Ruthless

Chapter 16

Jean wasn't sure what to expect with the youngest of the Farrell brothers. She'd done a quick Wikipedia search on her phone while Colin and she had been on the subway but didn't feel as though she knew him any better.

He was the youngest of the four and had a different mother than the other three. His hair was a lighter brown than the rest of the brothers in his more recent pictures, which made her wonder whether he used to color it in that first picture she'd seen or whether he spent a lot of time in the sun and had gotten natural highlights like the guys who worked construction in town.

Not that he was the type to work construction. From what she'd seen online, he spent a lot of time on beaches, with many beautiful bikini-clad ladies on his arm. In fact, every picture she saw of him in her image search was either him with a girl on his arm or a drink in hand. Sometimes both.

So she assumed he was going to be the "fun" brother. Though from what she'd gotten from Colin, no one in this family was fun, so she didn't know what to expect.

Colin led her into Farrell Tower and gave security their names before he showed the guard photo ID. Jean had widened her eyes at the harsh security measure but handed over her license. Back home, usually you just walked in and said "hey" before going back. Of course, the one "professional" place she'd worked at had folded, so what did she know?

The guard let them through and told them which elevator to go to. Which she thought was extra strange until they reached the bay of elevators and she realized they didn't all go to all levels. There was a group for the first twenty floors, the middle twenty floors, and the highest levels of the building.

They went into the elevator directed to them, and without pressing a button, the 60th floor button lit up and the elevator started moving. "Umm...is that normal?" Jean inched a little closer to Colin. She was more grateful to have him here than she thought she'd be. At least one constant in this strange world she didn't belong in.

Colin pointed to a nondescript black box above the button bay. "That's a security sensor. The employees all have badges they can wave in front of there before they tell the elevator what floor to go to. Since we don't have a badge, security had to let us up."

"So all guests to the Farrell Company have to go through this?"

"No. They have a main reception level that you don't need security clearance to get to."

"So what level are we going to?"

"The executive one."

The doors opened and Jean stared warily at them. They'd gone up sixty stories that fast? She'd never felt as much like a country girl as she did in this instant.

Across from where they stood in the elevator was another three elevators that opened to this level. Colin led her out, and she took one last chance to check her appearance in the reflective doors in front of her.

At least she didn't look like a country bumpkin. She didn't look like a New York heiress either, but she could only do so much. Today she was in her leggings and boots, but she wore a nicer green v-neck sweater. Even if she did have money to go shopping right now, it wasn't as if she knew what she was supposed to wear.

Was she expected to dress up for meetings with her "family"? Well, that would have to wait.

It wasn't as if Colin had worn anything nicer than normal. Today was his usual cargo pants and t-shirt. She was starting to learn that he always wore loose jeans or cargo pants and was willing to bet he had an ankle holster hiding in there.

A few days ago, it had terrified her that he was always so armed, but after what she found out this morning, she felt comforted that he was there.

Jean clenched her purse tighter as she followed Colin to a reception desk. There was no one there, which wasn't too surprising considering this wasn't the main level for people. Maybe the desk was just for show? Colin hit the little button on the top of the desk, and in a few seconds, Nathan Farrell appeared.