CHAPTER 6

Every time she walked into Pedro and Keith, Adrienne could feel the tension between them and she wondered what caused it. While it was true that Keith has been bothering her tremendously, it wouldn’t be enough to cause a rift between the cousins.

“Good morning!” she greeted both of them when she entered the office.

“You’re late!” Pedro bellowed.

“It’s only two minutes, Pedro. Common, don’t be so harsh on him,” Keith defended Adrienne and it made his cousin more furious than ever. She had no idea what was wrong with him but since she joined the company, he has changed. He used to be sweet around her, but lately, she noticed that he was different.

“A minute or two always matters for a businessman, Keith. And while we are it, is there any progress in your mission?” Pedro asked.

“I still have a lot of time to complete it,” Keith assured Pedro.

Pedro smirked at his cousin for being overconfident. “If you say so. Anyway, Adrienne and I will start working now. See you later at home,” he dismissed Keith.

Pedro was talking to someone on the phone when Keith returned and approached Adrienne. His mouth gaped open when Keith made a bold move and kissed his secretary.

“Keith, what are you doing?” He bellowed as anger welled up in his chest but Keith didn’t reply and just left. When he looked at Adrienne, his secretary was shocked! “Are you okay?” He inquired.

            Adrienne was stunned at Keith’s action and she was confused. She knew that Keith was a pro at flirting but she didn’t expect to be kissed like that! It was her first kiss for goodness sake and she was disappointed that it came from Pedro’s cousin. It disgusted her but she couldn’t voice out his frustration in front of her boss!

“Adrienne, are you okay?” Pedro repeated himself when Adrienne failed to answer him.

“I don’t know,” she replied honestly.

“You must be shocked, but Keith can be like that sometimes,” he explained and apologized on his cousin’s behalf.

“Hmmm it is okay, and you don’t have to explain it to me,” she said.

Suddenly, Pedro’s nostrils flared as he looked away. “Did you like it?” Pedro clenched his jaw as he waited for his answer, but whatever his response may be, it shouldn’t bother him, right?

Did she like it? Of course not! Why would she like being kissed by Keith when he wasn’t her boyfriend? But how could she tell him that she felt disgusted when Keith’s lips touched hers? How could she tell him that she would prefer his lips to touch her instead of his cousin's? Wait, what was she thinking?

“I’m not sure,” she replied as the tip of her fingers traced her bottom lip.

Pedro pulled a face as he stared at Adrienne while tracing his lip. “I’ll be meeting an important person today so kindly cancel all my other appointments and rescheduled it for tomorrow,” he ordered as he took off the suit he was wearing.

“Right now?” She hadn’t eaten anything from home because she woke up late.

“Just stay here,” he stopped Adrienne from standing up and following him.

“But I must be with you at all times,” she reasoned.

“I’m in the mood to fuck my girlfriend now, Adrienne. Are you still coming with me?” He lied about having a girlfriend but Adrienne’s shocked expression satisfied his ego. “If I won’t be back until the afternoon, then it’s not a quickie and I’m sure that you know what I’m talking about.”

“I see,” she replied without showing him how affected she was by the mention of a girlfriend. She was under the impression that he was not dating anyone, but the information came straight from him. “Have fun then,” she added before she resumed working on something that Pedro assigned to him two days ago.

Angrily, Pedro stormed out of the office and a heavy thud echoed in the hallway after he slammed the door. He was infuriated when Adrienne traced his bottom lip as if he enjoyed the quick kiss that Keith gave him. Speaking of his cousin, he couldn’t just leave the woman to be alone with Adrienne.

“I will call you later,” Pedro said and then he hurried to go out of the office.  

He wasn’t going to meet a woman. He had to talk to Keith. So, he sauntered to his cousin’s office. He pushed the door without knocking and caught him on the phone. As he observed how Keith’s cheeks became crimson red, he could tell that Keith was beyond furious, and only one person could make him so riled up.

“Is that Sofia on the other line?” He asked but at the same time, he snatched the phone from Keith’s hand and cursed at the woman she was talking with. Pedo let out a deep breath after he realized that he was taking out the anger he had for Adrienne with Sofia. Well, that good-for-nothing bitch deserved all the curses in the world after she ruined Keith with her lies. Without thinking twice, Pedro snatched the phone from Keith’s hand. “Come to the coffee shop beside Lassiter Shipping’s main office,” he said before ending the call.

 “Why are you here, Pedro? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Keith asked in annoyance.

“She will be in the coffee shop, Keith. Common, let’s settle this once and for all.” Pedro grabbed Keith’s hand.  

Keith was speechless they entered the dainty coffee shop. His eyes scanned the crowd and his smile faded when Jacob waved his hand. “It wasn’t Sofia on the phone,” Keith informed Pedro.

      “What?” Pedro asked.

      “I said it wasn’t Sofia on the phone but him,” Keith replied as he pointed to the man sitting at one of the tables while enjoying a cup of brewed coffee.

      Pedro looked around and saw Jacob Summers. He and Jacob attended the same university in college, and although they were not the best of friends, they knew each other as they moved in the same circle. “Are you saying that you’re meeting Jacob Summers?” he asked in disbelief that Keith has been talking to someone like Jacob Summers.

“Yes, do you know him?” Well, who wouldn’t know Jacob Summers? The man was always on the news for being a rule breaker despite being the one who implemented the laws in his city. Although he was rumored to be an Alpha’s son, nobody knew the truthfulness to that matter.

“He’s dangerous, Keith. Go back to the office now and I’ll be the one to talk to him,” Pedro didn’t want his cousin to be involved with a man whose background was questionable.  

“No,” Keith refused to back down when it comes to Jacob Summers. “If you didn’t tell him to come here, anyway, you should head back to your office now. Please buy some snacks for Adrienne,” he ordered.

Pedro groaned at the mention of his secretary and he glared at Keith for messing up his life. First, it was Adrienne, and then Jacob was added. “You can’t handle him alone,” he warned Keith.

“You have to trust me on this. Go on now, and don’t forget about the snacks for Adrienne.”

Pedro nodded, but he couldn’t just leave without saying hi to Jacob Summers. The man might be dangerous, but they were not enemies, and he had to apologize for cursing at him earlier. “Summers! Fancy seeing you here, are you meeting someone?” He tried to play dumb and Keith was embarrassed at the way he acted.

“Lassiter,” Jacob acknowledged the man’s presence and his jaw moved at the realization that Pedro Lassiter and Keith Lassiter have been ganging up against him.

“I apologize for what I said on the phone. I assumed that it was his ex,” Pedro explained. “I had no idea you’re acquainted with Keith,” he added.

Jacob maliciously smiled as his eyes stared at Keith. “Well, why don’t you ask him how we know each other?”

“No, why don’t you tell me, Jacob Summers?”

“Well, he just fucked my woman, Lassiter!”