Mr. King [Book 1]

Forty-Two

With one last deep breath, Katherine shut off the bedroom light and walked out, pulling the suitcases to the front door. She thought of leaving Mr. King a letter or a note of some sort. Maybe something formal to signify her resignation in writing, but knew he didn't deserve another moment of her time, of her care or patience.

"Miss Mason?" She heard from behind her and turned quickly, seeing Mr. Bates standing there.

"Derek..." She gasped, using his first name for the first time ever. She was really on a roll when it came to dropping the formalities.

"Where... where are you going?" Mr. Bates asked quickly, his eyes dropping to the two suitcases at her side.

"I quit," she said finally, taking a cleansing breath.

"You quit?" He choked out, looking surprised.

"I quit," she repeated with a nod.

"Does Mr. King know?" He asked, and she could see the anxiety written all over his face.

"I sure hope so, since I told him before he left for the office about two hours ago," Katherine informed the man who stood in front of her – still green in experience, still young in age.

"Oh," he interjected, dropping his gaze to the floor for a moment.

"I'm sorry for everything you've had to... see," she told him, almost wishing she didn't bring it up, because the dark shade of red his cheeks turned when he looked up at her was almost worse than the words themselves.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.

"It was a pleasure, Miss Mason... I mean, working with you. Working with you was a pleasure... not, you know... Damn it. I'm sorry," Mr. Bates said, fumbling over his words, fumbling over his embarrassment.

Katherine was too broken to feel any kind of embarrassment over it anymore. She succumbed to the fact that the security team had a front row seat every time Mr. King fucked her.

"It was a pleasure, Mr. Bates," she told him with a nod before she turned to the door.

"Let me help you," he offered, quickly stepping toward her.

"It's fine. I'm fine," she protested, but it didn't stop him from taking both suitcases and wheeling them out to the elevator.

Mr. Bates rode with her down to the lobby. She stammered, trying to tell him to go back up, that she could take the bags once they reached the lobby, but he insisted. And by the time Katherine looked up, she was bombarded with Mr. King's presence, followed shortly by Mr. Roberts.

Harrison's eyes were on hers in an instant. His brown ones pierced through her soul, tearing apart her insides even more. She wanted to run in the opposite direction, but there was nowhere to go. She was stuck under his powerful stare.

Why was he back already? He was only gone for two hours. Surely he couldn't be done for the day already.

"Miss Mason," Harrison said evenly, his voice velvety smooth and delicious. Her insides twisted and turned as she stared back at him.

"Harrison," she breathed lowly. His eyes only dropped to see the two large pieces of luggage in Mr. Bates' firm grasp, before looking back up at her.

"My cab should be waiting," she said, turning to tell Mr. Bates, so he knew where to take the bags. He nodded and began walking toward the exit, but Harrison stopped him.

"Mr. Bates, tell the driver his services will not be needed..." Harrison informed his second in charge. Katherine's heart sped up as she sucked in a breath. Was he going to beg her to stay?

"Sir?" Mr. Bates questioned.

"Take the SUV and bring her wherever she needs to go," Harrison finished and the breath Katherine was holding in was let out hard, along with the last bit of hope she had for the man standing in front of her.

Harrison's eyes were on hers again a moment later, and they were as callous and resolute as ever.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Mason," he said finally, his words piercing her like a dagger to the heart.

With that, he continued on toward the elevator. Mr. Roberts sent her a look of compassion before he patted her shoulder softly and continued on toward his asshole megalomaniac boss.

Katherine couldn't breathe as she felt tears immediately sting in her eyes. How could he be so heartless? How did she mean nothing to him after nearly six months of being in each other's lives? Nearly six months of intimacy, even if it was just for sex. She was falling apart at the seams. She was broken.

"Miss Mason," she heard Mr. Bate's soft, compassionate voice, realizing he had come back to get her.

"Hmm?" She hummed, wiping at the tears that slipped out of her eyes.

"The car is up front," he informed her.

"Thank you, Derek," she breathed, using his first name again, because why not?

Once Katherine got into the back of the SUV, her tears hit her again full force. Compared to the morning, her last run-in with Harrison hit her like a bulldozer, taking her last shred of dignity and demolishing it. He didn't give a shit about her and she realized he never did.