Ruthless King (Mount Trilogy #1)

“Only Seven Sinners?”

I shake my head. “No, I make sure to sample as much of the competition as possible. You have to know what your rivals are doing to make sure you’re doing it better.”

She lifts the bottle of champagne in her hand. “So, does that mean no champagne toast to celebrate?”

There’s so much hopefulness in her voice, coupled with the fact that I’m in absolutely no hurry to leave, I can’t help but agree. “I’ve got some glasses we can use. They’re not champagne flutes, but it means we don’t have to go upstairs to track some down.”

Temperance grins. “I’m not fancy. I was willing to settle for the company coffee mugs.” She takes one of the leather club chairs on the opposite side of my desk and holds out the bottle. “Want to do the honors?”

I remember the last time I popped a champagne cork. It was in my townhouse on my wedding night, and Brett couldn’t manage to get it open.

Now I wonder if alcohol was all he had that night. Any good memories I tried to hold on to after his betrayal are now tainted by what Magnolia told me. My husband was a con man and a cokehead, as well as a cheating son of a bitch. I force the knowledge down as I accept the bottle from Temperance.

“Absolutely.” I grab the tumblers from below the liquor shelf behind my desk, used to showcase Seven Sinners whiskeys throughout the years, and set them on the blotter.

I pop the cork without making a mess and fill them almost to the brim.

“Whoa. A little more heavy-handed with your pouring than normal?” Temperance comments.

Instead of responding, I lift my glass, which prompts her to do the same. “Sláinte.”

We clink the crystal together, and I take a healthy swallow. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and dry, and an added bonus—the bubbles go straight to my head as I concentrate on draining the entire thing.

Yes, this is exactly what I needed after this afternoon.

I set my glass down and turn the bottle around to investigate the label more thoroughly. I don’t recognize the name, but that doesn’t mean much. I don’t keep up with the wine business.

“Nice choice,” I say as I refill my glass. When I look up, Temperance’s gaze locks on mine.

“I know the last few months have been rough. If there’s anything I can do, more I can take off your plate, just let me know. I’m here to help.”

She’s sweet, and a hell of an employee, but she has no clue why I would really like to finish this entire bottle myself. Maybe if I’m drunk when I go back to Mount’s . . . As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I know it’s the wrong move. I need my wits about me when I face him, and while I can drink whiskey all day and not have an issue, champagne is a completely different story.

“Or if you ever want to talk about what happened—”

I raise my glass to my lips again, and when I set it down, I drop my hands into my lap. “You’ve already taken on plenty. Hell, you deserve a raise, and as soon as we get the check from the Voodoo Kings, you’ll get one.”

Her expression changes into one of excitement. “Really? That would be amazing. The last time I was offered a raise, there was no way I was agreeing to the terms.” As soon as the words are out, she looks like she wants to snatch them back.

“What are you talking about? Here?”

Guilt floods her features as she shakes her head vigorously. “No. Uh, another job. Somewhere else.”

I study her closer. “You’re a terrible liar.”

This time it’s Temperance lifting her champagne to gulp it down.

“Tell me.” I already have a sick feeling twisting in my stomach. Intuition. It’s about time I developed some.

“I shouldn’t. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

I lean both elbows on my desk, my glass hanging between my thumbs and forefingers. “Just freaking tell me. Whatever you say stays between us and will have zero impact on your job. I promise.” What I tell her is the absolute truth, because there’s no way I can afford to lose her.

She refills her glass and takes another sip. “Let’s just say that if it hadn’t been for you being kind of my idol in the business world, and the shitty state of the job market around here, I would’ve quit as soon as Brett came on board.”

“What did he say to you?”

The color drains from her face and her gaze darts around the room, eager to land anywhere but on me. “I submitted a request for a raise, but I didn’t realize you’d already left for a meeting. Brett reviewed it and called me into his office to discuss.” She pours another measure of champagne down her throat, as if needing the liquid courage.

I, on the other hand, need it to numb the rage boiling through me. “And?”

“He said that if I wanted a raise, I’d have to earn it the old-fashioned way. I thought he meant working harder.” She pauses, her lips pressed together as if not wanting to voice the rest of the horrible truth. I nod, prompting her to continue. “He unzipped his pants and told me I better get to sucking.” She chokes on the last part, just like I would choke the life out of Brett if he were still alive.

I reach for the bottle of champagne and refill both our glasses. “I am so f*cking sorry. I can’t apologize enough. You should’ve quit. Hell, you should’ve filed a sexual harassment suit. I would’ve if I were you.”

A moment of silence passes as we both drink.

“I looked for other jobs. I’m not going to lie about that. But there wasn’t anything even close to comparable. I stayed for selfish reasons mostly, and because I told Brett if he ever said anything like that to me again, I’d tell my brother and he’d cut Brett’s dick off with a bowie knife before he filleted him like a fish.”

That knocks me back in my seat. “Would your brother really have . . .”

“If you had a brother, wouldn’t he?” she replies.

“Did you tell your brother?” I ask, a thought dawning.

Her eyes widen. “No. Oh my God. No. He had nothing to do with Brett’s death. I swear on my grandmother’s grave.”

“I didn’t mean it to be accusatory. I just—”

Temperance shakes her head. “No, I’d be asking the same question if I were you. Besides, if I’d told my brother, Brett would’ve been dead a whole lot sooner. Not that that’s any comfort. Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry. I’m such a bitch.” She rises halfway out of the chair, as if preparing to flee my office.

“Stop. Sit. It’s fine.” I can barely process the conversation we’re having, but I decide to tell her something very few people know. “I was already in the process of leaving Brett when it happened. I mean, it still hurt like hell to lose him because of what I thought we had in the beginning. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that he was cheating on me.”

Temperance returns to her seat, sympathy creasing her features. “I’m so sorry. For all of it. For men being dicks. For the fact that you had to deal with everything that happened.”

“It’s not your fault.”