“Yes, my lord.”
The man got up, slowly, and together they walked outside. Phillip saw Elonne riding up and wondered what he was doing here. He still needed to have words with him for daring to lay a hand on his sister. Right now, Phillip forced himself to remain focused on the problem before him.
It took over an hour to get the information he needed. Then he locked the man up and sent Davie off to confirm the news he’d been given. It would take a while for the man to get there and back. Content that Pavel, the man they’d captured, would not be going anywhere, he made his way back to the main part of the house.
Heading to the kitchen, he smiled at the cook, who fixed him a quick meal. As he finished, Keating found him once more and let him know that Elonne was still waiting for him.
It was after six at night and he hadn’t been looking forward to doing any more discussion today, but this man he would see. So he returned to the study and found Elonne standing by the window, staring out.
“You asked to see me, Mr. Parker.” He walked behind his desk and watched the man at the window. “How can I be of assistance?” He made his way to the sideboard and poured two drinks. He handed one to Elonne then went to his chair and sat.
“I came here to discuss my sister, my lord.” He lifted the drink. “Thank you for this and I appreciate you seeing me. As the man of the family, she is my responsibility.”
Leaning back in his chair, Phillip waited for the man to get to the point. The words dangling at the edge of his tongue weren’t nice ones.
“I told her to stop working for you and just maintain the other jobs she has. You know this, I know she confronted you.” He bounced his broad shoulders. “My sister, she is not listening to me. I was hoping you would be able to tell her she no longer had this job.”
“How is this any different than when you were using her to pretend to be doing the work on my books? Your sister is incredible with numbers and my books have never been in better shape. Every blunt is accounted for and I am not worried that she is attempting to fleece me. And we have already had this discussion and I told you I would not do it.”
He placed his drink down on the desk and leaned forward. “To be honest with you, Mr. Parker, I want to hire your sister full time. I want her to only work for me, not everyone else she is working for. You can take over those smaller accounts. My ventures are about to grow and I will need more of her time given she is the best at what she does. I’m accustomed to having nothing but the best and have no plans to change that. So, no, I will not tell her she no longer has a job. I mentioned to you before that I was going to take care of her and that still stands. But I will be talking to her about my thoughts on taking care of her, and while I understand you are the man in the family, I am her friend and one of her employers.”
Elonne narrowed his eyes slightly.
Phillip rose and walked toward the man, leaving the glass on the desk. “One more thing, and this, in my opinion, is the most important. If I ever see another mark on her skin from where you hit her, the next discussion between the two of us will not be even half as civil as this one has been.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Are we clear?”
“She told you I hit her?”
“Do you deny hitting a woman that you are easily twice the size and strength of? No, she would not talk about it, but I have eyes and ears all over this island and word reached me.” He moved closer. “I cannot stand a man who feels he has a right to hit a woman, and I will take him to task. This is your one warning from me.”
Elonne gulped but didn’t look away. Phillip wanted to give him credit for that. But it wasn’t worth it, the fucker never should have dared to lay his hands on a woman, much less his own sister. When he’d found out from Marta what had happened, it had taken Phillip more control than he’d believed he possessed not to go kill him right then and there.
“She is my sister.”
“She is a woman who should be protected, not hit. And I am letting you know, she is under my protection.”
“My sister is not going to be your whore.”