Protecting What's Mine: A Security Romance Collection

by Apryl Baker

“Bossy, bossy. Sounds good, thanks, Laney.” Aedan turns around and heads back toward his office.

  I hug Laney and thank her for cooking, but I know she did it out of nerves. Lasagna is the only other thing besides mac and cheese she can cook. I’m so thankful she’s here as I’m hip deep in shit again, and I hope that I don’t end up drowning in it. My gut’s telling me that Chet has something to do with everything that has been happening, but there hasn’t been any sign of him. I want to stop thinking about him…I hope he isn’t behind this.

  “Your grandparents want you to call them when you can. They went to their hotel after your dad assured them that everyone was okay.”

  “I’ll call them after we eat.” I head to the couch in the family room.

  “Don’t wait too late. You know they will be worried.”

  “Yes, Mom,” I sass, then close my eyes and try to decompress and rationalize everything. A shower to wash off the day’s events sounds amazing and I excuse myself to bathe. I don’t want to be gone too long as I want to make sure I’m around if any information comes through.

  Returning back downstairs, I stop by Aedan’s office and let them know supper’s ready. I notice Aedan has showered, changed his clothes, and didn’t put the sling back on. I knew he wouldn’t keep it on for long. His hair, which is usually neat and combed, is in complete disarray. He looks hot, but this isn’t the time for any sexual thoughts.

  Chapter Two

  Aedan

  Jesse looks like she could fall over from exhaustion as we eat dinner. I’m able to talk her into going to bed—without a fight. Once I am sure she’s on her way to bed, I get the team members who are present in my office and we get to work.

  “Do we have any leads on Wade’s whereabouts?” I ask.

  “None of his financial and social media accounts have been accessed, and his company-issued car is still parked in the parking garage of his condo. No one has been in or out of his place. He’s off the grid, just like Chet,” Kevin points out.

  “Who has been the contact for Craig? Does he have anything new?”

  “I’ve been in contact with him hourly. The bullets are being processed as we speak. He’s still running background checks on employees, and no one has come back with glaring inconsistencies. The only one with questionable bank transactions is Wade, but the deposits were made by Mr. McCoy to him,” Sam answers, sounding uncertain.

  “Pearse? Can we pull up the transactions to see what they were?” I look up at him.

  “I’ll get Craig on the phone and get copies of the transactions sent to our email.” Sam pulls his phone off his holster.

  “Okay, sounds good. That’s something at least. What about Chet Boston? Any new leads?”

  “We found out that Mr. Boston owes his drug dealer over three hundred grand in Indiana. The guy has one hell of a coke habit,” Kevin discloses.

  “Do we have anything that ties him and Wade together?”

  “Other than Chantelle? Nothing concrete, sir,” Lyndsay speaks up.

  “Keep up the search for Chet too. I have a feeling these guys are connected somehow.” I glance up to see Sam pulling papers off the printer.

  “He lived in Indiana too,” Sam blurts out while looking over a file. “Craig mailed this to all of us. Actually, Wade lived in Bloomington and holds two associates from schools there. One from Indiana University and the other from Ivy Tech—both computer related degrees.”

  “That information doesn’t sound correct. Is that the file we have at McCoy investments?”

  “Give me a second. Let me log on to the server.” He searches through files on his phone. “No. None of this information matches what we have on him in the employee database. This information just came to life. It’s as if it’s been hidden until recently.”

  “Like someone wanted us to know more about him, the truth about him.”

  “Could be false to lead us away from the trail,” Lyndsay adds.

  “That is true too. First thing Monday morning, let’s make calls to Indiana University and Ivy Tech. If they need proof that it’s okay to inquire, I’m sure he signed a form for us to perform background checks. I’m going out on a limb here, but since he knew the first time that we would be looking into his personal information, he made the system work for him, especially if he’s a computer guru.” I pace back and forth. He had to be there when I was there. I make a note to go through my old clippings and papers from Indiana University.

  “You’re thinking he made up a fake identity so when his records were pulled, we’d get the fake ones and hire him according to those?”

  “Yes, because everyone on the team now was hired before Craig and the new hiring procedures. When we were hired, HR said they would be calling our references. Easy to have someone in place there.”

  “If you’re right, this is going to be one hell of a mess to figure out. Because now we have Chet and Wade who could be working together…and possibly Chantelle mixed in there too.”

  “Has she come back clean?”

  “Every time.”

  “Keep an extra eye on her, because Pearse could be a hostage target now. We need to make sure that McCoy Investments is secure as well. Add extra security in the lobby and make sure everyone goes through the machine or the wand is used on them. I don’t want anyone slipping upstairs. Also, we need to get offices switched around. Move mine up to the extra office on the fiftieth floor and add a guard up there until the other changes are made,” I say as I stop pacing my office and sit in my chair.

  “Make sure the whole building has been swept and all the passcodes have been changed and changed again. I want to make sure that Jesse isn’t walking into a trap Monday. Let’s try to keep this as quiet as possible. We were able to keep the police out of this so far, and let’s keep it that way.”

  “Roger that.”

  “That’s all I can think of right now. Anything to add? Questions?”

  “No, Hughes,” Sam speaks up. “We are taking shifts staying at your house. That way we know you and Jesse are protected at all times, and we’ve doubled security on McCoy and the condo. Reese and Tierney are staying at the house until we have a complete idea of the situation.” I nod in agreement, as he continues.

  “You’re not supposed to be working for the next few days, but we will let it slide. All your calls and emails are being routed to me, so don’t stress over them. Take the next three days and rest, and on Wednesday you can get to it. And with all the questions we need answers to, Wednesday gives us time to get those answers.”

  “I don’t think that will be happening, Sam. A good night’s sleep—”

  “I expect an update, Sam, too. Thank you for putting him in his place. He does need to rest and that’s what I intend on making him do, at least for the next twenty-four hours. Please email me your report ASAP so I get caught up on what I’ve missed,” Jesse says, yawning, as she takes control of what’s supposed to be my meeting and walks into my office.

  “A little controlling, Ms. McCoy.” I get out of my chair. “Sam, make sure to CC me on that report. ’Night.”

  “Yes, sir. ’Night, ma’am,” Lyndsay says as Jesse walks me out of my office.

  “When did you get so bossy?” I jokingly ask.

  “You’re a huge part of my life. I need to make sure you stay around.” She looks up and smiles.

  “Oh, so you keep me around to cuddle, huh?” I look at her to see if she will say anything and all I get is an eyebrow raise. “Sleep does sound good all of a sudden.”

  “No friskiness, Mr. Hughes. Doctor’s orders.”

  “And when do I start listening to orders?”

  “You will listen when they are my orders because a few days can turn into a few weeks, Mr. Hughes. And I don’t think you want to go that long without some bedroom action.”

  “Who says it has to be in the bedroom? We have a big house with lots places!”

  “Stop being so bullheaded and go to bed.”

  “Fine, you win this one.”


  “I knew you would eventually see it my way.”

  We walk up the stairs to our bedroom. I’ve never been so happy to see my bed only to sleep, and I’m glad too that Jesse’s right here with me. Everything could have turned out a lot different, and from the alternative, I’m glad it worked out like this. I could be dead, or I could have killed Wade and that realization bothers me. Someone I trusted with my life tried to kill me, but I failed to retaliate.

  Jesse comes out of the bathroom and into the bedroom with only a t-shirt on. She hands me a glass of water and a couple pills. I open my mouth to object, but she gives me a “don’t fuck with me” look and I take the medication without saying a word.

  We climb into bed. She looks as sexy as hell without clothing. I can’t handle lying next to Jesse’s nude body and not being able immerse myself in her. I listen to her breathing until she’s asleep, then I grab my cell phone and browse through my old courses. I hope I’ll find a lead to help us find Wade or Chet before the medication pulls me to sleep.

  ***

  Pain radiates through my body as I try to roll over on my left arm. Sleep will have to wait. I need pain meds to dull the intense sensation radiating through my arm. There’s ibuprofen in the bathroom and I get out of bed without disturbing Jesse. Once I pop a few pills, I look at the time and realize that I can get several hours of work accomplished before Jesse wakes. I grab the t-shirt I had on last night from the bedroom and go downstairs to my office.

  The door is open when I enter, and I see Sam sitting behind my desk, drinking coffee. He looks up at me as I sit in one of the leather chairs in front of desk, then at the watch on his left wrist.

  “I’m surprised you weren’t down here sooner.”

  “She made me take those pain pills Dr. Monroe gave me.”

  “Good for her. You do need to take it easy.”

  “Not happening. Jesse and McCoy are in danger. Even though they are safe at the moment, what about later? Yesterday was a wake-up call. I could be a possible target too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I dig into the filing cabinet and pull out everything I kept from Indiana University, then bring it over to my desk. Looking through the papers, I find the scholarship list paper clipping I hoped to have on file.

  “After I reread the new information we had on Wade last night and went over it in my head, I found we were at Indiana University around the same time. Yes, it’s a huge campus. We both know that. However, I was able to pull up my class rosters and I didn’t have a Paul Wade in any of my classes. The name Wade sounded familiar. I remembered a Ronald Wade who received a scholarship when I did my last year at Indiana University.” I pull out the university newspaper clipping that had a photo of scholarship recipients and the younger Paul Wade stands a few people away from me, and his face stares back at us.

  “So this could be something against me just as much as it could be something against the McCoys. People hold grudges for the dumbest reasons.”

  “True. Maybe he applied for your original position or wanted the position that you have now.”

  “Possible.” I look the information again. “Let’s not dismiss the idea completely until we get solid intel.” I place the paper back on the desk.

  “If Wade was there when you were, and Chet was too, could they have met at Indiana University?”

  “That’s a possibility. Let’s look into that too. I’m getting a cup of coffee, need another?”

  “No, I’m good, but there should be a fresh pot ready. I started it before I came in here.”

  “Thanks.”

  I walk through the foyer, down the hallway and into the kitchen. The smell of fresh brewed coffee greets me. I grab a mug, then I open the fridge to get a bagel. Before leaving the kitchen, I grab everything I need, and go back to my office.

  Right now, we have more questions than answers, and it worries me that we are running out of time before his next move. I go through everything in my head that needs to be completed before the office opens tomorrow.

  I walk back into the office. “Have the calls been made for everything that we discussed last night?”

  “Yes, Bar is at the building now overseeing the move. Craig changed the passcodes after I called him, and he will change them again before the office opens.”

  “Okay. I figured you were on it, but I’m just double checking. Both McCoy and Jesse will be in the office all this week, more than likely in the same office. Easy to take them out if they are together.”

  “True. Maybe clear both of their schedules until all the ink is dried, and McCoy is officially out of the building.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll run that by him later this morning when I call to brief him. We probably should plan to have everyone here this afternoon, my parents, grandparents and whomever else that will want to come and check on Jesse and McCoy.”

  “I’ll let the team know.”

  “Okay.” I close my eyes, thinking there’s something we are missing. “When was the last time anyone spoke with Wade?”

  “I spoke to him while he was in New York City, but I didn’t physically see him to talk with him after that because he was taking vacation time.”

  “But he was briefed about the graduation party, correct?”

  “Yes, I sent a schedule to everyone’s phones.”

  “So for four days he knew where everyone was going to be by the very hour. That gave him a hell of a lot of time to plan something like this, and it would make it easy to accomplish if he had help.”

  “Plenty of time.” I take a sip of my coffee. “How is Chantelle doing?”

  “She’s acting like her normal self.”

  “Damn it.”

  “Could she be waiting for the next part of the plan? Wade and Chantelle seemed awful close and she hated going anywhere without him.”

  “Possible. With Chet thrown into the equation, he could be hiding Wade, but where are they hiding?”

  “We’ve checked in every city where they have contacts or relatives, and nothing has come of it.”

  “They have a lot of contacts and a lot of money between them.”

  “Their money isn’t being used. Their bank accounts are cold.”

  “We are missing something, I know we are. It’s right in front of us. Does Chantelle have unknown banks accounts? What about the money she got from Chris Boston? Did she spend all of that?”

  “Not sure. I’ll look under her maiden name for accounts.”

  “Make sure you use her mom’s last name, not Boston.”

  He nods as he types, and I go back to reading through all the papers listing new information. I know what I’m looking for is right here.

  ***

  Jesse

  My hand lands on the cold bed when I turn over to reach for Aedan, and I should have known better than to think he would rest as instructed. I roll out of bed, noticing the clock reads eight-twenty, and I wonder if his family is going to come over from dinner as usual. I’ll find out when I get down there, but first I’m going to take a long, hot shower.

  Laney is in the kitchen when I step in the room to get coffee, and I walk to the freezer to get a container of pastries Mrs. Hughes and I made a few weeks ago.

  “Good morning. How are you doing?”

  “Okay, I think. A little confused by everything that is happening but I’m sure Aedan has some answers for me.”

  “I’m sure he does. He and Sam have been working since four. I think they might have a few leads because Kevin and Lyndsay left here in a hurry earlier.”

  “I hope so. I want to know, but I don’t want to mess up his plans when it comes to keeping people safe.”

  “He will tell you when they have an idea of what’s going on. It’s a mess from what I can gather.”

  “That’s normally how it is. Cheese Danish?” I ask as I unwrap the food.

  “Yes, please.” She gets me a cup of coffee while I place the pastries in the convection oven to warm.

&n
bsp; “So how are things going with Sam and you?”

  “Oh, girl. I can’t keep my hands off him. I mean, look at him. Why would I want to?”

  I chuckle because I’ve never seen her so head over heels about a guy. “I think he feels the same way about you.”

  “I’d hope so, the way I’ve thrown myself at him.”

  “From what I can tell, he enjoys it.”

  “Who enjoys what?” Aedan interrupts our conversation as he walks into the kitchen.

  “Nothing. Girl talk.” I smirk.

  “Oh, let me refill my coffee and I’ll be out of your way.” He winks.

  “Any updates?” My words suck the light mood right out of the room.

  “Not yet, I’ll let you know when we know something solid.” He pauses to kiss me on the cheek.

  “All right. Have you talked to my dad today?”

  “Yes, he’s a little sore but doing okay.”

  “Did you find Wade?”

  “No.” He’s blunt and I know to end my questioning. “We will talk later, okay?”

  “Wait. Will your family be over this afternoon?”

  “Yes, and so will yours.” He offers a smile that melts the worry away. Time with family is exactly what we all need.

  ***

  Aedan’s nephews took my mind off everything. They made me laugh and my side hurts from so many belly laughs and tackles. Our family hovered over my dad and me, but I know they did it out of love. I smile as I sit in the second office upstairs. Aedan and I are so lucky to have amazing families who care, and I get to work on a list of items I want to accomplish as the owner of McCoy Investments.

  The to-do list I need to address when I arrive in the office tomorrow is long and I don’t if know if I can complete it in one day. First, I need an assistant, and while I’m thinking of it, I should send HR an email right now. Luckily, Aedan thought about getting our offices changed, and I find it comforting that he’s going to be close. I don’t think Wade will try something stupid like coming to McCoy Investments and causing a scene, but I can’t be sure. I don’t know what’s going through his head.