Page 45 of Texting the Possessive CEO
Back at my desk, my cell phone rings. It’s the hospital. What now?
I take the call in the hallway. “Hello? Is my grandmother okay?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Marlowe, but there’s been an issue with your most recent payment.”
My world begins to spin.
“Excuse me?” I practically screech. I walk deeper into the hallway, away from the main office. “Pike Construction should?—”
“We received a call from Aaron Pike, miss, and he explained that he will be discontinuing your grandmother’s care. If the situation isn’t rectified, we’ll unfortunately have to move her to a state facility.”
I grit my teeth, feeling like I could scream.
“This is a misunderstanding,” I assure her and myself.
“I spoke to Mr. Pike myself.”
“It’s a misunderstanding,” I hiss. “Don’t do anything until I’ve spoken to him.”
“Very well. We’ll be eagerly awaiting your call.”
Is that sarcasm I hear in her voice? The damn medical system. They were my best friends when they were getting thousands of dollars a day from my grandma, but now that the money has dried up…
I call Aaron, pacing the corridor, biting the nails off my free hand.
“Ah, my sweet niece,” he says.
“Is this a joke?”
“You were seen with your lover boy at the hospital,” Aaron barks. “A pretty, precious scene between lovebugs. All while you’re supposed to bebringing me his fucking scalp. And you’re asking me ifI’mthe one playing a joke.”
I lean against the wall, my stomach in knots. Grandma sacrificed the peace of her latter years to raise me, and this prick won’t even let her die in peace.
“It’s do or die time,” Aaron snaps. “You give me something—today—or I swear, blood or no blood, she’ll be out on her ass come sunrise tomorrow. That’s all there is to it. I’ve been too lenient as it is.”
I groan. What am I supposed to do?
Tears slide down my cheeks, stinging. I should rush to Dom’s office and confess everything. He won’t let Grandma suffer, will he? But why do I even think that? We’re close, the sexual chemistry is unreal, but I lied to him and, well,we’re strangers.It hurts to even think that, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a fact.
“Stop sobbing, you stupid, weak-willed slut,” Aaron grunts. “You always were pathetic. That’s why I wanted no hand in raising you. But perhaps I was wrong. I could’ve toughened you up.”
“Please,” I whisper.
“We’re a long way pastplease,” he snaps. “Do you have something for me or not?”
“Yes,” I admit miserably, eyes blurry. “I’ve got pictures of accounts. Lots of them. Offshore. Like he’s splitting the money, trying to hide it.”
“Good girl,” he says, making my skin crawl. “When did you get your hands on these?”
“This morning,” I whisper. “I was going to call you.”
He snorts. “I won’t even ask if that’s true. I’ll send someone to the bar on the corner. You know, the one all yourcoworkersvisit on Fridays. Be there in an hour, or I’ll drag that old bitch out myself.”
He hangs up, leaving me to run to the nearest bathroom, shut myself in a stall, and cry until my eyes hurt.
CHAPTER 18
DOMINIC
