Sin’s Of A Father (The Villains Anthology)

Chapter One

WARREN

I step out onto the wet pavement and stare up at the large, grey building.

It looms over many others in central London, but it stands out mainly because of the tinted floor-to-ceiling windows which give the building a glassy look.

My driver and head of security, Anthony, moves to my side. “Everything okay, Sir?”

I release a heavy sigh and nod before pushing the glass doors open and stepping into Baxter Corp. From the polished stone floors to the bright white lighting, everything about this place screams power. It’s how my father, Nico Baxter, wants it to feel.

The receptionist sits at her desk, directly opposite the main doors. She’s been here for at least three years, and I still haven’t bothered to find out her name.

She spots me and sits straighter. “Good morning, Mr. Baxter.”

I nod in greeting and head straight for the elevator, stepping inside and pressing for the top floor, but before the doors close, three other gentlemen step inside. They’re all from the accounts department, on the floor below me. A mumbling of good mornings ensues as the elevator rises.

Stepping out onto the top floor, the first person I notice is Leoni, my secretary, who practically falls off her chair as she scrambles to get her feet.

I breeze past her without a second look.

She irritates me beyond belief, but I’m told by human resources that I cannot simply fire her for pissing me off.

“Morning Mr. Baxter,” she says to my retreating back.

“Coffee,” I bark out, and it’s immediately followed with her sigh. It’s that sigh that pisses me off the most, because I hear it every time I ask her to do anything. It’s almost like she doesn’t know what her job is.

My office is dark. Dark wood, dark blinds and dark flooring.

It matches my dark heart. I pick up the remote from my desk and press the button to raise the blinds, bathing my office in daylight.

The view from this window looks out over London, maybe beyond if I looked hard enough, but I don’t have time for that because there’s a cluster fuck of a situation that needs my full attention.

I sit at my oversized oak desk and pick up the phone. As it rings, I put the call on speaker phone and replace the receiver.

“Warren, my main man, how’s things?” Robert’s happy tone just angers me more.

“Tell me why I received a call at six this morning asking me where the goods were?” I bark.

“Minor misunderstanding on drop off points but it’s almost sorted, the goods will be there.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “So help me God, Robert, you better not be fobbing me off. I’m feeling trigger happy right now and I don’t give a fuck who is on the receiving end.”

“No one needs to die today, take a breath. I used a new driver and he got a little–” he pauses, “–lost.”

“You’re not helping me to stay calm,” I growl. “A new driver on a new fucking job, are you stupid?”

“You pay me to do the worrying. I’ll call you when I have an arrival time.”

“I pay you too much to fuck up like this!” I yell. “You have an hour or you’ll be seeing me, and trust me, you really don’t want that today!”

I disconnect the call and glance up into the dark blue eyes of my secretary.

She places my coffee on the desk, spilling a little as it sloshes in the cup.

Clenching my jaw, I glare at the hot liquid that will most likely stain the expensive wood.

She reaches across the desk and plucks out a few tissues from a box, then lifts the cup and dabs at the coffee.

I place my pointy finger on the glass coaster and push it towards her. “I have these for a reason,” I hiss.

She puts the cup down. “Sorry,” she mumbles.

“And what have I told you about knocking before you enter,” I add.

“I did knock but you didn’t hear me,” she says, throwing the wet tissue into the waste bin.

“If I don’t tell you to come in, then stand outside,” I growl.

“But then your coffee would get cold and you’d be mad.” She turns on her heel and heads for the door, muttering under her breath. “You’re always mad.”

“What did you say?” I demand, and she pauses, glancing back over her shoulder.

“You’re always mad,” she repeats firmly.

“I am your boss,” I yell, standing and using my height to intimidate her. It doesn’t work. I see her square her shoulders and jut out her chin defiantly. “Show some damn respect.”

She narrows her dark blue eyes. “And I am a grown adult. Treat me the same.” She stomps from the office, slamming the door hard and leaving me open mouthed.

Nobody speaks back to me. Ever!

An hour later, to the second, I get a message from Robert confirming the drop. I place my phone back on the desk and let out a sigh of relief. Councillor Duggan approached me a month ago about doing business, and I set a high price. He happily agreed, and letting him down was not an option.

It’s almost lunch when the office door swings open and Erik saunters in.

He smirks when Leoni rushes in behind him, protesting about his walking in unannounced.

He flops down in the chair opposite my desk, not bothering to look at my flustered secretary.

“I’m sorry Mr. Baxter. I did ask him to wait. ”

I shake my head. “He never listens to rules, do you little brother,” I say, raising a brow at him. “I’ll have my lunch in ten minutes,” I add.

That sigh escapes her lips again, and I clench my fists to keep control of my anger. “Of course, Sir, anything else?” she asks coldly, and I think I detect a note of sarcasm in her voice.

“Yes. Get Erik the same, plus two coffees from that coffee shop I love.”

She stares at me for a moment. “But that’s a ten-minute walk.”

“Then you’d better leave now,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

She wants to challenge me. I can see it in her eyes, but she thinks better of it and pastes a smile on her face before leaving.

“Firecracker,” mutters Erik.

“A complete thorn in my side. I don’t know what the fuck Synthia was thinking when she hired her.”

“She’s hot, that’s gotta make up for the attitude,” says Erik, pulling out his mobile phone and glancing at the flashing screen. “Christ, this bitch can’t take a hint,” he mumbles, cancelling the incoming call.

“Maybe if you didn’t keep leading women on, they wouldn’t get hung up on you!”

He smirks. “I’m very honest before I fuck them, it’s not my fault they get a bit of loving and want a second go.”

I screw up my face in disgust. I don’t know where he finds the time to fuck anyone, but maybe that’s why I ended up running the firm for our father, instead of him.

There’s not a responsible bone in his body.

I’m not close with Erik. He’s five years my junior, and although we share the same father, we have different mothers.

He’s a modern-day Romeo, just like our father.

I, on the other hand, have no time for women or dating.

It amuses Erik, and he often makes jokes about me being gay.

I’m not, I just have important shit to do and with women comes drama.

I definitely don’t have the time or patience for that.

“Is there a reason you’re here, Erik?” I ask, sighing.

“Nope, I was passing and now you’re buying me lunch so it’s a good job I popped in.”

LEONI

“I hate him. He’s a sweaty ball bag, limp dicked, fuck face,” I rant into my mobile phone and earn the amused stares from passing lunch goers. “How can one person be such a pissing dick face?”

Courtney laughs. “Lee, you say the same thing every day and I tell you the same thing, tell him to stick his job!”

“I can’t,” I wail. Not only does this job pay ridiculously well, but I also signed a one-year contract. If I leave, I have to hand back my company car, which I love, and my new apartment, another thing I love.

“The vogue apartment isn’t worth your unhappiness,” says Courtney.

“I have an amazing view,” I groan. “And there are bars within walking distance.” It was one of the things that attracted me to the expensive rented apartment.

“Then suck it up buttercup,” says Courtney. “You can’t have your cake and eat it. Now get the man his coffee and make sure to smile sweetly.”

I roll my eyes and disconnect the call. I love Court; she’s my very best friend, but she doesn’t suffer fools lightly, and my whinging doesn’t even tip her sympathy scale.

I grab the ass his coffee and then head back to the deli near the office to collect the pre-ordered lunch. Luckily, Mike, the deli owner, knows me well, so he was happy to add the extra lunch when I explained Mr. Baxter had a meeting crop up.

Mike smiles widely when I enter his small shop. He reaches for the white paper bag behind the counter and hands it to me. “You look beautiful today, Leoni,” he says.

I laugh heading back out, whilst trying to balance the coffees and bag without any spillages. “You always say that, Mike.”

“Because every day it’s true.” He winks playfully.

Talia waves me over to the reception desk when I get back into Baxter Corp. “Erik kissed me on the cheek,” she gushes.

“You know he’s a playboy, Talia.”

“For one night with that, I can forget he’s done it a trillion times before.”

I roll my eyes and laugh. Most of the women in this place would give anything for a night with either of the Baxter brothers, but not me.

I’m not saying they’re not worth the pedestal that everyone’s placed them on, because I’d have to be blind not to see the hotness that these men ooze, but I know behind this huge corporation lies scandal and illegal activity.

That’s one of the reasons Warren’s office manager tied me into the contract.

They don’t want me leaving and telling people what goes on here.

I had to sign a lifetime NDA. She also said it takes Warren at least a year to warm to anyone.

I’m only two months in, and I know he hates me; it’ll take a fire in hell to thaw his ass out.

I nudge the office door with my foot, waiting for his usual gruff “Come in.” When it comes, I hook my elbow around the handle and push. The door gives way faster than I expect, swinging open hard. I stumble, the bag slipping from my hand just as the coffee tips.

Time slows.

The cups hit the carpet, lids popping off like gunfire. Hot, dark liquid splashes across the black pile, pooling in little brown bubbles before soaking in—slow, deliberate, unforgiving.

When I finally lift my gaze, three pairs of eyes are on me. Warren. His brother, Erik. And his father, Nico. Fuck.

My face burns a deep shade of red. “Oh god, I am so sorry,” I splutter, rushing for the desk and grabbing the nearest box of tissues.

“Is she really going to use tissues that cost a hundred pounds a box?” Erik asks, amusement dripping from his voice.

I glance at the box, my eyes fixing on the gold Hamley’s logo. Of course. I press my lips together. Who the fuck buys luxury tissues just to blow their nose?

“Leoni, stop!” Warren’s bark slices through the air. I freeze, staring at the wet patch spreading across the carpet. I focus on one spot, blinking rapidly because if I cry now, I’ll never forgive myself.

“Just get out,” he growls. “You fucking useless pain in the ass.”

I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

“I don’t know why Synthia hired you,” he mutters, shaking his head. “But I’ll be having strong words with her. You can’t even keep coffee in a fucking cup.”

I inhale sharply and lift my chin, pretending I’m calm, even though my face is on fire and my hands are trembling.“Stick your fucking job up your miserable arse,” I snap, my voice wobbling halfway through. His father arches a brow and his brother sniggers.

For extra emphasis, I stomp on the bag of sandwiches. It squelches and mayonnaise squirts out. Great.I spin on my heel, storming from the office like a woman in a bad soap opera with my coat half on, and my bag slipping off my shoulder.

By the time I reach the elevator, my hands are shaking so much I almost drop my keys. I jab the call button. Once. Twice.“Come on,” I hiss, hitting it again and again. “Now would be a great time to open, you shiny metal bastard!”

“Stop.”

I freeze at the sound of Warren’s voice. “You signed a contract. You can’t just leave.”

My hand trembles slightly as I reach into my bag and pull out the keys to Betty. I give them one last squeeze before setting them down on the small table by the elevator, the one with the stupid plant I’ve always hated. Who even puts a fern there?

“That’s for my car,” I say quietly. “I signed your stupid NDA. I’ll leave quietly.”

“You don’t understand.” His tone shifts, impatient, but laced with something heavier. “You signed a contract, and my father will come after you if you walk. He’s as much as told me so just now.”

I glance back over my shoulder. Warren’s face is tight, his expression grim. He looks just as trapped by this as I feel.

“He’s a man of his word,” he adds. “You can be sure he’ll come for you.”

“I don’t have anything to give,” I whisper.

“He isn’t the kind of man who wants your money.”

Our eyes lock, a silent warning hanging between us. The lift dings open, breaking the moment.

Warren exhales. “Go home. Take the rest of the day. I’ll see you in the morning.” Then he turns and disappears into his office.

I stare at the keys. It would be easy to grab them, to come back tomorrow and pretend today never happened. But my mother didn’t raise me that way.

So, I step into the lift, shoulders squared and brace myself for a twenty-minute walk through the pouring rain in ridiculous heels, my pride the only thing keeping me upright.