After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 126

Malloy’s heart skipped a beat. He’d done plenty of shady things himself, so Nestor’s words struck a little too close to home. Still, he tried to play it cool. “Nestor, everyone makes mistakes at work. Who hasn’t messed up once in a while? But Lawrence comes in here and stirs up a storm the moment he arrives. Now everyone’s on edge. How are we supposed to get anything done like this?”

Nestor’s expression hardened. “That’s enough. I trust Lawrence to handle things.”

Malloy saw he wasn’t getting any sympathy from Nestor, so he slunk back to his office, feeling sour. He had barely warmed his chair when his assistant poked her head in. “Mr. Malloy, Lawrence wants to see you.”

Malloy’s blood boiled. This kid was really trying to throw his weight around. The nerve.

He slammed his office door shut and marched over to Lawrence’s office, not bothering to hide his anger. He pushed the door open, glaring at the young man inside. “What do you want?”

“Please, have a seat,” Lawrence replied, calm and polite as ever.

Malloy snorted. “Cut the act. I’m not here for games. Just say what you have to say.”

Lawrence slid a file across the desk. “Malloy, can you explain why your department’s accounts from last month don’t add up?”

Malloy had gotten his cushy job in the engineering procurement department thanks to Alice’s connections. He’d had plenty of power, and over the years, he’d pocketed more than his share.

Now, seeing Lawrence come after him, he felt a jolt of panic. He tried to keep his composure. “Lawrence, what’s this supposed to mean? You’ve barely been here a week and you think you can audit my accounts? Do you even know who you’re talking to?” He slammed his palm on the desk, trying to throw his weight around. “I’m Nestor’s brother-in-law. I’ve been here since the beginning. Who are you to question me?”

Lawrence just stared at him, unfazed. He set the file back on the desk and spoke evenly. “Malloy, this is a company. It’s not a place to pull rank or rely on family ties. Your accounts have problems, so we need to clear things up. The company deserves an explanation.”

Malloy sneered. “You really think you’re running the place now? Acting like you own it.”

Lawrence looked back at him, eyes sharp and steady. “If anything, as family, you should be setting an example, not abusing your position to break the rules.”

Malloy jabbed a finger at him, voice rising. “You’re only here because of a woman. Who are you to lecture me?”

Lawrence’s face went cold. “Malloy, if you don’t explain these accounts today, legal will get involved. You can either talk to me and Nestor or explain yourself at the police station. Your choice.”

Malloy’s face went pale and sweat broke out on his forehead. He hadn’t expected Lawrence to be this tough.

He glanced at the file. “Are you sure you’re not just making this up to frame me?”

“If you’ve got nothing to hide, then I’ll call the police right now,” Lawrence replied, his voice icy, leaving no room for argument.

Malloy felt like he’d been struck by lightning. He lunged for the file, but Lawrence pressed a hand down on it first. “Malloy, that’s just a copy.”

Malloy’s voice trembled with anger. “Lawrence, what do you want from me?”

He dialed the number.

“Malloy! What’s got you calling me today?” Otto’s voice rumbled on the other end.

“Otto, I need a favor.”

“Hey, you don’t need to be so formal. What’s up?”

“I need you to teach someone a lesson for me. Make sure he knows his place.”

“That’s what I do best. How hard do you want me to go? Break a leg? Spill a little blood, or—”

“I want him with a broken leg. Out of commission for at least six months.” If Malloy was going to go this far, he wasn’t going to hold back. He added, “You’ll need to bring extra guys. He’s ex-military. Two or three won’t be enough.”

Otto let out a low whistle. “Tough guy, huh? That’s my kind of job. Just make sure the money’s good.”

“It will be,” Malloy promised, his eyes glinting with malice.