Page 36 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Baylyn.

Tae invited me to dinner.

Shit, she’s going to fire me. I’ve been MIA over the past couple weeks. She’s definitely going to fire me.

As we got out of the car, my mind was spiraling. I couldn’t even enjoy how sexy my man looked beside me because I was in panic mode. His fingers laced through mine, partially grounding me, but my mind was anything but calm as we walked toward the restaurant.

She’s going to fire me .

She wouldn’t have invited me to dinner if she wasn’t.

Okay, maybe she wasn’t going to fire me. Tae wasn’t cruel. Direct, yes, but not a person who would make a whole event out of letting someone go.

But she still might fire me…

I hadn’t exactly been the most focused lately.

Considering everything with Emir, my mind had been anywhere but on work.

I was still working remotely and showing up at all the events when required but maybe I missed something or a client complained.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I tugged my bottom lip between my teeth and tightened my grip on Emir’s hand as my stomach twisted.

He must’ve sensed my hesitation because he stopped walking, turning to face me right outside the restaurant’s entrance. His hands came up, framing my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones as he tilted my head up.

“Baylyn, chill, baby. She’s not going to fire you.”

I frowned hard. “You don’t know that.”

“Even if you haven’t been in the office, you’ve been doing your job. You know that. She knows that.”

“She didn’t tell me why she invited us to dinner and it’s out of the blue. What if?—”

He cut me off with a kiss before pulling back to affirm, “She’s probably just checking in.” His thumbs still stroked over the curve of my jaw. “Stop overthinking.”

I released a breath, searching his face, trying to let his calm sink into me but my mind was still in overdrive.

“Or…” I narrowed my eyes. “She wants to buy me a really expensive steak as a last meal before she fires me.”

Emir chuckled and dropped his hands. “Bring your overthinking ass on.” He pressed a quick kiss to my mouth before pulling back. “She’s not going to fire you.”

I huffed but let him lead me toward the doors. Maybe he was right and this was just dinner.

Maybe .

Diablo’s was warm and inviting with low lighting, the savory aroma of grilled steak that had my stomach growling.

When we approached the table, Tae smiled softly and greeted us before we joined them at a corner table giving us just enough space to enjoy the evening without being in the middle of everything.

Tae looked good as always. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, a fitted black blazer draped over her shoulders.

Kass sat beside her, his broad frame relaxed in a way that made it clear he was comfortable with one arm resting across the back of her chair.

Emir sat next to me with a hand possessively on my thigh and his quiet arrogance radiated in its usual way.

The waiter had just poured the first round of wine, a deep, velvety red that clung to the sides of the glass, and I swirled mine absently as Tae leaned in with her eyes locked on me.

“Have you thought more about it?”

“About what?” I was so caught up in my thoughts about being fired that my mind didn’t register what she was asking.

“Launching Vibe & Vision.”

My brain skidded to a halt with confusion. “Vibe & Vision?”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to talk about tonight. I figured if we did this over dinner, a very expensive one, that you might be a little more relaxed and say yes.”

Emir chuckled beside me, and when I cut my eyes at him, his grin expanded.

“She thought you were going to fire her.”

“What?” Tae frowned and I punched Emir’s thigh under the table.

“I did not.”

“Yes the fuck you did. Stop fronting. You were out there in the parking lot about to hyperventilate, having a full-blown meltdown.”

I frowned and Tae almost spit out her wine. “Seriously?”

“I mean…” I shrugged. “We’ve never done this before and I’ve been with you for years.”

She was highly fucking amused. “But why would I fire you? You’re the best I have. Hell, better than me lately because I’ve been super distracted.”

So have I…

“That’s my fault.” Kass brushed a finger over her cheek then kissed the same spot.

“It has definitely been your fault.” She narrowed her eyes at him then smiled. “But the point is, you’ve been pulling my slack and we work well together.”

“Then why do you want me to leave?” I frowned again.

“Because we can still work well together but you need to do that with your own company and brand. It’s time.”

“She’s right, Bay. You can do your own thing. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” I admitted. “But I haven’t made a decision yet.”

Tae sighed. “Baylyn, you know I support you in whatever you decide, but I’ll say it again, this is the right move.

” She leaned back, glancing at Emir before looking back at me.

“You have the talent, the vision, and the reputation. Starting your own company isn’t just a possibility, it’s the next step. ”

Kass nodded in agreement. “There’s more than enough business in this city for two event firms, and with Tae taking a step back to plan the wedding, the demand is going to be even higher.”

I shifted in my seat, suddenly hyperaware of Emir’s eyes on me. He was quiet, just listening with his silent focus on me.

Finally, he spoke. “I think it’s a great idea.”

His voice was steady, leaving no room for doubt, and when I glanced at him, he held my gaze for added confirmation.

“You do?”

He nodded. “You’ve been running things for Tae for a long time. You know this business inside and out and if the only thing holding you back is uncertainty, then you already have your answer. You’ll make it work and you have a support system. We got you.”

I turned back to Tae, who was watching me with a knowing look.

“Told you.” She grinned, lifting her wine glass. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I relaxed and rolled my eyes. “That’s an I’ll think about it.”

The conversation shifted for a while, moving into wedding talk, venues, color schemes, catering options. Kass listened with an amused expression, occasionally exchanging looks with Emir that said they were both just here.

When the waiter returned with the entrées, the conversation paused long enough for us to appreciate the meal.

My filet was cooked perfectly, medium rare, the juices pooling around the edges of the plate.

Emir had the ribeye, a massive cut of meat with a seared crust, Tae had seafood, grilled salmon with a side of risotto, while Kass had chosen the New York strip.

Between bites, Tae turned to Emir. “You’re still around so I assume you’re making this thing with Baylyn permanent?”

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere. Permanent has its benefits.”

Tae smiled. “And those benefits have everything to do with Baylyn I’m guessing?”

Kass chuckled under his breath, and I shot Tae a warning look, but she ignored me.

Emir didn’t react immediately. He took down more of his drink, then returned the glass to the table, meeting her eyes. “Yeah. Everything to do with her. She’s my priority.”

There was something cocky in his voice that landed right between my thighs.

“Good because she deserves nothing less than being someone’s priority.”

Emir didn’t answer because he would never justify his actions or intentions with them. He was too damn arrogant for that, but when his hand slid beneath the table the warmth of his palm against my thigh provided all the confirmation I needed. He was in this with me.

For the rest of the meal, the conversation flowed easily. We laughed, debated wedding trends, shared stories from past events with both me and Tae discussing the stupid client request we had over the years.

By the time dessert was offered, we were all too full to even entertain the idea. The waiter cleared the plates, and Tae leaned back, swirling the last of her wine.

“Baylyn,” she said, her voice softer. “I really want you to think about this. I’m here for whatever you need and I have a feeling he is too.” She tipped her glass toward Emir who winked at me when my eyes lifted to his.

“She knows I got her.”

And I did…

On the way back to Emir’s house he kept his hand on my thigh but he was quiet. Regardless, I could feel his attention on me even when his eyes stayed on the road.

I was still turning everything over in my head, Tae’s words, the way Emir had backed me without hesitation, and the importance of what it all meant.

I had a support system…

“Why are you still undecided?” he finally asked, keeping his voice low but intense.

“For a lot of reasons.”

He waited and I sighed. “Mostly because I’m scared.”

His fingers glided over my thigh before his eyes shifted to me briefly then returned to the road. “Of what?”

“Failing.”

“You’re not going to fail.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

I frowned. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because you’re smart as hell, you’re talented as fuck, and the biggest reason is you have me.”

The conviction in his voice washed over me.

“You sound like your mother.”

“You talked to her about it?” His voice was defensive so I quickly clarified.

“We talked about it that day she showed up at your house and we had lunch. She asked and I told her. She pretty much conveyed to me the same thing you just said. Well not that I wouldn’t fail, but if I did, then I work through it, regroup, and make it work.”

He nodded and I turned in my seat, studying him. “You being in my corner doesn’t guarantee success, Emir.”

“It can.”

“ Emir …” I narrowed my eyes and he laughed.

“Not like that. All I mean is I have enough money to make any dream you want a possibility.”

I frowned. “That’s your money.”

“You have me and everything that comes with me. Which means my money, my time, my focus…” He turned his eyes on me. “…my heart .”

“So I have everything that comes with you?”

He chuckled and squeezed my thigh. “Yeah, beautiful. Every- fucking -thing.”