Rich (Benson Security #5) - Janet Elizabeth Henderson Page 0,104
would somehow miraculously make his point sink through Ryan’s thick skull.
“Exactly,” Ryan said. “Once we realized that betting on Rachel’s sex life might cause her to have a full-blown PTSD fit, we canceled the bet. But I started a new one on how long before she went back to TayFor for real. And I won. I am the master!”
“Please, for the love of Prada, stop talking,” Rachel told him.
“I don’t even care that everybody’s in a bad mood. That’s how happy I am,” Ryan said before he got stuck back into his food.
“Rachel,” Lake said, returning her attention to the man who’d started Benson Security, “explain your leaving.” He was also a man of few words.
“It’s really very simple; my family needs me right now. And I fit in there, in a way I never did here or with Harry’s company. Programming is Harry’s dream. Benson Security’s yours. But TayFor has always been mine.” She studied her nails for a moment, wondering if it was time to swap out the red. Perhaps for black. Or maybe an icy silver. “I don’t plan on selling my share in this company. I’d like to remain a silent partner.”
“Is that even possible?” Ryan asked, grinning at his own joke.
Rachel, along with everyone else, ignored him. “I intend to start working for TayFor from today. There isn’t much to hand over as far as Benson Security is concerned; the women’s side of the business has only just started. Perhaps Julia could look after that in my absence.”
“Me?” came a squeak from the houseplant.
“Yes. You. It takes a businessperson to organize it, and you are the most qualified.” She pointed at Harvard. “Apart from that, I’m taking him with me.”
“Bloody hell, Rachel,” Callum exploded. “You can’t just walk out on us and take our people with you.”
“Of course, I can. I’m still a partner in this company, which means I own a stake in him.”
There were groans throughout the room.
“Rachel,” Elle said patiently, “we talked about this during our girls’ night. You don’t own the people who work for you. They…we aren’t chattels.”
“What Rachel means,” Harvard said, “is that I’m choosing to go with her and take over as head of security at TayFor. You can consider this my resignation.”
“Hell, no,” Joe and Noah both snapped at the same time.
Noah glared at Harvard. “The whole point of the three of us joining the same security company as Joe and Grunt was to hang out together. Beast’s already pissed off to follow his wife around the world. If you go too, that’ll just leave me and Joe in London. Grunt might as well be on another planet instead of in Scotland; phone conversations with him are few and far between and consist mainly of me talking and him grunting. You talked me into moving my kids to London. And now you’re backing out on us?”
“I’ll still be in London, and I’ll still get to hang out with you. It’s not like we’re moving to New Zealand; we’ll see all of you.”
“Speak for yourself,” Rachel said.
There were a few people she’d be happy to see the back of. Ryan being top of her list. She already had an annoying younger brother; she didn’t need a second one. And Ryan had been trying to fill that role for years. Although without her around to keep an eye on him, he’d probably choke on a chicken bone. She sighed. She’d have to see the idiot after all. Responsibility sucked.
“Are you going to tell them our other news?” Harvard asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“No.” She frowned at him.
His lips twitched. “Then how about I do it? We’re getting married.”
“Married?” Elle gaped at them. “For real?”
“Don’t make such a big deal out of it,” Rachel said. “I’m sure it won’t last.”
“That’s what you said about your relationship to begin with,” Elle accused, as though Rachel had deliberately lied to them. It wasn’t her fault Harvard kept screwing up her plans.
“When we’re done with this touchy-feely crap,” Callum blared over all of them, “can we concentrate on Rachel’s blackmailer and what we’re going to do about that?”
“First, we need to talk about the guy locked up downstairs,” Joe said. “We can’t keep him there forever. The cops frown on unlawful imprisonment.”
Lake and Callum shared a look of cold understanding.
“You can’t kill him either,” the potted plant said before Julia peeked out through the leaves. “That’s just wrong.”
Honestly, it was like working in a kindergarten. Which was one of the reasons