Most of the crowd had finished eating by the time we re-entered the party. They were mingling and talking in small groups around the bar and tables.

Brock’s hand at the center of my back guided me to exactly where he thought I should be.

I sat down on the chair at the bar that I had been at earlier. He gave me a long, heated look and nodded. I wanted his hand back where it had been but to keep up pretenses we had to play at being what we had told everyone.

He walked away and I watched him move in and around people. He was exact in his movements. Giving people enough space that he wouldn’t touch them when passing. He nodded at people along the way but didn’t say anything.

Maggie approached him again and laid a hand on his arm. He backed up and her arm slid off. His eyes flicked to me for a second before he spoke briefly with her. I fought my jealous impulse to walk over to him and glare at her.

He turned and walked to the podium after a brief conversation.

Tapping the microphone, he said, “Hello, good evening.”

The conversation buzz in the room dimmed and heads turned toward the front of the room.

“Good to see everyone,” he said. “I wanted to welcome everyone to our retreat. We’ve been given an opportunity to spend some time at the hotel thanks to our benefactor, Aiden Latimer.”

The crowd started clapping.

I felt someone standing behind me and looked back.

Gabriel had come up to stand behind my left shoulder. He gave me a tight smile and turned his attention back to Brock.

Despite what Brock said, Gabriel seemed nice enough. He certainly wasn’t leering over me or making me feel uncomfortable. In fact, given the past hour, it seemed that he was probably someone I could trust at least partially. No doubt he would have some questions for Brock later about what happened.

If I had ridden in a helicopter chasing after some crazy woman in an R8 I would have a list of questions.

Brock was still speaking. “So, we have full use of the hotel for a few days. If you’ve elected to drive in for our meetings and activities please be on time. I would suggest staying here. Everything is free to use to this specific group. You already received your passes so please make sure you show them for verification when you need to do something.”

Brock’s eyes found mine then narrowed as they slid to Gabriel. “An itinerary was sent out to you last week. Given the nature of our business all meetings will take place in the conference rooms on the fifth floor which has some interesting specifications.”

Most of the crowd chuckled at his last sentence but I wasn’t sure what he meant. I turned to ask Gabriel but he had left.

Brock cleared his throat, “I see that some of you have brought your spouses. Feel free to give them the vouchers for whatever they need. Be aware that the hotel is going to get very busy tomorrow. There are a lot of people that have booked for the weekend. Keep your passes close and don’t lose them. Enjoy tonight. Thank you.”

There was more clapping and a surge of people that crowded around him as he stepped away from the podium.

I turned back to the bar and tried to get the bartender’s attention.

Brent slid up to me and smiled. “Was it a martini?”

“Uhm, yeah but I was going to get something different. Maybe a rum and coke.”

Brent nodded and caught the bartender’s attention. After he ordered for both of us he turned back to me.

“So, how is it working with the tyrant?”

I blinked at him. “Who?”

He turned around toward the crowd and leaned up against the bar. “Brock. Is he as much of a control freak to you as he is at work?”

I tilted my head. He had no idea. Yes, yes and yes.

“No, he’s just very cautious. Precise. I don’t mind.”

Our drinks were back and he took his, drinking while he scanned the room.

“Well, if you’re ever interested I work in finance. Vice President of the department. I could use some help over there if you wanted to transfer.”

He said it nonchalantly like he was dropping his title for my benefit. I tried not to roll my eyes. Pompous ass.

“Well, technically I’m a liaison between Aiden and Brock. It works well and I’m good but I’ll keep it in mind. So, what do you think about all of this? The hotel?”

He shrugged, “Just another Latimer acquisition. No offense, it’s just kind of overkill. I think we’re all here just to boost the hotel occupancy myself. We could have easily had the meetings at the office and I’m a busy man.”

I took a sip of my drink. “Do you like working for the company?”

He turned to the side and looked briefly at my legs. “It has its perks. I could be making more money out east in all honesty.”

“You work in the New York office?”

“Yes, I—”

Maggie suddenly sidled up to Brent and slid a hand down his arm. She eyed me before turning to him.

“Brent,” she pouted. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Brent gave her a bored look. “Maggie, nice to see you. Are you giving a presentation or are you just here for the drinks?”

She leaned against the bar, blocking my view of Brent and effectively cutting off our exchange. The perfume she wore was nearly overwhelming. It was like she had bathed in it before coming. The slightly metallic scent attacked my nose and I sneezed.

Brent leaned around Maggie. “Allergies?”

I shook my head. “Just smelled something that didn’t agree with me.”

Maggie looked back at me with her eyes narrowed. “That’s too bad. Of course, some people just are naturally prone to illness. You might want to check that out. I hear they have some great doctors in Lakefield. Worth a trip.”

A trip away from the hotel and out of her territory in other words.

I smiled. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. I used to start sneezing when I visited my grandmother too. What perfume are you wearing? She might have used the same thing. Not that you’re as old as my grandmother or anything, it just smells similar.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Who are you again?”

“I’m Andi, Mr. Fleming’s personal assistant,” I smiled. “This party is great. Brent was just saying that he would have preferred the office but I think the venue is fun.”

Maggie snorted and looked bored. “We could have had it in the office but when would we be able to see old friends like this again? Brock for instance, we’re very close. Have been for ages.”

The way she said Brock’s name almost sounded a little too familiar. Brock said they hadn’t been together but we both knew she was definitely interested. What she was trying to insinuate made me want to hit her.

Brent set his drink on the bar and ordered another two drinks for us. I noticed that he didn’t ask Maggie what she wanted.

“I just think this could have gone quicker and we could have all gotten back to work with a two day conference. We don’t have to be in this hotel in order to do that. We have plenty of room elsewhere that can accommodate this group. Why do we have to be at this particular hotel?”

Maggie snorted, “Agreed. Although I’m sure you’re having the time of your life, Andi. Not something you probably get to do much? These luxury hotels all look the same after a while.”

Before I could answer, she turned to Brent again. “I see James is hitting on the buffet again. How the man gets laid at all is beyond me.”

I looked up and saw James clearly trying to flirt with a younger woman at one of the tables. She looked like she was ready to bolt.

Eww. James was looking at her like he had looked at me earlier. Like meat on a platter.

Brent looked back at me and then over my shoulder. “Gabriel.”

Glancing over my shoulder, Gabriel was standing close with a drink in his hand. He nodded at Brent.

Maggie knocked into my knee like I was a piece of furniture as she went around me and sidled up to Gabriel. He eyed her cautiously.

She gave him a bright smile and nudged him. “How are things? We haven’t gotten together for drink in a while.”

Maggie seemed to be familiar with everyone. Not in the good professional way but more in the “we’ve had sex” way. Maybe it was just the way she was naturally but she didn’t seem to be making headway with either Brent or Gabriel. Maybe she was trying to sleep her way to the top?

Regardless she didn’t seem like the type of person that would give away company secrets. She just seemed to want to get laid more than anything. I scratched her off the list of possible suspects for now.

“Maggie, how are things going for you?”

“It’s lonely in my little department. No one wants to have any fun.”

Gabriel lifted his eyebrow. “You’re over an entire department in sales. It’s anything but little.”

She pouted or tried to. It wasn’t attractive or as cute as she probably thought it was. Now I knew why Brock had reacted the way he did when he had seen her earlier in the night.

“They’re all stodgy,” she said. She lowered her voice and looked over at Brent, “Whatever happened to the days when we were drinking in the office? It was a lot more exciting than this.”

Brent looked over at me briefly. Turning back to her he replied, “I seem to recall that only a couple of people had drinks and the rest of us watched the disaster.”

“I always thought it was fun,” Maggie shrugged, and turned away from us to walk toward another group of men.

Brent leaned into me from my other side, causing me to jump.

“Sorry,” he said in a low voice. “She’s always like that. Would you like another drink?”

I looked down at the drink in my hand, I had barely taken a few sips of it. I was already feeling good and there was no reason to push it while I was trying to glean information.

“Uhm, no. I think I’m fine,” I said and glanced at him.

I looked around the crowd and didn’t see Brock anywhere. He was tall enough to see above the heads of nearly everyone normally.

Frowning, I turned back to Brent. “So, have you seen much of the hotel? The security room and all of that?”

He nodded but his eyes kept wandering around my body and it was starting to make me squirm. He was just as bad as James at this point.

I gave him a tight smile when his eyes finally landed back in mine. “Do you and James work closely together?”

He shrugged. “Kind of. We share a lot of the same opinions about things.”

“Like the company?” I prodded.

He let out a chuckle, “Yeah. Although James is pretty verbal that he doesn’t like his job. It’s all piss and wind. No one ever likes their job.”

Enough to commit a crime?

I heard Maggie’s voice to my side but she seemed to be further away. Glancing over, it looked like she had found the next flirting victim. The man looked like he was in his seventies and appalled at whatever she was telling him.

I glanced over her shoulder and saw Brock come out of a door with Angela beside him. My body stilled as I watched Angela smile at him and smooth her hands down the side of her dress. It caused the material around her breasts to dip slightly. Brock leaned slightly toward her and said something to her that made her laugh.

My gut clenched a little and I scowled. He was player.

Less than half an hour of being back at this wretched party and he was already hitting on someone. What did I expect? He was always a lady’s man according to the stories the girls had told me.

I wondered what they had been doing out of the room.

He glanced at me with a smile on his face, then it faded the longer I looked at him. I tore my eyes away and slid off my seat. I nearly stumbled but caught myself. The alcohol must have affected me a little more than I had thought.

Brent grabbed my elbow and I felt Gabriel’s hand at my back.

“You okay there?” Gabriel asked.

I looked between both of them, “Yes, thank you. I think I’ve had my limit while wearing these heels.”

Brent looked down at my legs. “They’re great heels though.”

I nodded, “Agreed but maybe not so great paired with alcohol.”

“Would you like help?” Gabriel asked.

I refused to look in Brock’s direction and smiled at Gabriel. “Yes, actually, can you introduce me to some of the rest of your company? I’ve met very few people and everyone seems very nice.”

He gave me a nice smile. He really was a good-looking man and had been very pleasant. Not at all overly forward despite the initial looks and slight flirting. The type I would have let date any one of my friends I suspected, although I didn’t know him very well.

Linking my hand over his elbow he led me deeper into the crowd and away from Brock.

Brock who I wanted to punch right now. Fuck him.

Why did I even care?

He was a complete fraud. I would finish scoping the crowd for him because I said I would, then I would leave. I could fill him in via text message when I got back to my room.

Then this whole thing was going to be done.

Gabriel led me through the mass of people that seemed to have gotten more toasted as the night had worn on. We stopped and chatted with a lot of them.

I was keenly aware that Brock was in the room. My skin tingled several times like I was being watched but every time I glanced behind me I couldn’t see him.

Gabriel wasn’t making contact with me other than my hand at his elbow. Not once did he brush against me or indicate that he was hitting on me. More points for him. Maybe he could tell how much of a foul mood I was in.

A waiter passed by and he grabbed two flutes of champagne off his tray. He turned me toward the front of the room and handed me one once we cleared the throng.

“I don’t think one more would hurt you,” he said as he tipped his up for a drink. He eyed me over the rim.

I tasted mine, it was sweet. Tipping it back I drank the entire thing.

Gabriel chuckled, “I don’t know what’s going on with you two but if you ever need anything I would be happy to help.”

I frowned at him. The alcohol was hitting my system quickly and I swayed slightly.

“With who?”

Gabriel glanced behind me. “With the barbarian that looks furious and is headed this way.”

I turned and saw Brock coming through the crowd. His neck was red and his jaw looked like it was about to break from the clench it was in. His eyes were burning with anger as he looked between Gabriel and me.

“Thank you, Gabriel. I think I’ll take you up on that offer soon,” I said, then launched myself into the crowd, leaving Gabriel behind. I didn’t feel bad about it. I knew Gabriel was being sincere and he had seen Brock’s face.

I heard some noise behind me but ignored it and kept concentrating on weaving through people. Many of them I had just met and they politely greeted me again.

I was nearly to the door when James grabbed me around the waist and drug me out in the hallway.

“Oh!” I said and tried to pry his hands off.

His eyes were glazed and he reeked of alcohol. “Hey there, Andi the personal assistant.”

He leaned into me and pressed my body up against the wall while I continued to push back on his shoulders.

His mouth was slack and he slurred when he said, “You are one fine piece of ass, Andi. Are you fucking both of them?”

I grimaced. “What?! Fucking who?”

He swayed and he rubbed against me again. “Mr. Latimer and Mr. Dickhead. I mean Mr. Fleming. Did I say he was a dickhead? I mean, who the hell has a personal assistant like you without screwing you on a regular basis?”

“Get off, James,” I shoved at him again. “You’re an asshole!”

“Asshole?” he slurred close to my face. I could smell the liquor he had consumed and it made my stomach lurch. One of his hands gripped my arm and squeezed hard. “Am I an asshole because you have that dress on and know men are looking at you? Am I an asshole because you dress like you want to get screwed?”

He shook my arm and his face scowled at me. He wrenched at my arm and started dragging me down the hallway. As drunk as he was, he was overpowering me in my high heels and slightly tipsy state.

“Stop, James! STOP!” I yelled as he continued to drag me. I tried to dig my heels into the carpet but it only made me stumble.

“I’ll show you asshole! Little bitch,” he seethed.

Suddenly, I was wrenched free of his grasp and pushed up against a wall. My back hit it hard and I nearly tipped over. James was flying back, off his feet and went down to the floor.

Brock’s huge body was on him in a second with a knee in his chest and fists flying. His muscles bulged as he hit him again. James was sputtering and trying to hit Brock back with very little success. He landed one solid one on Brock’s face, which just seemed to rile him further.

Brock looked like he was going to keep punching even after James stopped trying.

“Brock!” I yelled. “Stop! He’s done.”

Brock landed another solid one in his ribs before I ran over to him and threw my arms around his back. He nearly bucked me off when he reared back for another punch.

“Brock, stop! I’m okay!” I yelled at him again.

I could feel his chest heaving as he took deep breaths. I could only imagine what his face looked like. He lowered his arms but his back was still tense as I held him.

He growled and leaned down toward James. “You’re fucking fired!!”

James just made a moaning sound and grabbed at his face.

Brock stood up and I let go, backing up from him. When he turned around his eyes hit mine and I flinched. He looked like he was ready to kill.

My heart was beating fast in my chest and I took another step back. His lip was bleeding slightly and his hair was disheveled.

He took one step toward me, lifted me in his arms and carried me down the hallway, growling the entire way.