Reluctantly You (Our Exception Book 3)

Gideon

“Honestly, Gideon,” Shiloh says as he unpacks his boxes, frowning at me with those pretty eyes of his. He’s wearing a pair of light gray jeans and a fluffy purple sweater, looking all sorts of adorable.

But I know how ruthless he can be under all that color and those sweet smiles. I’ve seen him with his claws out. He’s fought his way up from nothing to be the man he is today. I respect the hell out of him.

He’s one of the few people who I’ll let speak to me this way, and I value his opinion. He’s a hard worker and has been my administrative assistant for the last five years. I’ve grown slightly dependent on him ever since he walked into my life fifteen years ago. At the time, he was a scraggly eighteen-year-old fresh out of the system, who found me through a mutual friend. He needed a place to stay, and I had a room for rent. We had backgrounds in common: foster care, abusive parents, the need to do better.

He’s the one who pushed me to buy this company. He knew how much this would mean to me. How much I’ve wanted this. How much I’ve worked for it.

“I know you’re doing this to prove something, but you could have been a little nicer about it. You didn’t need to take his office.”

I shift in the chair, crossing my ankle over my thigh, and arch an eyebrow at him. “I don’t think people like Mitchell Morris respond to kindness.”

Shiloh lets out a sigh. “Everyone responds to kindness.”

“Not him.”

“I mean, you know how I love those generalizations you like to make. They’re so reasonable,” he replies with a roll of his eyes. “But there’s a small chance that Mitchell Morris isn’t that bad.”

“He is that bad. You’ve met his father.”

Shiloh’s eyes darken and he nods, glancing away.

“Yeah. He’s a piece of work, but we all know we aren’t our fathers.”

My fists tighten on the arms of the chair, and I breathe deeply through my nose.

“I know, but Mitchell lied to my face. Debra in HR hadn’t heard from him when he was missing from work. He’s used to getting his way, not showing up and people brushing it off. Not under my watch. People have to work for their paychecks here.”

Shiloh snorts. “Yeah. Yeah, I know, which is what I’m trying to do, but you keep interrupting.”

I crack a knuckle, staring out at the horizon as Shiloh continues to unpack his things.

Memories flash through my mind. My dad on the couch drinking, a needle sticking out of his arm, the murmurs of a mad man in the throes of addiction.

He stole it. He stole it all. Remember that, Gideon. We could have had more. We could have had it all. The Morris’s are evil, bad. You take them down, son. Take them all down.

I pull my thoughts back to the present and run a hand across my jaw.

I’ll treat Mitchell Morris with the respect he deserves, which at the moment, isn’t much. Actually, none at all. He hasn’t been present, not for the purchase of the company, not when his dad signed over the papers and then introduced us to his staff, making no excuses for his son’s lazy behavior.

He slacks off. You have to watch him. He’s an entitled kid.

“I know that look, Gideon,” Shiloh says as he places a few plants on the window sill. “You can be mean. Really cruel. I’ve seen you do it. But at least give Mitchell a chance.”

“I have.”

“He’s not his father. Or yours.”

“I fucking know that.”

I gave Mitchell the benefit of the doubt when speaking to him in his office. He ignored me, scoffing, looking at me like he didn’t deserve this. Like it should have all been his.

I’ve seen that far too many times. I’ve been around people who have his mentality. Rich brats who think they deserve golden shit just because they were born into it. Unlike me, who had to smile and nod as I made my way up in the world. On my own. Everything I have, I earned.

Unlike them.

Unlike him.

I’m sure Mitchell will survive this. He will have other opportunities. I’m sure his dad will figure out something for him. Something niggles in the back of my mind, a noisy scratch, but I muffle it until I can’t hear it anymore.

He’ll be just fine. I don’t want him here anyway. I’ll gladly accept his resignation once he’s done pouting like a spoiled child.

“If you’re just going to sit there, can you at least lean over and unpack some of my stuff? You’re just taking up air.”

I meet Shiloh’s eyes and glower at him. It goes ignored. He’s never been intimidated by me.

“Fine. Just for a few moments. I have a company to run.”

“Could have fooled me.”

I scoff and help him unload a box before getting back to work.

Back to the company I earned with my own sweat and tears.

Mitchell never did anything to earn it. And neither did his dad.

No, his dad stole it. Took it from someone who never had a chance to get it back.

I see Mitchell’s closed office door, and I scowl at it. Fuck that guy. I bet he’s not doing anything in there to earn his paycheck. I bet he’s just dicking around.

Like father, like son.

But I’ll give Mitchell a chance, like Shiloh asked. I can do that and see what happens.