“Thanks, Doctor,” Marcus said as he stood looking down at the frail looking figure of his brother. He wondered what Jeff was going to be like when the drugs finally wore off. Would the man be relieved to find himself in Marcus’s home? Or would he be resentful of Marcus’s presence in his life? Marcus figured there was a fifty-fifty chance it could go either way.
“I’ll see myself out, Marcus. Call me if you have any other concerns.” Without waiting for a response, the man grabbed his bag and exited the room.
Marcus lifted a hand in the departing man’s direction. He appreciated the fact that the doctor was willing to help them without asking questions. His devotion to them started when BlackThorpe had helped his daughter deal with a stalker. At the time, he’d offered his services whenever they needed them. Though they hadn’t had reason to call on him much over the past couple of years, the man always came without question when they had called him for help.
The nurse straightened the blankets covering Jeff then checked the IV that was running into his arm. Marcus sat down in a chair next to the bed, reluctant to leave the young man’s side even though he should probably join the team for their meeting. He needed answers. Not just about the present issues they were having but also about the past.
For the first time since the horrible events had unfolded all those years ago, Marcus felt that maybe there was a chance that he would get some answers. Understanding why it had occurred wouldn’t change anything, but the desire for answers had swept over him like a tsunami. He couldn’t ignore this opportunity. Hopefully, Jeff would be willing to talk. BlackThorpe could have him arrested for the theft of Kelsey’s computer, but Marcus hoped that the admin team would be willing to let him make the call on this one.
Jeff stirred, and Marcus froze, waiting for the man to open his eyes. Unfortunately, the man simply shifted under the blankets before settling down again. The nurse assured him that it would take time, especially since they didn’t know for sure yet what drug—or drugs—had been injected into him.
Marcus decided he needed to deal with this when Jeff woke up. Sitting there just waiting for something that might not happen for an hour or more was a waste of time. He needed to focus on the other issue that could actually be dealt with.
“Please let me know as soon as he wakes up,” Marcus told the nurse as he got to his feet. He left her with his cell phone number then left the room and went downstairs to the office.
As he reached the main floor, he glanced in the direction of the kitchen. He wondered if Alicia and Meredith were still there. He decided to check on them quickly before going into the office.
As he neared the kitchen, he could hear them chatting about a movie or television show. It sounded like they were doing okay, not focusing on what had been going on earlier. Since he’d been able to hear their conversation without entering the kitchen and knew they were fine, Marcus turned and proceeded to the office.
Once there, he gave the team an update on Jeff and then they brought him up to date on what they’d learned.
“We’ve got some guys searching for cameras in the area that might have captured the vehicle and the people who dropped Jeff off,” Trent said. “Clearly, this is the best lead we’ve had in a long time. We’re hoping that Jeff can shed some light on it by sharing how he was in contact with the guy behind all this.”
“I think we have to be even more on guard than we have been lately,” Marcus cautioned. “This person seems to have the ability to ferret out secrets and weaknesses that he can exploit to gain access to the inner workings of BlackThorpe. Now that Jeff is out of the picture for him, you have to imagine that he’ll be looking for someone else.”
“I really don’t think he’s working alone,” Trent said. “He’s far too good at too many things. I think he has people working for or with him.”
“You mean like a company? He’s using resources he may have as a business owner?” Alex asked.
“It’s possible,” Trent said. “It just seems like this is too much for one person to be able to handle. The skill set required for what they’re doing is extremely varied, so I think we need to expand our search to include companies, not just individuals.”
“Do what you need to do,” Marcus said. “One other thing, if any of us have vulnerabilities in our lives, you need to make sure you’re protected.”
“Of course we all have vulnerabilities,” Justin said, an edge to his voice. “The people we love are vulnerabilities. How do we protect them short of hiring bodyguards for them?”
Marcus understood Justin’s concern. Of all of them, the attacks had affected him the most with his then-fiancée, now-wife, Alanna’s kidnapping. He knew that he was fortunate to be able to afford protection for Meredith. It bothered him that Alicia was vulnerable since she could be a target given her role as his assistant, but he hadn’t figured out a way yet to protect her.
“I think Jeff Ross and Jonathon Jaeger prove that this guy is not above using other people’s vendettas against us,” Eric pointed out. “And if people have secrets or things they don’t want other people to know, it seems as if this guy has the ability to search out that kind of stuff.”
“How exactly do we protect ourselves against people’s secrets?” Than asked. “It’s not like anyone is going to volunteer that they have something to hide.”
Silence settled over the group for a moment before Eric said, “We already conduct background checks on anyone working with us. Do we need to start monitoring everything our employees do now too?”
Marcus wanted to think that they could trust their employees, but he had to admit that it was tempting to monitor them if they could, and if it wouldn’t cross so many lines ethically. This whole situation was turning him into a paranoid person. He’d always been suspicious of people who unexpectedly showed up in his life, but this latest situation had ramped up his level of suspicion considerably.
As he listened to the conversation going on around him, Marcus decided he was going to talk to Alicia about possibly moving into the house with him, Jeff, Meredith, and Derek. He had such a strong urge to make sure that Alicia was safe, and having her in his house was the only way he was going to be able to accomplish that.
“I think we need to monitor incoming and outgoing emails on our network,” Alex said. “That’s within our right, I believe. We need to tighten up our network security as well as our physical security. No one gets into any of the buildings without verification that they are there to see someone in particular.”
It didn’t really seem like enough, but Marcus knew that there was only so much they could do overall. However, there was something he could do for Alicia. He knew that she likely wouldn’t respond well to his request—and yes, he would try to make it a request—that she move in, but somehow, he had to figure out how to make it happen.
~*~
Alicia looked toward the entrance of the kitchen when she heard voices coming nearer. Meredith must have heard them as well because she got up from her stool and went to stir the sauce on the stove and then moved the pot to a hot pad on the counter.
“Hey, Alicia.” Eric slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “What are you doing here?”
And isn’t that the question of the hour?
“Marcus asked me to come over after I finished work.” Alicia glanced quickly at Eric then back to Meredith as she uncovered the pasta. “And I’ve been hanging out with Meredith.”
“Everything going okay?” he asked as his arm slid from her shoulders and he turned to lean a hip against the counter.
“Everything is going great. How are Staci and Sarah? Excited about the baby?”
Eric paused before answering. “They’re doing great, and yep, we’re all excited about the baby.”
“So Marcus hasn’t managed to run you off yet?” The question came from Alex who was standing at the end of the counter.
“Nope. Not yet.” Alicia wondered how long she’d need to work for Marcus before
they stopped asking her that.
“Leave her alone,” Marcus said as he walked past Alex to where Meredith stood. “I’m not going to run her off.”
“Well, that’s a new twist,” Alex said. “You, actually making an effort to not run an assistant off.”
“When she does the job better than all the others, it’s worth making that effort.” Marcus glanced over at the food on the counter then looked at his sister. “Are we ready to eat?” When Meredith nodded, Marcus turned to Alex. “Would you like to say grace?”
“Let’s pray.” Alex paused then cleared his throat. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for each person gathered here. We ask for Your wisdom as we deal with the issues that are facing us. Also, we ask for complete healing for Jeff as he recovers. Thank you for this food that Meredith and Alicia have prepared. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
There was a chorus of amens after Alex finished his prayer.
Alicia moved aside as the men along with Adrianne and Melanie began to fill their plates. Having decided that they were too hungry to wait, she and Meredith had already eaten. She noticed that Meredith had put some distance between herself and the men and that Bond was pressed up against her leg. Was this gathering of people stressing her? Apparently so.
Though she would have liked to hang around and hear what the men were talking about, Alicia decided that maybe it would be best to go someplace else with Meredith. For a moment, she watched as Marcus added some sauce to the noodles on his plate. His brow was furrowed as conversation flowed around him. They weren’t discussing anything of any significance that Alicia could tell, but clearly, Marcus’s mind was on something that was worrying him.
She headed for where Meredith stood. “Do you want to spend some time in the sunroom? Did you finish your puzzle?”
Meredith looked at Alicia, her blue eyes wide. “Yes, but I started a new one. You could help me with the edge pieces.”
Alicia glanced back at the counter, and her gaze met Marcus’s. Not surprisingly, she wasn’t able to read anything in his expression, but then for a moment, it seemed his face softened. If there was one person who could get past Marcus’s hard exterior, Alicia had no doubt it was his sister.
When Meredith turned to leave the kitchen area, Alicia followed her after one last look at Marcus. The sun was setting as they settled into their chairs at the puzzle table. They worked in silence for a while before Meredith finally said something.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?”
Alicia frowned. “Who?”
“The guy they brought in on that stretcher?”
“You saw that?” Alicia asked. She’d been certain that Meredith had been ignoring it all.
“Yes. I saw them go by.” She paused. “Do you know who he is?”
Alicia hesitated to answer, not sure if Marcus would want Meredith to know. “I’m not sure.”
Which was sort of the truth. She was almost certain it was Jeff, but she hadn’t had it confirmed by Marcus or anyone else. Until Marcus told her differently, she would always assume that it was better that Meredith not know. Even after spending time with the other woman, Alicia still wasn’t entirely sure what her issues were and what might trigger something that would upset her.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and panic momentarily shot through her. It took her a minute to gather up the nerve to pull it out and look at the screen.
Tori: Hey, Sis! What are you up too?
Relief coursed through her. Was this how it was going to be every time her company cell phone vibrated? Maybe she needed to tell Tori to go back to texting her on her personal cell. She wished that somehow, she could change her phone number, but since the messages had come to her BlackThorpe issued phone, it would be awkward for her to request a new number. There would no doubt be all kinds of questions.
Alicia: Not too much. Visiting with a friend and working on a puzzle. Surprisingly relaxing.
Tori: I can imagine. Want to do something this weekend?
Alicia: Sorry, I can’t! : ( Made plans to head to California for a quick trip.
Tori: That’s okay! I hope you have a great visit. One day I should go with you and you could show me all around California.
Alicia wanted to laugh at that. She knew a very, very, very small part of California, and it wasn’t one that anyone would want to visit. There was no way she’d take Tori on one of her visits.
Alicia: We can do something next weekend if you want.
Tori: Sounds good. Text me when you’re back and we can line something up.
After the conversation had ended, Alicia slid the phone back into her pocket and prayed that it wouldn’t go off again. She turned her attention back to finding the edge pieces of the puzzle and searched for a safe topic to discuss with Meredith.
~*~
Marcus closed the door behind Alex, the last of the men to leave. Given that there was little chance of the person hacking his network again, he hadn’t needed any of the techs to remain behind. It was nice to have the house back to just the people he really wanted to be there.
He spotted Derek at the security panel, circulating through the video feeds of the property.
“Something wrong?” he asked, really hoping that nothing else was cropping up.
Derek shook his head. “I’m just making sure. Like you said, we can’t let our guard down now.”
Marcus appreciated Derek’s commitment to what he’d been hired to do. To keep Meredith and their property safe. “Let me know if something comes up.”
“Will do.”
Marcus headed for the sunroom, assuming that was where Alicia and Meredith had retreated to earlier. He found them hunched over yet another puzzle. He was grateful that Alicia was so accepting of Meredith. It was just another reason he was grateful for the day Eric had walked into his office and asked him to interview his sister.
They both looked up as he approached the table. Meredith gave him a wide smile while Alicia looked a little more reserved. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” Meredith said as she gestured to the puzzle. “Alicia has helped me with the edges.”
“I need to speak with Alicia for a few minutes. Work related.” He looked at Alicia and then gestured toward the hallway just beyond the entrance to the sunroom. “Please?”
With a nod, she got to her feet and preceded him out of the room. She stopped when they were in the hallway, turning toward him, a questioning look on her face. “Is everything okay?”
Marcus stared at her, taking in her slender face and features. He knew how old she was, but sometimes she looked so much younger. However, there was a maturity in her gaze that told him that she’d experienced a lot in her life. He wondered if he’d ever learn what it was that had molded her into the woman she was now.
“These security concerns that have popped up,” Marcus began, a bit uncertain how to broach the subject in such a way that she would accept his proposal. “Is it safe where you live? Do you live in an apartment building with a security entrance?”
Her hesitation was barely there, but he saw it.
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t lie to me, Alicia. It’s important that you are safe. Being my assistant brings some risk with it. We’re not entirely sure of who’s behind these issues we keep having, and they may decide to target someone like you because of your connection to me.”
She hesitated again, this time a little bit longer and a lot more noticeable. Her brows drew together. “My apartment isn’t the most secure place around. Certainly not like here, but I’m not going to move somewhere new on the possibility that something might happen.”
Marcus had anticipated some pushback, so he was prepared. “Could you move in with Eric for a bit? I’m sure his place is secure.”
Alicia frowned. “Uh, no. We’re not that close. Besides, they wouldn’t have room for me with a new baby too.”
“How about your dad or another sibling?”
She crossed her arms and scowled at him. “My pl
ace is fine. I don’t think there’s any risk.”
“I don’t agree with you that there’s no risk. How about you let me come by and check it out. Maybe there are a few things we could do to make it even safer. A lot of apartments owners don’t have security at the top of the list of things when they are designing their buildings. At least not the type of security we do.” The suggestion that he come to her place seemed to alarm her more than any of the others he’d made. “I do have one idea that might work if none of the others appeal to you.”
“What’s that?”
Marcus hesitated. “I think right now, the safest place would be here.”
“And?”
“And I think you should move in here until this situation is resolved.”
Alicia’s eyebrows rose as she glanced around. “Move in?”
“Yes. We’ve got plenty of room, plus Derek is here even when I’m not.” Marcus felt the need to sell her on the security of the place. “There is video monitoring all over the place. All the doors and windows are locked through the security system. No one comes through the gates or into the house without being let in by one of us. You won’t find a safer place.”
Alicia tilted her head as she regarded him, her brow furrowed. “Do you really think it’s necessary?”
“I do. There are higher than ever risks for people who are part of the company. We are concerned that the person who has been targeting the company might look for people within the company to exploit. I think that is particularly true of those who are working closely with the administration team. So, if you’re not living in a building that has good security, you need to find a new place. Or move in here for a bit.”
She turned and stared back toward the sunroom, giving him her profile. Though it wasn’t unexpected, Marcus wondered what exactly was causing her hesitation. That they didn’t know each other well? That he was her boss? Something more personal?
A Sense of Security: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 6) Page 14