ROMANCE: BAD BOY MAFIA ROMANCE: On the Run (Pregnancy Hitman Suspense Mystery Romance) (Women’s Fiction Suspense Action & Adventure) by Laurie Teller Page A

her way to his office, feeling the dread settle more and more firmly into the base of her stomach until she felt like she couldn’t breathe.  Her footsteps sounded like little drumbeats signaling her coming; it felt like she was walking to her doom.  In front of the massive double mahogany doors that opened into his office she stopped, shut her eyes, and took a deep, shaky breath.  She knocked softly, almost hoping that he would not hear her or that he wasn’t in there at all.  Unfortunately, this was not her lucky day.
    “Yes.”
    “I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Whitney-”
    “Come in.”
    She pulled one of the doors open, trying not to make it look like a struggle, and walked in quickly, smoothing her skirt down and trying not to seem too nervous.  She was pretty sure big, powerful men like this could smell fear.
    “What brings you to my office?”
    “I was just coming by to see what you would like me to put in for your lunch order.”
    “No, that can’t be it.”
    “I’m sorry?  I’m not sure I understand.”
    “You can’t be here for my lunch order.  That was supposed to happen an hour and a half ago so you must be here for some other reason.  You must have already come for my order, I must have already eaten it and forgotten.  The only alternative is that you did not come when you were supposed to, which would mean you did not do your job.”
    “Mr. Whitney,”
    “Look at my very closely, Ms. Welsh.  Do I look like I’m running a charitable institution here?”
    “No.  Not at all, sir.”
    “Well that is surely a relief.  I can assure you, I am not.  You are here to do a job, Ms. Welsh, and I expect you to do it well.  It is time you realize that there are consequences for not performing up to expectations, and that time is now.”
    “Please, Mr. Whitney, give me another chance.  I promise I can do this job.  I promise I’ll do better.”
    “I’m not firing you.  Not yet.  But I’m staying late tonight and on the off chance that I need something, and I mean anything , I expect you to stay as well.  I expect you to stay for just as long as I do.  If I stay all night, I expect you to say all night as well.  Is that clear?”
    “Yes sir.”
    “Are you very certain?  Because if you do not do this thing and do it the way I expect, it will be the last night of your employment here.”
    “I understand.  I’ll be here.  I’ll be here for as long as you need me.”
    He did not say anything else, did not even look at her again, and she turned and walked out as quickly as she possibly could.  She wasn’t afraid anymore.  She knew exactly what she was going to do.  She was going to stay in that office for as long as it took to prove that she was going to be the best damned assistant Mr. Whitney had ever seen.
    o?  I’m sorry, is somebody there?”
    Kara stood slowly, wincing at the aching that moved through every one of her joints.  It was close to three o’clock in the morning and she had been in the office since eight in the morning.  She had known she was in it for the long haul for that day and she was ok with it, but her body ached nevertheless.  She had run herself ragged and she was willing to keep going.  If, for example, the noise she had just heard (hopefully it was real and she wasn’t so tired she was hearing things) was Mr. Whitney calling for her to come perform some new task, she would do it without hesitation.  She was not afraid to work hard.  She was afraid of very few things, although for some reason she was feeling rather uncomfortable at the moment.  Whatever the noise was, it didn’t sound like Mt. Whitney.  It sounded like some kind of struggle, like things were being broken.  Was that Mr. Whitney?  She knew it was only the two of them in the office at this point, but it didn’t make any sense to her that he would be destroying his own property.  She walked slowly down the maze of dim halls, moving cautiously towards her boss’ office.