Bedroom Bully by Harper West

6

Joseph

The week passedby in a blur and I growled as I clicked out of my security team’s monitoring system. Becca had taken her phone off the internet, and not once had she connected her laptop to it. So, as far as looking her up went, all I had to go on was her professional desktop in her office.

Which was clean as a whistle, as far as I was concerned.

“Damn it,” I growled.

Friday had crept up quickly, and if I didn’t play my cards right, I’d go the entire weekend without seeing her. And as much as I tried not to care about that fact, I didn’t like it. I pushed away from my desk and stormed out of my office, leaving my secretary to call out after me as I charged for the stairs.

I took them down a level and approached Becca’s office. But I found that it was locked.

And dark.

“She left early for the day.”

Miss Krist’s voice sounded behind me. “Is that so? Who gave her permission for that?”

She snickered. “I didn’t know that she needed anyone’s permission to take work home with her. “

I slowly turned to face her. “She does, yes. She’s still an employee of this company and she’s not a department head. That means she needs permission.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Well, I’ll tell her you stopped by.”

I slid my hands into my pockets. “Actually, now that I’ve caught you, I’d like to speak with you as well.”

She made her way back into her office. “Busy, but try again in a bit!”

I followed her inside before she got the door closed and I closed it myself. I stared her down as she looked up at me with eyes that seemed to regret every decision that had brought her up to this point.

I relished that look on some of my more complicated employees. “Please, have a seat.”

She sat behind her desk. “What is it you need, Mr. Ryker?”

I leaned against the door. “It has come to my attention--.”

She shook her head. “Nothing has been brought to your attention. If we’re going to talk, at least be honest.”

I drew in a deep breath. “You saw something you shouldn’t have, and I have a feeling you’re trying to get a certain woman to take the issue to H.R.”

She leaned back. “Let’s say I did see something and that I am trying something akin to that. Are you here to stop me?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not. Though, before you consider ruining someone’s career here at the company, you should know that things were consensual.”

“Now, why do I have a hard time believing that?”

I shrugged. “Because I’m here to tell you that you and I will never be a thing. That’s why.”

She scoffed. “I mean, not that I needed any confirmation, but trust me. You’re not my type.”

“Except when you were first hired here, I saw you just about every day in my office.”

She slowly stood to her feet. “Spit it out, Mr. Ryker.”

I pushed off the door and stood strong. “Miss Loren may not understand that you’re jealous, but I do. You couldn’t have me, so you’re making sure no one else can. And I’m telling you, Miss Krist, I will not tolerate such nonsense in my company.”

She practically spat at me. “Get the hell out of my office.”

“You mean, my office. I loan it out to you due to your job, but that can go away in an instant.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you seriously trying to blackmail me right now?”

“On the contrary, I’m trying to let you know that I get it. I understand. But, should Becca ever find out? I think she might back out of your lunch date tomorrow, don’t you think?”

“How do you know about that?”

I stalked toward her desk. “Miss Krist, I know everything that happens within my company. It’s how I stay on top. It’s how I avoid scandal. It’s why I’m one of the few businesses without a defector to another company. I always keep this place under lock and key. And if you want to have any hope of ever repairing things with the only woman you haven’t pissed off in this company because of your jealousy, I suggest you stop stirring up trouble and keep your nose within the confines of your own business. Got it?”

She grit her teeth. “You’re right. I did have a crush on you when I first arrived. But I’m not the only female employee who’s had something like that. Why are you targeting me?”

“Because I know you’re the one who chirped in Becca’s ear about going to H.R. with something that was a non-issue between her and I. I know you’re the one attempting to sabotage whatever it is that’s growing between her and I.”

“And what’s growing, exactly? Or are you struggling to put a title on it like you do with most of the women you fuck?”

I growled. “That’s enough.”

She came out from around her desk. “What are you going to do about it? Huh? Fire me? Because if you do that, I’ll go right to H.R. with everything.”

“And I’ll blacklist you from here to kingdom come. I’ll make sure you’re so unemployable that you’ll have to move countries in order to get a job singing in a shitty bar in the middle of nowhere. Do you understand?”

“I understand that you’re a slimy, manipulative little snake. I understand that the second you’re done with Becca, you’ll toss her out with the trash just like every other woman you use and abuse. And I know that when that happens, I’ll be the one there to pick her up. I’ll be the one escorting her to H.R. Then, when it’s all said and done, I’ll be the one helping to prop her up while we both go public and take you down. That’s what I understand.”

Got her. “So, your plan is to watch her destruction before leveraging it to get what you want. Got it.”

She blinked. “Wait, what?”

I turned around and opened the door. “Have a good weekend, Miss Krist.”

“Wait a second, what? Where are you going? Mr. Ryker! I didn’t mean that!”

I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wouldn’t talk to anyone ever again about what she saw. That jealous bitch had no idea who the hell she was fucking with, and I’d take her down before she ever ruined this thing I was exploring with Becca. Sure, it confused me. And yeah, there were times where I wanted to punish her while imagining that it was her sister, Maggie. But, if I was truly being honest with myself, Becca stirred something within me that I hadn’t entertained with a woman since high school.

And I wanted the space—and privacy—to be able to further indulge it.

“Mr. Ryker!”

“Get back to work, Miss Krist, or I’ll have your job, too!” I bellowed.

I jammed my hand into the button for the elevator while everyone quickly slinked back into their offices. I loved that I intimidated them. It meant that less people bothered me with bullshit they could figure out on their own. It eliminated laziness within the confines of the building, and it meant that only the most important things dropped in front of me.

It also meant that I could clear an entire floor with my presence, if necessary.

I slid into the elevator the second it opened and rode it up one level. The momentary isolation caused my shoulders to relax before I drew in a deep, heavy breath. Becca had gone home early, and that made me worry. And while I wasn’t one to worry over most people, I knew she was teetering a fine line between staying strong and being broken.

The latter of which I was gunning for in the near future.

That was why it was so important for Miss Krist to keep her mouth shut. That was why it was so important for Becca and I to keep our heads down at work. As much as I wanted to bend her over my desk every morning for breakfast, if I were to be unseated from my position it would make access to her incredibly hard.

And I wanted to break her before my life went onto a chopping block.

“Lexie?” I asked as I stepped off the elevator.

“Yes, Mr. Ryker?”

I blazed a trail toward my office. “Get Miss Loren on the phone. I want to know why she left the office early without my permission today.”

“I’ll check with H.R. first to make sure she didn’t take sick leave, and then I’ll give her a call.”

I nodded. “Let me know when you’re done.”

“Of course, sir.”

I made my way back into my office, but I didn’t bother closing the door. Instead, I walked over to the window and stood there with my hands in my pockets. I gazed out toward the ocean and tried to find the beauty I once saw within the view from the top of my building.

But try as I might, all I thought about was what Becca had been up to out there in that big ol’ world.

“Sir?” Lexie asked.

I peered over my shoulder. “Did you locate her?”

“She didn’t put in for sick leave, but she did leave early. She actually never came back from lunch.”

“Did you try calling her phone?”

“Yes, sir, and she didn’t pick up.”

I turned to face her. “Did she shoot you to voicemail? Or did it ring?”

“It rang, sir. Four times, actually.”

I nodded slowly. “Ping her laptop.”

“Are you sure that’s smart, sir?”

I quirked an eyebrow. “As you know, Miss Loren has a torrid history with a disgruntled employee from this building. I want to make sure she’s safe, that’s all.”

It clicked behind her eyes. “My God, yes sir. Right away. I’ll phone down to security.”

I stood and waited for her, watching as she scrambled to get to her phone. I tried to calm my nerves, but thoughts of Becca being hurt somewhere kept bombarding my mind. I saw her cornered in the parking garage like she had been that day, and it spiraled from there. I saw her in a ditch, or in a hospital because she’d been in a car accident.

However, the second Lexie rushed back into my office, my tune quickly changed.

“Her laptop is pinging at her home, Mr. Ryker, but her new work phone--.”

I furrowed my brow. “Wait, she needed a new work phone?”

Lexie nodded. “Yes, sir. She requisitioned it last week.”

“Huh. And why wasn’t I notified?”

She tilted her head. “Because we never notify you if someone needs a new piece of equipment?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Where is her phone pinging?”

“A restaurant, sir. Across town, actually.”

“A restaurant?”

She nodded. “That’s what I.T. and security both confirmed for me.”

I narrowed my eyes. “She ditched work to go out to eat. That’s what you’re telling me?”

She shrugged. “Looks like it.”

And only one thought crossed my mind as I dismissed my secretary with a wave of my hand.

She’s on a fucking date.

Which made me sicker to my stomach than I had already felt.