“But it’s okay for me?” Jenna muttered.
Don’s eyes were unreadable. “Of course not, Jenna. Of course not. But you, for better or worse, are better equipped for it. You’ll rise to the challenge and bust some skulls. I have trust in you, kid. You’re family to me in this life. So is Erika. You girls are family, and I have done a shitty job looking out for you.”
“I’m touched, really,” Jenna said dryly. Don waved her away. Jenna took that as the end to the mushy sentiment. “Okay, business. We’re getting this thing done in three months. All said and done. I am going to be contacting my lawyer. Increased threat means a bigger payoff. I want my lawyers battling. I want to take you out of the equation.”
“Wise.”
“Why?” Jenna asked, suddenly suspicious.
“I went to the board with your numbers, with Janice’s claim, with all of it. They turned it down flat. They’ll pay your bonus and maybe a hazard fee, but no more. They think if they pay out, they are agreeing that it’s the company’s fault, which will leave them open to more lawsuits. They are going to try to get out of all this.”
Jenna’s blood boiled. “Really? I wonder if they would be so hard-nosed if they knew I had some…papers they didn’t want going to the press…”
Don smiled with a gleam in his eye. “I see you made friends with that reporter I sent your way.”
Jenna couldn’t hide the shock. Back in the day a reporter had done some sniffing around, thinking their company was pulling Enron-type maneuvers. Jenna made friends with her fast, helping her get in deeper, helping her find information. Everything that they found had been compiled into a nice little packet of nuggets about the dirty dealings within the company. The reporter tried to go to press, but her bosses stopped her, not wanting to lose a big advertising account. Jenna filed the material away in a safe place, just in case.
It looked like “just in case” might be about to rear its ugly head. The bad news was, this company was a giant. No one would want to see its collapse, especially with the New York project gaining momentum. They had done some shady things, but they were nowhere near Enron’s corruption. Her lawyers weren’t nearly good enough to take on the company lawyers, and if she tried to bring them down, she would lose. The question was, could she get a foothold big enough to reap vast rewards?
All that aside, it was an interesting realization that Don had thrown her a bone with that reporter. She’d thought she made contact on her own.
She said as much and got a shrug. “I figured if anyone could use it, you could.”
“Well, then.”
“Oh, one more thing,” Don said, clicking through something on his computer. “Cliché is a sensation. Not sure if you saw the papers, but a gritty picture of him carrying you and Erika made the front page. Looks like a GQ firefighter.” Don snorted, thinking it was ridiculous.
“Huh.”
“Yeah, ‘huh.’ Trust you to find the exotic hunk in the woods. Anyway, the PR firm wants another photo shoot with you and him. The photographer from last time requested the honor. Apparently that guy is hard to get, so they nearly shat themselves with the expense approval.”
“Josh hates that guy.”
“Who? The photographer?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty funny, actually. I thought Josh was going to run out last time. He looked like a cat being threatened with a squirt bottle.”
Don started laughing. “That’s something I’d like to see. Anyway, put that on your calendar for tomorrow. I’ve sent you an email about it.”
Jenna left Don’s office with a plan for heading into New York’s vast underbelly formulating as she made her way to the conference room. Erika and Mike were already there with their laptops out. Monica was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s the intern?”
Mike shrugged and Erika said, “Coffee, probably.”
Jenna swore. Looking for the intern was not what she’d had planned for her day.
As Erika suspected, Monica was sitting in the break room, chatting to some young girl with straight black hair. Annoyed, Jenna leaned against the doorframe. “Monica, you were due in the conference room ten minutes ago.”
The two girls looked up quickly. Monica wore a defiant expression; the other girl, wisely, wore fear.
“I was taking a break.” Monica flicked her hair with a stubborn set to her shoulders. Not apologetic about making the team of superiors wait.
It was just enough to tip her over the edge into the realm of “no longer necessary.”
“Well, your break is about to last longer than planned. You’re fired. Clean out your desk and get out of here. I have no use for laziness.”
“You can’t fire me.” A smug smile rolled across her face. “Don Jeffries placed me here. My dad is friends with Don’s boss.”
“I’m not sure you noticed, but right now, my face is plastered all over this company. I am heading the biggest project this company has ever engaged in. Billions are tied up with my design. Are you under the impression your father can unseat my authority on this?”
Monica stilled halfway through another hair flick.
So she hadn’t thought this through. She thought she was safe because of Daddy.
Her tune changed immediately. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I want to work here. I want the experience. Please, give me one more chance. I’ll do better. I promise.”
Jenna watched her grovel for a minute before saying, “I was quite clear with you on how I manage. You failed. It really is unfortunate, since this project would have looked great on your résumé. Regardless, I can’t use you—no trust. Have Don place you in a different department.”
“You’re just jealous that Josh likes me better!” Monica shrieked as Jenna walked away.
“Where are we, in high school?” Jenna muttered to herself as Josh himself came around the corner. His face was stony planes and angles. He glanced back at the break room—he must have heard Monica’s shouts—before zeroing in on Jenna. “There’s something you should know.”
Jenna kept walking toward the conference room where Erika and Mike were waiting. “I’m busy, Josh, what’s up?”
“Your father is here.”
Lead filled Jenna’s feet. She stumbled into the door of the conference room and full-on fell onto the large oblong table. Mike and Erika looked up in alarm. Mike’s face immediately curled into a smile.
“How do you know that?” Jenna asked, regaining her footing.
“I heard him asking for you in the lobby.”
“What?” Erika asked, standing up.
“My father’s here. Why is he here?”
“Same reason Josh’s dad was at the vacation house in the woods.” Erika sat back down.
Jenna took a moment to breathe. Talk about a situation going downhill. “It’s okay. Doesn’t matter. Josh, take a seat. Maybe you can break his arm when he finds me. Erika, Mike, I just fired Monica. She’s useless. We are flying solo again.”
Both shrugged. It was sad when having no help was sometimes better than an employee hired to do the job.
Without further delay, they launched into their concerns. They compiled a list, talked about problems, and systematically went about figuring out how to get their work done in three months with only a staff of three. It would be hard work, but it was definitely doable.
Toward the end of the session, as Mike was talking about the face of the building near the arched entryway, the conference phone rang. Her father had probably been harassing Don Jeffries, and Don had finally got tired of playing babysitter.
They all looked at the phone, and then Mike went back to the problem at hand. “I say we use that old-looking stone shit. That stuff will give the building that right feel, I think. Here’s a picture.”
Jenna and Erika ignored Jax coming into the conference room, a harried look on his face.
“I like it.” Jenna gave a decisive nod. “As for my favorite issue, I guess we can just go with that beam. It’s ugly, but it’ll have to do.”
<
br /> “Jenna—” Jax said quietly.
“I forgot to tell you, Jenna,” Erika said, ignoring Jax. “I found a way to fix that problem.”
“Jenna—” Jax said again, more urgently.
“You forgot to tell me, or you were waiting until the right moment to get my undying gratitude?”
“Timing is everything, as they say.” Erika smiled. She was doing her best not to look at Jax, who was practically hopping up and down to get Jenna’s attention.
“Jenna.” Jax practically yelled it.
“What?”
“Your dad has set up camp in your office. He’s ordering the whole office around. He got some girl that was passing down the hall to get him coffee. The girl doesn’t even work for him. And she did it!” Jax was in awe. “And he has four assistants running around, making copies and doing all manner of things from your office. Don said to tell you he is your problem.”
Jenna sighed. “Alas, the devil has finally found me. I wonder what he wants.”
“You have no soul, so that can’t be it,” Mike said as he rolled up his plans.
“When did you last see him?” Josh asked.
“Ten years ago when I told him to shove his dictatorship up his pie hole.”
“Jenna, you’re getting old. What does that make you, twenty-eight?” Erika asked with a smirk.
“Erika, you’re not helping. But since he isn’t going anywhere, I should probably face the music.”
Jenna steeled herself. She had always been afraid of her father. Even when she’d finally walked away from him, his presence overwhelmed her. Luckily for her, and unlucky for her dear old dad, she was in the mood to kick ass today.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Josh watched Jenna silently pull her tough face out and strap it on. She straightened herself and smoothed her suit. As the last bit of robust gloss was applied, she walked out of the conference room with purpose.
Josh stayed a few paces back with Jax.
“Have you seen him since he set up shop?” Jax whispered.
“No. Why?”
“He could give your dad a run for his money, man. Not an in-law I would choose.”
“She’s giving as good as she gets, I guess.”
“I would say goodbye to family Christmas parties. That’s all I know. It would be some kind of father smackdown.”
“Hush, you two,” Jenna said from in front of them.
Jax gave Josh a face like they were in trouble with the teacher. It was a mix of humor, trepidation, and anticipation. Jax must have been in trouble often when he was in school.
Jenna turned into her office and stopped. Josh and Jax huddled at the window, not wanting to miss the fireworks.
Mr. Anderson was sitting at her desk, having removed all her plans and papers to make room for his work. He was an aging man, balding, with salt-and-pepper hair and a short-cropped white beard and mustache. His suit probably cost as much as a poor family’s house and a Rolex was wrapped around his wrist. He wore them both like a uniform. The man oozed supremacy and importance where some men oozed charisma.
Jenna brought herself up to her full height, but instead of her normal hardheaded approach, she was calm. She was centered and in her element. Complete control meets a levelheaded approach. She drew eyes to her without having to say a word.
Josh felt a shiver go up his back right before his groin tightened up. She was exactly what he thought she could be if she would let the two halves of herself merge. Apparently, her father was the key that brought it all together.
And she hated him. That explained a lot.
“Dad. Why are you here?” Her voice was flowing silk.
Mr. Anderson looked up, his eyes doing a brief assessment before going back to his paperwork. He scribbled some notes, signed something, and handed it off to a waiting assistant—a dainty girl scared for her life, by the look of it.
“I read about you in the paper.” He folded his hands on the desk. “This is the second shooting around your person. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. What is this company doing to protect you?”
“I have a bodyguard.”
“A bodyguard? As in one?”
“Yes.”
“I would like to meet the bodyguard capable of handling multiple attackers on his own.”
Jenna glanced up and met Josh’s eyes through the window of her office. Josh came through the door, parting assistants as Moses parted water.
“This is Joshua Williams,” Jenna said, stepping to the side to make room. “Son of General Williams out of North Carolina. He has already been a huge benefit to me.”
Josh wondered at the mention of his father. Apparently the need to impress Daddy wasn’t completely lost in their separation.
“Joshua Williams, yes. I am Bill Anderson.” Bill stood and reached forward. His shake was firm and eye contact strong. “I know about you, of course. I do my homework. Top of your class at West Point, top of your class in BUD/S training, quick rising, Purple Heart. Your father is still in the military. Your mother, God rest her soul, was a great advocate for numerous charities. Remarkable woman. Your sisters follow in your mother’s footsteps while also being a credit to their respective fields, though one has recently become a stay-at-home mother, is that correct?”
Josh nodded, trying to ease the rigidity out of his body. Saying he was shaken was putting it mildly. This man was reciting his family history as if he were reading it out of a book. He kept going back to the same tone and nuance as the credit Bill gave to his mom.
Did he know that was a soft spot?
“Yes, I can see that you are capable.” Bill turned back to his daughter. Josh met her gaze and his apprehension dissipated instantly at the pride in her eyes. “But you are only one man. Jenna, that is unacceptable.”
Jenna rolled her eyes and looked around her, eyes hitting off each assistant. “Where’s Lisa?”
“Back at the office.”
“Any of these assistants any good?”
Bill’s eyes narrowed, but apparently he couldn’t read Jenna’s angle because he didn’t say anything. Jenna turned confident eyes back on him and changed topics. “Dad, I have work to do and you’re in my chair. Thanks for the visit, catching up was a hoot, but I am really too busy to entertain you any longer.”
“Jenna, you are an Anderson and my daughter. I will not stand by while this company flaunts you around the city, cashes in on you, and then leaves you to the wolves. I heard about the gala. You are in serious danger.”
“You heard about the gala… Taking money to keep Mr. Crocodile Boots on the street, are you? Choosing your job over the life of another family member? How mundane of you, Father; I would almost assume you had no creativity.” The silk rolled away from Jenna’s voice to reveal a razor blade underneath.
The whole room froze over. Every stare was on Jenna’s perfectly composed features. Her eyes, though…war waged in those eyes. The death that lingered in her memories jumped out, caught fire, and spread. If Josh saw those eyes on a man holding a gun to a hostage, he would have to react quickly because that hostage was about to die.
“My sources are my own, and no, that is not one of them,” Bill said. His eyes were wary. Jenna had hit on an old, gangrene-infested wound. She was intentionally using the pain to draw the razor across Bill’s jugular.
She’d said she knew how to cut to the quick of people. Erika had mentioned it, too.
It wasn’t until right this moment, seeing it through clear eyes, seeing it happen to someone else, that Josh finally knew what Jenna had apologized for when they were at the general’s house, what Erika had warned him about. Jenna didn’t need a weapon. Not with this skill in her arsenal. Hand a bad man a sharp object and let Jenna talk him into slitting his wrists.
This was testament to the degree of anguish Jenna had locked up deep inside. Someone only knew how to vocalize this much pain when they were intimate with its effects.
“Clear out your assistants.” Jen
na’s eyes sparkled in aching triumph that looked more like defeat, death’s door opened wide, the maw sucking her in. Sucking everyone in. Josh’s body erupted in goosebumps. “And get away from my desk.”
Bill faced off with his daughter, no intention of yielding.
Jenna leaned closer. “Get. Away. From. My. Desk.”
“Clear out!” Bill barked, not looking anywhere but at his daughter’s eyes.
In appearance, you would barely know these two were related. Jenna had her mother’s looks, if the photographs in Jenna’s apartment were any indication. But in tone, in stance, in the ability to control a room, she was her father’s daughter. In that, the likeness between daughter and father was incredible.
The assistants scattered.
Jenna didn’t look away from her father’s challenging stare. “Josh, get Jax and Erika. Then close the door. Please.”
Josh did as he was told, nearly giving her a “yes, sir” as he did it.
Jax was sitting in Erika’s office, book in hand, eyes on Erika. Erika was staring at the phone.
“What’s up?” Josh asked, relieved to be somewhere without hostility and unspoken death threats.
Erika looked up. “I was waiting for Jenna’s call. This showdown has been ten years in the making. I figured she would freak out.”
“So far she is holding her own. Luckily neither of them have guns,” Josh said. “She’s asked for you two. I would refrain from any sudden movements, if I were you.”
Erika’s face closed down. Jax’s smile blossomed.
Josh shared Jax’s sentiment. It was a relief that someone else was squaring off with their parents.
When they reached the office, Jenna had reclaimed her seat and was staring at her father, who was sitting in a guest chair on the other side of the desk. The battle of wills had long since begun, but this time, it was on Jenna’s home turf. Ten years was a long time, and by the look of it, Jenna had made the most of it. Bill was still trying to find purchase.
No wonder Jenna was able to handle his father so expertly. Josh had no idea she’d had a lifetime of practice. She should thank him for the warm up session.
Unexpected Guardian (Skyline Trilogy Book 3) Page 17
