Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
She blocked me out. Only a few minutes left, and we arrived at Astor Industries. I kept drumming my fingers on the door handle, waiting for the moment to open the door to spring out.
Not seeing her for a few days made me physically ill. I couldn’t focus on the meetings. I’d put the Singapore merger in danger. I wasn’t functioning on any level. So, I booked a flight home.
“Mr. Astor?” More than a hundred calls I’d made in the last three days, and she hadn’t answered one of them. But at least she hadn’t blocked me. “Mr. Astor?!”
“Yes?” I forced myself to the present.
Judy sighed. “As I was saying, her replacement should be in tomorrow—”
“Wait.” I’d missed most of what she’d said. She couldn’t be speaking about Nina. No, she wouldn’t make such a massive move without me. “Repeat that.”
She startled, the electronic pad slipping to the floor of the car.
“I-I.” She cleared her throat. “Nina’s replacement.”
“Replacement,” I snarled. Her hand shook and she stopped mid grab of the device. “She will not be replaced. She is staying put.”
“She’s already submitted her resigna—”
“No.”
Her mouth finally shut, cutting off the blasphemy.
The car rolled into the roundabout, and I opened the door before it came to a full stop.
Billings screeched the car to a stop, but I was already storming inside my building.
Finding her was my goal. I yanked my phone out, dialed Judy, and pressed it to my ear.
“Text me Nina’s exact location, now,” I barked.
“H-how—”
“Figure it out. You have surveillance’s contact.” I hung up. I’d fire Judy if she didn’t work fast. I strode to the restroom on this floor. I pressed my palms against the sink, bent over, and breathed in deep. She would not leave me. She would not leave me. A text buzzed my phone.
Cafeteria.
She never went to the fucking cafeteria.
I careened to the left, away from the elevator lobby and crossed the main entrance.
The large cafeteria provided breakfast and lunch for all employees, but in all the time I’d been obsessed with my Nina, I hadn’t seen her enter once.
The marble table-tops reflected the overhead light, conversation floated across the expanse.
I immediately narrowed in on her sitting in the middle row and stormed in her direction.
She looked up, and her eyes widened. She sat with . . . a man? My knuckles popped.
“Y-yes, sir?” She breathed, eyes flitting back and forth.
“Follow me.” I attempted to hold in my anger, but some spilled into my voice. Her cute little nose twitched.
“I’m busy.” She dropped her gaze as she moved her food around the plate.
“So, how was the dinner?” She addressed the man sitting across from her.
His gaze was focused so much on her that I craved bashing his face in and spanking her for daring to address another man.
I stood like a fool while she ignored me.
“Uh, it went well. Next time, you’ll have to go—”
I hissed a breath out between my teeth as my patience snapped.
Grabbing her arm, I yanked her up.
“Hey!” he shouted.
“It’s okay, Ray,” my bunny said.
I made a sound of disgust and dragged her after me.
She scrambled to grab her backpack. Staff attention swung our direction, but I ignored it.
I pierced him with a look, and he froze in the act of getting up to follow us.
I’d fire him on the spot if he continued down this path.
He sputtered but I didn’t hang around to hear his nonsense.
Nina went limp in my grip but as soon as we cleared the cafeteria entrance, she started fighting me.
“Let. Me. Go.”
She yanked so hard I had to let go or she would hurt herself. She stumbled back and I reached to steady her, but she pulled away.
“Where are the shoes I purchased for you?” Those damn worn flats. I hated her walking in them when they gave her blisters on the back of her feet.
She scowled. “What—never mind, listen, everything you got me, I left in your office. You weren’t supposed to be back today.” She rifled through her backpack. “Actually, I’m glad you’re here. I was going to leave it on your desk, but since you’re here.”
She slapped something on my chest, and I caught it before it floated to the ground. I scowled, looking down at the envelope. Pulling the document out, I sneered.
“You’re not resigning.” I crumpled the paper and lunged for her. She gasped, flinching back so fast and flattening against the wall. Gritting my teeth, I gently cupped her cheek. “I would never hurt you.”
Her enthralling lips parted as she gawked up at me.
My breaths sawed from my lips.
“Do not touch another man. I can handle anything, I can give you space, but I will not control myself if you try fucking around on me,” I murmured, fighting to be gentle. Her beautiful brown eyes blinked at me owlishly.
Clipped steps neared. “Samuel,” Caine snapped.
“Fuck off.”
Nina’s eyes widened.
“Do you realize where we are?” he snapped. I climbed out of the cobwebs of desperation. I had Nina flattened against the wall of the hallway leading to the cafeteria. I exhaled slowly. Jealousy had taken hold of me, and it simmered on low, ready to flare at a moment’s notice.
“Eyes on me,” I ordered, tapping her chin to return them to me and away from my brother. Caine grabbed my shoulder, but I shrugged him off.
I crowded her, and turned slightly to the side to block her from sight. Her warmth radiated from her small body. She jerked her face out of my palm.
“Is there anything else I can help you with Mr. Astor?” Her placid words punched my gut. I slapped my hand into the wall, and she gasped.
I narrowed my eyes. She shouldn’t jump, I’d never fucking hurt her.
“Oh hey, Judy,” Nina called and only managed to slip out of my fingertips because Caine kicked the back of my knee, buckling it. She jogged away, not looking back.
“Take it easy.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I tipped the shot into my mouth, no longer feeling it burn down my throat.
Slapping the glass down, I tipped my head back.
She’d walked away and Caine had brought me to our private room at the country club.
Red draperies hung across the windows, blocking the moonlight from spilling inside. I didn’t know how long I’d been here.
“You broke our cardinal rule. You know we don’t fuck employees.” Caine sighed and poured another round in my glass.
“She’s not just a fuck,” I snapped. She was everything and more.
My everything. He would never understand, and I knew how he couldn’t.
Before Nina, I would have scoffed at any of them acting like a fool in love.
Like a woman was more than just a pussy to us.
One only understood after encountering the soul shattering emotion for themselves.
Oliver chuckled, swirling the liquid in his glass.
He sat in the settee diagonal to me while Caine sat in the seat beside me.
“Take a breath, brother, she’s just a cunt.
There’s more than enough out there to find you another one.
” He waved his cell phone. “I can call up hundreds of them if you want an orgy.”
Caine sighed.
I lunged at Oliver, gripped the front of his skewed tie and socked him. Blood ruptured from his lip and he grunted. I released him, shoving him so he smacked against the backing of his chair. He winced, rubbing the back of his scalp.
“Caine,” I spat. “Shut his mouth or I’ll break his teeth.”
Oliver lifted both hands, a shit-eating grin spreading across his lips.
“I can’t deny I’m also rather concerned, Samuel.
It looks like you haven’t slept. You ended the planning with Claire.
Months of hard work flushed down the drain.
You even endangered the merger with Singapore.
” I didn’t bother pouring anymore and grabbed the neck of the bottle resting on the mahogany side table.
Everyone just needed to shut the fuck up. I swigged the bottle back.