Page 124 of Retribution

Isolde isn’t someone who appreciates public displays of affection so I wink at her instead before standing.

“Lead the way, Paula,” I say.

Grant grins down at Leila before smoothing his hand down Isolde’s hair. I realize that he’s looking for weapons when he taps his finger over a section in her braid. Good, she’ll be fine. Now if everyone refrains from bothering her, I won’t have anything to worry about.

Paula leaves the room and begins walking down the hall to the larger boardroom where I’ll be listening to a quarterly report of our fiscal year. It’ll be riveting, I’m sure.

That’s why I’m the CEO. To do the boring shit too.

Grant

I spend equal amounts of time between Lucas and my girls while he’s in meetings. I have no reason to be in the room with him if I don’t need to be, unless Lucas needs a second opinion on if someone may be lying. It doesn’t happen often, but snakes in the grass are the price of doing business.

Around one, I walk over to check on Isolde. Lucas is in his office with Paula listening to the latest episode of The Office, Reid Pharmaceuticals Edition. He says that knowing the ins and outs of his employees is important.

I thought he was crazy until it led to him catching someone in accounting skimming off the top of the books.

The door is closed and locked to the meeting room. Frowning, I use my master key to open it slowly and peek my head in. Isolde is curled up on the ground with the baby beside her. Isolde’s hand is on the baby’s stomach so she can feel her breathing, her eyes closed.

I didn’t realize the office was so boring. Smirking, I slip inside and close the door. Sliding down the wall, I watch them sleep. I think Isolde may have been snuggling beside her and it made her sleepy.

I’m not sure what it is about a warm, tiny baby, but Leila has done the same to me. It’s like she has sleepy dust on her.

Crossing my legs in front of me, I take a photo of them and drop it in the pack chat.

Oliver:

The sleepy dust got her, huh?

Alesso:

Nah, the office is boring, my little bambina would never put her mama to sleep.

Lucas:

There’s a blanket in the diaper bag, Grant. Were you born in a barn?

Rolling my eyes, I text the chat back.

Me:

It’s not my first day here, boss. If I touch her, I might get stabbed. I’m going to be a creeper and continue to watch them sleep. You just wish you were here instead of listening to Paula prattle on.

The chat is silent outside of Oliver and Alesso reacting with laughter to my message. Ten minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.

Lucas:

Open the door. You can’t throw down like that when I’m on the same floor as you.

Thoroughly amused, I move away from where my ass is against the door and open it. Isolde’s body jerks as she pushes herself awake, her hand moving to a pocket smoothly.

“It’s just me,” Lucas says. “I don’t enjoy being stabbed unless it’s during foreplay.”

I smack my face because anyone could walk by the door and hear him, but the door is already closing behind him. Isolde blinks as she wakes up, sighing as she sees where her hand was traveling to.

“I locked the door,” she says, awareness returning to her gaze.

“I have keys to the entire building, Little Nightmare,” I say, showing her my key ring.