Page 43 of Bad for Business (Pembroke Hills #2)

FORTY-THREE

RYKER

My stomach drops the moment I see both my dad and Camille’s dad sitting at the kitchen table.

“Fuck,” I curse, the word leaving my mouth in a hurry. I look over at Camille, but she won’t look at me. I want to reach out and touch her, to have some sort of connection so she knows that we’re going to figure this out, but I know that’s the last thing she wants me to do right now.

A sinking feeling settles deep in my bones as she continues to stare at her feet. I can’t help but worry that all the progress we’ve made and everything we’ve been through will be for nothing.

“What the hell is going on?” Troy asks, his voice low and controlled, as if it’s taking everything in him to keep his composure.

I look at him, wishing I wasn’t having to meet his eyes as I stand in nothing but my boxer briefs. “We can explain,” I begin as I look at Camille once again.

She’s shifted her attention to her father instead, and I don’t know if that’s better or worse.

I need to know that the woman who asked me to stay is still in there.

That our fathers finding out doesn’t change things.

I need to know we’ll figure it out, because while this is incredibly inconvenient and I know both dads are probably going to be pissed, I don’t care what happens as long as things don’t change with Camille.

“Is this how you do your job?” Troy asks, his voice getting louder as he stares at his daughter. “You whore your way into your client’s bed to get him to listen?” he spits.

Camille jumps at his words. It’s small. A reaction so minuscule that anyone else might even notice it. But I did, and his words, coupled with her reaction, have me seeing red.

I take a step forward. My posture is rigid as I meet his angry glare. “Don’t talk to her like that,” I grit out through clenched teeth.

Troy has the nerve to fucking laugh. He cocks his head to the side as he looks between Camille and me.

“I’ll talk to Camille however the hell I want,” he barks, and the way he speaks about her makes my skin crawl.

He says it with zero respect and absolutely no love, which only makes her words from a few minutes ago ring through my mind.

This man has never shown her love, and yet it’s obvious by the way she looks at him that his opinion of her matters. He doesn’t care about her the way a father should care for their child, but she clearly cares for him, and I fucking hate it. This man doesn’t deserve anything from her.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Troy demands. “Tell me that you didn’t break the biggest policy I have in place. Tell me you didn’t crawl into the bed of a man so pathetic that he had to hire help just to get his family’s board to like him.”

“Troy,” my dad warns, his tone pissed. “You don’t get to speak to my son like that. Take a breath.”

Troy’s head whips to my dad. “Take a breath? I haven’t heard from my employee in over a week, and when I arrive to check in, I find her fucking her client instead of working. I have the right to react however I want since it’s my employee and my name she’s representing.”

I rip my gaze from Troy and look at Camille. I don’t miss how he doesn’t even call her his daughter. He calls her his employee .

All she does is stare at her dad. There’s a resigned look in her eyes, one that I hate.

She doesn’t stand up for herself. She doesn’t fight him.

It’s so unlike her that it breaks my heart.

I’m well aware of how much she likes to argue.

How much she can fight back. I never expected her to let anyone talk to her like that, but it seems to be different when it comes to her dad, and I can’t wrap my head around it.

I’m so focused on looking at Camille and waiting for her to say something to defend herself that I don’t even hear my dad’s response to Troy. I only catch the end of whatever conversation is taking place as I watch Camille with countless questions running through my mind.

“We’ll let them explain. No matter what has happened, they’ve still gotten the job done. We have the board’s approval.”

My eyes find my father’s. Despite everything happening right now, a tinge of relief flows through me at his words. “We do?” I try not to get too excited. We’re only halfway through the summer, so I wasn’t expecting any kind of commitment from them for at least another month.

Dad nods. “That’s what we came here to tell you both. You did it. I heard from the board last night that you’re in. They have no interest in finding a replacement for you. Davenport Media will be yours, Ryker.”

I never imagined being told that Davenport Media would be mine while standing in my underwear, but I can’t even find it in me to care about that right now.

Relief settles over me at the news.

We did it.

I look at Camille, wanting to celebrate the accomplishment with her, but she still doesn’t look at me.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel such different emotions at once. I’m relieved, and maybe even happy, that I won’t lose the position I’ve been working for my entire life. But I’m also sad and preparing myself to be hurt because of Camille’s reaction to us being caught.

Even after finding out that she succeeded at the impossible task he thought he’d given her, she still won’t look at me.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” my dad asks. There isn’t anger in his voice the same way there is in Troy’s. If anything, I swear his tone makes it seem like he might even be proud of me.

“I couldn’t have done it without Camille,” I finally answer, keeping my gaze locked on her.

It’s true. Even though I hated the idea of her being my publicist, she’s damn good at her job. There’s no way in hell I would’ve gotten the board approval this fast if it wasn’t for her knowledge and careful planning.

Troy stands up with a dramatic sigh. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a man more than I do him. “Fucking you into being obedient doesn’t count as doing her job.”

Camille gasps. It’s the first reaction she’s made at all.

My jaw tightens as my fists clench at my sides. I’m trying to keep my anger in check, but every time Troy opens his mouth, it gets worse.

He doesn’t get to talk to her like that. Not with me around.

I close the distance, my angry gaze pinned on him. I look down my nose, wondering how a horrible excuse of a man like him managed to create a daughter as perfect as Camille. “Talk to her like that again and I’ll personally make sure you never sign another new client again.”

Troy’s nostrils flare, but he seems to know what’s best for him and doesn’t say anything else to me. Instead, he takes a step back, his focus moving to Camille.

“Go gather your things and put some goddamn clothes on. We’re leaving.”

My eyes go wide as I turn to look at Camille. “No. You don’t have to go.”

Troy scoffs. “The job is done. Your board doesn’t know what’s best for them and already agreed to approve you. Vaughn PR fulfilled their end of the contract and will be compensated accordingly. But now, we’re going.”

He steps around me to grab Camille’s arm. She doesn’t say anything, but she does pull her arm from his grasp immediately. She looks at him with wide eyes.

“I can’t leave yet.”

My shoulders relax at finally hearing her talk. She isn’t going to go with him. She doesn’t want to leave.

“Get your things. We’re going. You’ve done more than enough here.” He basically spits the last sentence out.

I watch her closely, studying her for any reaction. Her shoulders sag as her body closes around itself. Her eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second, and my stomach drops from the defeated look in her eyes.

She doesn’t say anything to anyone. All she does is turn around and go to her room—not mine.

I look at our fathers one last time, wondering how things got to this point, before I chase her down the hallway.

She left me before and I’m not making the same mistake twice.