by K. T. Tomb
“Well, you’re not. You’re a Thorn, so you are where you should be and you’re innocent. We’ll prove it.”
He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. When he loosened his hold on her, she raised her head to look at him and he pressed his lips to hers. Shocked, Aurora pushed him gently away.
“Ahem!”
They both turned to see John Thorn standing in the drawing room doorway glowering at them. Aurora smoothed the skirt of her Anne Klein suit and lowered her gaze to the floor. John stepped forward and took her by the elbow leading her into the room. He threw a look of warning over his shoulder at his son as he went.
“Reunited and it feels so good,” he said sarcastically.
“Yes,” Zach said softly, following them into the room.
“So Aurora, as you know, my son here has made himself into a fine target for the Chinese. I’m sure it’s his stellar behavior that has made him into such a favorite of theirs.” He turned to Zach and asked, “Didn’t they have any other candidates, son?”
“Father, stop it,” Zach admonished. “We already discussed this.”
“No, son,” he continued, unabashed. “Let’s hear what you have to say for yourself.”
Aurora smiled to herself. She had grown to expect this line of questioning from Mr. Thorn and she had many years of practiced response as well. She knew he would demand a straight answer from his son. Much like her, John did not like it when anyone had a silver bullet against him.
“No, they had many in fact. But I simply took it upon myself to point out to Xaoping with no uncertainty that I’d take them down before I allowed them to buy out Tsang Wei and start building a monopoly in Hong Kong. It doesn’t seem to have been taken very well.”
John Thorn’s eyebrows arched high with surprise. Defensively, he scoffed. He returned his attention to Aurora.
“Well, let’s get this charade over with. For some reason, my son thinks it fit to snub my team of experienced lawyers in a last ditch effort to hire you. What do you have to say about that?”
“Well,” Aurora answered slowly, “I’ll just have to remind Master Zach that I’m not licensed to practice law so he will have to choose one from the firm. I will, however, lend all my support to that person so they don’t have to leave Alpharetta in order to be effective. Zach isn’t well known for taking instructions or advice. He’s going to do as he sees fit, Mr. Thorn; that, at least, I’m sure of.”
John Thorn nodded in agreement.
“You see, son? This is why I hardly let this young lady out of my confidence.” He stood from his chair, indicating that the conversation was drawing to a close. “Aurora, let’s all meet in the dining room before we leave for dinner to hear what you have planned.”
“Yes, sir. So I shouldn’t cancel the reservations and have something brought in instead?”
“Heavens, no! I won’t let a few nosy reporters and ill-mannered paparazzi spoil my weekend away. Just get the limos; they’re tinted dark enough to keep us away from prying eyes. Keep going with your gut on this, Aurora. You’ve got free range to get this over and done with.”
“As you wish, Mr. G.”
Zach took advantage of his father’s exit to lead Aurora out of the drawing room.
“Robin’s waiting in the study,” he said quickly. “Let’s go straight in.”
Robin Thorn was, in Aurora’s opinion, only one notch less pompous than his brother. He sat in a wing chair by the huge desk sipping a glass of Johnny Walker black and tapping his fingers impatiently on the arm of the chair. When the door opened, he turned toward them and stood.
“Aurora, you’ve arrived. Thank goodness!”
“I appreciate the welcome, Robin. Seems like the whole world has changed since we went our separate ways at the airport this afternoon.”
“Oh, that seems like decades ago, doesn’t it?”
His tone was a condescending one; an effort at making her feel small and incapable under the circumstances. Aurora only smiled at him; she wouldn’t allow him to make her feel as if the time she’d spent integrating into the firm was somehow redundant now. She took the seat beside his and Zach sat behind the desk, never taking his eyes off her.
“Would you like a drink?” Robin asked.
“Sweet tea, thank you,” Aurora replied. “I think it’s too early in the day for much else.”
“Touché.”
Aurora turned to his brother and said, “Tell me everything, Zach. I missed the details of the initial reports, though I did hear about the charges when they were filed. I have Rebecca gathering everything that’s in the D.A.’s office on the case so far and you know that if they have any evidence, they have to turn it over voluntarily. Tell me how this all happened.”
“I don’t know how it happened, Aurora. I was just as shocked as everyone else when they called me a spy.”
“I know it’s difficult, but we’re going to have to start at the beginning. Did you sell Xaoping information or not? Step on any toes over there or with any of the clients? And what’s the deal with Tsang Wei anyway?”
“I didn’t spy on anyone and I certainly didn’t sell inside information. When I first heard about the deal, I went straight to Tsang Wei to broker our own deal. It wouldn’t do for Xaoping to gain so much power in the region. As you probably know, I can be a disturbingly honest and straightforward person. The Chinese tend to hate that, they think it’s impolite.”
“What about you, Robin? Do you know anything about this?”
“There’s nothing black or red on the books about it yet, Aurora. As Dad keeps pointing out, I only crunch the numbers.”
***
Aurora returned to her rooms at Carraway Club, exhausted from the emotional afternoon at Thorn Estate.
A large envelope was waiting for her, along with the Samsung Galaxy 10 tablet she had ordered and the background information on both Xaoping Exports and Tsang Wei Electronics. For whatever reason, Aurora’s instinct told her there was more to that connection than the obvious and she was determined to follow that hunch. She pushed open the room door and placed the items on the bed before using the remote control to switch the television on and find the nationwide news channel.
The Alpharetta Chief of Police was standing on the steps of City Hall, answering questions from a slew of reporters about the case. They wanted to know why Zach hadn’t yet been taken into custody and if it would have been the same if he wasn’t rich and from an affluent family. Aurora rolled her eyes. Of course, they would ask that. They wanted to know why Zach Thorn had tampered with company information in Hong Kong. Were they planning a hostile takeover? Again, of course they thought so. She angrily switched the television off and turned to the large envelope that had arrived from the Alpharetta office. There were newspaper articles, photographs, telephone records, interview transcripts and of course, the D.A.’s preliminary report and their evidence log.
What Aurora didn’t find were the search warrants. The police had searched the firm’s offices, Zach’s car and penthouse apartment and supposedly gathered a wealth of evidence against him. She checked the evidence log again. Yes, there it was. Flash drives with allegedly stolen information from both Chinese companies had been found. The question was: where were the warrants for the police to conduct those searches? She picked up her cell phone and pressed the speed dial button for Rebecca.
“Hello?” Rebecca answered.
“Hi Rebecca, it’s me, Aurora.”
“Oh. Hi. I didn’t even look at the caller I.D. I’m buried in paper right now trying to find more information on the case.”
“That’s great Rebecca,” Aurora replied. “But I think I may have something big right now.”
“Really? What is it?”
“I got your envelope, but I don’t see any copies of the police search warrants. Didn’t you find any?”
“Oh, hold on one second.”
Aurora listened as Rebecca rummaged through paper on the other end of the line.
“Au
rora, I don’t know how to tell you this, but there aren’t any warrants among the papers the D.A.’s office sent over.”
“That’s what I thought, Rebecca. Listen, it’s one of two things going on here. Either there was something wrong with the warrants they got or they didn’t have any to begin with. Either way, all their evidence is dismissible. Call the D.A.’s office again and ask them to send you a copy of the warrants. If you don’t get them in thirty minutes, let me know and whenever they do arrive, go over there and ask to see the originals. I’m going to need full color, high definition pictures of those warrants.”
“Okay, Aurora. Will do.”
“Thanks Rebecca, Talk to you soon.”
Aurora lay back against the pillows and smiled up at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe her luck. There was obviously something the D.A. was trying to hide and if that threw out their precious evidence, then the case could be easily overturned. Zach had nothing much to worry about now, and neither did she.
Chapter Four
Aurora delivered the good news over dinner with Mr. Thorn and his sons that night. The old man was extremely pleased that the plan she had devised and explained to them in their meeting that evening had borne fruit.
“So when will you know for sure?” Zach asked nervously.
“You’re so preoccupied with saving your damn ass right now, aren’t you little brother?” Will said sarcastically. “It might be helpful to all of us if you would act a bit more responsibly, both professionally and privately.”
“Stand down, Will,” his father commanded. “We all know what an annoying prick your brother can be. Don’t go turning into one yourself.”
Will scoffed. He hated being the brunt of his father’s poor humor. Instead of responding he turned his attention back to Aurora.
“I’m sorry the weekend started out for you like this. As you get to work with us boys more closely, you’ll get used to Zach being a bit of a pain in the ass.” She smiled at the quip and he continued. “So, when will we know for sure that the case will be thrown out?”
“Well, unfortunately, Zach will first have to turn himself in to the police. He’s technically a fugitive and under that surmise, we’re all breaking the law. I’d suggest that he do it here in Hamilton. Bermuda law enforcement is bound to be more lenient and should be easily satisfied with him handing over his passport. We’ll post bail and then wait for the charges to be dropped.”
“Excellent,” John concluded, raising his glass. “When we get back to Alpharetta, I think I’m going to explore getting you more involved in the legal aspect of the business. You’ll make a damn fine lawyer someday, Precious.”
“She’s damn fine, alright!” Zach commented, staring Aurora in the eye, then winking before he looked away.
She blushed and turned away just in time to catch Will’s look of total exasperation. She rolled her eyes and continued to immerse herself in the fabulous meal that was on the table.
***
It could be that I drank too much wine, Aurora thought to herself when she stumbled the second time as they left the restaurant.
It was late and even the media had given up on a chance to ambush them after dinner. A few photographers attempted shots, but bulky security guards kept well placed between them and the departing group. Zach had his arm around her waist the minute they had stepped through the restaurant door and Aurora knew what that meant. He was in the mood to celebrate and that always meant trouble.
Mr. Thorn invited her back to the estate for a nightcap before one of the driver’s would take her back to her hotel.
“I’m really thankful that you took care of everything so well, Precious. I hope you’re getting to understand how much confidence I have in you.” Before she could reply, the old man continued speaking. “Zach and I have reviewed this situation with Xaoping and Tsang Wei and I think he’s right about what could happen. We’ll probably meet on it when we get back to Alpharetta. If we don’t move, we stand to be eliminated from the game over there.”
“Yes, sir.”
An hour later, they sat in the warmth of the entertainment room, sipping brandy while the boys took turns at the billiards table. When Mr. Thorn turned in for the night, she joined Zach to watch Will thrash Robin at 9-ball.
“Thanks again for allowing me to help, Zach. I’m glad it turned out so well,” Aurora replied. She was trying her best to be as professional around him as possible so as not to evoke anymore of his older brothers’ wrath. Keeping her eyes fixed on the desk, she checked that she had all her things and turned to the three men.
“Sirs, I bid you farewell. I’m heading back to Carraway Club for the night,” Aurora announced.
Zach came up beside Aurora again, standing uncomfortably close to her. She picked up her handbag from the table and turned to face him, taking a step back.
“I thought perhaps I could have changed your mind about leaving tonight, but it seems I’m going to have to do some convincing.”
“I really can’t stay Zach; I never think it appropriate for the staff to sleep under the same roof as her bosses and besides, there isn’t anything more that I can do on the case until tomorrow.”
“Technically, I’m still your client,” he said as his finger ran down her arm from her shoulder to her wrist. She was on fire, but couldn’t tell if it was Zach or the alcohol.
“No, you’re not and in any case, I’m off the clock.”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say. If you won’t stay, can I come with you?”
Aurora looked up to see Will Thorn giving her a look of contempt from across the room. It sent a shiver down her spine. She reached into her pocket discreetly and took another step back from Zach, offering her hand in farewell. He took it and palmed the card she held, shaking her hand and nodding in agreement. Aurora turned and walked out of the room, leaving the Thorns to their game.
Zach arrived at The Carraway about an hour later and walked confidently past the front desk to the lobby elevator. When he knocked on her door, Aurora opened it and let him in. As soon as the door was closed, he put a hand behind her head and drew close to her tasting her lips tenderly, but confidently. Aurora couldn’t stop her body from responding to Zach’s touch.
Instinctively, she ran her fingers through his hair, making sure to rake her fingernails along his scalp. As if on cue, a moan of desire erupted from Zach’s throat and filled her mouth. She swooned at the sound. Clearly, they knew how to please each other. They sank slowly to the couch and ravaged each others bodies for hours. As soon as he had recovered, Zach looked over at Aurora and smiled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked dreamily.
“I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About the first time we met at the office.”
“Oh yeah? What about it?”
“You were so damn hot in that pants suit and those killer heels. I wasn’t even sure that you knew how hot you were. I took one look at those amazing tits and I knew I’d nail you one day. It was just a matter of time.”
“What?!”
“You heard me. And damn, Aurora, you’re an awesome lay. Definitely worth the wait.”
“Zach Thorn! You’re being rude. Apologize this instant.”
He didn’t say another word. He just leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, got dressed and left. As the door closed behind him, Aurora felt used. The only thing he could have done to make her feel worse at that moment was to leave a few hundreds on the nightstand.
Chapter Five
Alpharetta, Georgia
It had taken all morning for the D.A. to fax the warrants to the office and when Rebecca had requested to see the originals, the usual smokescreens had been mounted.
Once Aurora received the photos on the tablet she was using, she knew that the documents had been quickly patched together entirely for their benefit. There had been no legitimate warrant for the searches or at least she was sure there was none for the search of Zach’s
car or office that turned up the prosecution’s evidence. She turned her attention back to the evidence log, scanning it earnestly for what could be the last piece of the quick dismissal case she was planning in her head.
Aurora couldn’t help but laugh out loud when it didn’t appear on the list. There was no record of testimony or proof that Zach had transacted any of the information they claimed that he had in his possession and having the information alone was no crime at all. It was suddenly clear to her that the D.A.’s key evidence was now completely circumstantial. Again Aurora called Rebecca to cross check her findings. She wanted to be sure before she went over to Thorn Estate to deliver the news.
“No, Miss Aldridge, according to the records, there was no evidence that directly linked him to transacting the information. They wouldn’t even have confirmed that he knew anything about it if they hadn’t found it during the search. They didn’t even have any witness testimony to that effect. It’s really weird that they didn’t make the decision to interview some people about it.”
“Or maybe they did,” Aurora said, “but the results didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear.”
***
Thorn Estate,
Hamilton, Bermuda
The reporters were again camped outside the gates when Aurora pulled up to the estate. It seemed the propaganda campaign launched by the Hong Kong police was working and the media just weren’t ready to cut the Thorn’s a break. At least the paparazzi had gotten bored and evacuated the trees.
As she pulled up, Aurora could see that Will and Robin had decided to make an appearance. She endured her walk of shame with dignity and refinement. After all, no one knew about what had transpired between her and Zach the night before. Or so she hoped.
“Good morning, Aurora,” Will said politely when she had climbed the stairs and set foot on the enormous portico.