Page 3 of Objection

Kaos

Several Years Later

Serenity Renae: I’ll leave quietly, because the absence of my presence in your life will be loud.

I stared at the picture shared with the cryptic caption from Serenity, being careful not to like it on IG.

We didn’t follow each other, and I didn’t need my executive assistant knowing I stalked her on social media to keep up with what was going on in her personal life.

While we shared some facts about each other during small talk and random lunches or dinners, we kept a clear, thick line drawn between professional and personal exchanges of information.

We had a close bond during work-hours, but after that, I was only left with thoughts and desire for her.

As I scrolled through her IG account, I noticed a lot of the pictures and videos she’d posted with her boyfriend had been removed.

Not all of them, because there were so many, but enough to know the couple had broken up.

I hoped she wasn’t sad about the breakup because it made me happy. So happy a grin spread across my face.

“What you over there smiling about?” Tristan asked.

He was one of the other three managing partners at Montgomery, Pierce, Walker, and Gough (Go).

It was crazy what walking in your purpose looked like.

When I first left the mafia, I was confident, but there was a part of me that wondered if I’d made a mistake.

Now, I co-owned the most prominent, prolific, and profitable law firm in Rose Valley Hills.

The bigger flex? Our entire staff was BIPOC.

Knowing that I’d helped create something with a powerful legacy that would go down in history made leaving the mafia worth it.

“Nothing.” My head shook. “Something online but nothing I’m about to talk about with you.”

“Oh, so it’s about Serenity then?”

Between his nonchalant tone and deadpanned expression, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Tristan was the only one of the partners that knew I was insanely attracted to Serenity.

Our chemistry was always undeniable because of our banter, but I denied any allegations.

Not just because she was eight years younger than me at thirty-two but also because she worked for me, and a relationship between us would go against our nonfraternization policy.

But Tristan? Tristan had a way of seeing the things most humans wanted to keep hidden.

Even if I wanted to lie to him about my infatuation with her, I couldn’t.

“She invading your thoughts?” he continued.

My head shook as I set my phone on my desk. “Nah. I can get rid of an invasive thought. Whatever happens when I think of her . . . I can’t cut off.”

“Hmm,” he hummed deep within his throat with a bob of his head. “So when are you going to act on that?”

“I can’t. You know that.”

He chuckled. “Why not?”

“Nigga, did you forget we got a whole nonfraternization clause?”

“Nigga, did you forget we run this shit? You can do whatever the fuck you want to do.”

I ran my hands down my face as I sighed.

I knew he was right, but I also wasn’t with breaking the rules just to make them benefit me.

That went against my morals. Plus, I didn’t know if she wanted that anyway.

It meant more to me to keep our business relationship as it was than to risk it for something that wouldn’t last. Serenity was the best executive assistant I’d ever had.

We worked well together, and she knew how my brain worked.

My workload was lighter because of her, and most times I didn’t have to ask for anything because she provided it naturally.

Plus, I loved her presence here in the office.

I couldn’t risk that for something that may or may not last or be reciprocated.

“I ain’t risking it, but I also don’t know how much longer I can be satisfied with flirting with her here and there. Plus, apparently she’s single now so—”

Light tapping at the door halted my words.

I knew it was Serenity before I turned my head to look because she knocked the same way every time someone was in my office.

Had I been in here alone, she would have just opened the door not giving a fuck what I had going on.

You’d think the first time she caught me having a random quickie in my private bathroom with an ex face down ass up on my desk last year would have made her remember to always knock but it didn’t.

If I was crazy, I’d say she enjoyed the thrill of wondering what she’d find me in my office doing other than working.

Depending on the day, there genuinely was no telling what I’d be in here doing.

I spent almost more time here than I did at home, so I had a small wardrobe, bathroom, and mini bar set up for entertaining.

“Come in,” I granted, warning Tristan with my eyes to be on his best behavior. He smiled and stood, and I was grateful he decided to leave.

“What’s up, Serenity?” Tristan greeted her.

“Hey, Mr. Pierce. How has your day been?”

“Well, thank you. How about you?”

“It’s been great, but it’ll be even better if I can get Montgomery out of here at a decent hour.”

Chuckling, Tristan tossed me a look over his shoulder. “Good luck with that.”

I checked the time on my Rolex as Tristan closed the door behind him. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. We were supposed to be out of here by five, but it was fifteen minutes before seven.

“Okay, Montgomery,” Serenity said, gaining my attention.

I looked at her and couldn’t help but smile.

She looked good as fuck in a spaghetti strapped white dress.

All day, she had the dress covered by a kimono.

Now that we were technically off the clock, she exposed those beautiful cocoa bean brown shoulders.

My eyes scanned her frame. It was slim but had that classic coke bottle shape because of her perky breasts, small waist, and wide hips. “It’s time to go home.”

“On one condition.”

“Which is?” she asked with a warm smile.

“You come home with me.”

Her slanted dark eyes rolled playfully before she licked those full bowtie shaped lips. Dainty fingers pulled her long black and brown highlighted hair behind her ears.

“Of course I will. Let’s just go—now.”

I chuckled before releasing a low, rumbling, “Yes, ma’am,” before licking my lips and looking her over once again.

I knew she’d say just about anything to get me the hell up out of here, but I appreciated her agreeing, even if it was a lie.

“One of these days I’m going to ask you to come home with me and I’m going to be serious,” I challenged as she squeezed her way past me to cut off my desktop and laptop.

I inhaled her scent and swallowed my desire.

When we were at the office, she wore clean and fresh scents.

This one smelled literally like linen and soap.

Anytime we had events outside of the office, she wore more enticing and feminine scents.

I loved the clean scent on her and always wanted to rub against her when she stood close, but I refrained.

“You know the only thing you’d have me doing is going through your files from work.”

“Yeah, aight.”

I put on my dark blue suit jacket though it was fairly warm outside because of the June weather and grabbed my phone off the desk.

“What are you doing tonight?” I probed as we headed out.

“Going home and eating a frozen dinner before binging Living Single .”

“We can’t have that. I’m buying you dinner.”

“Oh.” She smiled again before shyly looking away. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to.”

Deciding not to take no for an answer, I led her toward the elevators and out to my car.

With how stressful some of my days could be, I never drove to work.

I had two chauffeurs who had a rotating schedule for my town car, Rolls Royce, and Bentley.

Raquel must have been watching the door, because as soon as we stepped out of the exit into the parking garage, he opened the door.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Serenity asked. “I don’t want to inconvenience you and you have to bring me back here to get my car.”

“Let me be a gentleman,” I commanded, lifting my hand to stop Raquel from opening the door for her.

With a sweet giggle, Serenity gracefully climbed inside the Rolls Royce. “Oh, please. We know you’re anything but,” she teased, making me laugh.

Instead of responding, I shot her a wink before closing the door and walking over to the other side.

She, like a lot of people, probably heard of my family and my past—my reputation.

While she didn’t know I’d been a part of the mafia, I was sure she’d heard rumors since she’d been in town .

. . even if just around the office. I’d never deny that I was a gangsta . . . but I was a gentleman too.