Professional Restraint

21 Deeper

Ella

By the third day, I'm beginning to wonder if Liam and I can ever find the bottom of this Renfor's mess. We've been putting in long hours every day, starting at eight am and not leaving until seven or eight at night.

The hours don't bother me. We've done all-nighters when closing jobs out or prepping bids for HCR, but trying to make sense of someone else's mess is completely different. Working in someone else's office under all this scrutiny and constant questions doesn't help. My shoulders and neck ache from days of hunching over a crappy table, and my eyes strain from sifting endless piles of paper.

After burning through all the files Renford's records management division prepared for us the first day in less than an hour, the next time we saw a company representative, they were less friendly. None of that seems to bother Liam though, whose stares and glares as he asks for more specific documents show that their change in attitude doesn't faze him.

He acts like my own personal shield, leaving me to the numbers and keeping the corporate people towing his line. Every day we come back and dig a little deeper, and we must be getting closer because Russel is hovering now.

"He's a slave driver, am I right?" Russel asks, leaning in with that cocky playboy smile that makes me shrink back.

The creep actually thinks he's charming! Thank God for Liam.

"Russel," Liam practically growls in warning. His keen green gaze never leaves the unwelcome man whenever he's hanging around.

I sigh and get up, moving over to the next set of boxes, but sit with Liam on my right side because really, I just want Russel away. Every day he spends more time with us, hovering, asking questions and just generally being a bother.

"You control what she says too?" Russel challenges, unfazed by Liam's warning.

"No, he doesn't," I answer, cutting off Liam's no doubt colourful retort. "I'm just concentrating. Your books are a mess, and they're giving me a headache."

Liam strokes his beard to hide the smirk tugging at his lips, while Russel stands there slack jawed at my uncharacteristic outburst. Unfortunately, he doesn't take the hint and follows me over to the second table, where he sits down on my left side, making my skin crawl.

"Clearly, you're stressed and overworked. A night on the town, my treat of course, could do you a world of good," he offers, leaning against the table far closer than need be.

"For fuck's sake!" Liam snaps, locking his darkening gaze on Russel. He takes a commanding step towards us and closes the gap. "If you put half as much effort into running this company as you do trying to pick up Ella, then you wouldn't be in this mess!"

Russel's carefree façade cracks, his body stiffens as he glares back at Liam and slowly stands. Suddenly, the room feels too small, with both men towering above me on either side.

"Come again?" Russel scoffs, shifting and waiting for an apology I know won't come. Liam, for his part, isn't bothered in the slightest.

That's my cue.

"Excuse me," I mumble, slipping out from between the men and beelining for the door. Thankfully, Liam steps in behind me, blocking Russel as he makes a move to follow me.

Hopefully, they'll have things settled when I get back from the bathroom.

After taking my time and practically dragging my feet, I freeze outside of the door, hearing raised voices coming through it. The thought of going back mid-argument doesn't really appeal, so I just stand there with no desire to even reach for the handle.