Chapter 71 A bastard

Chapter 71 A bastard
I should have known mere words wouldn't keep them at bay. They spent the last 30 minutes trying to get me to agree with them, but I wasn't ready to do that. How could they expect me to leave with them with no tangible reason? It made little sense to me, but it seemed to make a lot of sense to them, and that pissed me off more than anything else.

I know they were only showing just how much they missed me and all that, but I couldn't help the feeling I got just from the thought. I doubt they would let me work peacefully, thinking I was someone they could control, to do whatever they wanted.

The fuck, I would be that woman. I started this business to show them how much I could do without their aid. Going to them would make all the things I'd tried to work my arse for seem useless.

I would be like a dog, who always ran back to her master, wagging my tail whenever they called. It would only make them try to exert their authority on me every damned chance they got. "Please, darling." Mitch attempted to hold my hand, but I shot a glare at him, showing him just how much I wanted to cut his hand off or, better yet, throw him into a ditch.

"You won't change my mind about this. I have already decided. I'm not going with you. I have something to take care of, and it didn't involve you. Can you please respect my wishes?" I forced a smile, heading towards the exit.

I nodded at the security man who greeted me, his voice increasing an octave when he acknowledged my mates. It wasn't difficult to know they'd gotten to my workers. Why else would he greet them differently?

"But we miss you!" Miles argued, keeping you with my long strides. "I realize we are asking so much from you by giving out our requests, but can you just listen to us?" He blocked my path when I tried to open my door.

Pursing my lips, I folded my arms. "Step out of the way, Miles. I'm not changing my mind. You can't force me to do that."

"But we -" Mike sighed, placing his hand on my left shoulder. "Can you just do this one thing for us? We promise we won't ask you for anything else. Please?" He begged, but I was having none of it. "Can you walk out of the way?" I asked in a very calm voice, keeping my emotions in check. "I can do anything for you, but not this. Can you please step out of the way? I have a meeting to get to." Mike stepped out of the way, and I got in. They did the same, smiling when I shot a glare at them. Mitch sat on the front with me while the others rested on the back.

Thinking of it, the others weren't wrong when they claimed I spent too much time with him. Mitch was always after my special treatments.

"I'm not changing my mind." Sighing, I started the engine and drove over to the café.

"Just for two weeks?"

"Not even for a day," I replied, giving him a side-eye. "Why do you even want me back in your company? Aside from the ready fuck mate, what else do you need me to do?"

I needed to be given an award for driving while having a conversation with my mates. It was something not everyone could pull through.

"To help us with work. That's all." Smiling, Mitch relaxed in his seat. "We know this is asking too much from you, but can you just do this? For the last time? We promise not to ask anything else from you, okay?"

"I will think about this." I sighed, knowing I would turn over to them. Despite my decision and vow not to give him, I knew I couldn't hold out, not when the ones in question were my mates. "Greet!" 

They sat on the table next to the one I booked, sipping their coffee as they pretended as if they weren't watching us. I swear, they would have bored holes in the back of my head if that were possible. "That's a good proposal, Mr Roderick." I smiled at him, reaching over to shake him.

"I'm glad you agree with me." He received my handshake, the touch lingering until it was close to being uncomfortable.

Smiling awkwardly, I removed my hand from his, turning to look at my mates, whose glares seemed to have gotten darker.

"If you like this, we can go to the next phase. What do you think, Miss Summer?" He asked, picking up his mug of coffee as he took a sip.

"That will be wonderful. We can go right to the second stage."

"Aren't you hungry? Why don't we go somewhere else for lunch?" He questioned, looking towards my mates, who were staring at us unashamedly. They didn't divert their gazes when they noticed he was peering at them. Instead, they kept his gaze.

"It's okay," I rushed to say, smiling at him. "I have something to take care of after this. Why don't we finish everything here?"

He turned to look at me, reaching his hand close, to place them on the back of my palm, which I kept on the table. "We have been talking about work since you came in. Why don't we talk about something else?" He suggested, his smile saying what his mouth couldn't.

Gulping, I snatched my hand back, forcing a smile because he was, after all, a business partner. "You are stepping over the line, Mr Roderick. I hope you don't do this," I said as politely as I could. "Why? You are a beautiful woman, Summer. I think you know what I need. It's nothing. This can strengthen our contract. We will -" 

"I don't see any way that could help. I'm here for the contract, but it seems you have something else in mind. If you don't want -"

"Why? Acting self-righteous, are we?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, a cocky smile on his face.

My mates' chairs were scrapped, and I knew I had less than a minute to keep them from doing something disastrous.

I pushed up from the chair and picked up my purse. "Thank you so much for today, Mr Roderick. If you are serious about the work, you can reach out to my secretary."

He rose, his face scrunching up in a hideous frown, looking like the antagonists in movies I watched while growing up. "Do you think you are a big deal because you have your business? Women like you got to where you were spreading your legs for other men. Stop acting -"

The sound of the slap resounded in the entire place, earning us the attention of the customers who were having a peaceful coffee break.

I threw the file on the table. "Damn you and your so-called corporation." I turned to my mates, who were waiting for my word. "Let's go."

They looked as if they wanted to do something more, but they didn't. Respectfully following me out of the café while Mr Roderick screamed incoherent words at me.