Page 24 of Sins
Minnie looked over at me, and I shot her a smirk. “What’s he done now?”
“It’s about what I’m doing.” I felt a new sense of control over myself.
She squeezed my arm. “Tell me.”
“He wants me to spend my nights with him due to all that’s going on.” Minnie rolled her eyes, and I nodded and rolled my eyes in agreement. “I told him if he wants that, he’s going to have to earn it. He’s hurt me too damn many times for me to just cave. Why should I do as he says?”
“Well, that just tickled my twat, Kenna!”
“Mine too.” I waved at Yen Hong as he rushed by with an entourage. “I’ll never be a doormat for anyone.”
“No, the hell you won’t, but um, Jayden is coming this way, so say the word and I’ll nut punch him so hard it’ll swell up and knock the other one right off the twig they hang on.”
“I’d pay to see that.” I laughed as Jayden came up to us.
He stopped and glared at Minnie until she left with a wink at me. “There’s been a complaint filed against you. The client says you haven’t fulfilled your duties as a hostess.”
That made my face fall; I’d never had a mark on my record. “Who was it?” I thought of my three top clients, Salazar, Yen, and Harris. I took excellent care of them.
“Sonny Conti.”
I burst out laughing, and when Jayden looked at me, unamused, I calmed myself. “Trust me, Jayden, you can go ahead and delete that complaint. It’s a bunch of bull.”
“You know I can’t do that, Kenna, and to be honest, I’m a little concerned you don’t see how bad this is.”
“First, that claim is ridiculous. I’ve never been assigned as Sonny’s hostess in the first place, and second, Sonny isn’t even a client anymore, and third, if you must know, the man tried to roofie me. So, we can take this to Mr. Gates on the twentieth and he’ll set you straight on this horseshit.”
“What?” Jayden stepped forward and placed a hand on my upper arm. “I had no idea. Are you okay?” I looked at his hand and thoughthow dare he touch meas he spoke again. “Wouldyou like to go somewhere and talk about it?” He moved his hand, and when he did, he very obviously brushed my breast.
“If you don’t remove your fucking hand, I’ll kick you in those tiny balls of yours.” I raised my chin and glared at him. So, we were back to the creep stage. His hand dropped instantly, and his fake smile twisted into a scowl.
“Lucky for you Mr. Gates always seems to be around.” He rubbed his nose, clearly annoyed, and probably shocked at my reaction. “Are you two dating now?”
I had to contain my distaste for this man, at least in public, so I refrained from kicking him. “I hardly think it’s professional that we talk about a member of the Gates family like this.”
“Nor is it professional for you to be sleeping with your boss,” he muttered, “but I’ll keep that to myself because I wouldn’t want to get fired.” He stepped back quickly as I pivoted. “I’ll pass this complaint along and let upper management cover it up—I mean, deal with it.” His smarmy smile made my blood boil as the meaning behind his words sank in. I was about to let loose as Minnie returned, and I got hold of myself.
“You know, Jayden,” I closed the gap between us, “people have underestimated me before, but they’re no longer here to tell about it.”
He stood still and studied me. “What’s that supposed to mean?” His eyes narrowed.
“Think about it.”
“Whoa!” Minnie pushed between us. “That’s enough, folks. We’re in the lobby of the place you both work, and people are staring. As much as I love a fight, walk away.” Jayden stared at me a beat longer then left.
“Kenna,” Minnie got in my face, “Jesus, girl, I know Jayden pushes your buttons, but watch what you say.”
“I know,” I let out a long breath, “but he went too far, and I just lost it.”
“And that’s why we let the guys handle assholes like that, because they know what to say and how to say it.”
“You’re right.” I closed my eyes and wished I could take back the last three minutes. It had been reckless to say what I had. “Thanks.”
I hauled ass to the meeting on the twentieth. I was now a few minutes late and knew I’d have to hustle. When I arrived, everyone was sitting around the conference table. I quickly took my seat and mouthed a sorry to Jim, and he gave me a kind smile in response.
We discussed breaking ground on the new property they had purchased and how Knox was interested in having more of a hands-on position. I noticed Jim glance at Grim a few times as Knox spoke. Again, I felt that twinge of discomfort about my family. I knew they were concerned with how much control Calli had over Knox. They weren’t wrong; she played him like a fiddle.
Jim went on to talk about Secrets and how some of his clients had indicated an interest in moving there for a change from Indulge. Jim was pleased about that, as it would free up the hostesses for fresh clients. Jim reminded everyone that he wanted Indulge to cater more to the older clients who were into a more traditional style, while Grim’s Secrets would offer a fresh upbeat vibe to the younger clientele.