Chapter 14
Nyah
When I left Braxton and the others, I went to my office. I confirmed with the contractor that he was still going to show up. After ending the call, I had some time to spare before meeting with the contractor. I decided to go to Braxton’s office. I don’t know why, but something was leading me that way.
I walked into the elevator to take me to his office floor. I hummed along to the music of Tamia’s, “Put a Move on my Heart,” playing before the elevator stopped and the doors opened. As I approached the front of Braxton’s office, it was like I was reliving a moment of déjà vu. Fonda wasn’t at her desk.
Moving closer to Braxton’s office door, I don’t know what was said before, but I hear him tell Fonda, “ If you ever call me by my first name again, you will automatically be terminated. ”
From his tone, I knew my mate was seconds away from going from professional to a straight-out asshole and revealing his wolf. The guard standing outside of the reception area looks at me. I shake my head to keep him from outing me. He could have stopped me, but from the ‘I wish you would’ expression I gave him, he stepped to the side.
Don’t get me wrong, after what Fonda said, I was ready to storm into Braxton’s office and put Fonda in her place, but I chose to wait and see how things would play out. She may not be a wolf, but coming on to your boss who is my mate is a definite fucking no-no. Whatever Mr. Harris and she had, going on in the past, that’s exactly what she wants to continue with Braxton.
Concealing my face, I moved to a common area where Fonda couldn’t see my face. She sits at her desk, looking displeased before pulling out her cellphone. She unlocks the phone, then begins to tap away. Within seconds, Levi’s secretary, Hanna appears.
She rushes in, not even noticing me as she approaches Fonda’s desk.
“What happened?” She asks.
“He’s making me leave for the rest of the day. He said if I call him by his first name, I’ll be fired,” Fonda replies, taking her fake Louis Vuitton purse from the bottom drawer of her desk.
Hanna lays her hands on the counter, then says, “Don’t worry about it. He’s new and still trying to build his brand with the hotel. I’ll come to your apartment tonight so we can go over new strategies for you. You will have him eating out of the palm of your hands in no time.”
There are two choices I can take right now, either let my wolf out and fuck the both of them up or ruin their lives with modern technology. I chose the latter, pulling out my cellphone, and began to record their conversation.
Fonda doesn’t look sure, but Hanna tells her, “How many times have we been through this before? Mr. Cornell is giving me the same type of energy, but you know I’m never one to walk away from getting what I want. I know he wants me, and I’ll play this little game with him. Remember you didn’t think it would work with Mr. Harris but after telling you how to finesse his ass, you went from driving a Hyundai to a Benz. We’ll sort this out.”
“You’re right,” Fonda says, standing. She throws the straps of her purse onto her right shoulder. “I saw the way he was looking at me. Trust me cousin, I’ll have him hooked in by the end of next Monday.”
Fonda laughs as she high-fives Hanna. I don’t find shit funny about their conniving ways, so I stand. Concealing the cellphone by my side, I go over to the counter. Fonda damn near chokes on her laugh when she recognizes me standing there. Her purse drops to the floor.
She stumbles over her words, “Ms. Lightfeather, is Mr. Hillard expecting you?”
“No, he’s not but I’m sure he won’t have any problems with seeing me. We have some things to discuss.”
“Good morning, Ms. Lightfeather,” Hanna greets in a fake tone, not knowing I just overheard their shady plans.
Subtly smiling, I return, “Good morning to you, Hanna.”
Hanna then cuts her eyes to Fonda who gives a fake smile before pressing the button on her desk phone. After one ring, Braxton answers.
“Yes, Fonda.”
While annoyingly gazing at me, Fonda informs, “Mr. Hillard, Ms. Lightfeather is here to see you.”
Before she can remove her finger to end their communication, I yell, “You need to get out here right now, Braxton.”
Fonda snatches her finger away from the button.
Hanna instigates the issue. “So, she can call him by his first name, but you can’t?”
Ignoring their exchange, I sent a quick text to Levi. Thank the Gods, he made me save his number in my phone the other day. He wanted me to have it in case he couldn’t reach Braxton, but also because since Braxton and I are mates, he extended his services to me.
“Come to Braxton’s office now!! Bring the rest of your security.”
If Fonda and Hanna wanted to try and escape, they couldn’t. Within seconds Levi enters the reception area with two of Braxton’s guards as Braxton comes out of his office.
Have you ever seen one of those old National Geographic documentaries where the lions surround the gazelles? That’s the way Fonda and Hanna look except I am trying to be the lioness who doesn’t draw blood at her job.
Levi and the guards enter, blocking the exit.
“What’s going on, Nyah?” Braxton asks.
Fonda and Hanna look at me for sympathy, but I don’t have it in me.
“These two thought they could use their feminine wilds to seduce the two of you.”
Fonda turns to Braxton, shaking her head from side to side. “That’s not true Mr. Braxton.”
“Exactly,” Hanna cosigns. “We know how to keep things professional which is why we have been employed here as long as we have.”
Hanna cuts her eyes at me as I ask, “Is that right?” Raising my phone, I begin to play the audio of their conversation.
Fonda and Hanna smirk, thinking I didn’t have anything on them.
“That’s not us, Mr. Hillard,” Fonda says.
I almost wanted to throw my cellphone at Braxton when he looked at me for confirmation. Honestly, did he think I would have this impromptu meeting if it weren’t justified?
If he wanted more evidence, I hit play on the video.
The video proves the underhanded shit Fonda and Hanna had in store for Braxton and Levi. They continue to try and explain themselves, but Braxton and Levi hold up their hands, not wanting to hear the bullshit.
As the video ends, Fonda and Hanna embraced each other for strength. It’s not enough to save them as Braxton declared, “Thank you for the time you’ve worked at the hotel, but at this juncture, Hillard Hotels will no longer need your services.”
With puppy dog tears in her eyes, Fonda tries to move closer to Braxton, but I block her path.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” I warn in a hoarse tone, trying to keep my wolf from trying to take over.
Fonda jumps before scrambling towards Hanna who is still in a confrontational stance.
“I know what you are,” Hanna confesses. “If you hurt me or my cousin, I will let everyone know what type of people are running the Hillard Hotel.”
My wolf eyes penetrate hers as I wickedly smile, showing off my fangs. “Not if I kill the two of you first, bitch.”
Braxton grabs hold of my wrist, stopping me from advancing towards them. He lets out a hearty laugh before saying, “I’m happy that you do.” His expression turns stern as he continues, “But tell me, who do you think the public will believe? The words of a secretary who can be proven to be callous with her motives or the true facts from a businessman who has built a successful brand without any bullshit accusations.” Braxton moves me behind him as he closes the distance between them, adding, “Trust me, you don’t want to go down this road with me. I will dig so deep into your background; your ancestors will haunt you for fucking with me.”
The bad bitch persona Hanna had simply dissolved as Braxton’s words started to sink in. She keeps her eyes on Braxton as she tells Fonda, “Let’s go.”
Fonda dashes to her side before they start to head to the door. When they reach the door frame, Braxton informs them, “I would say thank you for your time at Hillard Hotel, but I think the two of you leaving Hillard Hotel is beneficial for my brand. With that being said, don’t try and reserve a room or suite at the Hillard Hotel. You are banned for life.”
“Fuck this raggedy ass hotel,” Fonda sneers. “The only reason why it’s still standing is because, for years, I kept Mr. Harris from selling it. Eventually, he got older and with that he wanted to spend his glory days , whatever the Hell that is, with his wife.” She points her finger at Braxton. “You were supposed to be the one to take his place, but I guess you got morals and standards.”
As she and Hanna began to walk out, I couldn’t suppress my wolf instincts. I darted around Braxton.
“Excuse me,” I said before I made it look like Fonda and I collided into each other all the while kicking my left foot out, hitting her shin with enough pressure, the bone broke. She cries out, falling to the floor. Hannah is at her side, trying to comfort her.
“You did that shit on purpose,” Hanna shrieked as Fonda sobbed like her life was about to end. She’s lucky, one broken bone was all she received because it could have been much worse.
Playing innocent, I returned, “I did not. I can’t help it if we were trying to leave at the same time. I said excuse me.”
“Bullshit,” Hanna hissed. “I’m calling my lawyer! This is workplace abuse.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know how that is when neither one of you no longer work here.”
Hanna recoiled her head, stating, “We were just fired, so our termination status hasn’t been entered yet.”
Levi phones downstairs to have the front desk call the ambulance as Braxton glares at me. I let my shoulders rise and fall before he gives me a wicked grin. Oh, what a pair we make.
Before the paramedics arrived, I went into Braxton’s ensuite bathroom to tidy up, leaving him and Levi alone with the two skanks. I don’t know what was said to them while I was gone, but when I returned, Fonda was adamant about not watching where she was going and tripped over the strap of her purse causing her to stumble hard into the edge of her desk. It sounded like a bullshit story to me, but the medics believed it. Especially with Hanna attesting to it.
Hotel security showed up with all of Hanna’s stuff in a box, then did the same with Fonda’s. While the medic pushed Fonda out of the office, security followed behind to escort Hanna from the premises.
“Great, now neither one of us have secretaries,” Levi said. “Who’s going to take my calls?”
I laughed. “Levi, your fingers aren’t broken.”
He wiggled them in front of his face. “No, they’re not, but I’ve never had to do that part.”
Daddy always told me about these modern-day Packs and now I’m fully seeing it for myself.
“Levi, it’s Friday. You don’t have to return any calls today. We have a temp service that can come in until we hire candidates to fill those positions,” I assured them. “And trust, I’ll make sure they are not the tempting sex wolves for either of you.”
We all laughed, but I was serious. First of all, I never felt like those in charge should throw out new hires applications because they felt the person was prettier than them or had a better body than them. I just had a problem with those who were hired and used their bodies as an extra bonus.
We have a long way to go, but by the end of all the renovations. Weeding out useless employees, and finding all the underhanded bullshit being done, Hillard Hotel will be known as one of the gems in Tulsa. For some reasons, while things should be a walk in the park, for us, it’ll be more complicated than that. Only time will tell.