The Unmasked CEO (Captured by Love Book 7)

by Miranda P. Charles

  Tricia huffed. “Damon warned me that you’d be cold about this suggestion. He said that you’re such a judgemental person that you won’t believe how a guy like him could change.”

  “I bet he didn’t mention the money, right?”

  “He did. He said that if I convince you to lend him just one hundred thousand dollars, instead of the quarter of a million he originally wanted, he’d be happy. See, Geri? He really wants to try to compromise.”

  Geri stared at Tricia, her mouth hanging open.

  “Seriously, Geri, give the man a chance.”

  “Trish, I gave him three hundred thousand dollars today.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Damon was in your apartment earlier today,” she said with barely contained anger. “That was why I sent you and Maddie to the movies. I didn’t want you there when he arrived. He took the money, and I asked him to leave us alone. And he calls you straight after? The guy really can’t be trusted!”

  Tricia stared at her, clearly in conflict as to who she should believe. “Damon said you’ll continue to break us apart because you hate him so much.”

  “I hate him so much because he is such a lying, manipulative, criminal asshole,” she hissed.

  Tricia wiped her mouth with her serviette and pushed back her chair from the table. “I’m leaving now.”

  She put her hand on Tricia’s arm. “Wait. Can you tell me why you always choose to believe him over me?”

  Tricia eyes filled with tears. “Because he loves me, Geri. He’s always nice to me. He’s the only one who’s ever believed in me. And you… we always fight. You always tell me off. You always make me feel like I can’t get anything right, that I’m not who you want me to be.”

  Geri’s eyes watered as well. “Let’s go for a walk. There’s something I want you to listen to.”

  Tricia shook her head. “I’m going home. We’re just going to end up fighting again after this… wonderful dinner.” She swept her hand across the table.

  “I promise I won’t fight with you. But I need you to listen to something.”

  Tricia picked up her handbag from the floor.

  “Please, Trish. It’s so very important. It involves Maddie.”

  Tricia glanced at her sharply. “Fine.”

  Geri paid the bill and they left the restaurant. “We need somewhere private for this,” she muttered as she looked around.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. No one’s gonna listen to us here, Geri. Just spit it out.”

  “No. Let’s go to your car.”

  Tricia made a noise of frustration but followed her anyway. When they got into Tricia’s vehicle, Geri pulled out her phone. “Please listen carefully to this.”

  “Did you record a song?” Tricia said with sarcasm.

  “No. I recorded Damon.”

  Tricia stilled. “What do you mean?”

  She placed a hand on Tricia’s knee. Her sister would need all the support she could give her right now. “Just listen to it, Trish,” she said softly as she tapped play.

  “There’s nothing there,” Tricia complained.

  “There is. Just wait.”

  A few seconds later, they heard a banging on the door. Then the conversation started.

  Geri held on to her sister’s hand as a shocked, horrified look appeared on her face. Soon copious tears were streaming down Tricia’s cheeks as she stared out the windscreen, aghast, as she listened to Damon practically admitting he’d threatened Maddie’s safety.

  Geri held her breath. The devastating punch line was coming soon.

  “You know what’s the best thing about your sister? She’s so easily fooled.”

  Heart-wrenching sobs came out of Tricia as Damon laughed evilly.

  Geri felt her sister’s pain, yet a part of her rejoiced that Tricia finally knew the truth about Damon.

  “He wanted to hurt Maddie,” blubbered Tricia.

  “Shh, we won’t let him,” she said, stroking Tricia’s hair.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tricia whispered, shaking. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. He’s a con artist. And he deserves to be in jail.”

  “Yes, I want him in jail, Geri,” she said in a strong voice.

  “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the police with this. But you mustn’t let him know we’re on to him, okay?”

  Tricia nodded. “I’m scared. You’re leaving tomorrow afternoon and Maddie and I will be alone.”

  “No. I’m staying for a few more days. I already called my employer. Her grandson is staying with her for another week, so she doesn’t mind.”

  “Thank you.”

  They embraced for a long moment and Tricia whispered, “Thank you, Geri. I love you.”

  Tears rolled down Geri’s face. “I love you, too, Trish,” she said fiercely.

  And for whatever reason, Geri’s mind took her to those three times that Simon had said “I love you”. Why, oh why, had she not told him she loved him too? She couldn’t stand the thought of him being as hurt as Tricia was right now.

  Was it too late to let him know, even if they couldn’t be together for an indefinite period? Even if he might never forgive her?

  Chapter 15

  “Yes,” Simon barked at the person knocking on his office door. He didn’t have time to be bothered. He’d already been stupid enough to let himself wallow in heartbreak—or self-pity, as he preferred to think of it—in the last few days.

  “Hi,” Elle said tentatively. “Do you have a minute? There’s someone at reception who wants to talk to you.”

  “No, I don’t have a minute. Get someone else to talk to them.” He flashed her a smile—albeit lacking cheer—to lessen the sting of his snappiness. It wasn’t Elle’s or anyone else’s fault that he was in the foulest mood he’d ever been in.

  Elle hesitated by the doorway. “Well, this person is looking for Simon James. I asked him why and he said it’s a personal matter.”

  That caught his attention. “Simon James?”

  “Yes. He said that he didn’t have any other contact details for Simon—er, you—except for Alexander Jets, since we were the ones who referred him to Mrs. Lawrence.”

  “I take it he doesn’t know that I’m Simon James?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  He ran his hand on his jaw. Why would anyone be looking for Simon James? “Send him in. I’ll see how he reacts to me as Simon Alexander.”

  “Okay.”

  A minute later, he was shaking hands with a tall and lean middle-aged man with an expressionless face.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Alexander. My name is Bobby Gee,” the guy said.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Gee?” Simon asked, motioning for the stranger to take a seat as he sat back down on his chair.

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting to talk to you at all. I was merely asking for the whereabouts of Simon James, whom your company referred to a Mrs. Ingrid Lawrence.”

  Ah, so whoever this was didn’t know about his double identity. “May I ask what this is about? We take privacy issues very seriously.”

  “Oh, I understand. But I’m afraid I can’t tell you. It’s a personal matter.”

  “Then I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to give you Simon’s details, Mr. Gee. Is he expecting to hear from you?”

  “Well, you see, Simon was supposed to have an interview with my boss for a chauffeuring job, and he didn’t turn up as expected. Plus, he hasn’t been answering his phone for a few days now.”

  Simon’s brows shot up. This man was an out-and-out liar. Was he connected to Eric Baron? If he was, then Justin and Maya really had cause to be nervous. Eric was suspicious enough to want to talk to people connected to Justin.

  Or perhaps Justin had sent Bobby? Justin had been sorely disappointed that Simon had turned down his “generous” offer, even though Simon had promised to keep their secret—for Geri. Argh, he hated that he still cared.

  “How about
you leave me your details, Mr. Gee? I’ll make sure they get to Simon. That seems to be the best way to solve this impasse.”

  “I understand you’re an upstanding man who wants to stick to the letter of the law, Mr. Alexander. But I’m sure Simon won’t mind if you give me his details. This is for a big contracting job he could be getting. My boss pays well above the average.”

  “And who’s your boss, may I ask?”

  A faint flush crept up Bobby’s cheeks. “I wish I could tell you, but I’m not at liberty to say because he’s a very popular person. Only a small number of people know he’s in the country, and he wants to keep it that way. He wants to enjoy a quiet holiday in Australia.”

  “I see. Did Mrs. Lawrence refer Simon to your boss?”

  “No, it wasn’t Mrs. Lawrence. It’s another one of Simon’s clients.”

  “Someone I know?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that either, or you’d be able to guess the identity of my boss because of their connection.”

  Simon sucked in his cheeks to stop from laughing. This man was pulling lies out of his ass. “But what if Simon didn’t turn up to the interview with your boss because he didn’t want the job? If that’s the case, he won’t want Alexander Jets to hand his personal information to you.”

  Bobby blinked repeatedly and Simon hid his smirk. Mr. Gee obviously wasn’t very prepared with his story. Now he’d painted himself into a corner about Simon James’s supposed job interview.

  “But… why would anyone turn down an opportunity like that?” Bobby asked.

  Simon simply shrugged.

  “Like I said, maybe something’s happened to him. We’re worried.” Bobby was now grasping at straws.

  Simon nodded, putting on a concerned face. “I’ll make sure we check up on him. Simon is well liked by many of our clients. I’m worried about him now too.”

  Bobby gulped visibly.

  “You know what, Mr. Gee? I really like Simon and I want him to extend his list of VIP clientele. He deserves it because he’s an outstanding worker. So how about I tell Simon myself that he should really look into your boss’s offer? That way, I won’t be breaking any privacy laws and you’ll still get to hear from Simon. I’m sure he has a good reason for not turning up to the interview.”

  Bobby nodded reluctantly. “That’s a great idea, Mr. Alexander. But perhaps don’t mention how he didn’t turn up for the interview? There could be a miscommunication. My boss’s assistant is new and maybe she made a mistake. I don’t want Simon feeling like we’ve accused him of something he didn’t do. My boss has heard good things about him, so he’s really keen to hire him.”

  Simon smiled. “I bet it’s your boss’s assistant who’s at fault, then. I just don’t see how Simon would not turn up to an interview without even calling to say he wasn’t coming. He’s too professional for that. Anyway, do you have a business card on you, or do you want to write down your contact number?” He pushed a pad and a pen towards Bobby.

  Bobby wrote his name and mobile number. “Please let Simon know that this is an opportunity of a lifetime, Mr. Alexander, and that he should call us as soon as possible, even tonight or over the weekend. He really wouldn’t want to miss out.”

  “Yes, I’ll tell him that.” He stood up to escort his visitor to the door.

  “Thanks for your time, Mr. Alexander.”

  Simon shook hands with Bobby Gee and stared at the man’s back as he walked away. What in the fuck was that all about?

  He closed the door to his office and grabbed his phone to call Carter and Gavin. It was his turn to ask his private detective friends for some help.

  “Well, this Bobby Gee is obviously not a professional,” Carter said.

  Simon leaned back on the comfortable chair in Gavin’s study. “Yeah, I think he was expecting to get a quick and easy answer from our receptionist. But privacy matters are drummed strictly into the heads of my employees, since our clients expect that. In any case, he was clearly an amateur.”

  “Which leads me to believe that whoever sent him doesn’t know what they’re doing either,” Gavin said.

  “So you don’t think it’s Eric Baron?” Simon asked.

  “I don’t know much about Eric Baron, but from what I’ve just Googled, I don’t think so. He’s a sharp investment banker who’s clashed with government regulators and won. He doesn’t strike me as the type who’d simply ask anyone to check out Justin. Someone like him would hire a professional who’d gotten results that speak for themselves.”

  “It could be Justin, then. The guy is an idiot.”

  “Could be. But Justin already knew how to find you. Bobby Gee didn’t.”

  Carter nodded. “So the question remains, who wants to talk to Simon James and why?”

  “That’s why I’m here, guys,” Simon said. “Want to take my case? I know it’s probably only a small thing, but I’m too curious not to get this investigated properly.”

  Carter grinned. “Sure. I’ll work on it myself since Gavin and I haven’t done work reallocation yet. You’ll be my first ever case working as a PI.”

  “So you’re definitely out of the police force now?” Simon asked. “I thought they’re still trying to entice you to stay with a promise of a promotion within six months.”

  “Yep, I’m definitely out. It’s time to officially partner with Gavin again. I start on Monday.”

  “That’s great. Congrats!”

  “Knock, knock,” Natasha said, appearing in the open doorway. “Sorry to interrupt, but dinner’s been delivered. You guys can continue discussing Simon’s ultra-secret case later.”

  Simon chuckled as the three of them stood up. “It’s not ultra-secret at all, Tash. You, Cassie and the babies can even listen in if you’re interested.”

  “Oh, good. In that case, you can tell us about it while we eat. Both Nate and Chelsea are in blissful sleep at the moment—thank God—so I don’t think they’d mind missing out,” she said with a laugh.

  “You know that Carter wants to work on the case himself? I hope he doesn’t get too bored with it,” Simon teased. Gavin’s private investigation and security consultancy company had grown so large that it was always busy with high-level cases. But these guys were truly great friends that Carter, as the new co-owner and co-director of their company, was willing to look after Simon’s piddly little issue. Well, he hoped it was only a storm in a teacup.

  Natasha gave Carter a hug as they walked to the dining room. “I’m so glad that my big brother and my husband are working together again. Not that they ever stopped, but it’s comforting to know they’ll have each other’s backs if they happen to work on a dangerous case. Is your case dangerous, Simon?”

  “I don’t think so, if Bumbling Bobby Gee is representative of it.”

  “Bumbling Bobby Gee?” Cassie asked from the dining room, finishing setting up the table.

  Simon updated the girls with his story while they sat for their meal.

  “That’s really intriguing. But I’m glad Carter’s first case as a PI is pretty tame,” Cassie said with a grin for her husband.

  Carter snickered. “Don’t count on it yet, honey. You just never know with these things.”

  “Well,” Simon said, “I’m simply dying to know what this is all about. While I find Bobby’s performance this afternoon laughable, I won’t be able to stop thinking about it until I get some answers. Although…”

  “Although, what?” Carter asked when he didn’t continue.

  He shook his head.

  “Even if you think it’s nothing, tell me anyway. The more info I have, the better.”

  “It’s not that,” Simon said with a heavy sigh, feeling his cheeks burn as the other four looked at him expectantly.

  “Ah,” Cassie said softly with a compassionate smile. “Geri?”

  His mouth curved to one side. “Yeah. Maybe this Bobby Gee thing would keep my mind off her,” he said dryly.

  Natasha, sitting next to him, patted his arm
. “There’s plenty of nice women out there, Simon. You’ve only just started looking, so don’t let your experience with her get you down.”

  “Thanks,” he said sincerely. He just hadn’t expected that this love thing could be so painful.

  “I hate to say this,” Carter said, “but Geri might be involved with this one way or another. After all, she, Ingrid Lawrence and her grandson Justin are the only people who’ve ever worked with Simon James. It has to have something to do with one of those three.”

  Simon frowned. He hoped that Geri wasn’t in any danger. Even though he wanted to forget her for choosing money over him, he still didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

  A thought struck him. “Guys, what if someone found out Geri was getting a million dollars and wants it for himself?”

  “Out of all the possibilities,” Gavin said, “that’s the one that’s playing in my head. And whoever wants the money probably thinks that Simon James could help them get it off Geri.”

  “How? I don’t work with her as Simon James anymore. Why try to find me when it would be easier to go direct to Geri and”—his heart banged in his chest—“threaten her.”

  “Maybe…” Cassie said tentatively. “Maybe they think that Geri cares enough about you to hand them the money if they threaten you. Not that I’m suggesting you should get your hopes up about Geri’s feelings for you. It was just a thought,” she added hurriedly.

  Too late. Simon’s heart had already leapt with hope, even as he grew worried for Geri.

  But Carter was shaking his head. “Why wouldn’t they go for Geri’s family instead? Why Simon, when they’d broken up?”

  Simon frowned as he remembered something. “Geri told me that her sister always chooses the wrong boyfriend. And I think the latest ex had been in jail at one point. Geri didn’t elaborate, but she did hint at being at loggerheads with the guy.” He sucked in a deep breath as fear gripped his heart. “Could you follow up on that, please, Carter?”

  Carter nodded, tapping some notes into his phone.

  Simon raked his hair. What if Geri had a very good reason for needing the money and she just couldn’t tell him why? And what if it involved criminals putting her under duress?