Beck and Call (18 page)

“They’re all in league with each other! Don’t you see?” She looked at him in growing astonishment.

“You don’t, do you? You really believe Duncan, Steve, Matt, and Luke did those things!”

“I don’t think I mentioned any other names,” he replied quietly. “Hester, you are fired.” He punched the intercom. “Allen.”

The door opened and Allen and the two security guards came in.

“What?” Hester demanded. “You can’t fire me! I came over from your father’s company to make sure you were doing things properly. I’ve spent the last several years trying to make sure you ran your 135

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company the way a MacLauren should!” Keith caught Allen’s gaze and nodded. The three men stepped forward.

“Hester, you are banned from this building.

Your personal effects will be forwarded by the new HR director.”

“Are you insane?” she shouted. “You are! I’ll go straight to your father and he’ll straighten you out in a jiffy, young man!”

“I would hope my father has more intelligence,” Keith replied. “Considering what happened last time we disagreed over an important matter.” Paul’s lips twitched before he resumed a bland expression.

“Allen, if you would please?”

With a bit more care, the junior guards took hold of Hester and escorted her from the office. Paul closed the door behind them. Leaning back in his chair, Keith exhaled and closed his eyes.

“God, what else could happen today?”

“Well,” Paul started as he resumed his seat.

“Keith!” Mark’s aggressive tone could be heard in the outer office.

“Stop asking asinine questions,” Keith told him.

“You got it.” Paul nodded. “Wonder what he’s here about?”

“Allen, let him in,” Keith called out.

Mark strode in as the door bounced off the wall from the force of his anger.

“Keith, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he came forward and pounded the desk with a fist.

“You don’t go around dismissing senior officers and half your Programming Division! My God! I’m getting calls from the papers wanting to know if MC

is going under.”

Keith glanced at Paul.

“That’s what we didn’t think of,” he murmured.

“I would say so,” the lawyer nodded.

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“Mark, thank you for telling me. Call a press conference in the lobby at two. Tell reporters only that MC is
not
going under but there was a major internal shake-up. Tell them I will address them personally. I will read a brief statement and not take any questions.”

“My God,” Mark stared. “You’re serious. You really fired Duncan, Steve, and the others on the frivolous whining of a few women.” He sank down into the chair Hester had vacated. “Keith, you can’t just…”

“Yes, I can,” he replied. “And I just did.

Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated by MC’s CEO, nor by any MC employee,” he added for emphasis. “If you can’t deal with that, you may resign.”

“Resign? Why would I need to resign?” Mark was stunned. “What have I been accused of?” He glared. “Let me guess, Serena told you about what happened a year and a half ago. Well, let me tell you, she’s about as cold a fish as they come. I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole, let alone put my cock into an iceberg like her!” Inhaling sharply, Keith’s body tensed like a cobra ready to strike. With each word Mark uttered, the expression on the CEO’s face became deadlier.

“Oh, shit,” muttered Paul, half-rising from his seat.

Keith’s eyes didn’t leave Mark’s.

“What did you do to Serena?” The ice in his voice dropped the temperature in the room several degrees. “When?”

“We stayed late going over a few things while eating and then she pushed me away!” He was all righteous fury and indignation. “I showed her a thing or two.”

Keith clenched his jaw so hard he was amazed he didn’t break it. Fury at what Mark had probably 137

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done to Serena boiled through him, along with the glaring betrayal of his young cousin.

“What did you do to Serena?” Keith repeated.

Had he heard correctly?
Mark
had hurt Serena?
His
Serena? Sweet Jesus! This was why she’d said her safe word! He struggled to think, to breathe. “Where were you? What did you do? When was this?”

“Hey, when a man buys a woman dinner, he doesn’t deserve the brush-off she gave me!” Mark smirked. “She didn’t understand that. She kept saying

it

wasn’t

right,

workplace

and

everything...yada, yada, yada, so I explained it to her.” He shrugged. “Some women have to have that lesson whipped into them.” He scowled. “The bitch scratched my face! So I smacked her across the—”

“Keith!” Paul shouted, barely catching Keith as he lunged across the desk. “Shit, Mark! When they passed out brains, what the hell were you doing?

Playing tag on the playground? Are you completely clueless?” He struggled to hold Keith. “Get the hell out of here!”

“No!” Keith raged, pulling away from Paul. His finger savagely jabbed at the intercom. “Allen, I need you in here.”

The door opened and the broad-shouldered man appeared.

“Yes, sir?”

“How far back does the security camera footage go?”

One dark brow went up, but that was the only reaction.

“Since 9-11, boss.”

“Have someone pull up security near Mark’s office for April two years ago,” Keith told him, ignoring Paul’s startled glance. “After hours. They’re looking for Serena going into and out of his office.”

“You got it,” Allen nodded, raising his radio to pass on the directions. “All six of them are on it.” 138

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Keith looked at Paul.

“Any legal issues?”

“Only if you touch him.”

“You can be such a downer, you know that?” Allen was keeping an eye on Mark.

“Why haven’t you been able to keep an assistant for more than a few months since Serena? And why are they all blond with light eyes like her?”

“Because they can’t do their jobs. As for their looks,” he shrugged. “I’m just a guy enjoying the view.” He smirked. “And some of them had nice mountains and valleys if you get…” Paul grabbed hold of Keith’s arm again.

“Dammit, will you listen to me?” he hissed in his ear. “You can’t touch the sonuvabitch! You got that?

Let Allen toss his ass out… “

“He hurt Serena,” growled Keith.

“Yeah, I got that. Now calm down until we get proof.”

“And then I can rip his head off?” Keith suggested, forcing his muscles to relax.

“Not quite,” Paul drawled. “Never knew you had this violent streak in you. At least around non-relatives.”

“Thought I’d try something new.” Paul groaned and glanced at Allen.

“Any idea how long it could take them?”

“My team will be quick and thorough,” Allen assured him.

“Is it standard procedure to keep security logs like that?” Paul wondered, keeping one eye on Keith.

“We’re in a target-rich environment,” Allen replied.

“Kidnappers,

terrorists,

pissed

off

employees,” he finished with a pointed look.

“Rent-a-cop,” Mark glared.

“Not hardly,” Keith replied with a short laugh.

“Allen was Special Ops and has a black belt in two disciplines. If you want to take him on, be my guest.

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I’ll go ahead and call the paramedics. Or maybe just the ME to collect your dead ass.” Allen gave Mark a tight smile.

“Everyone in this building likes Serena. If you hurt her, I’m going to need my entire team to get you out alive. And to be honest with you, asshole,” Allen leaned forward and dropped his voice. “I’m not sure if they’ll fight too hard to protect you.” Sneering, Mark gave them a derisive look.

“You aren’t men. You’re a bunch of pussies who don’t—”

“Real men don’t treat women the way you do, scumbag,” the security chief told him. The radio in Allen’s hand squawked. “Yeah?” he asked, pushing a button. “Andrea, you’re on speaker. What ya got?”

“I have Serena going into Mark’s office at seven,” a woman’s voice replied. “A delivery of food ten minutes later. Just after eight, Serena comes running out the door.” Obscenities filled the air. “Oh, shit! Boss, her turtleneck is ripped down the front and he’s coming after her with his belt.”

“Save that to a separate file. Make two copies for the police,” Keith ordered as Paul’s hands tightened on his arms. “And tell the cops we have another one for them.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Pussies,” Mark snarled as Allen stepped toward him.

Keith struggled to control his anger.

“Get this sonuvabitch out of my office. Same thing as the rest. Mark, you’re fired. And if I see you near Penny, God alone can help you.”

“Oh, shit,” breathed Allen. “I forgot this P.O.S.

was engaged to your cousin. No wonder you’re pissed. Let’s get you out of here, asshole,” he grabbed Mark’s shirt.

Allen quickly pulled the man out of the office.

Keith fell into his chair in frustration and despair.

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“You need Serena here,” Paul said quietly. “The police are going to want her side of the story.” Nodding, Keith just stared at a spot on the wall.

Taking the initiative, Paul pulled out his cell phone.

“Claire, it’s Paul. Serena is needed back in the office. Would you be able to contact her? It’s an emergency.” He nodded. “Thank you.”

“She’s doing it?” Keith whispered.

“Yes, although I think she nearly hung up on me.” Paul lips thinned. “It’s a personal matter.”

“Want to talk about it?” Keith muttered. “It seems as if nearly everyone else’s personal life has been discussed.”

“Not now, thanks. Unless you want to talk about yours?” Paul gave him a studied look. “Your reaction was a bit much for a CEO finding out someone might have assaulted his assistant. You and your family are not what most would call close, not even Penny.

You

only

suffer

their

presence

for

public

appearances like your grandmother’s balls. So what’s the real reason?” Keith just looked at him.

Paul shrugged and shook his head. “Hey, if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. You can probably guess my situation with Claire.”

Relenting, Keith nodded and briefly explained the weekend. Paul’s eyes widened.

“You better hope she falls in line with this or you’re screwed. And not in a good way. Especially after everything that’s gone down so far.”

“Yeah, I know,” Keith muttered. But he hadn’t known! Serena had been attacked just down the hall and he hadn’t known. Keith frowned, trying to remember recent conversations. There’d been several opportunities, he realized. “Dear God,” he breathed. “That’s why she wanted me to tell Penny about how Mark treated her and Claire.”

“What about Claire?” Paul leaned forward, his voice sharp. “What has Mark done to Claire? She’s 141

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never said anything to me!”

“His

attitude

toward

her,

Serena,

and

apparently other women. Serena wanted me to talk to Penny about it.” Keith worked his jaw and clenched his fingers into fists. “If I’d only pushed a little, asked the right questions, she might have told me what had happened.”

“Any hints over the weekend?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, eyes haunted. “Tom left a strap in my playroom a few months ago. She saw it, assuming I meant to use it, and said her safe word.”

“Oh, shit,” Paul inhaled sharply.

“Yeah,” Keith nodded. “Dammit! If I’d pushed…” Keith’s phone rang.

“Private line,” he murmured. “It’s probably Penny.” With obvious reluctance he picked up the receiver, but smiled when he recognized the voice.

“Serena. I know, but things came up. I don’t know if you want to bring Debbie back, but I need you back as soon as possible. Thank you.” He hung up and looked at Paul. “One stroke of good luck. They just finished lunch around the corner. Debbie’s getting a cab back to the brownstone and Serena’s on her way here now.’

“This could be very hard for her,” Paul said cautiously. “I don’t know how much about her personal life you know, but she’s been through a hard time the last few years.”

“I know about her grandfather’s failing health and death this past summer,” Keith replied carefully. “I think she said something about an ex-boyfriend a couple years ago.” He nodded slightly. “I don’t know that much about her personal life and I understand her preference to keep certain things private. We all have our little secrets.” He met Paul’s gaze in understanding. “However, this directly affects the company.”

“And your cousin?” Paul added.

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“Oh, shit!” Keith grimaced. “I really don’t want to think about that right now. Penny thinks Mark hung the fucking moon! How the hell am I supposed to explain this to her? Not to mention that I’ve no fucking way of explaining how all this could have been going on under my nose and I didn’t have a clue!” He stood and paced over to the window. “I think I have learned more in one week about my employees than I have the past twelve years! It’s fucking nuts! There has to be a reason for all of it.