Speak Thy Name (The Nephilim Book 3)

by Dana Marie Bell

  Dickheads. If they weren’t his brothers he’d kick their angelic asses.

  Chapter 5

  “I’ve got him!” Sam slammed into her boss’s office, eager to show him what she’d found.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Brian replied. He’d pretty much ordered her to call him by his first name. It seemed everyone who worked with him did, some with more ease than others. “What do you have for me?”

  “Did you get my email?” She was bouncing on her toes, eager for him to take a look.

  “I just opened it up. And are you still wearing yesterday’s clothes?” He scowled at her. “Were you here all night?”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, so? I found what we needed to prove who the thief is.” She started bouncing, eager for him to see what she’d gathered. This was the absolute best part for her, finding absolute proof of wrongdoing and giving it to the proper authorities. It was what made working with Beth so satisfying.

  Brian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Another one. Damn it. You and Gina are going to be the death of me.” He looked at his computer and began typing. “Sit. Nap. I’ll go over your data and wake you in a couple of hours.”

  “Nope.” She was far too wired to sleep now. “I want to know what you think.”

  He eyed her briefly before returning his attention to the monitor. “Sit, Sam, or I swear I’ll call Ms. Hancock in here to yell at you.”

  She gulped and sat. Andi could make anyone feel three inches tall with a few well-placed words and a disappointed look.

  Brian’s amused smile faded as he read over her report. “Are you sure about this?”

  She nodded vigorously. “The head of the department is adding things to the hardware requests that aren’t needed. Small things, easily overlooked things, but when you add them up over the course of time, it comes to a pretty penny.” She got up and leaned over his shoulder, unable to stop herself. “And here, his financials. He’s selling these parts and pocketing the money.”

  “And if we asked where the hardware is, he could shrug and say it never arrived, putting the burden on the vendor.” Brian sighed. “Clever bastard.”

  “He was the one who was supposed to be making sure this very thing didn’t happen,” Sam added. “He was in the perfect place to do it and not get caught.”

  Brian forwarded the email to Mr. Romanov. “Good work, Sam. Your second day and you’ve caught a bad guy. Jake Newton will be removed from the premises by the end of the day.” Brian stood and clapped her on the shoulder. She almost lost her balance. The man’s hand was so big it covered her whole shoulder. “Now go home, before you fall down.”

  “You sure? I could nap in the office and…” She covered her yawn with her hand.

  “No, Sam. No napping in the office. You did a good job. You worked hard last night. Take your ass home and I’ll see you tomorrow, got it?”

  “Mr. Templeton?” A young man stuck his head in the doorway. He was panting, as if he’d booked it down the hallway. “Mr. Romanov would like a word with you and Ms. Brody.”

  Brian nodded. “I did mark the email urgent. Come along, Sam. Looks like you get to report to the boss directly.”

  “Wow. That was quick.” Sam followed Brian out of his office.

  “Yeah, Mr. Romanov pays attention to this kind of thing. He’s probably reading our report now, but in cases like this he usually calls me or Gina in to go over everything.”

  “So he saw your subject line and called for both of us?” Sam waved good morning to Helen as she followed Brian down the hallway.

  “Yup.” Brian paused for a moment when her phone dinged with a message. “Might want to check that before we go into Mr. Romanov’s office. And silence your phone. He doesn’t like interruptions.”

  She nodded and pulled out her cell.

  Lunch today? - Damien

  Sam damn near hugged her phone. Lunch with Damien sounded wonderful. She texted back saying yes, then turned on Airplane mode so that her phone was off-line. “I’m ready.”

  “What was that?” Brian started down the hallway once more. “If I can ask.”

  “I have a lunch date.” She couldn’t keep her smile from blossoming. “Damien Wyatt.”

  An abrupt cough from behind them made Sam turn. “Good morning, Andi.”

  Andi scowled. “You look like shit, Sam.”

  Sam bowed, like Andi was royalty and Sam was a mere peon. “Why thank you, Ms. Hancock.”

  Brian chuckled. “C’mon, Sam. Mr. Romanov is waiting.”

  Sam followed and soon found herself outside Piotr Romanov’s office. A secretary sat at the desk out front. “Mr. Templeton, Mr. Romanov is expecting you.” The secretary didn’t even address Sam, simply opening the door to Mr. Romanov’s office.

  “Come in, Brian, Sam,” Piotr Romanov’s accented voice called out. The man had a sensual Russian lilt to his voice, one that made you want to sit and listen to him all day.

  Brian took hold of her arm and walked her into Mr. Romanov’s office. “Mr. Romanov. Here’s our new cyber security officer, Sam Brody. She’s the one who found the thief.”

  Piotr Romanov smiled, his gray eyes gleaming. He’d bound his blond hair at the nape of his neck, and his pearl-gray suit was elegant and high-end. But it wasn’t the highly polished look of the man you noticed first. It was his full lips and wicked expressions; the pure beauty of the man that caught the eye. “Yes, I know.” He steepled his fingers on top of his desk. “Can you tell me why you were placed in data entry rather than security, Samantha?”

  That was what he wanted to talk to her about? She shrugged. “I was told it was the only opening you had, so I took it.”

  “By whom?” There was a hint of danger in that soft voice now, and Sam shivered in response.

  “HR? I can’t remember her name.” And she wasn’t lying, either. The HR heifer’s name had slipped out of her mind the moment Sam was done with her. “It shouldn’t be difficult to find out, though.”

  Mr. Romanov waved his slender hand. “No doubt. It will be dealt with.” He sat back and glanced at Brian. “This is the one I told you about.”

  Brian nodded. “I thought so the moment she showed up. And I think Ms. Hancock is already dealing with HR, sir.”

  Mr. Romanov nodded, his expression becoming warmer. “Then welcome to Romanov, Ms. Brody. I hope you enjoy a long career here.”

  “Me too, since I like eating regular meals.” She smiled, pleased to see Mr. Romanov’s lips twitch in response. “Did you go over what we found?”

  “Indeed. Brian?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Delete his access privileges as soon as you return to your office.” He pressed a button and spoke. “Ms. Phelps, alert security. I want them to remove Jake Newton immediately.” Mr. Romanov’s smile was lethal. “Make sure they tell him we’re downsizing by one.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Romanov released the button and turned back to them. “Thank you both for your time.” Mr. Romanov’s brows rose. “Ms. Brody, please go home and sleep. We will see you back tomorrow. Brian, come back once you see Ms. Brody to her office. I want to go over how to make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.”

  She must be more tired than she’d thought if Mr. Romanov was picking up on it. “Yes, sir,” she replied around a yawn.

  Sam left the office, utterly exhausted now that the adrenaline of the chase was wearing off. Sam was thinking of curling up in her office for a nap. She wasn’t sure she’d make it home.

  “May I see you in my office, Sam?” Andi’s tone was professional, her demeanor giving nothing away.

  “Mr. Romanov dismissed her for the day, Ms. Hancock,” Brian spoke up. He probably guessed exactly how tired Sam was, because he stood between Andi and Sam. It was sweet that her boss was trying to protect her.

  “It’s okay.” Sam put her hand on his broad back. “I can handle Andi.” She leaned in close and whispered, “She’s not as tough as she looks. I can take her.�
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  Andi’s brows rose. “You and what army, short stuff?”

  Sam giggled. In her heels, Andi must be six feet tall. She towered over Sam even when they were both barefoot.

  “Go straight home afterward, you hear me?” Brian shook his head at her, once again appearing amused. “You’re dead on your feet.”

  She stuck her hands out and shuffled like a zombie after Andi. “Urgh,” she moaned. “Argh.”

  “Cute, kiddo.” He ruffled her hair. “My teenager does the same thing when I ask her to do the dishes.”

  “I’ll take care of her, Brian.” Andi beckoned, and Sam followed, still doing her zombie impression. “I’ll ground her after I’m done.”

  His laugh echoed down the hallway as he walked away from them. It was a good, warm laugh, and she found herself liking her new boss even more.

  Andi closed the door behind them and leaned against it, dropping the Girl Friday act in favor of gossip. “You have a lunch date with Damien Wyatt?”

  Sam, in turn, dropped the zombie act. “Oh my God, what do I do?” She flopped down on Andi’s comfy leather sofa. “I mean, this isn’t a date date, you know? I think. Just a lunch date. No need to panic.”

  Yup. She was totally panicking.

  “What prompted it? I mean, I thought he hated you until Helen told me he came to see you.” Andi crossed her arms over her chest. “What did he say?”

  “He knows I’m not the one who stole Falcon, and he wants to be friends.” Sam hid a yawn behind her fist. It was a good thing he hadn’t asked her to breakfast. She’d fall asleep in her hash browns.

  “Friends?” Andi’s eyebrows went up. “Do you think you can handle that? You’ve had feelings for him for over a year.”

  “I’m so pathetic, Andi. If it’s all I can get, I’ll take it.” She yawned again. “Man, I’m beat, though.” She lay down, her eyes closing. “Can I nap here?”

  “You are not pathetic, Sam, just unlucky in love.” Andi hauled her up by an elbow. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

  “In my car? I’ll need it to come to work tomorrow,” Sam mumbled. She glanced blearily at the clock Andi had on the wall. “Wait. It’s eight thirty. I can work some more.”

  “Bullshit.” Andi opened her office door. “Helen, I’m taking Ms. Brody home. Can you go to her office and fetch her purse for me? I’m afraid if I leave her alone I’ll have to carry her out of the building fireman style.”

  Helen chuckled. “On my way, Ms. Hancock.” She strode past them, hustling along.

  “I’m fine, really. Just need a nap.” Sam widened her eyes. “And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.”

  “No coffee for you.” Andi put her arm around Sam’s shoulders. “You want some sleep before your date, right?” She pulled out Sam’s phone. “I’m going to text him and tell him to pick you up at home.”

  “’Kay.” Sam yawned again.

  “And I’ll tell him all about your sixth grade play while I’m at it.”

  Sam pinched Andi’s side. “Anyone can get stage fright.”

  Andi hugged her. “You began singing ‘It’s a Small World’ in the middle of your death scene.”

  “I was trying to turn it into a comedic tragedy,” Sam mumbled.

  “It was Romeo and Juliet.”

  “I had to kiss Tommy Sanderson.” Sam wrinkled her nose in disgust. “He had fish stick breath.”

  “They never should have scheduled the play for right after lunch.” Andi was still quivering with laughter. “But the balcony scene was the best.”

  “Was not,” Sam grumbled. Okay, maybe it was.

  “Romeo, oh, Romeo, get your butt over here. I have to p-pee.” Andi’s laughter rang out, much like the audience’s had that long ago day. It convinced Sam once again that her talents did not lie on the stage.

  “Your purse, Ms. Brody.” Helen handed Sam her handmade quilted purse. She was looking at Andi as if she’d never heard her laugh like that before. And in the halls of Romanov Industries, perhaps she hadn’t. Andi must need to hide that side of herself from everyone here. Around her friends, she was open and loving and laughed with all her might.

  At work, she was loyal, scarily competent, and was the name used to scare lesser employees into compliance.

  “Thanks, Helen. I appreciate it.” Sam slung the purse over her shoulder, waving bye to the secretary. She allowed Andi to steer her out of the building to her car. “How’re you going to get back to work?”

  “They’re called cabs, honey. I take them all the time.” Andi put her in the passenger seat and stuck her hand in Sam’s purse, digging out keys. “Now, remember, on your lunch date, don’t talk about Falcon or anything work-related, okay?”

  “That’s all we have to discuss, at least as far as I know.” Sam leaned her head back wearily. “I should eat before I sleep.”

  “When was the last time you did?” Andi started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Um. Yesterday?” Time tended to get away from her when she was tracking down something interesting.

  “Damn it, Sam,” Andi sighed. “McDonald’s or Burger King?”

  Mm, an egg and cheese croissant sounds so good. “Burger King.”

  “You got it.” They pulled into the drive-through and quickly ordered. Sam polished off the first sandwich before they even left the parking lot.

  They were almost to Sam’s when Andi spoke again. “Will you need help getting ready for your date?”

  “It’s not a date, maybe, and nah.” Sam waved her off wearily. “It’s lunch, not meeting the parents.”

  Andi’s lips twitched. “I made Beth look good that night.”

  Sam giggled. “She wanted to kill him for springing that on her as a first date.”

  “And that was only one side of the family.” Andi’s eyes crossed. “I can’t even imagine how much joy Beth felt when she heard that.”

  Sam was still laughing as they got out of her car. Andi greeted Donny and Precious with her usual enthusiasm, practically getting on the floor with them and rolling around. Her dogs adored Andi almost as much as they loved Sam, and would protect Andi with the same fierceness as they did Sam.

  “Call your cab, dog whisperer,” Sam muttered around a yawn. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Andi either needed to go or tuck her in.

  Andi pulled out her cell phone and dug out a lint roller from Sam’s kitchen drawer. She began cleaning off her skirt at the same time she gave the cab company Sam’s address. It always amazed Sam how much hair one could get on them just by greeting her dogs.

  “All right, sweetie, I’m going to wait out front for the cab.” Andi kissed her cheek. “Go to bed, woman, but don’t forget to set your alarm so you don’t sleep through your date.”

  Sam hugged her friend tight. “Love you, Andi.”

  Andi smiled sweetly and hugged her back. “Love you, too. See you tomorrow.” Andi left the house, her high heels clacking on the hardwood floors. The dogs escorted her, whining when Andi shut the door in their sad doggie faces.

  “C’mon, guys. Momma needs a nap.”

  Donny and Precious followed her to the bedroom, where the three of them curled up on the bed for some long-overdue sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Scott Sanders, the Angelus Shem, was bound hand and foot in the basement of Gabriel Viator’s hillside home. They’d woken Gabriel when they brought the Shem to his front door, for once surprising the archangel. Gabriel was now staring at the Shem with disappointed violet eyes, eyes that could cause even Dante to bow his head in remorseful submission. Dante was the most stubborn man Damien had ever met. He didn’t bow to anyone, not even Beth, but he did when Gabriel gazed at him in disappointment or worse, disapproval.

  “He’s severely wounded, but he should regain consciousness soon,” Gabriel said. Damien noted that Gabriel, their secondary healer, had made no move to make the Angelus Shem comfortable.

  “Great.” Damien tried to stay awake. At least his sight had ret
urned to normal. He yawned, eager to get this over with. He needed some sleep before he went to see Sam. He’d received a text from Andi telling him to pick Sam up at home rather than at the office. Why she was at home and not at work bothered him. If she was ill, he was willing to put the lunch date off until another day, but she hadn’t given him anything other than that one text, even when he’d sent back a reply. And Sam wasn’t replying to her texts, which worried him. Yet another reason he couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

  Damien could have napped, like Dante was, snoring away with his head on his arms. Or laid down on the couch upstairs like Seth, waiting for Gabriel to summon him. But he found he couldn’t sleep, not until he found out if the Shem had information on where Rafe was.

  He didn’t dare look at the Shem with his other sight. He’d seen enough. Hell, he’d seen worse. The ones that chose to feed on children were the ones that made him truly angry.

  “I’m not certain we’ll get much out of him, unfortunately.” Gabriel sat next to Damien, his gaze still locked on the unconscious Shem. “We might learn more from what you discovered in his wallet.”

  “We have his address. Dante and I are going there to check it out, see if there’s anything we can find that will lead us to Rafe.” Damien took a sip of the coffee he’d brewed before joining Gabriel and Dante in the basement. “I’ll go through his computer files, and Dante will look for other clues.” They’d thought about taking care of that immediately, but they were all exhausted. They might miss something, so they’d decided to wait until they were more awake. Besides, Damien couldn’t imagine not being there to confront the Shem.

  Gabriel stood. “He’s waking up.”

  Damien stood as well and shook Dante’s shoulder. “Get up, Detective.”

  Dante grumbled but lifted his head, wiping his eyes wearily. He was the one most used to the odd hours, being a detective on the New Castle police force. Only Gio, Dante’s older brother and a lieutenant in vice on the same police force, could match him. “He up?”

  “Getting there.” Damien helped Dante to his feet. “Go get Seth.”