narrative that Monroe’s family company was just that, a family company, and that TGC was a massive monster, built of new money and pompous egos. It was hard to let that go so easily.
Knight Graves sat next to his older brother and looked me over. “You spent ten years at Monroe Blake’s company and now you’re here. Why?”
I licked my lips at the utterly dry feeling his question left in my mouth.
I hadn’t expected them to go for the jugular quite so quickly.
“Things change. I worked my way to the top and found that my opportunities to grow shrank to nothing. I love my work and I love being challenged. I didn’t feel like more time at Blake Corp would’ve changed the level of opportunities. ”
Zander twisted his fingers together on top of the table and stared me down. “It has nothing to do with the supposed breakup between yourself and Monroe Blake?”
I ground my teeth together as a renewed fury washed over me.
What I’d known would happen had already happened, it seemed.
No one would’ve known about our breakup without Monroe making it known.
The only way the three men in front of me would’ve known was if Monroe was blacklisting me in our industry.
I just hoped it worked in my favor. The Graves brothers hated Monroe.
“My personal life should hold no bearing here. My work speaks for itself.”
Kyrin, Knight’s twin, shook his head and rested his fists on the table. “You honestly expect us to believe that Monroe Blake didn’t send his little girlfriend over here to play spy?”
I felt the top of my head tingle as the desire to punch the men seemed more and more like a valid option.
“I am not Monroe Blake’s little girlfriend, Mr. Graves.
My name is Aggie Young and I’m the best digital strategist you’ll ever have in this room.
I understand that my past employer could cause some pause, but I trust that three men who grew a small company into what you have today are beyond rumors and speculation. ”
Knight pulled his black framed glasses off and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
His dark hair was slightly too long and it fell across his forehead as he put his glasses back on.
With the shadow of a beard on his strong jaw, he could’ve been Clark Kent with those glasses and his strong body.
“Some pause? You say like that we haven’t been thwarting Blake’s idiotic attempts at sabotage for the past decade.
Why would we ever think this is anything different? ”
Kyrin stood up and gripped the back of his chair.
In just a button-down shirt and slacks, he looked the most down to earth, but when he spoke, it was more than clear that he was a Graves, through and through.
“We’ve attended the same fundraisers over the years, Ms. Young.
Blake kept a tight leash on you. Are we supposed to believe that he just let you go suddenly? And that you just showed up here?”
I interlocked my fingers in my lap and met each of their hard gazes.
It was news to me that we’d attended the same events.
I would’ve remembered seeing them. “He didn’t let me go suddenly.
He broke up with me and fired me when I wouldn’t leave work to do his bidding.
He cast my job away like I didn’t save his company time and time again over the last five years, especially.
I assure you, nothing about losing my job and my life’s work was sudden. Not to me.”
Zander held up his hand and leaned forward.
“We take our hiring process very seriously. We only hire the best and we vet each and every hire. The things we do here are all top-secret and letting a fox in the henhouse, so to speak, would be one of the dumbest moves we could ever make. I assure you, Ms. Young, nothing about what we do could ever be labeled as dumb.”
I straightened even farther. My back was a steel rod at that point of the conversation.
I was fighting to keep my temper in check as hard as I could.
“Have you looked at my resume? I attached a portfolio of the projects I’ve led, minus identifying features, of course.
I’m sure you won’t feel like hiring me would be a dumb mistake if you looked everything over. ”
“Why do you want to work here? Honestly?” Knight stared me down with an intensity I’d never felt before. I would’ve sworn I could feel his gaze burning through my clothes and scorching my skin.
I took a deep breath. “Honestly?”
Zander nodded once. “It’s what we prefer.”
“I want to destroy Monroe Blake. I worked harder than anyone else in that company. I was the last one to leave every day. I bled for that company. I loved it. I made it better, too. I improved the company and I felt pride in that. I would’ve continued working there for as long as possible, even after the breakup.
” I lowered my voice again when I realized I’d been speaking louder with my growing passion.
“For Monroe to fire me over his hurt feelings is one of the most infuriating things to ever happen to me. I want to destroy him for it. The right way.”
“Your company is a stunning example of a thriving business, but I can make it better. Give me an hour with your marketing team and I’ll come back with ten different solutions for how to grow your reach.
I want to make your company even larger than it already is so it slowly and systematically chokes the life out of Blake Corp.
I could do it from anywhere, but it would take too long at a smaller company.
Not that they’d even hire me. I’m assuming I’ve been blacklisted. ”
Kyrin whistled. “Revenge. That’s the first time we’ve ever heard that one.”
Knight nodded. “No kidding. Revenge is not exactly something I’d stake our company on. This is our father’s legacy. We would never leave it resting on the too narrow shoulders of an angry ex-girlfriend.”
“I’ll be honest. You’re believable. And the idea of Monroe Blake screwing someone over adds up.
” Zander steepled his fingers in front of his chest as he sat forward.
“You’re not worth the risk, however, Ms. Young.
There’s not a chance in the world that we’d take a chance on you.
Hiring a spy sounds about as fun as stapling my dick to this table. No, thank you.”
I narrowed my eyes but kept my temper in check. “I’d urge you to reconsider. Please. Just look over my portfolio.”
Zander Graves’ answer was to slide his copy of my resume and portfolio across the table to me. Tilting his head, he studied me. “You can go now.”
I slid my information back towards him as I stood up. Anger threatened to spill out at any second, so I kept my mouth shut as I strode out of conference room C, unsure of where I was going from there.