by Celeste Raye
Michelle definitely knew it. That was what the entire argument had been about. It was the third construction job he had been fired from in the last six months. He had lost the first one fighting the boss's son, the second mouthing off to the company owner, and this latest one by showing up drunk. She doubted he would find another job in that industry. Word would have spread about his lack of work ethics by now. He was a hopeless case, and she needed to let go of her dream to change him. He refused to go to counseling, take an anger management course, or go to AA. Jackson wouldn't change on his own, so it was time to give up. Michelle just required the courage and opportunity to act upon her plan. Jackson had repeatedly warned her against trying to leave. He swore she couldn't hide from him and he would kill her for defying him. She believed every word. After all, she had the scars to prove it. He had caught her packing a bag once. The cigarette burns had left puckered marks all over her back.
She slid out of the bathroom without touching him. In his mood, the slightest touch would earn her another slap. She grabbed her purse from behind the living room curtain. It was hidden there to keep Jackson from taking her money and credit cards. He would never look behind a curtain because the daylight would hurt his eyes and head after a night of drinking. The purse was safer there than locked away.
Michelle hadn't eaten breakfast, but that was okay. She'd rather pick up something and eat it in the car than stay and face a jobless Jackson. The atmosphere was far too volatile to risk it.
Michelle's favorite part of the day was arriving at her job. The building itself gave her a sense of accomplishment and pride. It towered above all the other high rises, and its futuristic shape and lighting gave it an unearthly appearance. Her office was almost at the top, one floor below Kelan's private residence, which was situated on the top two floors. She had toured it once, along with the rest of Kelan's closest staff members. Only the super-rich could afford the modern amenities found in the penthouse. Michelle's favorite was the huge open patio. She felt like she could touch the sky by lifting a hand and she could view every inch of the city, and much of the world beyond, from its height. It gave her the sense of freedom she was missing in her private life.
It was amazing that Kelan had chosen her from the hundreds of applicants to be his personal assistant. She had very little experience. Perhaps that was the reason she was chosen. He was able to mold her into the perfect assistant, one who didn't question his ideals and followed orders respectfully. Whatever his reason was for choosing her, it no longer mattered. Michelle loved her job. She rubbed shoulders with some of the most powerful people in the world. Her boss was intelligent and trustworthy. Her co-workers were respectful and hard working. The paycheck was fabulous. But most of all, she was allowed to express her ideas, and people listened. That was a new concept for her. All her life she had been told to shut up and listen. Here, speaking your mind was expected and honored. Sometimes, your ideas were overruled, but they were always considered.
Michelle turned over her car to the automatic parking system and stepped into the panoramic elevator. As it slowly rose toward the upper floors of the silver and black building, it rotated for an awesome view of the city. Kelan had thought of everything when he designed Rankin World Defense. His employees worked diligently for long hours, so he provided the most pleasant environment possible. The building was also fitted with a special security system that allowed only those invited in or working for Rankin World Defense to enter. Once a visitor left, their identity and eye print were wiped from the system making it impossible for them to return without Kelan programming the security computer to allow it. This was the only place Michelle felt completely safe from Jackson. He had never been inside, nor would he ever be welcomed. All visitors went through an intensive background screening, and Jackson's was riddled with arrests, as well as unflattering references.
Michelle erased Jackson and her personal problems from her mind. She left that kind of thing outside the building where it belonged. Kelan expected her to be engulfed in whatever the present business was, not concerned with the trivialities of the outside world. She used the elevator time to get control of her thoughts so that she could enter her office ready for work. Kelan was guaranteed to already be there. He was the first to arrive and the last to leave. Sometimes, she wondered if he truly used the spectacular home just one floor above the office. It seemed he never left work. But then again, calls came from all over the world, night and day, according to the time zone the caller was in. He took most of those calls personally.
Sure enough, Kelan was at his desk with a caller on the line. She could see him easily through the glass walls of his inner sanctum. Though the walls could be darkened to hide him, Kelan preferred to be visible to his staff. He believed in setting an example for them. If he was seen working at all times and never hiding his actions, then he could count on his employees to do the same. It was meant to keep them honest. So far, it worked.
Thankfully, no one else had come in this early. Michelle had plenty of time to stare at her handsome boss. On second thought, handsome wasn't a strong enough word to describe him. The man was truly breathtaking. His dark, wavy hair was trimmed in the latest style. Intense green eyes and full, kissable lips were enhanced by the carefully kept scruff on his chin. The constant five-o'clock shadow that adorned his sculpted face added character and mystery to his perfection. The suits he wore fit his broad shoulders and narrow waist as if they were a part of the man. A few times, he had removed the jacket and given Michelle heart palpitations. His muscular arms and torso were revealed, along with the eight pack and rounded backside usually covered by the jacket. She supposed she had a crush on him, but so did everyone else. There was so much to admire physically, mentally, monetarily, and emotionally. The women wanted him, and the men wanted to be him. Why not join the crowd and worship the ground he walked on?
Michelle lowered her eyes to her desk just in time. Kelan turned around and saw her. He instantly buzzed her desk. She picked up immediately. "Michelle, I need you. We have to set up a meeting for our investors. It has to be today."
Wow, who knew that three little words could cause a tingle over every inch of your body. Kelan's "I need you," had done exactly that. Michelle mentally slapped herself to stop her inappropriate thoughts. She replied, "I'll be right there. I have to download the statistics on the new weapon to your conference screens first."
Rankin World Defense was all about weaponry. It wasn't the typical guns, bombs, or nuclear explosives. The company was more interested in clean defense. Kelan was determined to protect the planet from being harmed by the wars that raged over its surface and in its atmosphere. He was vigilant about discovering the newest technological wizardry to destroy the enemy without destroying Earth. It was an obsession. Earth's atmosphere had once been all but abolished by nuclear devices. It had taken years of mankind's suffering before a solution was found. Kelan wouldn't let it happen again. He swore there was a better way, and he would find it.
The door to Kelan's office slid open as Michelle approached. She felt his intense stare and turned the left side of her face away from him. His green eyes narrowed, and he frowned. "Is there a problem?” he asked. "You won't look me in the eye. Did I do something to offend you?"
Michelle gathered her courage and looked directly at her boss. "No, everything's fine. I have a little bit of a headache, and the bright lights make it worse. It has nothing to do with you. Which investors are we meeting today? I need to know so I can order food according to their tastes."
"I don't care about the investors right now. We'll deal with their comfort in a minute." He pushed a button, and the windows darkened, wiping out the sunlight. "I hope that helps your headache somewhat. What caused it in the first place? Might it have something to do with your swollen lip and the bruise beside your eye?"
Michelle despised liars, but she couldn't tell Kelan the truth. It would be embarrassing and demeaning to admit she was too weak to leave an abusive boyfriend or to de
fend herself from his fists. She took a deep breath and replied, "The headache has everything to do with the bruise and my swollen lip. The heel of my shoe broke, and I fell on my face last night. I was hoping the makeup would hide my clumsiness. Your eyesight is too keen to keep anything from you. Thank you for blocking some of the light. I'm ready to get down to business if you are."
Kelan's expression clearly stated that he didn't believe her explanation. He was gentlemanly enough to let it go and not confront her with the lie. Michelle realized his suspicions had been aroused and she would need to be more careful. If the abuse continued, he would soon figure it out. She couldn't let that happen. Kelan would lose all respect for her, and she didn't want to disappoint him or lose this job. Without working here, she would be lost. It was time to make the difficult choice of leaving Jackson. The problem was finding a way to do it without getting killed. She was terrified of Jackson and the friends he could call on to help him find her. They were brutal and had no problem with murder. But, if she had to choose between her fear of death and her fear of losing this job, she would choose the fear of death. After today's meeting, she would begin looking for a place to live, somewhere Jackson couldn't find her. Most of her money was already in hidden accounts to keep him from squandering it on liquor and drugs. He could have the tiny house. She wasn't attached to it anyway. The rent was paid for the next three months. After that, he would be on his own. She could sneak out her possessions one at a time if necessary. There were lockers in the gym here that she could store her stuff in until she had it all. She only had clothes and some jewelry. The rest wasn't important. She would even leave the clothes and jewelry if it meant saving her life.
Surprised to realize that her personal life had crept into her mind while she was at work, Michelle shut it away and concentrated on the coming meeting. She had arrangements to make for food and information to upload to the computers. If Kelan's demeanor was a clue to how important this meeting was, then it was the most vital one he had ever held.
She sat down and began to work with Kelan on the arrangements and agenda.
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Warriors of Milisaria
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I am a passionate writer that is OBSESSED with Sci Fi Alien Romance. I have been writing since I was a little kid and never looked back! I look forward to interacting with all of you and bringing you new hot and steamy Sci Fi Alien Romance books.
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