11. CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 11
Cassidy
I'm dreading going to work, but the sooner we find a way to eradicate the radicals, the better. I'm not happy with Graham right now, but my job is not to please him. He's an arrogant asshole who thinks he can scare me into doing his bidding.
How dare he go through my messages?
Fucking prick.
I search my closet for a fresh outfit while also trying to figure out which would be the most comfortable one. If I'm going to spend an insane number of hours working my ass off, I want to feel good in my shoes. Also, that bastard better pay my overtime and then some.
I pick a simple black knee-length skirt, a white blouse, and a black blazer. The last thing I want is to attract anyone's attention. I want to get my work done and then go up to Graham's office. Find out if there are other things we can do to stop the leak. Not because I'm scared for my job, but for people's lives.
If only the prick could get that through his thick head. How dare he accuse me of being the leak?
I enter the Grey Enterprises building and nod at the security guard before scanning my ID card at the reception desk. I take the elevator all the way up to the thirty-seventh floor and go straight to my office.
I'm going to need a strong cup of coffee before I face the day.
Tim greets me at my door, catching me by surprise. He looks in, his eyes widening as soon as he sees me.
"Cassie," he says and closes the door. He reaches out to me like he's about to give me a hug, but I shoot him an annoyed look. "Cassie, thank God! I was so worried."
He opens his mouth to say more, but I glare at him and take a seat at my big mahogany desk.
"Tim," I say instead, coldly. "The messages you sent were uncalled for. I told you I was taking care of it."
He blinks his brown eyes at me, worry and affection drawing a fine line on his otherwise attractive face.
"Where are the police then?" he challenges. "I know what we saw, Cass. Who did you tell? The animals on the top floor?"
I raise my brows, unable to hide the surprise. Does he know about the shifters?
"That's confidential," I tell him sternly.
He shoots me an accusing look. "Don't tell me you're going to help them bury this. All they care about is money."
"What are you talking about, Tim? I'm here to do a job, and that's it. If you're asking for my help in bringing a private firm down, you're talking to the wrong person. Talk to someone else."
"It doesn't take a genius to see it's all dirty and corrupted," he says. "Someone should do something."
"Go back to your post and let us deal with it," I reply, trying to maintain my cool. "This is my department, and if you want to keep your job, you'll do what I tell you to. If you don't like it, get the fuck out. God knows I have too much on my plate already to be dealing with your shit too."
He shakes his head. "Fine. But don't think this conversation is over."
Yeah.
Fuck him.
Seriously.
He leaves, slamming the door on his way out, and I curse under my breath.
Fucking Tim! Always with the drama.
Despite his insistence that we can be just friends, his behavior now suggests otherwise. I just wish he would get over it. He’s the one who cheated on me, so he should suck it up and move on. I certainly did.
My cheeks flush at the unexpected thought of Graham. The flush is a mix of anger and something else.
I shake my head.
I'm no one's toy, dammit. I really shouldn't let any alpha asshole put me in the corner just like that.
How dare he go through my computer?
It's unforgivable.
I let him not only in my home but also in my bed. Can't he see just how much I opened myself up to him?
I shake my head and sigh.
As I wait for my computer to turn on, a gentle knock on the door calls my attention. Makayla waves at me through the glass. I nod my head for her to enter.
She comes in all giggly and energetic. Her jean suit and shirt could belong to a stylishly dressed grandmother, but Makayla doesn't care. She's in the business of coding, not fashion. To her, a T-shirt is a T-shirt.
"Good morning, Boss," she chirps. "Did you have a nice weekend?"
I exhale loudly. "Not exactly."
"Why?" she asks and sits in the chair opposite of me. She leans forward as if wanting to know more.
"Is something wrong?" I ask instead, ignoring her question.
"So...you know Tim?" she begins awkwardly. "He passed by my desk and told me something, but I don't know whether I should take him seriously. You know that I'm trying to keep myself away from the drama and avoid listening to rumors, but he was just so damn close to my desk when he said it. I couldn't help but overhear."
"What did he say?" I ask cautiously, fearing the worst.
"I'm sure it's only a rumor," she says, looking uncomfortable, which makes me even more curious.
"Makayla," I warn. "Just spit it out."
Makayla sighs and looks everywhere else but in my eyes. "He said something about you fucking the big boss like a wild animal."
My blood runs cold.
It was my first time talking to Graham. It's impossible for anyone to jump to those conclusions after just one conversation. I didn't even go home with him after he shifted into a wolf. Maybe Tim saw Graham following me.
No, that's unlikely. Graham would’ve scented him.
Was Tim stalking me?
That's also unlikely.
The most obvious explanation is that Graham contacted him after he read the messages on my computer. The big bad wolf gives off possessive vibes, so by getting in touch with Tim, he was marking his territory.
The thought makes me angry. I'm no one's possession. No one's territory. No one's anything to mark.
"What do you want me to say, Makayla?" I sigh.
"Is that a yes?" Her eyes widen.
I shake my head, mostly to myself because there's no way I can tell her that not only is Graham Grey is a powerful shifter who didn't blink an eye when he fucked me in my own home, but also that I'm into kinky, dominant sex with my hot boss.
God, that sounds incredibly bad.
But I can't deny how freaking arousing it is, too.
The fact that he went ahead and searched my personal things also fills the whole ordeal with boss-hole vibes.
It feels wrong on so many levels and also against the law. Is it weird that law-breaking excites me? Well, obviously it also depends on the offense and the offender.
Shit. I’m in an even bigger mess than I’ve originally thought.
Makayla is looking at me expectantly.
"It's..." I clear my throat and tap a finger against my desk. "A sensitive issue. That's all I can say."
Makayla frowns. "Be careful, Cass," she says softly. "Graham isn't what he seems. There are rumors going around that even I’ve heard. There's something shady going on, and it could be dangerous. It's best to keep your head down, come to work, do your job and get paid. Rinse and Repeat."
My fingers freeze. "What sort of rumors?"
"They're too weird to even say out loud," she says with an awkward chuckle. Her entire body language screams discomfort.
If even Makayla gets scared...
"Like?" I urge.
"Like him being into bestiality, for example. Don't ask me how the HR let it get this far, but this building has seen its fair share of beautiful, sexy women. Apparently, he's not too picky about who he sleeps with and how he sleeps with them," Makayla replies, her brows furrowing. I have a feeling she’s fishing for information or confirmation from me, which means she’s throwing out one wild guess after another.
"That makes no sense," I say with a soft chuckle. I can't hide the wave of relief that floods me when I realize just how off the real mark the office gossip is.
I’m just glad no one’s directly saying that Graham’s a wolf. "Let's get back to the topic of work. Anything out of the ordinary you'd like to report?"
Makayla cracks a smile. "Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary. Although, do you have a headache? I've brought painkillers just in case. I sometimes get these god-awful cramps in the middle of the night that get so strong I feel like a vampire has been feeding on my organs. Like my stomach's all turned inside out."
"That's more than I want to know about your bowel movements, Makayla," I interrupt with a laugh, but it sounds forced. The alarm bells in my head go off at the mention of a vampire. What if she's one, and she's testing me to see my reaction?
Leaning back in my chair, I pretend to be at ease as I take a closer look at my assistant.
Is that what vampires look like? Small, plain, and fragile? Wouldn't they be more badass if the movies and books got them right? Not to mention sexy.
Makayla gives me an odd look. "Are you alright? Do you want the slice of chocolate cake I brought this morning? I left it in the staff room downstairs."
"Maybe later. In the meantime, I'll take that painkiller," I say, and to my amazement she starts searching through her purse. All this mess is going to give me a migraine.
"Here you go," she says and passes me two Ibuprofens.
When she leaves, I spend the next few hours looking through the employees' computer history for any sign of suspicious movement. It's painfully monotonous. Most of them do their job and that's it. But there are some special cases who like to take a break and watch cat videos on their work computers. It's against the company's policy, but I'm not going to fire them for it.
In the late afternoon, I still can't believe I wasted such a significant amount of time on something so basic and useless. It's slow work, but it has to be done. Since I'm the only one besides Graham who knows about what's going on, it's up to me to do the boring groundwork.
Thinking about Graham tightens a knot in my stomach. Despite my infuriating anger, I have to get in touch with him to confirm that we're still on to meet up in his office.
My finger hovers over Graham's name on my phone's screen for a brief moment. It's then that my stubbornness wins, and I put it down.
Damn it. I'm so conflicted. My rational mind tells me I should be mad at him for fucking me senseless before diving into my personal life, invading my home, searching for secrets, and then having the audacity to be so nonchalant about it all. But my irrational part screams for more even though that asshole made me do the walk of shame in my own home.
I guess I'll have to get used to it though.
That's what I get for jumping between the sheets with my boss.
"Fuck," I mutter under my breath and press the dial button.
He picks up after the third ring.
"Cassidy," he says.
God. His voice sends a jolt of warmth to my core, making it clench in response.
"I just wanted to clarify whether our meeting is still on," I say.
"Don't be late," he replies. "I had to go to The Grey Manor, but I'll be back on time."
"Why aren't you in the office?" I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop myself.
"There's been a small development," he replies, sounding enigmatic. "I'll update you later."
My heart skips a beat. Something tells me there is a catch in that "small development." He's already made a few steps forward without telling me about them. This puts me at a disadvantage. Has he decided not to trust me?
"Graham, I—"
"I'll see you tonight," he says, promptly cutting me off before ending the call.
Of course, he had to have the last word.
"Arrogant prick," I mutter as I set the phone down.
With a sigh, I return back to my tedious job, trying to get the rest of my department off the list of suspects. Out of two hundred people or so, I've already been through thirty-five. It's not too bad for one person to do, but it's also not ideal, considering that lives are on the line.
It's an uphill battle. I feel like every file that I review helps to eliminate one more employee from the pool of possible suspects. However, I can’t be entirely sure, and this process is much like sifting for gold.
A chilling thought occurs to me. What if the leak isn't coming from my department? Will I have to sort out through the entire Grey Enterprises network to lock down the suspect?
I hope not.
Either way, there's nothing else for me to do but push through it. I take another sip of coffee and return my focus back to my computer screen. I want to get through another batch of files before I have to report to Graham's office.