How to Resist Prince Charming(63)

“Hey, Spence. Couldn’t handle retirement, huh?” Pat asked.

Spencer merely chuckled. “To tell the truth, I have no idea why I’m here. Braxton asked me to come in as a consultant. I’m just as clueless as to what he has planned as everyone else.”

Braxton appeared in the doorway.

Talk in the room died as soon as everyone saw the stony expression on his face.

Glancing around, Braxton shut the door and strode to the front of the large conference table.

Tom couldn’t breathe so well.

The boy tossed a file he’d carried in with him onto the table and remained standing as he glared accusingly around him. “Someone’s been hacking into my processor,” he said without preamble. “And I want to know who.”

Silence cloaked the room; a person could’ve heard a pin drop. The employees looked at each other, confused. Tom’s face drained of color. He itched to glance toward Ben, see how his friend was holding up, but didn’t dare. Ben would be fired if Farris found out it’d been Hendricks.

Braxton waited another moment before adding, “No one is leaving this room until someone confesses, and I know someone in this room did it.”

Tom’s mind filled with the pictures he’d seen of Lenna and how that punk bastard had stared at her in a couple of them. At the time, it had turned his stomach sour. He’d felt duped, wondering how much Farris had to be laughing at him behind his back for not figuring it out sooner when there’d been so many clues.

But looking at Farris now, Tom couldn’t forget the expression of complete adoration he’d seen on Braxton’s face in those pictures. And telling her he loved her during that phone call might not have been a ploy to piss off his employee. There was a possibility the kid really did have feelings for Lenna.

If anyone could survive termination, it would be the father of the girl Braxton claimed to love.

Taking the largest risk of his life to help out his friend, Tom slowly stood.

Everyone gaped at him, including Braxton.

The boy gave him a slight shake of the head, cautioning him not to act. “Don’t,” he whispered.

But Tom ignored the warning. He looked Farris in the eye. “I did it.”

Braxton’s jaw tightened and he closed his eyes. Tom swallowed, hoping to God the boy was as crazy about his daughter as he suddenly suspected.

“Everyone else...out.” Braxton said as he lifted his lashes and drilled his gaze into Tom. The hate in his stare was unmistakable.

The room cleared in record time. The only three people left after thirty seconds were Tom, Braxton, and Spencer. Tom eyed Spencer, but his old boss was busy studying his son with a thoughtful, almost proud expression.

Braxton waited until the door closed before he took a seat. Sitting directly across from Tom, he folded his hands on the table and lifted his somber gaze. The hate had fled his blue eyes; now he just looked grief-stricken.

Tom swallowed.

An unexpected and abrupt burst of respect swelled inside him. All thoughts that this was just some young, inexperienced kid flew out the window. Braxton Farris vibrated with power and authority.

He could crush Tom and ruin his life. Twenty-five years of work were about to slosh right down the drain.

Braxton’s voice was laced with doubt as he said, “You hacked into my computer?”

Tom nodded, even as he realized standing up for Ben might’ve been the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Needing to make it sound authentic, though, he shrugged. “How do you think I found out about you and Lenna? Her face was everywhere when I logged in.”

Tom glanced at Spencer again, but the older man didn’t bat an eyelash when Lenna was mentioned.

Braxton nodded. “Yeah, I figured you knew about us.” Farris studied his hands a moment where he had them laced tightly together on the tabletop.

Then he moistened his lips and raised his gaze. His soft chuckled was an evil, menacing sound. “I also figured the only way you could’ve found out was by seeing those pictures. And that’s why I came to work last night at nine o’clock to discover exactly what had been taken off my hard drive.” He frowned, his jaw hard. “I didn’t like what I found, Tom.”

Just when Tom thought he was going to wet himself, Braxton softened and actually smiled... though it wasn’t a happy smile. “After the lies you told her, the way you made her break up with me, I’m already in a bad mood. In fact, right now, I’d like nothing better than to watch you suffer considerably.”

Tom’s face drained of color and Braxton continued, “So, you see, Tom, it’s almost like...providence...that you stroll in here today and confess a thing like this to me.” Opening his hand, he looked down at his empty palm. “You just handed me a reason—a damn fine reason—to fire you.”

Balling his fingers into fists, Braxton pressed them against the top of the table and stared at Tom so intently, the fury rolled off him in waves, splashing across the room in a drenching monsoon. “It’s just too bad that’s personal shit and this is business. Otherwise, you’d be gone.”

Tom was so scared, he couldn’t even swallow. Hoarsely, he asked, “So, you’re not going to fire me?”

“Well...” Braxton actually looked thoughtful.

Tom choked on his tongue. Shit, he was going to lose his job. After twenty-five years of giving his life to Farris, he was going to lose his position...for confessing something he hadn’t even done.