26. Addison
26
ADDISON
N othing.
I went back as far as I could, but there was nothing about my father.
At least anything useful.
I searched his name. The company he once ran, The Mercer Group.
But I came up empty-handed.
I chewed on my bottom lip as an idea popped into my mind. It was stupid and likely wouldn’t reveal anything, but I could at least try.
I typed friend into the search bar. To my surprise, one email popped up, but the title didn’t seem to have anything to do with my dad.
Insurance Issue.
I opened the email thread, my heart skipping a beat in my chest when I saw the last message Warren had sent.
He’s my friend, he wouldn’t do that. He’s not like that. Check again.
The next message was sent by someone who signed his name in initials. T. K.
This shouldn’t be discussed in emails. Call me.
I scrolled up, trying to make sense of their conversation, but it was at least twenty emails long.
A door closing had me jumping in my seat. My eyes shot up to Warren, fearing I’d been caught snooping, but he was now in the adjoining conference room. Nick was nowhere to be found, but Warren was talking to a familiar face.
Why is that guy here?
I watched as Warren and the guy in glasses from the charity event who bought the paintings for that orphanage talked. Their expressions gave nothing away, which had my eyebrows raising to my hairline.
This is not a coincidence.
But who is he?
The nagging feeling in the back of my mind got more and more annoying the longer I stared at him.
I know him. I know I’ve met him before, but where ? —
“You’ve been working so hard, Addi. Mind if I take you out for an early dinner?”
I jumped at the voice and looked around to find Nick standing by my desk with a warm smile. I let out a breath and returned it. No; actually, I’d really like to finish reading this fucking email, so can you please go away?
But as much as I wanted to, I didn’t say it out loud.
On top of that, I had been working all day to fix Warren’s clusterfuck of an email inbox, both on the plane and here, but I still wasn’t done. More and more kept arriving—it looked never-ending.
“I can’t. I’m still busy,” I said with an apologetic smile.
Nick frowned.
“I’m sure you can come back after and finish it,” he offered. “To be honest, I only asked because I could hear your stomach growling from across the room.”
Embarrassment burned my skin. In truth, I was hungry. I just didn’t know…
I turned to look back at Warren.
“I already asked them and have been rejected,” Nick said. “They have some work to get done and refuse to leave until it’s complete. But there’s no reason you should suffer too.”
Fuck it. The emails will still be here when I’m done.
“You know what? You’re right.” I stood and stuffed my laptop into my bag before throwing it over my shoulder. “How do you feel about sushi?”
* * *
“I don’t remember the last time I treated myself to sushi. That was great. Thank you,” I said as we left the restaurant.
I crossed my arms as the icy air settled around me. The smart dress I had worn was now my biggest regret. It was one of the few things in Warren’s curated closet that looked appropriate for work.
It wasn’t that cold when we left, right?
“Of course,” he replied with a blinding smile. “I make it a point to have dinner alone most times, so it was nice to finally have company.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
We fell into a slow walk back to the office. If I thought it wasn’t rude, I’d ask him to pick up the pace, but I was here as Warren’s assistant, and I didn’t want to ruin this business for him or to hint at the fact that we were… well, more than boss and employee, I guessed.
The sun had already set, and the city was basked in darkness. If I squinted, I could make out a few stars just beyond the light pollution of the city.
There were a few cars out, but not many. Being in the financial district meant that it was far too late for anyone to be working at this hour.
“It’s better to keep a distance. Especially from the employees.” His smile dropped slightly. “Wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong… idea.”
Immediately, my hackles raised. It wasn’t about the words—it was the way he said them. Like the women in his office were throwing themselves at him left and right, and he was graciously refusing to preserve his reputation.
No innocent man would say that.
Suddenly, this man started to feel unsafe. Like maybe Nick wasn’t the person he pretended to be.
Warren never made me feel like that.
Yes, he was a monster in his own way, but this guy… was slimy.
Warren was right.
I had only a few options, and none of them looked good. Running toward a likely empty company wouldn’t do unless Warren somehow miraculously appeared in the lobby.
Maybe I can just wait it out.
He’s creepy, but we’re right by his company. I just hope he doesn’t get too confident.
I offered him a forced smile.
“Of course. Understandable.”
I hope Warren is waiting for me up there.
For the first time, I realized that Warren was my safe space. I just needed to get to him.
I picked up the pace.
“In a hurry?” Nick asked, and a chill ran up my spine.
“Cold,” I said, barely looking at him.
“Here, you can have my jacket?—”
I turned and raised my hand before he could place it over me.
“No need. The office is right there; we just have to hurry a litt?—”
He swung the article of clothing around us and placed it on my shoulders. The smell of his overbearing cologne caused my nose to itch.
“Uh… Okay, I guess.”
I refused to say thank you, but I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t want to cause a fight—not when I was outdoors and alone with him.
“No problem,” he said with another smile, totally ignoring that I wasn’t at all grateful for what he did. “It’s a company one anyway.”
I turned back to the office, moving even faster, and this time he didn’t say anything. When we got to the building and he offered to get the door, I rushed forward.
“No, thanks, I got it,” I told him quickly before slipping into the building. Only then did I realize I was still fucked because I had to take the elevator up with him. The walk there was silent with only our shoes squeaking against the newly cleaned linoleum.
Trying to create some distance, I took off the jacket and attempted to give it back to him, but he merely shook his head and kept his hands in his pockets.
“That’s for you.”
I gritted my teeth.
Just survive the elevator ride, then find Warren.
When the doors opened, something told me not to get on. He entered first and turned with a raised eyebrow when he realized I wasn’t moving.
I swallowed the knot in my throat. My nails dug into my palms.
Against my better judgment, I took a deep breath and stepped inside.
I scooted to the edge of the elevator. My heart was racing in my chest. My hands were slick with sweat. My whole body was telling me to watch out, warning me about what was coming.
“The office will be mostly empty,” he said. I could see his eyes roaming over me from the corner of my eye as I watched the little red numbers move way too slowly.
Why is it taking so long?
“Work-life balance seems good,” I muttered.
He cleared his throat.
“It’s what we’re all about.”
Sure you are, fucker.
Just as it dinged and the door started to open, I all but ran out, only stopping to look back when I was at a safe distance.
Nick was still in there, eyebrows raised and hand outstretched as if… As if he was going to grab me and pull me back inside.
My eyes shifted to the see-through conference room, and my heart dropped.
Where the fuck is Warren?
“What’s got you so skittish?” he asked, a bit of taunting in his tone, as he moved toward me
He had been right. The office was completely empty.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Where’s Warren?” I asked, trying to seem composed while the words almost got caught in my throat.
“My assistant texted me a while ago and told me they had just left for dinner,” he said with a coy smile. “After much persuasion.”
Warren is not coming to save me.
I took a step back. Nick had done this on purpose. My hand floundered for my phone.
“Listen, Addi, I have to admit that from the moment I saw you, I?—”
“Sorry, one second. I have a call,” I said once I found my phone, but just as soon as I attempted to put it to my ear, his hand was grabbing my wrist hard, stopping me.
My breath caught, and for the first time, true fear raced up my spine.
Warren was right. He was right all along, and I fell for this guy’s bullshit.
“I’ve been very nice to you,” he whispered. “Took you out to dinner and everything. An assistant. Let me ask you, do you want to be something more than that?”
“I’m happy where I am,” I said through gritted teeth. “And I recommend you let go of me before?—”
“Before what?” He was goading me, his smile turning more malicious.
He knows I’m afraid, and he’s enjoying it.
I tried to pull my wrist away from him, but he held tight.
“You think this will stop Warren from taking your company from you?” I asked, my voice shaking. His smile faded for a moment when he realized just how much I knew.
“No. But what have I got to lose now? Him showing up here means I’m done for. We all know it. You think my employees weren’t gossiping already? Even if he doesn’t take it, I’m ruined. ”
“This will make it worse,” I spat. “You think he’ll let this go?”
“Calm down,” he cooed. “An assistant shouldn’t feel so confident speaking to someone like me this way. I could ruin your life, you know?”
God. He’s even worse than I thought.
I jerked my wrist again, letting out a whimper as his grip tightened further.
“If you don’t fucking let me go?—”
“Now, Addi, let’s not make this any harder than it needs?—”
A silver laptop flashed across my vision and right into Nick’s face, sending him flying to the ground.
His groan echoed through the empty office.
A large back covered my line of sight and Warren’s smell infiltrated my senses.
The violent relief that ran through me was immediate.
He came. He came for me. He’s here now. I’m safe.
“It’s Addison to you, you fucking prick,” he growled, and in an instant, he was racing forward and stomping on Nick’s face. Not once, not twice, but three times. Each hit sent a chill through me. And it wasn’t a bad one.
It happened too fast for Nick to react. All that came out of him were choked moans as Warren’s foot collided with his face. And afterwards, he just lay there, bleeding and dazed.
“I warned you, didn’t I?” Warren said, his voice menacing. “And then you go after what's mine ?”
My entire body was on edge, but his words? They poured oil on the small burning flame inside me, turning it into a blaze strong enough that it threatened to destroy everything in its path.
Never in my life had I craved violence as much as when I saw Warren standing over that man, fury twisting his face as he stomped on him like he was nothing but a disgusting little bug.
I didn’t move. Didn’t want to. I was soaking up every single moment of it.
Did getting hot and heavy while a guy who was supposed to be the enemy beat up a man for daring to touch me make me fucked in the head?
Absolutely.
But I was still loving every goddamn moment of it.
“Stop! I’m sorry!” Nick moaned as he realized Warren was about to bring his foot down again.
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry. Tell her .”
Oh god. My entire body flushed. This is so unbelievably hot.
I pushed my thighs together, unable to handle the sensation.
Warren leaned down, grabbed him by the collar, and forced him to kneel at my feet. He stood back up, glaring down at him. His breathing was labored, his face still twisted with anger.
When Nick stayed silent, Warren nudged him with his foot.
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“And?”
“And?” Nick asked in a panic.
“Tell her you’re not worthy to even kiss her feet.”
Oh fuck.
My eyes met Warren’s. He was gauging my reaction to the whole thing, seeing how much I was enjoying it.
My core pulsed with need.
“Okay, that’s enough of that,” a new voice said from behind me. I turned to see the man with glasses coming into the office. “Let’s not add another lawsuit to the name of Addison Mercer, hm?”
I still couldn’t put a name to the man’s face, but it didn’t matter because Warren rushed forward to grab my wrist. When I winced slightly, he released some of the pressure and pulled me into the nearest private room.
“Fix this,” he growled behind him, then shut the door, locking us in.
I was immediately pushed against the wall. One hand was on my hip, the other on the wall next to my head.
His lips were dangerously close.
“Are you hurt?”