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“Can’t hurt!” I led them away toward my office.
He didn’t look like he agreed with me, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with a full-on unmitigated onslaught from my mother this morning.
“Listen, my mom’s in my office, and she won’t be as nasty with witnesses.” I dragged them to a standstill right outside my door, working on my courage.
Hilton glanced at my face and pushed his cheek out with his tongue for a second. “Yeah, no. She’s going to lose her mind.”
“She didn’t seem to care about me and Tav last time,” Ellis said, frowning. “She was mean.”
“Imagine if you hadn’t been there.” I shrugged.
“Coward,” Hilton murmured, snaking his hand toward my suit coat pocket where I’d stashed his phone. I slapped it away. In retaliation, he smirked and opened my office door wide, gesturing me forward.
The little shit. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye as I walked in.
“He isn’t being a coward. He’s cautious,” Ellis whispered behind me, but he was loud enough for me to hear him.
My mother was parked in my chair behind my desk, as if it belonged to her, which I didn’t really care about, but it was pretty audacious. She was in her element, dressed in a black suit that conformed to her curves. As I came to a stop by the desk and rested my fingertips on the top, she held up a finger at me. I rolled my eyes and pointed at the chairs. Ellis and Hilton flopped gracelessly into them, like a pair of puppies. Hilton stared at my coat pocket, clearly stuck on his phone, and Ellis studied the overpriced art on the walls.
“Have you seen yourself?” Mom snapped. She was still typing away. “Anyone with a drop of sense would be working from home for the next two weeks.”
I shrugged. “You’re the only one with a problem. What did Dad think?—”
She closed the lid of her laptop and glared. If she could strike me dead with a look, I had a feeling she would right now. “Am I? Because your stunt over the weekend has the other investors agreeing with me. I’m a proven entity. I always make people money.” She folded her hands over her laptop and tilted her head at me.
Tav came through the door with a grin on his face, my travel mug in one hand and a cupcake in the other, then froze. He walked over and passed me my coffee as his face flushed.
Mom’s scowl deepened to the point that wrinkles formed on her forehead. “Seriously? You’re bringing this into the office now?” She shook her head.
“Tav’s been working for me.” My mouth felt dry and drinking my coffee did nothing to alleviate the sensation.
She shot to her feet. “Is that wise? You’ve never shown up to work looking like this,” she hissed, glaring at Tav. I stepped in front of him. If this was anyone else, I would’ve told them to fuck off by now.
“Shouldn’t you be in your office? At your business? Why aren’t you handling your own problems?” I asked coldly.
“Because I’m here to tell you that a vote to divest you is on the horizon.” She picked up her laptop and tucked it under her arm. “End of day Friday, you’re out, unless you want to share news about your improved relationship status.” Her frosty gaze drifted toward Tav, and I stepped in front of her again. “The investors were waffling. You’ve done an excellent job at creating a profitable company.” She tilted her head back and gave me a satisfied smile that had my blood boiling. “Then, they saw you fighting with bikers like a common fool.” She shook her head.
“That isn’t what happened,” I growled out.
“It was my fault,” Tav said, sidestepping so that he was back in her line of fire.
She held her laptop between both hands like she wanted to smack him with it. “I’m sure it was.”
Tense silence filled the room.
Hilton sighed like he was bored, head falling back against his seat.
Mom’s attention swiveled to him as if she was about to read him the riot act, too, but then her face brightened. She went around my desk to Hilton’s side, then pinched his cheek.
“Is that little Hilton Bloomberg? Look at you! You’re all grown up!”
Hilton sat up in his seat and stared at her like a tornado was headed in his direction.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Tav muttered.
I snorted and coughed to cover up my laugh when Mom glared. She ignored Ellis completely to fuss at Hilton, which had my pulse hammering in my temples.
Mom cupped Hilton’s face.
