by Kimbra Swain
I heard a slow clap from the dining room. Abrego smiled gripping my wrist harder. I refused to look at the man I once was engaged to so many years ago. The man who broke me.
“Let go of me,” I said calmly pressing back the panic. I felt Jamey’s warm hand on my back.
“Wow! Alexandra, my sweet little fuck doll. You’ve conquered your fears. I can’t wait to give them back to you,” Ryland LeBlanc said as he climbed the stairs to the elevated seating area. “Perhaps we should put the guns away, gentleman.”
Sebastian and Jamey held steady. “Mr. LeBlanc, this is a private conversation between Mr. Abrego and myself,” I said.
“Yes, I see,” he said moving into my sight. He was ten years older than me but still distinguished and handsome. His hair grayer than I remembered was fixed perfectly on his head. His suit tailored to his frame. Broad shoulders and fine lines. He picked up the ring box from the table. “I told you, Juan, that this wouldn’t work. She keeps that cunt locked up tight. It wasn’t always that way, though.” He tossed the box back on to the table, and it rolled toward us.
Jamey’s hand at my back turned into a fist gathering the material at the back of my shirt. We were about to move out of the restaurant. Sebastian stared at LeBlanc but didn’t move his aim from Abrego. A red laser light appeared on my right shoulder drawing Abrego’s attention. The light shifted off of me to his back where he couldn’t see it. However, the implication was there.
I had to applaud Sebastian. I didn’t expect to need a sniper today, but apparently, we needed one. “If you do not let me go this instant, you will be filled with more lead than your body can handle, Mr. Abrego.”
He released my wrist, and I instinctively backed up closer to Jamey. It was time to go. I turned to leave the platform with Jamey close behind. Sebastian followed but kept his front turned to the others.
“Enjoy her for now, Mr. Synclair Elliot. She will be mine again soon,” Ryland said as we walked out the door.
Arturo and the car waited at the curb. I ducked in as both of the guys followed me through the same door.
“Move it, Arturo,” Sebastian ordered.
I sat in the seat closing my eyes to remain calm. Allowing Jamey to test my trigger made the difference. I didn’t fall apart. His warm hand caressed my cheek. “Look at me,” he said.
I opened my eyes to him. “I’m okay,” I whispered.
“Okay,” he said reaching across me to fasten my seatbelt. He sat back and locked his.
“My earpiece went out,” I said.
“I had Damien fry it. He indicated through my channel that he’d traced Pale Horse to Ryland. I didn’t want to throw you off because you were handling Abrego. I knew we had to get out as soon as possible, but I thought it best you focused on the kingpin,” Sebastian said.
“So, you allowed him to surprise me. Thanks,” I said bitterly. I didn’t know which way was better. All I knew was I would destroy everything that Juan Abrego owned as well as anything that Ryland LeBlanc touched. I’d taken out Pyramid after what they did to me. Every member of the board of the company was penniless, except Ryland. He sold his soul to Abrego.
“Lex,” Sebastian said trying to avert my anger.
I waved my hand at him. “No, it’s fine. I don’t know what would have happened if I had known. You made the call. I’ve always trusted you. I still do. I just need you to trust me, too.”
“I do. In there, you owned that man. You played it soft and delicate through the entire lunch. Impressing him with your knowledge. You reeled him in, but you were right. Pale Horse was the loose end. Now we know,” Sebastian said.
“Now we know,” I said staring out the window.
“Oh, you forgot your ring,” Jamey said. I turned to him as he pulled the velvet box out of his pocket and dropped it in my lap. A smile crossed his face. “I have sticky fingers.”
“Jesus,” Sebastian said but smiled.
“It’s quite a ring,” I said opening the box.
“Probably worth $35k.”
“Damn,” Jamey said. “He did give it to you.”
“If Shep comes looking for you, I’m turning you in,” I joked. “Are we going back to the office?”
“Yes,” Sebastian said. “Are you ready for the onslaught?”
“Of course, I am,” I said. “I’ve shored up everything. We have nothing to worry about on the business side. Mr. Abrego needs to be wary of my abilities to destroy him.”
“Don’t get cocky, Alexandra. If they wanted us dead, we wouldn’t have matched them inside that restaurant,” Sebastian said.
“Perhaps,” I said watching the buildings rush by. “But Abrego would have died from the sniper, and he knew it.”
“We are being followed,” Arturo said. Sebastian focused behind us watching the cars.
“Art, hit the interstate,” Sebastian instructed. “Get that gun back out.” He said to Jamey.
Jamey pulled the 9mm out of his jacket, chambered a round and unbuckled his seatbelt. “If anything happens, you stay close to me.”
I nodded to him but looked at Sebastian. Perhaps that was the plan all along. Sebastian would do the heavy lifting, and Jamey would get me out.
“Give me one,” I said.
“No. If something happens, you run,” Sebastian said. “Yes, Art. I see them now. The two black ones.” He’d picked up on the vehicles following us.
“I see them, too,” Jamey said.
Arturo jerked the car causing Sebastian to lose his balance. “Art!”
“Sorry, boss. A car cut in front,” he said.
Sebastian turned to the front as another black car slowed in front of us.
“Come on, Art. Get us out of here.” The car lurched forward as Arturo pushed the gas. Sebastian watched behind us. Occasionally turning to see the car in front of us, one came up on our left side pushing hard against our lane. Art moved the car away from it, but it forced us off the interstate on to a ramp.
“Shit,” Art said.
“Keep driving,” Sebastian said. “Get on the floor, Alexandra.”
“But,” I said.
“Now!” he yelled at me. I unlatched my belt sinking to the floor. I knew the armored steel of the car would hold up better than the windows.
“Boss, they are making me turn specific ways. Leading us to a trap or something,” he said frantically.
“Just keep driving, Art,” Sebastian said. “Reinforcements are coming. If they stop us, you get her and run. Okay?”
Jamey nodded watching the cars behind us. “Two more black SUVs.”
“Ours,” Sebastian said as the car lurched sideways. The vehicle to our left smashed the side of the car. “Fuck!”
It bashed again and again.
“Boss!”
“Art, keep fucking driving. You’ve got to go faster,” he said. Art pushed the gas again. We were just west of downtown Atlanta in a warehouse district. Art swerved to his left.
“Oh shit!” he said as we plowed into a large dump truck which sat in the center of the road. Jamey and Sebastian were tossed around the cab as I sank flat to the floor. Gunfire erupted around us. Jamey laid over me covering my body with his. Bullets pelted the sides of the vehicle. Our reinforcements, whom I assumed were Damien and his crew had to be close. The barrage stopped. The door where I was sitting opened.
Sebastian said, “Clear?”
“Clear,” Damien answered.
“Come on, we gotta move,” Sebastian said.
Jamey pushed off of me. “You hurt?” I shook my head. He watched me closely. I knew he looked for an attack, but I didn’t feel one. He helped me out of the car, and we got into a black SUV with Damien at the wheel. Malcolm, one of Damien’s crew, got in the back seat, pushing me over to the middle next to Jamey which was completely fine with me.
“Arturo?” I asked.
Damien shook his head.
“No,” I whimpered.
Twenty-Nine
JAMEY
She looked scared
but in control. It was hard for me to believe that allowing me to break her trigger was all it took to turn her into this pillar of strength. She leaned over to me as we drove back to the office or I assumed that was where we were going.
We pulled into the parking deck parking close to the interior door. We entered the lobby to find Charity and Javier waiting for us. Damien walked up to Charity and hugged her.
Sebastian grabbed Alexa by the arm pulling her away from me.
“What the hell?” she asked him. He pulled a gun, pointing it at me.
I threw my hands up. “Dude, what’s the deal?” My heart pounded out of my chest, and I realized he wasn’t the only one pointing at me.
Alexa struggled to get away from Sebastian, but he held her arm tighter jerking her back.
“Stop. You don’t know what he’s done,” Sebastian said.
“I haven’t done anything,” I said.
“The hack traced back to Bright and no further. It bounced around until we accessed the computer from which it originated. The computer is in your office,” Javier said.
“What? I don’t ever use the computer in my office. I use my tablet when I do anything,” I smirked, but they were serious. “Alexa, you know I’m not spying on you.”
“This is ridiculous. He gave us the tablet. Why would he implicate himself?” she reasoned with them.
“It’s not him. It’s his cousin, Kelly,” Charity said.
“Then it’s not him. Put your gun down, Sebastian. I’ve had enough of your overbearing bullshit for one day,” she said approaching me. He jerked her back again. She stumbled and fell. My stupid instinct was to rush to her. I got about halfway and a cold steel muzzle rested on my forehead.
“No. Stay away. You’ve done enough,” Sebastian said.
“I can prove it was him and not his cousin,” Javier said.
Alexa stood up and walked to me. She pushed his gun away. “Shoot me, Bastian. Go ahead,” she dared him.
“Alexa, maybe I should just go,” I suggested.
“No,” she said standing between me and the gun.
Sebastian looked at Javier. “Prove it, otherwise she’s going to continue to listen to his bullshit,” he said.
“He didn’t want us to know that the original tablets were being tracked by Pale Horse, so he had his own tablet connected to his computer. Then he gave it to you guys knowing it would look like a mistake or like it was Kelly. He’s working with Ryland LeBlanc. I hacked his financials. He’s got several credit cards that look like they were actually his father’s accounts, but he’s received significant payouts from Pale Horse,” Javier said producing documents for Alexa to look at which she didn't bother.
“No, it’s not true. I don’t want the damn papers. It’s a frame job. It’s obvious that Ryland is trying to destroy me, and he’s staring with Jamey,” she said. Her faith in me did not waiver. It struck a chord with me. I needed her to know I hadn't betrayed her.
“Get out, Elliot,” Sebastian said.
“Alexa, you know I’m not in with Ryland. I would never do that to you,” I said.
“I know. If he goes, I go,” she said to them.
Sebastian rushed me. He tackled me pushing me away from Alexa. She turned to follow where we had slid across the floor, but Damien walked up behind her. He pulled a syringe and jabbed it in her neck. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he braced her from hitting the floor.
“What the fuck are you doing? Leave her alone!” I screamed. Sebastian punched me once across the jaw, and I thought I saw stars for a moment, but everything went black.
I woke up in my Bright Tech company car in the parking deck of the company. My head pounded. I dug my cell phone out of my pocket. It was smashed. “Motherfuckers!”
Was she worth all of this? Hell, I hadn’t had time to find out. Stumbling out of the car, I realized it was dark. I used my key card to get into the building. Inside it was quiet. A security guard appeared in the lobby.
“Mr. Elliot, is that you?” he asked.
“Hey man, could you help me?” I said leaning against the wall.
“Somebody got in a bar fight,” he said.
I shook my head. “I only wish it was that fun. Help me to the elevators,” I requested. He guided me that way.
“You need a doc,” he said.
“No, I need a phone,” I replied.
We made it to my office, and the security guard went back to the elevators. I opened the door to find Kelly laying on my desk with Ryland LeBlanc fucking her. He had his hand over her mouth keeping her from screaming. He didn’t let up either when I came in the door. Her eyes locked on mine, and she managed to wriggle away from him.
“Jamey!” she panted.
“Stupid bitch. I wasn’t done!” he cursed shoving his dick back in his pants. “Hey, Elliot. Good to see you again, although it looks like you got worked over. Those Malone boys don’t like men touching their sister. I think they fuck her themselves. It is the south, you know.”
“Get the fuck out of my building,” I said. “You too, Kelly.”
“Wait. I can explain, Jamey. Please. You wouldn’t save the company so I did. Ryland is helping us,” she said.
“He is a rapist!” I yelled.
He laughed and sat down in my chair. “Jamey, have you seen that woman? She loves it when you fuck her hard. Don’t let her fool you. Or have you not fucked her yet? Damn, that sucks. I guess you’ll never get a taste of that now. Of course, when I get her back, I’ll share her with you,” he said.
“You are sick. Get out!” I pointed to the door. He stood and straightened his suit jacket. “I have a proposal for you, Mr. Elliot. One that would give you everything you ever wanted. Money, woman, cars. You name it, and it will be yours.”
“Alexandra?” I asked scoffing at him.
“No, she has always been and will always be mine,” he said stalking to the door. I held back from punching his lights out. “But if you allow me to run Bright just for an interim, I’ll make you more money than you ever dreamed. Abrego will back us, and we will take down Malone Enterprises from the inside. Since you seem to have her eye, you are exactly who I need to be on the inside. You may be on the outs with the Malones, but Alexa always gets her way. She will have you back. Kelly has my number.” He walked out the door without a care in the world. I spun around on my cousin as fear washed over her.
“You, stupid bitch! You have no idea what they did to her. How dare you use my office as your personal fuck room! I never want to see you again, Kelly. When they told me, they traced the tablet back here, I couldn’t believe it was you. They blamed me. They drugged her and knocked me out. Just leave,” I said to her.
She gathered her clothes including a pair of panties which laid on my desk. “Jamey, if you would just…”
“Leave!” I screamed. As the door latched closed, I sank on the couch and looked at my desk. There was no way I could sit there. I grabbed the phone and dialed Alexandra’s personal cell phone. It rang and rang. I didn’t want to go home to the condo, but I grabbed a few things then walked out the door. I never intended to return to the office. Tomorrow I’d pay someone to pack all my things. That is if I still had money. I had no idea what money Javier was talking about. I’d never taken money from LeBlanc. It had to be Kelly.
I got in the beat-up company car and drove to the condo. Right down the road from where I lived there was a cellular store. I took my phone in and requested a new one. I took my credit card out to pay for it. The transaction was declined. Of course.
I pulled out the card that belonged to my father. Is this the card they thought was money from LeBlanc? Surely not. I regularly transferred money from a trust fund on to this card. I paid for the phone. It worked this time. I started dialing Alexa. Continuing to dial her number long into the night. Eventually, I passed out on my couch.
The next morning, I was stiff from anxiety and being tossed around in a car. I picked up the phone. No missed calls. I started dialing again as I
headed to the shower. My plan was to get dressed in something unassuming. Then I would take the bus over to the Malone building and stalk it until I could talk to her. While in the shower, I went over my options and decided driving would be better just in case we had to get away.
Thinking ahead, I packed a small bag with clothes and essentials. I was an idiot. Even if I got to her, there was no way she would leave Malone Enterprises with me. I had to try.
Thirty
ALEXA
I woke up in the small room adjacent to my office. Charity sat next to me holding her hand over my mouth. She looked pained, but clearly, she didn’t want me to speak. “They just stepped out, but they will be back. The evidence that Javier has looks really bad for Jamey. I don’t think he did it either, Lex. We’ve got to do something. They will run Malone into the ground with their testosterone.”
Relief spread over me to know that Charity still had my back. “Where is he?” I asked because my only thought was of Jamey.
“They knocked him out and put him in his car at Bright,” she said. “They put someone on the building. They have pictures of Ryland leaving with Kelly. It’s been here all along. I think Sebastian knows it, but he won’t admit to it. He just wants Jamey away from you because he thinks you are losing it.”
I put my hands over my eyes. “I am losing it.”
“Just you saying that means you aren’t. Are you in love with him?” she asked.
“I don’t know. You know me. It will take me a long time to figure that out,” I said. I heard the door to the office open and closed my eyes trying to look asleep.
“She’s still not awake?” Damien asked. I heard him hug Charity.
“Yes, but it seems that the drug is no longer making her restless. She needs sleep,” she said.
Damien sat down on the edge of the bed. My body slid slightly to him. I chose this as a good time to roll over on my side so I didn’t face him. “She’s going to be pissed when she wakes up,” Damien said.