“Sir, it’s about Donald.”
Jake looked up, his hand pausing above the packet of papers he was reaching for. What the hell was this about? “I know. We all miss him.”
“No sir, I don’t think you understand. it’s about his death. I...I don’t think it was an accident.”
Jake looked at him sharply, getting out of his chair. He came around his desk, perching on the edge as he peered at Marcus. “What are you saying?”
“I think...I think he may have been killed sir.” He glanced at his hands, wringing them, nervousness making him perspire.
“Marcus, why would you say such a thing?” Mr. C was not going to be happy with this at all. Jake shuddered inwardly at the thought of telling the older man about this.
Marcus pushed his glasses up, “He told me things...before he died.”
“Such as?”
“He thought that someone in the company was embezzling. He never told me who, but he was keeping notes.” He looked away, the vein in his throat throbbing as he swallowed.
Jake nodded, fear lacing through his body. Shit, this was getting out of hand. How many people had Donald told? “Have you told anyone else about this?”
“No, I wanted to talk to you about it first.”
Ok, he could handle this. All they had to do was see what Marcus knew and take it from there. “Well, I think we should go talk to Mr. Cunningham and find out what he thinks.”
They headed down the hall, into Mr. Cunningham’s large, ornate office. Mr. Cunningham, his white hair shining in the light streaming in behind him, was sitting behind his huge desk oak desk, talking on the phone. He waved them in, leaning back in his leather office chair. “I said no. We will finish this tomorrow.” He hung up the phone, his pale blue eyes on them focused.
“What?” he reached out, picking up a cigar from the humidor on his desk, running it under his nose before he picked up his platinum lighter, inhaling deeply as the tobacco burned.
Jake stepped forward, “Sir, Marcus has something to discuss with you.”
“Well, go ahead. I have other things to do today.”
Marcus gulped loudly, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, “It’s about Donald sir.”
Mr. Cunningham sat at his desk, his face changing from one of tolerant patience to one of disbelief as Marcus told him his suspicions and what Donald had told him. His face red with rage, he turned back to the phone, yanking it out of its cradle.
“Get me Frank, head of security.” He growled into the phone. “I’ll take care of this now.” He waved them away, turning his chair to the window.
Jake walked Marcus out the door, one hand on his shoulder. “Mr. Cunningham will take care of everything. Don’t worry.”
Marcus nodded, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiping his forehead with the stained fabric. “Thank you.”
~***~
A day later, they were in Northeast DC, inspecting a client’s warehouse. Marcus was in the main area of the warehouse, counting the containers and shipments for an audit they were performing. It was almost time for year end reports and the firm needed to be ready. Jake was inside the main office, checking out the books. The vibrating of his phone pulled him from his thoughts.
“Hello?” he answered, flipping through the book in front of him.
“We searched through Marcus’s apartment and we didn’t find anything there.” the rough, gravelly voice on the other end rang through, causing Jake’s hand to pause. “He’s a liability now. We’re letting him go.”
“I don’t understand-” the sound of a dial tone rang loud in his ear. Jake closed his phone looking out the window of the office to where Marcus was standing. He had walked into the area where they were loading the crates, his attention focused on the clipboard in his hands. Jake thought about getting his attention, but something stopped him. As he watched, something above where Marcus was standing caught his eye. The other man was standing directly under a steel crate that looked a little off, wobbly on its chains.
The blood in his veins froze as the chains snapped and broke, the two-ton crate falling. Jake ran out, yelling at Marcus, but it was too late. With no time to react, Marcus only screamed as he looked up. All Jake saw and heard was the sound of bones breaking and Marcus screaming. Everything seemed as if it were in slow motion.
Jake ran over, needing to see if Marcus had somehow jumped out of the way. He turned away from the sight of Marcus’s hand and the pooling of blood. He could hear the crane operator in the background blabbering about it being an accident.
“There was no way those chains should have slipped! I don’t know what happened.” Jake looked over at the operator, something about the tone of his voice sending electric charges down his spine.
The operator, a huge burly man with arms the size of Jake’s legs, turned to look at him, a terrifying smugness flashing through his eyes before it disappeared and turned back to his supervisor, sirens blaring in the background.
Jake’s phone started to ring again. Hands shaking, he pulled it out of his pocket, trepidation making his body tremble as he answered it.
“Yes Mr.-”
“I suggest you find the information that I want or there may be more accidents on the way. Oh, by the way, How is your lovely wife?” the phone went dead in his hand.
Chapter Eight
If she had to answer one more freaking questionnaire about software, she was going to scream. Two days after the run in with Kelsie, Alexina sat in her office, trying to set up the spare room for her business. The heavy cherry desk she’d bought was currently overflowing with paperwork, the flat screen of her computer monitor nearly hidden behind all the sticky notes stuck on it. God, if this was what owning a business was like, it was going to drive her insane.
“What the hell is a schedule C anyway?” She grumbled, tugging at a handful of hair as she tried to decipher the tax code. After another twenty minutes of not making any head way, she threw her pen down in frustration, grabbed her empty coffee cup and stalked to the kitchen.
Pouring herself another cup, she watched as the steam rose, adding sugar and cream. Stirring slowly, she took a sip, her eyes falling on the bouquet of flowers that Luciano had given her, an idle thought of him breaking though. She wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking about her, but shook her head to clear it when she started to think about his kiss and the way his hands felt on her skin. He had a crazy ex-girlfriend and that was way too much drama.
The phone on the wall beside her rang, and it startled her so bad she splashed hot coffee on her hands. Cursing under her breath, she yanked it off the hook.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
A thrill shot through her, her heart fluttering like a butterfly at his rough voice. “Are you stalking me?” she headed into the living room, grinning absurdly at his husky laugh.
“Hmmmm...not really.”
“How did you get my number then?” she felt like giggling and barely stopped herself. The same emotions that used to run through her in high school were running through her now. Happy and giddy that he’d been thinking of her, breathless that he’d chosen her of all the girls or woman that he knew.
Silence, then a low chuckle, “I have my ways.”
She sank into her couch, her denim clad legs curled beneath her, “Uh huh. So what do I owe the pleasure of you hunting me down?”
“I was calling to see if you wanted to go to a BBQ at my mother’s house.”
Uh, that had come out of nowhere. “Your mom’s? I don’t-”
“It’ll be fun. I promise.” There was a hint of something else beneath the cajoling tone and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, her blood racing.
“What about Kelsie?” she had to break the mood before she gave in.
“What about her?”
“Why isn’t she going?” Too late, she realized how that question sounded. She didn’t have any right to ask him that, but she couldn’t go back in time, so she waited for his
answer.
“Because I am not with her.”
Whatever she’d expected him to say, it hadn’t been that. She would need a little time to think this over, “I’m not sure. I might have something else going on.”
“Riiiiight. I’ll be by tomorrow, about 3?”
“Luc-” all she heard was dial tone as she stared at the phone in annoyance, a smile tugging at her lips.
~***~
A pair of khaki shorts and t-shirt. That was all she needed. But what if people were wearing something more ‘dressy’? That thought had her stopping in her tracks. Should she change, again? She stood in front of her walk-in closet, eyes twitching. Why was she so worried about this?
It was just Luc. Strange, how she was calling him Luc in her head now. Even stranger was how often he popped into her thoughts, his gray eyes flashing, the taste of him on her lips. Without thinking, she rubbed a finger over her mouth, remembering the weight of his mouth pressing against hers. When had this happened? When had she started to think about him, imagining his taste? Bothered more than she cared to admit by the revelation, she stepped away from her closet, her brow creased in thought.
It was not an option to go back down that road, let someone in again. Her marriage to Donald, though not bad, hadn’t been what she’d dreamed of. It hadn’t been love that had driven her to marry him, just a sense of loneliness, that fear of never having someone to love. Her father had put that fear in her, the thought that one day she was going to wake up and nothing was going to be the same. Donald had loved her, but it just hadn’t been enough to shake the feeling that at any moment, he was going to be gone, like everyone else.
It was time to live her life, be free to do what she wanted. She didn’t want to slow down, settle for what came her way. She’d already done that and look where it had gotten her.
Refusing to let her morose thoughts drag her down, she walked into her bathroom to check her makeup. At the ringing of the doorbell, she paused, lip-gloss midair. Butterflies were filing her stomach and it took everything in her to keep the tube in her hand from slipping. Even if she wasn’t going to get involved, it didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the ride.
Smoothing her hair, she walked out. This time around, it was going to be better.
~***~
Luciano pulled up in front of a large white house, a generous front porch on one side and a bay window on the other. It was a warm, friendly looking house and Alexina remembered it well, sitting on the porch, making plans, even a hot make-out session. Thos had been good memories and she’d pulled them out from time to time, when her life hadn’t been going as planned.
“Your mom still lives here?” She craned her neck to peer through the windshield.
Luciano shot her a smile as they climbed out of his Rover. “Of course. I grew up here.” A hand came to rest on the small of her back, his thumb moving in small circles. Her pulse leaped in response.
“You ready to go in?” He murmured, an inch from her ear.
Alexina turned her head, their eyes connecting, lips millimeters apart. His hand applied pressure to her back, moving her closer, his eyes flashing heat and desire as they flicked over her parted mouth. One of her hands, on its own accord, curved along the back of his neck. God, she wanted him. The slow ache of need was spreading through her, her blood warm and thick as honey in her veins. Her mind was telling her to fight it, but her body wasn’t paying attention, her tongue flicking over the dip in her lower lip, wet with anticipation. Just one taste, one touch of his mouth on hers and then she would push him away. Or pull him closer, whichever brought her the most relief. Her eyes flickered closed as his lips hovered over hers.
“So, are you two going to make out all day or what?” a baritone voice asked, sarcasm evident in its deep tone.
The pair jerked apart, eyes wide and breathing heavy. Embarrassment had her stepping back, a nervous hand running over her curly ponytail. A glance towards the front of the house had her flushing. A thin, tall young man was standing on the porch, keen gray eyes so like Luciano’s watching them from behind stylish black frames.
“You know Estavan; you are a pain in the ass.” Luciano replied, annoyance flashing in his eyes, a wry grin on his lips. His hand urged her up the stairs towards the young man.
“Estavan, this is Alexina.” He gestured towards her.
She gave him a friendly smile, her hand extended. The hand that enveloped hers was hard, the hard calluses telling her he liked to work with his hands to it. The smile in his face didn’t quite reach his eyes, a guarded look to them. She remembered him as a little boy, so serious and quiet. He seemed to have grown into it.
“Mom’s out back with everyone else.” Dropping her hand, he jerked his head in the direction of the backyard.
Luciano steered her through the large family room with its large windows, soft furniture and southwestern colors. The kitchen was next, the beautifully aged white cabinets giving the large space a warm, snug feeling. A picture by the French door leading out stopped her in her tracks. Luciano grunted, running into her back.
“Is that you?” The effort not to laugh at the expression of embarrassment on Luciano’s face was too much and a snicker slipped out. She’d never seen this one, suspecting he’d hit it every time she came over.
“I was only five at the time.” He grumbled, an agitated hand rubbing over his neck.
“The cowboy boots and swim trunks are cute.”
He growled, pulling her away from the picture. Another snicker escaped, “But the hoola hoop is the clincher.” The glare he shot her way was her undoing. She burst into laughter, her belly aching from the force.
“Are you done?” Luciano grumbled, a reluctant grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Give me...a minute.” She gasped, holding her stomach. The wall held her up as she struggled to hold in her laughter, tears trickling down her face.
Luciano stood off to the side, his arms crossed as he watched her, an odd gleam in his eyes. After trying and failing several times to regain her composure, she finally stopped laughing long enough to wipes her eyes, a few hiccups slipping out.
“You ready now?” He asked solicitously, his hand cupping her elbow.
Not trusting her voice, she nodded, still giggling at the picture on the wall. When he offered his hand, she stilled, the laughter fading away. She stared at it, suddenly fearful of the butterflies filling her stomach. Shaking it off, she accepted, stepping into the backyard, her hand held firmly in his.
~***~
“You have pretty hair.” A girlish voice informed her.
Alexina looked over into a pair of dark, innocent eyes fringed with long, beautiful eyelashes. She smiled at the little girl, reaching out to play with a long, russet colored pigtail. “I like your hair too.” The little girl blushed, giggling as the compliment as she scooted closer.
They were sitting at and aged picnic table in the backyard, surrounded by lush plants and fragrant blooming flowers. It was a beautiful space, meant to entice you in and make you want to never leave. Luc’s family had welcomed her into their midst with little reserve. His mother, a petite, round woman with skin the color of pumpkin butter had thrown her arms around her and hugged her tight. With an honest smile and trusting eyes, she had tugged her outside and Alexina had been helpless to resist.
“Bianca, come get something to eat.” Her mother called from the grill.
She looked up at Alexina, eyes wide with anxiety. “Can I sit next to you?”
“Of course.” She couldn’t help the grin from spreading across her face as the little girl bounded off, her pigtails flying behind her.
Luciano came over, beaming as he sat down across from her.
“Having fun?” there was no mistaking the gleam in his eyes and she had to look away, her heart fluttering.
The sight of Bianca bouncing on her toes, the skirt of her dress moving about her knees as she waited for her mother to fix her plate had her chuckling in delight, emotions tu
gging at her heart. “She’s adorable.” Ignoring the hoarse quality to her voice, she turned to look at Luciano.
Seeming not to notice the quality of her voice, his eyes settled on the Bianca. “My sister Jayne’s daughter.” He nodded in the direction of an elfin young woman, long brunette hair brushing the middle of her back. “Bianca is at the head of her class in pre-school.”
“You must be very proud.” She teased.
His gaze stayed on the little girl as she started back to the table, tongue wedged between her teeth as she took slow measured steps back to the table, face creased with concentration not to spill her plate.
“She is going to be a heartbreaker.” He sighed, a huge smile normally reserved for a father’s face spread across his face. “I was there the day she was born.” The smile left his face, “Her father was too busy with a case.” His voice was frosty, chilling the warm air around them as his eyes settled on a tall, thin man standing next to his sister.
The man in question looked up; cold, small eyes staring back with disdain. His lips twitched under his mustache, making his triangular face resemble one of the evil villains from the cartoons.
A chill swept down her spine at the exchange, before he blinked the chill away, the warmth back in his eyes as if it had never left.
“You ready to eat?” a brazen smile, his hand stretched across the table, tempting and inviting.
The butterflies were back, stronger than before, her body trembling in response. She stood, dodging the questions in his eyes as she avoided his hand. “Of course.” A bright smile pasted on her face, she headed towards the grill.
~***~
The sun was beginning its final descent, the air shifting from an overwhelming suffocating heat to a soothing, tepid warmth. Reclining on a chaise lounge beneath a lush mesquite tree, green leaves providing shade, a tall glass of sweetened iced tea in her hand, Alexina watched as Luc and his brother played with the younger kids. An uncomfortable tightness began spreading through her chest; the easy way he interacted with the children, the simple smile in his face when they jumped and tumbled all over him had her thinking about what-ifs and maybes.
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