Maisy: OMG excuse me, I just lost my heart to three beauties [heart eyes emoji]
Gemma: [Blowing a kiss emoji] We’re a fine bunch.
Blair: [smirking emoji] [black heart emoji] Come hang, we’re doing a beach day at the lake.
Maisy: I miss you too, babes. I’m laying low. You know how Dad gets track happy with my cell signal. Promise I’ll swing by the bakery this week though.
Thea: [GIF of a puppy dog face] You sure you’re okay?
Maisy: I’m good, I swear! I’ll see you in a couple of days.
Thea: Okay, be safe and remember we love your bright face!
Maisy: You all better do a face mask for me [heart emoji] Put it on Dev, you know he secretly loves it [laughing emoji]
Gemma and Blair text back GIFs of laughing. The last time I roped him into doing face masks with us, I put his thick black hair in short little pig tails that looked like horns, making him live up to his old nickname as the school’s dark devil.
I vow to tell them everything—including that I’m sort of with Fox now. As soon as we find the answers he’s looking for to prove his parents murder, then I’ll do the whole introduce him to my friends thing. The thought of Fox meshing with the rest of my friends almost makes me laugh. Despite being my oldest friend, he’s totally different from everyone else’s vibe in our social circle.
Putting my phone down, I tune into what Fox is talking to Colton about. He paces behind the couch, phone pressed to his ear while he rubs the back of his neck. It makes his t-shirt ride up, but I drag my attention off his body to focus. I don’t know if it’s good news or bad that’s making him pace.
He catches me watching and sighs, switching to speaker phone and holding his phone out. “Repeat that.”
“It’s definitely a shell company. They bought out Nexus Lab eleven years ago,” Colton’s voice filters through the room. “I dug up financials and it lines up with the growth Nexus Lab has had in the last decade. It wasn’t until this shell bought them out that they became a national supplier.”
Fox and I exchange a look, his expression matching mine as my brows pull together.
“So who owns that?” I ask.
“That’s the kicker.” Colton uses a light and joking tone, but I sense he’s as displeased by what he found as Fox. “SynCom is traced back to a bigger company called Stalenko Corp. It’s rumored to have Russian ties. I’ve heard some chatter about them in different hacker circles on the web in the last couple of years.”
Startled, I blink, turning to Fox. “Russian ties—like the mafia?”
“Yeah,” he says gruffly. “Probably. It makes sense, how easy it’s been to build a small pharmaceutical research and development company up into what it is today from the shadows. Direct supply chain if they’re flooding the market with the drugs from the source, either dealing on the black market or maybe using their hold on such a large piece of the market pie to drive up the costs to legitimate buyers by astronomical amounts.”
My eyes widen. “They’d also have access to control how much is made and where it’s sent to.”
“Cartels are probably pissed they didn’t think of it first. Now the Russians have spent ten years building a nice little nest egg for themselves right alongside the opiate boom. Who needs to worry about product when it can be cooked up synthetically in a lab and be twice as potent.”
Blood pounds in my ears. I’m vaguely aware of Fox ending the call with his brother as my head swims.
Criminals.
That’s who my parents are working with. Working for probably.
All of Dad’s smiles and his deep belly laughter and all the ways Mom used to be completely different flash through my head. They used to love their life and Holden and I back when they were a bright-eyed scientist and a cop with a moral code. Where did that go so wrong?
“Maise.” Fox catches me by my shoulders with a worried expression. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think…that was a lot to take in.”
His mouth flattens to a grim line as he rubs my upper arms. A chill skates down my spine. “I know.”
“How is this our lives? How are my parents working for a shell corporation with Russian ties?” My throat gets scratchy and hot when I consider that I still have my parents, even if they’re secretly evil lapdogs for a foreign mob. He doesn’t have any of his family left. “None of this is fucking normal.”
“That’s the point.” Sighing, he pulls me closer and I lean my head against his chest as he rubs my back. “It makes it so much easier to manage an empire and carry out illegal business when they can pull strings through powerful business people with good public standing. No one suspects an ambitious woman with two high-achieving children and a husband who upholds the law in the middle of the country compared to a thug packing heat doing business in the middle of the night. It’s how the most powerful crime families operate now. They’d probably make Forbes for their damn innovation and advancements wherever they’ve dipped their dirty hands to operate their puppets from the shadows.”
I take comfort in his touch, melting against him. His heartbeat drums beneath where I rest my head and I listen to it, allowing it to center me with each deep breath I take to clear the dizziness.
Wanting to forget for just a second, I lift my head and seek him out. He meets me halfway, our mouths crashing together with a burning intensity beneath the kiss. His fingers tangle in my hair, cupping the back of my head as he holds me so tight I’m almost breathless. I press up on my toes, chasing the exhilarating feeling of his kiss with a desperate edge.
Fox rips his mouth from mine and cups my face, gaze bouncing back and forth as he meets my hooded eyes. I swallow back the wild woman I almost let take over.
“It’ll be okay,” he says in a strained tone.
I really hate that my parents could turn on their friends like this because of their own greed. Whatever the extent of their involvement is, they allowed it to poison everything in their life, all for the sake of the power it gave them, even if it meant people died for them to get ahead. It fills me with this urge to act and I follow the impulse.
“We have to go down there,” I say.
“If they’ve got their people watching the shipping place, they probably have them on this, too.”
It’s not like him to want to be cautious. He’s a take action type of person.
“We’ll be careful.”
The corner of his mouth kicks up and he tilts his head, giving me a once over that sends heat racing through me again. “Always in it for the thrill of trouble.”
I grin. “So we’re going?”
“Yes. But we need to blend in better than your scraps of fabric pretending to be yoga clothes and my ripped jeans in case people are there. We should make it look like we could be Nexus Lab employees again.”
“It looked abandoned on Google street view.”
“Still.”
“I didn’t bring much, but I’ll see what I can throw together.”
Luckily, I did put a pair of slim fitting black pants in my bag when I was throwing random things from my closet into it. They’ll have to do. I pull them on as he dresses in a pair of dove gray slacks and a shirt. Once again I’m tempted by the sight of him dressed up from his usual rough appearance.
Fox’s gaze trails the bare curve of my spine as I put my hair up in a sleek high ponytail, then put on a lace bralette and steal one of his few button down shirts from a rack he keeps in the corner. He lifts a brow, but says nothing. I get the message from his smirk, it amuses him that I keep stealing his clothes.
“This is more business chic than the vintage blouses and casual workout clothes I brought with me when I left my house,” I point out once I’m ready. “I didn’t account for how much undercover work I’d be doing when picking out my quick getaway wardrobe.”
“Whatever you say,” he says lightly, gaze traveling over me again. “You look good.”
Kneeling by the black duffel bag that was in the back of his
Charger when I stowed away, he takes out a handgun and checks the amount of bullets before slotting the clip back into place and tucking the weapon in the back of his pants. He puts his hand at the small of my back and guides me down to the garage.
“You think we need to be armed for this?”
“We have to be prepared for anything.”
A chill skates down my neck at the ruthlessness in his tone. I change the subject.
“If you have suits, why didn’t you ever wear the school uniform?”
“Because I don’t play by the rules.” He huffs out a laugh, putting his arm around my shoulders to draw me closer once we reach the bottom of the steps. “And because it helped people fear me if I looked like I could kill them with my bare hands. A preppy blazer wouldn’t have done me any favors.”
I sink my teeth into my lip. Is it wrong that what he said turns me on? Probably, but I don’t care.
Chuckling, he plants a kiss on my cheek. “The rain let up. Let’s go.”
The ride there isn’t long. It’s closer than I expected to Fox’s place. We take the Charger instead of the bike this time.
Instead of pulling in, we park on the no outlet lane and walk over. The place seems as deserted as the shipping facility was after it was wiped of any evidence of Nexus Lab using it. The building is run down, overgrown weeds doing their best to take over.
“Doesn’t seem like anyone is around,” I say after we test the front door and find it locked with a padlock.
“But Jacqueline definitely came here for something. It had to be important. She wouldn’t break her strict routine and risk the way she likes to portray herself for something random.”
“Something she didn’t want to be seen doing,” I add.
“Right. What about around here?” Fox’s fingers circle my wrist and he takes us around the side of the building. “They might want it to put off this vibe like it’s nothing important, or abandoned, but then have a back entrance or something on a sub level.”
We barely make it ten steps before we’re spotted.
“Hey!”
A sharp voice calls out, making us whip around. My stomach takes a nosedive. Fox moves quickly, putting me behind him protectively, one hand going to the back of his pants to grip the gun he tucked there.
“What are you doing here?”
Twenty-Eight
Fox
The adrenaline racing through my veins doesn’t slow when I spot the man who called us out. Once he’s close, I see he’s only maybe five years older than us in his mid-twenties with reddish brown hair and glasses with thick plastic frames. I’m still on the defensive, ready to protect Maisy from any threat. My grip on the gun doesn’t ease.
“Who are you?” he demands.
“Who are you?” Maisy shoots back, inching out from behind me. She flicks her ponytail with confidence and gives the man a once over. “We’re doing an internal audit and this is the property we’re checking out today.”
I want to smile, but I keep a stern expression. She’s jumped to the cover I used when I snooped around the shipping facility.
The man raises a brow and adjusts his glasses, gaze flicking between us. “Really? Funny, because the internal records department is where I work and I’ve never seen either of you.”
We both tense and I move close enough to grab her wrist, ready to fucking run if this guy calls backup.
“So let’s try again. Who the hell are you kids and what are you doing here?”
“Kids?” I scoff. “You’re not much older.”
“I’m Maisy Landry. My mother is the CEO of Nexus Lab.”
I swallow a curse. Damn it, Maisy.
She steps in front of me full of confidence like she’s going to protect me with her family name, propping her hands on her hips.
This gets the guy’s attention and he gives her a crooked grin that makes me growl under my breath. His gray eyes flick to me for a moment before his shoulders shake with a silent laugh. “I see. So, not internal auditors then.”
It makes him relax that we don’t work for the company.
“No. Now answer my question—who are you and why are you here?”
He holds out a hand. “Ethan Hannigan. Records department, as I said. Unlike you little sneaks, I’m seriously an employee.”
I take in his casual shorts and button down. “Why would someone from the records department be out at an abandoned warehouse practically in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday? Doesn’t seem like it should be in the job description.”
Ethan turns his lopsided grin on me. “Observant. And you are…?” He leaves the question hanging, then smirks. “Miss Landry’s bodyguard? The suit’s a nice touch, definitely makes you seem older. And you’re armed. Smart.”
“My boyfriend,” Maisy says firmly, putting her hand in mine.
A stupid flutter fills my chest at the term and I have to work to keep my mouth from curving. For once, I pull on the pain of losing my parents and all the shit that happened to me after to help me keep from grinning like an idiot that the girl I love might feel the same about me.
Together we form a united front against Ethan. My gut tells me he’s not what I first thought. If he was, we’d already be in the back of a blacked out SUV on our way to face whoever keeps trying to take me out just like my parents. It’s enough for me to release the gun. But I’m still wary of trusting strangers and taking them at face value.
“How did you find this place?” Ethan asks, tucking his hands in his pockets.
“Followed my mom here when she was supposed to be at work,” Maisy says, only partially lying.
Ethan hums like that makes total sense. “This is the first time I’ve been able to get out here. Every time I tried to follow, I’d lose the car taking her here. It’s a little underwhelming from how suspicious it seems, huh?”
For whatever reason, he trusts that we aren’t going to relay his admission of digging around to Jacqueline. He scans the tree branches waving over the damp concrete behind us and his expression shifts.
“We should probably get out of here before the security patrol comes around,” he suggests. “They’re a punctual bunch and they don’t like uninvited guests.”
“There’s a diner nearby,” I say.
Ethan nods. “I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes. Grab a booth.”
As I pull Maisy back toward the Charger, she keeps her voice down. “Are we just going to trust he’s chill?”
I glance over my shoulder at the direction Ethan heads. “Didn’t you see how much his demeanor changed once he found out we weren’t official employees? I think he guessed we’re snooping around like he is.”
“What do you think his deal is?”
“That’s what I want to find out. Come on.”
We climb into the car. The drive to the diner is only a few minutes. It’s mostly populated by truckers with its proximity to the interstate. The lunch rush is dwindling, the parking lot half full. We head inside and ask for a booth near the back. Maisy sits on my side and I keep an eye on the door while she chats to the waitress about our friend who will be joining us. It’s not long before Ethan arrives with a leather satchel hanging off his shoulder, ambling over to our booth after a quick scan of the diner.
“So who are you really?” I prompt before his ass hits the fake red leather bench seat.
Ethan chuckles. “Damn, kid. Hasn’t anyone taught you anything about the art of subtlety?”
“Don’t really have time for subtlety.” My fist clenches on the table, my other arm draped across the back of the seat around Maisy’s shoulders.
Ethan holds up his hands as the waitress brings over a menu for him. He perks up and takes his time browsing over the specials. Maisy’s elbow catches me in the side and I grunt. She lifts her brows and gestures toward Ethan with her head.
“I’m starved, aren’t you?” She picks up her own menu, muttering out of the side of her mouth. “Let’s order something so we don’t stick out.”
> Ethan hums in approval, darting a look at us over the top of his laminated menu. Sighing, I flip mine open and order the first thing I see when the waitress comes around to collect our orders.
“Talk,” I say once she drops off our drinks, unable to fully relax until I know what his deal is.
Pursing his lips, he stirs his Coke with the straw. “I work for Nexus Lab, but it's because I’m an undercover journalist. I’ve been investigating a network of elites tied to it. Politicians, other businesses—the works. The network stretches across the states.”
Maisy’s lips part and she leans across the table. I want to tug her back and keep her close.
“What have you found out?”
Before he tells us, there’s something else I want to know. “Why are you telling us? You met us less than an hour ago.”
“Your name is Fox Wilder,” Ethan says matter of factly. “You look just like your dad. I’ve got access to employee records and your parents’ files were some of the first that tipped me off to some of the bigger things at work when I first began infiltrating the company.”
My jaw clenches as I slump back against the seat. It’s gratifying to know there are others who found what happened to my parents suspect. Maisy’s hand lands on my leg beneath the table and she squeezes, leaning into me. I curl my arm further around her, catching a strand of her ponytail between my fingers.
“It’s taken time to gain access, but I’ve been able to gather a good look at the history of the company,” Ethan explains. “The money records are something else. Something changed a little over a decade ago that really put Nexus Lab on the map compared to its more humble beginnings.”
Savage Wilder: Dark New Adult High School Bully Romance (Sinners and Saints Book 4) Page 24