Free Wolf Bite (Wolf Cove #2) by Nina West Page B

each other, in some respects I probably know
him better than anyone else here. With a deep breath, I open up a text thread
to him.
    I have a very important but quick question. Can I come by?
    I close my eyes and set my phone on my chest, my heart rate
speeding up as I wait.
    I jump at the vibration a minute later.
    Not a good time.
    My stomach sinks. He must be wrapped up with work. Or maybe he
thinks “I have a question” is code for sex? Swallowing my unease, I try again.
    Seriously. Just a question. It’s important, and brief. I promise.
    A moment later:
    You’ve got me here, now. What’s your question?
    I roll my eyes. Over text is not how I wanted to do this.
    I think you should give Rachel back her job.
    I bite my bottom lip as I watch the three dots dance on the
screen.
    That’s not a question.
    No, I guess it’s not.
    Can you give Rachel back her job?
    She went against company policy.
    Okay... so not a flat-out “no.”
    I purse my lips together, wondering if questioning him is smart.
He’s never given me reason to believe I hold any sway in suggesting anything
business related.
    So have others, and they weren’t fired. I think you should give
her a break.
    My phone starts vibrating with a phone call. My heart swells
when I see Henry’s name pop up. “Hello?”
    “Why?” The single word as greeting, delivered in his deep
stern voice, throws me off, and it takes a moment to gather my thoughts.
    I drop my voice to a whisper, though Katie’s the only one
here and she’s dead to the world, her mass of bleach-blonde hair splayed around
her pillow. “With everything going on right now, the last thing you need is
people questioning why you fired her and you didn’t fire me. Katie and I broke
policy, too. Plus, people around here don’t like you very much right now.
Everyone’s afraid to make a mistake and be shipped off. They spent a lot of
money on plane tickets to get here.”
    Several long moments of silence hang between us.
    In a last-ditch effort, I add, “You once said you wanted
people to be happy working here.”
    “So?”
    “So, if you really care about your staff, which I think you
do, then you’ll make choices to win their respect back.”
    There’s a slight pause. “They don’t respect me?” He
says this like he’s surprised by it. Maybe he is. It’s one thing not to like
the CEO of the hotel chain you work for because he’s hard-nosed. It’s entirely
different not to respect him.
    “Not exactly...”
    “Why? What are they saying?”
    “Right now? That you’re a spineless dickhead.” I hold my
breath, waiting for his response, hoping he doesn’t ask me who said that. I
don’t want to get Ronan in trouble or worse, fired.
    “Fine.”
    I frown, not sure that I heard correctly. “Fine, yes?”
    “Where is Rachel right now? Can you get hold of her?”
    “She’s still in Homer, trying to get a flight home. Katie
has her number.”
    “Get her on the next ferry back. But she’s on a short leash
and I won’t give her another chance. Make sure you tell Belinda when you see
her so she can get her set up again.”
    I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
    There’s a pause, and when he speaks again, his voice has
dropped to that gravelly, intimate tone. “Thank me later.”
    My blood starts pumping through my veins. I don’t want to
hang up with him yet. “How are things? Were you with your father for long last
night?”
    He groans. “All night, and this morning.  Him, telling me
how to run things like I don’t know anything, and then my brother throwing his
useless two cents in any chance he can, to try and prove he knows better than
me. I’ll be so happy when they’re both gone.”
    He’s more candid than he has been in the past. I can
definitely feel a shift in our relationship since yesterday. It’s nice. “Hang
in there. It’ll be over soon.”
    “Gotta go. See you later.” He hangs up, leaving me smiling.
    “Katie!” I yell, no longer concerned about