Free Hell in a Handbasket - The Journey by Damara Blackthorne

was stashed in an inner pocket of his
suit. He called 911.
    He then opened
one of the frosted doors and motioned for someone who was waiting out in the
lobby.
    A security
officer walked in and approached Miss Parrish. "Come with me please. We
will be escorting you to HR and then off the property."
    Taryn looked so
pale. I thought she was going to faint, but no one offered to call 911 for her
or to assist her in her walking. I felt so bad for her.
    Ryder looked back
over the table. "Mrs. Palmer, could you please watch over Mr.
Carlisle?" He was looking at the pretty middle-aged woman who was a member
of the Mile High Club. "And would you wait with him until the ambulance
leaves with him. Also could you let me know to which hospital they take him. Thank you."
    Mrs. Palmer
nodded. "Sure thing Mr. Madsen."
    Ryder smiled and
gestured to the rest of the table. "Since this meeting did not go quite
how I had hoped, let me make a few more things abundantly clear. Miss Bendis
will be staying on as a writer. She and everyone else associated with me or my
companies are to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. As for the
rest of you, some of you I am extremely pleased with, some of you, not so much.
I will re-evaluate your work over the coming weeks to determine your place
within this company. So, enjoy the refreshments. This meeting is
adjourned."
    I must have still
been in shock. I sat through all of this with my mouth slightly open and my
brain empty. I mean seriously—blank.
    Ryder turned to
me with the softest look in his eyes. "Maeve, would you like to see my
office?"

 
 
 
    Chapter Six

 
 
    I blinked a few times, my brain still waiting for someone
to hit the reset button so it could start to function again. It felt like the
inside of my head was a clean wall of chalk board. Well washed and oh-so blank.
I just sat there staring at him, my mouth slightly open.
    “Maeve?” Ryder’s voice was soft and his face showed real
concern.
    Again I just sat there blinking, as the thoughts of how we
met and the things we did raced through my head in no particular order. The events getting jumbled in the rush to be first in my mind.
    “Maeve? Are you okay?” Ryder walked over to my chair.
Placing his left hand against the back of my chair, he reached his right hand
out.
    I watched helplessly as his hand searched for me, grazing
my face, barely brushing my jaw. I gasped and my body reacted on its own by
trying to get away, as one thought hit me full force, He lied to me . He
knew who I was this whole time. He knew everything about me, he already knew my name, and what I do for a living. He already knew, and I
just went along with him, and fell for his charm, and his good looks. I am such
an idiot, an absolute idiot ! I heard a few snickers make their way
around the table. And then another thought started to make my brain fog, and
eyes tear up…what if they all knew? Is this what Taryn meant by I wasn’t the
first, and I wouldn’t be the last? Do they all know what he did to me…with me?
What we did together? Do they all know? Is this what he does? Does he find a
woman, learn all about her, and then pretend to be a stranger? Oh God. Is that
better or worse? Oh God . I had to get away from here. I couldn’t stay
here knowing what I now knew. He’s a predator, he stalked me, and I let him.
Idiot! I couldn’t breathe, and for a totally different reason now. I jerked
back, and I banged my head as my chair slid into the wall. I threw my hands up
in a defensive motion. “Don’t touch me!” I seethed.
    “Maeve?” A painful expression crossed Ryder’s face and I
felt myself start to feel bad for him. Then I remembered, he
lied to me .
      “You lied to me.” I
tried to whisper as I glanced at the people still in the room with us. It was
bad enough if they knew, but I didn’t see any reason why they should get more
of a show. Trying hard not to let the tears welling up in my eyes spill over
for these people to see,