Winters (Book Five)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Aviva bursts into my office, her eyes almost wild as she scans the three faces in the room. I stare at her confused, is this normal for her? I am still grasping that I am married to such a beautiful and intelligent woman, let alone what her behavioral patterns normally are. She seems to set her eyes on the brothers in front of me, the one with the darker hair is Alexander, I think. Everything is still fuzzy and I probably shouldn't be at work yet but I've found the paperwork comforting. I can vaguely remember these projects and it is giving me something to do other than sit and stare at the wall confused about who I even am.

"I want her working here, and I am not willing to take no for an answer," Aviva says and Alexander swallows hard and Lyle looks panicked. The brothers share a look of concern and I am left even more miffed.

"Okay," I say and I pull up a blank contract. I have no clue who's she's talking about but it's not like one more salary would make or break the company.

"Cathleen, this is a delicate situation. She's talking about hiring Beta," Lyle says and there is so much compassion in his eyes and I feel a sense of longing, I missed this Lyle, but I don't know where he went or what happened to him right now though.

"She saved me, if she needs a job as long as she carries her own weight I don't care," I say confused and Lyle's brows scrunch together and he looks over at Aviva worried.

"We will discuss it," Lyle says and Avi's expression goes cold as she folds her arms over her chest, the intensity in her stare leaves me speechless and then I can't help but be distracted by how pretty she is for a few moments.

"No, there is no discussion to be had. She's being used and abused at her job Lyle. I got my hands on her contract and she is worth so much more than that and I want her as my beta tester. I wouldn't be standing here demanding this if it wasn't something important," she says coolly and I smile slightly at how powerful she appears in that moment. The no-nonsense look is really attractive for her. Do I always fawn over my wife this much? Or is this because of my amnesia?

"I don't know if you should be using the word abused," Alexander starts but Aviv's teeth clench and she steps closer to him.

"They are expecting her to work multiple eighty-hour weeks after everything that has happened to get back on track. She is the only tester and one of two engineers'; she is all they have Alexander. She handles almost everything. They purposely withhold important information and you aren't on the email chains, I am. I will use the word abuse and I don't know how either of you can stand to have someone you know and care about deal with that. Especially because she's putting Calikta through school!" Aviva growls frustrated and I just look between the three people confused.

"Eighty hours?" Lyle asks surprised and his voice softens and I wonder how they all know Beta beyond her saving me. No one has told me anything and I am still relearning who all these people are.

"For an entire month, they want her to do that four times and she doesn't even have a lab to work in! How is she supposed to do anything without her lab? It was burned down to the damn ground! How can anyone expect her to even focus on working right now?" Aviva rants angrily and I just watch her expressions as she flips through her emotions and can't help but be enamored by her.

"That's completely ridiculous. Where she is supposed to get equipment from? Is this why they are pulling out of our deal? Because we can expose all of their bullshit?" Alexander asks and he starts to get angry too. Should I be angry about this as well? I don't have the energy to be angry right now, I'm also too busy staring at my wife to focus on much else.