My hackles rise to unprecedented heights. Taylor got promoted this morning, and I’ve been contemplating sticking chopsticks in my ears just to drown out her relentless bragging.
“Well,” she purrs, “at least we have one Lead. Don’t worry, your voice will be heard through me.” She sighs as if bearing a tremendous cross.
“Missed a spot with your award-polishing, princess,” Matty retorts.
“And your awards are where?” She glares at him, chin high, eyes blazing. “Oh, that’s right, they’re non-existent because you set the bar for yourself so low, yet you still fail to reach it.”
“I don’t need little wooden plaques to validate my self-worth.” He leans over and lifts an award. “The Design Excellence Award, eh? Do you sleep better clutching this?”
Her jaw tightens, and she snatches it back. “Mr. Wolfe will probably only want to speak with the leads,” she shoots, aiming at me.
Bitch.
Before Andy can explode, I toss an empty soda bottle from Matty’s desk. “So, how’d your review go?”
“Angry Andy said I’ve lost an unusual number of grandfathers… Sixteen in four years. Helen even had a damn spreadsheet tracking them all.” He smirks. “All I told them was Grandma was real busy in her twilight years.”
Chuckling, I collect scattered papers. Matty’s brazen attempts to skive off work have become office legend.
Then, the double doors swing open.
Straightening, I feel the room’s energy shift, chatter dissolving into a tense silence.
There he stands-the Big Bad Wolf, towering well over six feet tall. His athletic build strains against the fabric, broad shoulders, and muscular chest filling out the jacket flawlessly. His piercing brown eyes match his cropped dark brown hair. Dark stubble accentuates his strong jaw.
He’s dressed in trousers and a crisp white shirt, open at the collar, no tie. The white shirt contrasts strikingly with his tanned skin and navy suit. A gaze that could melt steel and probably panties.
With his intense stare trained on us, he looks every bit the hot hitman zeroing in on his next mark.
Us.
He’s indisputably the sexiest, most unapproachable man I’ve ever encountered.
Good Lord. Everything about the guy screams raw masculinity. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him if I were paid to.
Wolfe heads up the casinos and clubs, while the Quinn brothers run the hotels. Together they seem to own every brick in America.
Okay, slight exaggeration, but they are loaded.
Andy scurries over to him like a puppy rushing to get a pat. “Sir. Welcome! Welcome to the design floor. Mr. Wolfe, it’s an absolute honor to have you here.” Wow, dial it down, dude. The team collectively cringes. “This is where the magic happens. Team, on your feet so Mr. Wolfe can get a look at all of you!”
Wolfe levels Andy with a look so fierce his eyes seem like black holes. I swear, for a second, I glimpse a hint of sharp, predatory teeth.
We rise as one, ready to be inspected.
“He’ll be asking us to curtsy next,” Matty mutters, not as under his breath as he thinks.
I step on his foot hard to shut him up.
“I’m sure you’re aware why I’m here,” Wolfe says coolly, his intense gaze scanning the room. “We initiate Project Tangra in less than two weeks. Unless you’ve been living under a rock in Central Park, you know this is an important venture for the business.”
No kidding. Tangra’s been the buzzword for a month. We’re rolling out the “ultimate cashless casino” experience. The aim is to make every Quinn & Wolfe casino across America completely cash-free.
Place your bets, collect your winnings, all with a simple tap on your phoneyou’re in the game. No more clunky chips, no queuing at ATMs, no cash transactions slowing down the thrill of the gamble. It’s like a high roller’s dream come true. A dream where you have no idea how much you’ve spent until the harsh light of day. Just how Wolfe likes it.
All of our projects are named after stars because, as they put it, we’re “reaching for the stars.” It’s cheesy as hell. Thankfully, Tangra’s name is more digestible than its predecessor, Xamidimura. That star was a nightmare to spell correctly in every damn email.
His penetrating gaze sweeps over us-over the developers, Dwayne, Taylor, Wendy, me. And then, it stops. I feel my pulse pick up speed under his scrutiny.
Why has it stopped?
I offer a tentative smile which he doesn’t return, waiting for him to move on.
He doesn’t.
My knees nearly buckle.
He seems to be examining me, his frown deepening by the second.
Shit.
What did I do?
Is there something foul smeared across my face?
My pulse spikes. No wonder they say never to stare down a wolf.
Only when I glance down do I realize the source of his wrath.
All bodily functions cease. Breathing. Blinking. Blood flow.
In my hands, I’m clutching Matty’s ridiculous caricature of a wolf in a suit, complete with an oversized tail and teeth.
Matty, you utter fuckwit. Why are you so talented at caricatures? This could not be a more perfect likeness of Wolfe than if he’d sat for it himself.
You’ve got to be kidding me. The squiggles. Oh God, I didn’t even notice the squiggles. Is that…? Yep.
That’s definitely a cock and balls. Some smart-ass has added a big veiny cock with a rather impressive head.
With a look of sheer horror, I attempt to hide the incriminating sketch from Wolfe’s unflinching gaze, failing miserably.
The room plummets into a tense silence.
I’m about five seconds from wetting my pants. I attempt speech but only manage a silent O of panic.
Andy’s face turns a shade of white that matches his shirt. “Ahhh, Mr. Wolfe, that’s just-”
Wolfe silences Andy’s rambling with a raised palm. “You know,” he says, his voice taking on a dark edge. “I’ve got my finger on the pulse of every artery in this company. Sales. Accounts. Hotel staff. Marketing. Security. I know everything and everyone that moves through this company. Every single dollar. Every single person. And yet, there’s always this one department that thinks it can play by its own rules.”
His piercing gaze latches onto me. “The IT department.”
I stand frozen, trapped in a silent scream, my heart having a party in my body that I’m not invited to.
“You’re the joker in my otherwise flawless deck,” he sneers.
Those predatory eyes are still trained on me. Does he mean the entire IT department or just me? I’m the joker?