Page 9 of Reluctantly You

He stole it. He stole it all. Remember that, Gideon. We could have had more. We could have had it all. The Morris’s are evil, bad. You take them down, son. Take them all down.

I pull my thoughts back to the present and run a hand across my jaw.

I’ll treat Mitchell Morris with the respect he deserves, which at the moment, isn’t much. Actually, none at all. He hasn’t been present, not for the purchase of the company, not when his dad signed over the papers and then introduced us to his staff, making no excuses for his son’s lazy behavior.

He slacks off. You have to watch him. He’s an entitled kid.

“I know that look, Gideon,” Shiloh says as he places a few plants on the window sill. “You can be mean. Really cruel. I’ve seen you do it. But at least give Mitchell a chance.”

“I have.”

“He’s not his father. Or yours.”

“I fucking know that.”

I gave Mitchell the benefit of the doubt when speaking to him in his office. He ignored me, scoffing, looking at me like he didn’t deserve this. Like it should have all been his.

I’ve seen that far too many times. I’ve been around people who have his mentality. Rich brats who think they deserve golden shit just because they were born into it. Unlike me, who had to smile and nod as I made my way up in the world. On my own. Everything I have, I earned.

Unlike them.

Unlike him.

I’m sure Mitchell will survive this. He will have other opportunities. I’m sure his dad will figure out something for him. Something niggles in the back of my mind, a noisy scratch, but I muffle it until I can’t hear it anymore.

He’ll be just fine. I don’t want him here anyway. I’ll gladly accept his resignation once he’s done pouting like a spoiled child.

“If you’re just going to sit there, can you at least lean over and unpack some of my stuff? You’re just taking up air.”

I meet Shiloh’s eyes and glower at him. It goes ignored. He’s never been intimidated by me.

“Fine. Just for a few moments. I have a company to run.”

“Could have fooled me.”

I scoff and help him unload a box before getting back to work.

Back to the company I earned with my own sweat and tears.

Mitchell never did anything to earn it. And neither did his dad.

No, his dad stole it. Took it from someone who never had a chance to get it back.

I see Mitchell’s closed office door, and I scowl at it. Fuck that guy. I bet he’s not doing anything in there to earn his paycheck. I bet he’s just dicking around.

Like father, like son.

But I’ll give Mitchell a chance, like Shiloh asked. I can do that and see what happens.

Chapter Three

Mitch

My arms and legs feel heavy when I finally make it to the gym. It’s been a week since I’ve been here, and suddenly, I feel like I’ve lost everything I’ve worked toward.

Well, I mean,I have.

But now I’m talking about my body and the work it took to get fit. I feel like a week off has taken its toll, and I wonder if I can still bench press the amount I did seven days ago.