Unfinished Between Us (Billionaires of REKD)

Chapter 1

“You’ll not be trying to run away, you foul maggot,” Noah Kelly hissed, his teeth barely parting as the words leaked out. “I’ll see you dead.”

“Now don’t you be letting the bosses catch you talking like that,” Finn Brennan growled, nudging his computer mouse. His wrist flicked in tight, controlled jerks even as his left hand hammered the keyboard. “There. I got him.”

“You stole my kill.” Noah shot a disgusted look at his best friend and fellow intern at REKD Gaming.

“‘Tis a lie, you—”

“Language,” Sona Rafferty warned, sternly amused as she walked past them in the game section of the complex’s cafeteria.

“I didn’t even say anything yet,” Finn muttered, his lips barely moving.

“Let’s finish it.” Since Noah’s cousin and current supervisor Sona had returned, the lunch break must be almost over.

Two minutes later, they won with a pentakill for Finn.

Noah leaned back and stretched, vertebrae popping as he worked the tight kink out of his shoulders and spine.

Being required to play the online battle arena game, REKD, was one advantage of employment.

The lunchtime games often turned tense, but it was a different kind of stress from his usual day of work and classes at the university. It made for a nice change.

“You decided yet when you’re going back to Ireland this summer?” Noah asked.

“My dad got my ticket for August.” Finn made a face. “Not all of us can afford to have our family come to visit us in America.”

“Now don’t you be digging at me like some of the other interns.” Noah couldn’t help being related to one of the company’s founders through marriage. He was proud of the connection. Puffing out his chest, he grinned. “You should be thanking me and my family connections for your job here.”

“Bragging again?” someone muttered as he brushed past. His shoulder hit Noah hard enough to send him off balance.

Noah stumbled a half-step, his foot scraping against the floor as he caught himself.

By the time he’d straightened and scanned the room full of employees who were returning to work, he couldn’t tell which one might have shoved him.

And it had been a shove. The impact still tingled faintly through his shoulder.

Incidents like it were happening more often, and it was getting his Irish up, a hot coil tightening in his gut.

He glanced at Finn, who was furiously typing into his phone.

“Did you see that?” Noah asked.

Finn shook his head, his fingers flying, eyes locked on the screen. He did one final click and looked at Noah. “What?”

Noah explained, rubbing his shoulder for emphasis, heat still radiating through the muscle. In a sympathetic gesture, Finn called the unknown attacker a name in Gaelic.

“But in case your memory failed you, I got my job on my own,” Finn added as he stood, the chair legs rasping softly against the floor.

“You coming?” Sona called from the elevator to the security section where she helped handle the company’s cybersecurity. She kept her voice professionally firm but she had an understanding twinkle in her eyes.

“Aye.” Noah grabbed his backpack.

“She looks to be on a mission.” Finn shot him an I’m-glad-I’m-not-you glance.

Now wary, Noah jogged to join his cousin in the elevator, the doors whispering shut behind them.

Being related to the wife of one of the founders of the company had turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.

Sona and her husband had awarded him and Finn full scholarships to Appalachian State University through one of their charities and then hired them both.

They weren’t interns in the traditional sense.

That was just what REKD Gaming chose to call its part-time employees.

Fortunately for Noah, the company didn’t have a specific anti-nepotism policy, but the HR staff took care in overseeing how they applied it when employees were related, especially when one supervised another.

That was probably why Sona had been extra strict with him.

“I need to talk with you before you get back to work,” she said as they entered the cybersecurity section.

“Sure.” Noah wiped his hands on his jeans, wondering what was up now.

It’d been a challenge to work under Kayn, and especially Sona, maybe because Noah knew them both so well now.

They seemed to expect more from him than the other interns, even Finn.

Noah felt like he had to be more productive, more accurate, and have a better attitude, like he was always being measured against a yardstick no one else could see.

But maybe it was just him not wanting to disappoint them. He was grateful for the experiences they’d given him so far. Many interns here moved on to jobs elsewhere while others found permanent employment with the company, something Noah hoped for.

He followed her into her office, surprised to find Joe Brooks already there.

His broad frame filled the corner chair, the dark fabric of his suit stretching over his shoulders.

He was usually assigned as bodyguard to one of the company’s founders when they traveled outside of Boone, North Carolina.

Noah slowly sank into a chair opposite him. What did it mean that he was here?

Joe chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. You’re not in trouble.”

Noah’s shoulders loosened a fraction, but he couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding that he wasn’t going to like whatever Sona had in mind.

His cousin had taken her seat at the desk. She leaned on her elbows and watched Noah. He couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably under her scrutiny, heat creeping up his neck. It reminded him of when he’d been a mischievous boy and had to face his mother’s wrath.

Joe coughed, and Sona leaned back in her chair.

“Sorry. I’m just not sure how much to tell you,” she admitted, tilting her head, eyes going unfocused for a moment. Then she sighed. “I’ll just start with the basics. We’re putting together a special assignment for some of our interns this summer.”

Noah’s pulse quickened in anticipation, causing a light flutter under his ribs. Why would she be telling him this if she didn’t mean to include him? But if that were the case, why was she so hesitant about it?

“And?” he finally asked, unable to keep the defensiveness from his tone.

“I keep debating how best to say this, and I’m not happy with any of them. I know there have been some grumblings about us being related, and some people say you get unfair advantages because we’re cousins.”

“And ‘tis no one’s business,” Noah muttered, his jaw tightening.

“Well, it would be if you were given promotions or pay raises you haven’t earned. Granny’s favorite saying was how our perception controls our reality.” Sona rubbed her temples. “You should know the exec staff debated this for a week before making a decision.”

Noah’s hands went cold, a hollow opening in his chest, his excitement about a possible new assignment draining away. Had they decided his family connection was a liability to the company?

“You’re scaring him to death, Sona.” Joe shook his head.

“Sorry, but I think you should know this, Noah.” She came around the desk and took the chair beside him. “I want you to understand you’ve impressed every department head you’ve worked under.”

A rush of emotion surged through Noah, relief washing over him first, then excitement, until a tight, uneasy resignation settled on him.

“I’m that glad to know it, though I’m hearing a but in there,” he said, “something I’m betting has to do with you quoting Granny.”

“Yes. We want you to help lead the team of interns for this special project.”

The lightness in Noah’s chest at her words turned heavy at the memory of the troll who’d gone out of his way to shove Noah, the impact still ghosting in his shoulder.

“And t’other interns will be saying I didn’t earn it.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice.

“It’s unfortunate, I know,” Sona said. “They debated with Orianna in HR about the pros and cons of giving you this assignment. Rafe finally said if you weren’t related to me, and Kayn by marriage, there would be no question about choosing you.”

The weight of letting them down settled on Noah’s shoulders like a physical thing. What if he disappointed them?

“What project?” he asked. “And when is it?”

“I’ll get to the assignment in a bit. We scheduled it for next week since Grandfather is coming for a visit the week after.” Sona stood and went back to her desk. “I don’t need to tell you what a good reputation REKD Gaming has as an employer.”

“You would be preaching to the choir, and you know it,” he said.

“Exactly, but we won’t keep that reputation, unless we’re constantly growing and changing, just like the game.

Our various departments usually work well together, but in the last six months we’ve had some personnel conflicts which are creating ongoing problems.” Sona opened a folder on her desk.

“We’ve evaluated it with HR and believe it comes down to a need to rebuild employee trust in each other. ”

“Since we’d already been talking about developing team-building activities, we thought this would be a perfect time to put something into place. Rafe has been accepting proposals from companies that run business retreats.”

It made sense that Rafe, as the CEO, would be directing the project, but what did it have to do with Noah and the other interns? And why would Sona, one of REKD Gaming’s cybersecurity people, be talking to him about a team-building assignment?

“I can tell by your expression you want more information, but I’m waiting until your co-lead can join us. She had to meet with HR first so is running a few minutes late.” Sona nodded toward the door. “Ah, it looks like she’s here now.”

Noah craned his neck to see better, but Joe had risen and gone to the door, blocking the view with his broad back.

“Who is it?” Noah asked.

“Caitlyn Hahn,” Joe said over his shoulder.