Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series (6 page)

I
picked up her phone as it rang again. “It’s Jacob from the front desk. I was
just trying to tell Melody that the dry cleaners called to say Lucas’s suits
are ready, but I got cut off,” he said as I narrowed my eyes.

“Jacob,
can you tell me if the boardrooms are occupied right now?” I asked, unable to
believe that even Melody would be so callous as to disappear and leave me alone
with this psycho.

“None
of them are booked out, Jess,” he said as I shook my head.
Fucking
bitch.

 
“Your boss is disrespectful,” Dimitri’s voice
boomed as he turned his attention on me, walking closer and closer to my desk
as I wondered what the hell he was going to do. I had never felt threatened in
the office, but right now this man was making my heart pound out of my chest. I
considered calling security, but what the hell would I say?

“You
call him,” he said and there was no mistaking the threat that lay beneath his
words as I rose, rounding the desk until I was standing before him, trying to
stay calm and retain the most professional demeanour I could.

“Mr
Gorav, Lucas will see you at your scheduled appointment time. Please take a
seat or feel free to leave and return at eleven, but I will not be disturbing
him again,” I said firmly, wondering where my confidence was coming from as he
laughed mockingly.

“I
wonder if you would be so defiant laid out before me with your legs spread wide,”
he said, staring at me hard with those deep black eyes and sending a chilled
shiver through me. I gasped in shock and the door to Lucas’s office flew open.
His gaze landed on me briefly before he turned his attention to his peculiar
visitor.

“This
is not how I do business, Mr Gorav, and I will not have my staff harassed,”
Lucas said in a tone so calm but so powerful it momentarily stopped my heart
from beating. He put a firm arm on Dimitri’s back, walking him forcefully towards
the door as the Russian turned and glared at him. I took a sharp intake of
breath, but Lucas looked far from intimidated.

“You
have just made a big fucking mistake, Lucas Hunter,” he said, fixing a powerful,
defiant stare on my boss.

“On the contrary.
I believe
I have just avoided making a huge mistake. Now get out of my office or I will
have security remove you,” he said in a tone so firm that it brokered no
argument, even from Dimitri. I shuddered as he smiled almost maniacally before finally
leaving the office as Lucas strode back towards me.

“Are
you okay, Jessica?” he asked as I nodded, swallowing hard. “You’re trembling,”
he said, holding my arms and gazing deeply into my eyes as I tried to ignore
the stirrings in my stomach and the shots of electricity Lucas was firing
through my cells. Christ, I was all over the place.

“Who
is he?” I asked shakily as the adrenaline that had driven my confidence began
to ebb away.

“Someone
who won’t be coming here again,” he smiled, rubbing my arms reassuringly and
all I wanted was to feel them around me, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. This
was Lucas Hunter and that would have been incredibly inappropriate I thought,
trying to normalise my breathing and pull myself together.

“Where’s
Melody?”

She
hated me, but I wasn’t about to grass her up. “She was needed in the
boardroom,” I said quietly, looking at the floor as Lucas frowned deeply.

“Tell
her to come to my office the moment she returns.” I wondered for a second if he
knew she’d abandoned me and exactly what had gone on out here. It wouldn’t
surprise me; Lucas Hunter seemed to know absolutely everything that went on in
this building.

“Yes,
Sir,” I said as Lucas smiled.

“You
were brave, Jessica, and I apologise that this happened today,” he said as I
flushed under the intensity of his gaze and the accompanying look of pride
before he retreated back to his office.

I
sat there and thought about the strange interaction and the threatening words
of the Russian for over an hour, grateful that Lucas had come to my rescue when
he had and wondering what the hell had happened to Melody. I knew she was due
out this afternoon and began to wonder as twelve o- clock rolled around whether
she’d bother to come back at all, looking up as the door opened at five past
and she walked in, glancing around cagily.

“He’s
gone and Lucas wants to see you,” I said as she teetered over to his office in
her five inch heels and her perfect suit, straightening her glossy locks with
perfectly manicured hands before pushing open the door. She hadn’t even bothered
to enquire whether I was okay.

I
could hear Lucas’s deep firm voice even through the thick door, grateful that I
wasn’t Melody right now and deciding to make myself scarce before she came back
out. I knew instinctively that she’d assume I’d told Lucas she’d lied. That
would probably move the cold war she’d instigated between us up to a whole new
level, but I couldn’t worry about it now.

 
I grabbed my coat instead and headed for the
bustling school hall and this year’s nativity play where Dex would be sporting
his home made shepherd costume.

 
Me and Chas had both worked for Elite
Entertainment long enough to know costumes. He was the best looking little
shepherd that school had ever seen and my heart melted. I wouldn’t have missed
this for the world.

“Wasn’t
he great,” Chas quipped as I nodded excitedly.

“Brilliant!
I could totally hear him above all the other kids during Silent Night,” I said,
proud of my little boy and the way he was turning out. It was hard without Jake
and as I saw the other girls and boys with their dads, my heart ached for him.
It was something Dex would never know. But Chas was a God send, despite her quirky
ways.

“I
love you, Sis,” I said, suddenly feeling incredibly emotional as she threw me a
puzzled frown, pulling me into a hug when she saw me gazing longingly at the
families surrounding me and intuitively reading my mind.

“He
was the best shepherd by a mile,” she smiled as Dex ran over and jumped onto my
lap.

 
“You were amazing,” I grinned, kissing the top
of his head.

“Did
you hear me, Mummy? I talked really loud like you told me,” he gushed, looking
up at me proudly.

“I
did and you were so good,” I laughed, holding him tight.

“You
were awesome, Squirt,” Chas beamed, ruffling his little blond curls as he
laughed, jumping over to her knee and whispering in her ear.

“After
a performance like that, of course you can, Dexter,” I heard her say. I could
only guess he’d be asking for chocolate, sweets or some other crap that he
thought I’d say no to. That little boy could play us like no one else on this
earth I thought, smiling broadly.

 
Suddenly I had an idea that I thought just
might work, depending on whether Melody was due back in the office or not. I
was desperate to show Lucas Hunter I was more than capable of doing the tasks
he was denying me, and it was clear he’d been unimpressed that I was off today.
I’d spent a week doing nothing at the expense of his company and turned to
Chas.

“There’s
something I need to do. Can you take Dex home? ” I asked, kissing him swiftly
and running for the tube as soon as she nodded, before she had the chance to
talk me out of it.

It
was a quarter to five by the time I arrived. Under Mr Turnbull, everyone would
have left the office at this time on a Friday, but no one had gone today. Lucas
Hunter didn’t allow early finishes just because it was the weekend. Everyone earned
their money under his leadership.
Everyone except me.
They were all still at their desks as I made my way through to the stairwell
and jogged up two at a time, panting by the time I reached the office.

The
recording machine was sat neatly on Melody’s perfectly ordered desk with a
small note that simply read ‘minutes’. Charming! I grabbed the machine and
fired up my computer, attached the headset and started to type. I didn’t know
how he liked them, but I was determined to do this.

 
It was a discussion regarding the planning of
an event to promote a new build of luxury apartments in the docklands area. A
sprawling complex with unparalleled parking facilities boasting an impressive
sounding array of restaurants, a gym and even a swimming pool, aimed at young
professionals. It was due for completion in eight months and they were looking
to garner interest early and create a buzz in the currently stagnant housing
market.

I
rewound it several times to double and triple check the figures I’d put in were
correct, allowing it to keep running as I looked over the minutes one last
time. A new conversation had started and Charlie was asking Lucas if he wanted
a coffee. I wasn’t paying much attention until I heard my name and then I was
all ears.

“So
how’s Jessica working out, Lucas?” It sounded like the others had left.

“I
wouldn’t know, Melody’s doing all my work,” he replied flatly.

 
I could hear Charlie’s low chuckle and the
coffee machine strike up in the background as I concentrated hard on the
recording. “What, so you’re paying her to do nothing? You’re a stubborn bastard,
Lucas. We can’t get rid of her, that contract is airtight. Unless you want to
give that girl a fifty grand payoff, find her something to do and fast. Or are
you hoping she’ll quit, is that your plan?” Charlie said and I was astounded.

Fifty thousand pounds?
 
What the hell were they talking about?

There
was a pause in the recording before Lucas spoke. “Why would a partner in the
final stage negotiations of a hostile takeover, make one of his last jobs to revise
the contract of an under qualified PA who’s been with the company less than
eight weeks, Charlie? The fuckers made sure we can’t get rid of her without it
costing us,” he said and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

After
a long pause, Charlie was the next to speak and my heart was pounding in my
chest. “I don’t know. You’d think he’d have more important things to worry
about. Unless it’s about sex, there’s nothing more important than that,” he
laughed and I felt sick.

“Exactly,
Charlie, what the hell else could it
be
? If Jessica’s
sleeping with Turnbull and he’s protecting her, I want her nowhere near any
confidential information about this company. Neither do I want a PA who thinks
that fucking her boss is the best way forward,” he sneered as my heart stopped
beating and unwieldy tears sprang from my eyes.

Part
of me wanted to tear the headphones off, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I had to hear everything.

“Even
the change in company is part of the deal. I’ve spoken to the lawyers at length
and there is no easy way around this. No quick solution, brother. Just find a
reason to fire her, Lucas.”

“And
see her walk away with fifty grand when we’ve just had to lay off good,
innocent, hard working people. I wouldn’t do that on fucking principle,
Charlie. She’ll quit, it’s the only way she doesn’t get the money,” he replied
harshly. So that’s what they thought. I wasn’t surprised Melody was giving me
the cold shoulder and Lucas was giving me nothing. I didn’t even know Mr
Turnbull had amended my contract in that way. An extra day’s holiday he told me
when I signed it across his desk.

I
tried to wipe away the tears that sprang silently from my eyes, so intent on
listening to the recording to find out if there was more, that I didn’t see the
door to Lucas’s office open. I glanced up to find Charlie staring at me. His
face was a mask of absolute horror as he turned quickly and disappeared back
inside.

I
tore off the headset and emailed the minutes, grabbed my coat and got the hell
out of there, throwing the machine on my desk and unable to process what I’d
heard. My boss thought I was screwing his predecessor, and if Charlie was right
about my contract, I wasn’t surprised. I’d have probably thought the same. It
was so far from the truth it was almost laughable, except it wasn’t.

I
called ahead to Chas. “Stick Dexter in front of the TV. If you get any
arguments you have my permission to put on anything he wants.”

 
“Anything?” she questioned, knowing I was
beyond strict when it came to what I thought was appropriate viewing for my
son. “Yes and get out the onions,” I said, hanging up and desperately trying to
pull myself together as I jumped on the tube, staring at the floor. She’d know
it was bad.

 
I managed to stem the tide of tears just long
enough, kissing my little shepherd and knowing I had about one minute before I
broke down completely, running to the kitchen where Chas was waiting with a box
of tissues and a bottle of wine.

I
sobbed my heart out to my stunned sister, recalling every detail of the
conversation and she was even more incensed than me.

“The cheeky bastards.
You should have kept that recording to sue them for sexual harassment, or
discrimination, Jess,” she spat. “They obviously think you know about the contract
because you’ve signed it. It sounds like Turnbull played a blinder and decided
to stick one to the Hunter brothers before he was forced out. He trained as a
lawyer you know and it sounds like he’s outsmarted them. He always did like to
have the last laugh. I’ll have to thank him for that,” she grinned as I forced
a tight smile.