Fated Absolution by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page A

Unless you told him the moment I walked in the door. Could you even see me around that donut? Also, if he was expecting me, then why would you have to see if they’re ready for me?”
    Bimbo number sixteen just looked confused, and before she could blow a fuse and have a total fake blond hair and big boob job meltdown, Maddy said “Never mind.”
    A couple of minutes later she was ushered into the massive office. When Mr. Schaller stood to greet her, his hand extended and a smile on his face, she stopped, suddenly leery of him.
    She stared from his hand to the smile as if he was some pod person or she might catch something from him. Trusting this man was not high on her priority list of the things to do.
    “Miss Harm, I’m so glad that you are feeling better this morning. I was so glad to hear that you are better from the dreadful car accident.” Sincerity nearly dripped from his mouth.
    “Oh? Well, maybe you could tell me what you heard, because I wasn’t in an accident, car or otherwise. If, however you are referring to these bruises, then you need to ask your boot licker Button about it. He hit me Thursday, and then the abusive prick left me there on the floor covered in blood.”
    She didn’t know why she was called in here, but this couldn’t possibly bode well for her.
    And if she was going down, she was taking as many bodies down with her as she could. Fuck’em all.
    “You told me that she was in an accident, and that you had seen to her personally. So what was it Schaller? Was Miss Harm in an accident or did your…boot licker as she called him hit her?” She knew that voice, but the cold steel of anger was new and thankfully not directed at her. She closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them quickly when she heard the chairs.
    He was standing now and Mr. MacManus and two other men were as well.
    “Could this week get any worse?” She’d said it under her breath, barely moving the air around her mouth, but apparently loud enough for the four men standing there to hear. She glared at them, one and all. “GQ just move into this office, or what? One man looking this good is, well doable, two, okay, but four? I’m still asleep aren’t I? I’ve fallen into a fourth dimension where all the men are gorgeous and I’m…well I’m me. Not you Mr. Shitface, err Schaller, just these guys.” She noticed that they were staring at her…oddly even for her. “I’m not asleep am I? You can actually hear me?”
    “No, you’re not, and yes, we can. Come have a seat Ms. Harm. We’ve set this meeting up to see if we can all come to a mutual agreement of sorts. This concerns you working for us on a full time basis.”
    Maddy looked at all five men sitting around the table. She could almost feel the anger emanating from her boss behind her. There was anger from the others as well, but she couldn’t figure out what she’d done to piss them off…well, expect for Kyle. She was so going to pay for this, she just knew it. If not from her boss then surely the men sitting here.
    Kyle was glaring at the man behind the desk, glared so hard that Sherman began to pull at the collar of his three hundred dollar shirt and two hundred dollar tie. They looked like shit on him anyway, Maddy thought. He stopped glaring long enough to look to where Aaron was leading her over to the conference table and moved to follow them. When she stopped suddenly, he bumped into her from behind. Her whole body tightened. If the chair that Aaron was holding out for her hadn’t been there she would have fell to the floor.
    “I…no, I don’t know…what’s this all about Mr. MacManus? I have a right to know what’s going on, especially now, with him here.” She was pointing at Mr. Schaller. She actually had no idea why any of them were there, especially her.
    When Schaller charged forward, Maddy cowered back. She hurt too much to let someone take another swipe at her and she wasn’t sure she could take much more. With his hand