Tempest (SAI Book 3)

by Lea Hart

  “We take after Horton,” Colin said succinctly.

  “Colin and I never expected to inherit this company. Neither one of us was much of a priority for Daddy when he was alive. We figure this is his mea culpa for being a failure as a father. Having said that, make no mistake, we’re going to make sure it’s the best damn energy company in all of Texas. That means we have to clean the place up, and that starts with the two of you.”

  Davis sat there with a stunned look, and so did Brook. Guess they didn’t expect the guns blazing story. Bet they also didn’t know that she and Colin always did their homework. Nothing was handed to them, and hard work was the only way either of them had gotten anywhere. People might see a baseball player and a woman with ridiculous shoes. What they didn’t know was that they had a river of Bellows blood running in their veins. Which meant they came in with guns blazing. Always.

  Davis moved around in his seat, and Ryan straightened and kept an eye on him. He spoke quietly, and Ivy knew he was checking in with Mac and Rick. “Brook, we have no proof that you were involved with the theft, but if you didn’t pick up on the five-million-dollar loss, then you’re not the man we want working with us. You both are relieved of your duties, and your personal items will be sent to your homes.”

  “Questions?” Colin asked as he leaned back in his chair.

  “You have no proof,” Davis shouted.

  “We have a ton of proof, and it was delivered to the DA’s office this morning. First call I’d make when you leave is to a lawyer,” Ivy said and stood. “Ryan will escort you both out of the building.”

  Davis stood and glared at them both. “This isn’t the end of this.”

  Ryan took him by his elbow and moved him away from Ivy. “That’s where you’re wrong. Don’t give me reasonable cause. I’m pissed enough as it is.”

  Rocko seemed to approve and growled his agreement. Brook buttoned his jacket and stood up. “It’s regrettable that it’s ended this way. Your daddy wouldn’t be proud of the way you two are behaving. I worked with him for more years than I can count, and he never would do this to an old friend.”

  Colin sprang out of his chair, and the older man visibly shrank back. “Our daddy never gave either one of us much of anything, so your words don’t mean shit to us. I suggest you leave as quickly as you can. I don’t have the same control that Ryan has.”

  “This way,” Ryan said, as he led the men out of the room. Ivy stepped away from her chair and watched Mac meet him at the elevator. The group got on, and Ivy let out a breath.

  “That went better than I thought,” Colin said, as he slung his arm over his sister’s shoulder. “This is a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.”

  Ivy swatted him. “We have no upper management, and the company is in our hands. Don’t act like this is going to be easy.” She felt him kiss her head. “We’re in the damn oil business.”

  “Not for long. We’ll find someone to buy it, and then we can go back to our lives.”

  “I hope it’s as easy as you make it sound,” she said. Turning back into the conference room, she sat down. “Speaking of going back to our lives…what are you and Phoebe up to?”

  Collapsing into a chair next to her, he grinned like a someone with a secret. “I like her.”

  “And…?”

  “I want a chance with her,” Colin said, as he rubbed the back of his head. “We have to keep her in Texas for as long as we can so I can make her fall for me.”

  “All right. I’m guessing it’s going to take at least six months for her to get Bellows Energy up to speed. She is starting at zero, so that should give you plenty of time to work your magic.”

  “I don’t want her down here all the time. Can she work out of Austin? I was thinking of asking her to stay with me.”

  Ivy studied her brother and shrugged. “I had no idea that you would fall for a genius.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “Colin Bellows, you’re a good man, and I’m proud to call you my brother.” Leaning over, she hugged him.

  “Don’t get all mushy on me,” he said, as he gently pushed her away.

  She gave him another kiss before she leaned back. “That’s my job, Colin.”

  “I wish you didn’t take it so seriously.”

  Ryan came back in and looked between the two of them. “What’s going on here?”

  “Just being mushy with my brother.” Standing, she took his hand. “How did it go with Davis and Brook?”

  “They got in their cars and drove off. I’m sure that won’t be the end of it, but they’re off the property for now.”

  “We’ll keep going, then. I hope the rest of the day goes as well,” Ivy said.

  Ryan pulled her in for a quick kiss. “I’m proud of you, boss lady. You did a great job earlier.”

  “Thanks. I was shaking on the inside. I’m glad it didn’t show.” Cracking her knuckles, she checked her list. “Who’s next?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Monday Afternoon

  Ivy sat in the conference room on the first floor with Phoebe and Grace and ate her sandwich. “Are we almost done?”

  Grace put her salad bowl down and picked up the list in front of her. “We have about five more people to let go. The accountant who was in on the embezzlement, the engineer who shows up only two days a week, the secretary who works for the phone sex company on her lunch hour, and the guy in accounts payable who plays solitaire on his computer all day. I guess that’s just four.”

  Phoebe wiped her mouth and sat back. “I’m missing a piece. There is some connection between William the accountant and Davis the COO. I just don’t know what it is. How would Davis talk William into committing a crime like that? He must’ve had some idea that he would go along with it. Otherwise, why risk asking? The guy could’ve turned Davis in and the jig would’ve been up.” Stretching her neck, she then stared at the ceiling.

  “Maybe they’re related,” Ivy said as she drained her Diet Coke.

  “I looked into that and found nothing.” Phoebe bounced back up in her chair and snapped her fingers. “I’m going to check something else. It’s been bugging me and I can’t let it go.”

  Grace and Ivy smiled at one another and shrugged. The door to the conference room opened and Grace’s face lit up. Ivy figured Mac must’ve walked in, because her friend’s face flushed. Maybe something could happen between the two of them. Mac seemed to stay as close to Grace as he could. And she noticed that when Grace spoke, Mac listened closely. Even if she was talking about the company. Maybe the mess at the company would result in more than one love story. Colin and Phoebe had a chance, and now Mac and Grace.

  A large set of hands fell on her shoulders, and she smiled to herself. Maybe it was going to be three love stories. Ryan coming to Texas to see if she was okay meant everything. Looking up, she stared into his bottle-green eyes and knew her heart would be safe with him. He’d cracked the damn thing open and burrowed himself in until he became the only answer. In the middle of this mess in a drab conference room, she knew the truth. He leaned over and kissed her gently, and she held his hand. The only question that remained was whether she had the courage to show him what she felt.

  “Why are you looking at me that way?” he whispered against her lips.

  “No reason,” she answered. Tilting up straight, she felt the blood rush to her head. When he kneeled down beside her and turned her chair, she held her hands together.

  “Everything okay, boss lady?”

  “Yes, of course. We’re almost done here.”

  “So, you’ll tell me tonight what you’re really thinking. Right?”

  Taking his hand, she squeezed it and nodded. No way was she telling him anything. Her feelings needed to stay right where they were until she knew he could handle them. God knew how long that would take. “Are you guys going to fly out in a bit?”

  “Not sure. I don’t like the idea of leaving you guys here.”

  “Have Ken stay and take
Colin. He hasn’t seen what we own yet, and I think he should.”

  “What about you? Do you want to go up in the helicopter and see all those pretty wells pumping dollars out of them?” Ryan asked, as he let his hand move up her arm.

  “I don’t really like helicopters. I have a little height issue, so I like to be wrapped up in a steel airplane where I don’t actually see everything zooming up at my face in a flash.”

  “I didn’t know that.” He ran his hand through her hair and cupped her face. “Okay, no helo rides for you.”

  “I’ll take a drive out there eventually, but I’m in no rush.” She lifted her eyes and noticed everyone had left them alone. “You go on and we’ll finish up here. I’ll ride back with Phoebe and Grace, and you can take the truck back to the house.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?” He pulled her out of her chair into his arms and hugged her tight. “’Cause you can’t, you know.”

  “No plans to get rid of you.”

  He lifted her face and grinned. “You are spoiling me with your sweet words. I hope you hold back a little next time.”

  “Be quiet and kiss me before everyone comes back in here.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  He held her face in his hands and proceeded to kiss the hell out of her. She knew that if she found the guts to let him know how much she was feeling, then she would never regret it. Unfortunately, she had never shown any bravery in this area of her life, and she had no idea how to start.

  “Quit smooching my sister,” Colin called out as he walked back into the room. “Get yourself under control, man.”

  Ryan let her mouth go and said against her lips, “Never.”

  ***

  “Let’s have Ken bring the thieving accountant, William Underfall, in,” Ivy said to Grace. “He’s our last one, and then we can call it a day.”

  Grace looked at her notes and nodded in agreement. “I have never been involved with this many firings. The school district hardly ever lets anyone go. It has to be extreme circumstances. Like teachers have to run naked at recess with their hair on fire. Even then, if they had tenure, they might get only a warning.”

  Phoebe let out a growl of frustration as she stared at her computer. “I know there has to be a connection, and I can’t find it. It was easier to break into NASA than discovering if William is connected to Davis.”

  “Did you hack into NASA?” Grace asked.

  Phoebe’s eyes flew up, and she grimaced. “No! Of course not. That would be totally illegal and not something that I would ever consider doing, not even if someone double-dog dared me.”

  “I’m glad she’s on our side,” Ivy commented. She leaned over, checked on Rocko, and petted his head. “We’re almost done here. I’ll take you out front after this and you can run around.” He pushed his head into her hand, and she bent over and kissed him. “I’m going to have to see about getting a dog like you.”

  Ken popped his head in. “Ready for William?”

  “Yes, please,” Grace called out.

  “I’ll bring him down and then I’ll secure the building. I’ll start on the executive floor and work my way down.”

  “Sounds good,” Ivy called out. The door closed, and Ivy opened her purse and pulled out her phone. She sent a quick text to Ryan to let him know that they were almost finished. “I think we should go out for dinner tonight. I hate to cook after work.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Grace added, as she flipped William’s file folder open.

  Ivy pushed her phone back in her purse, and her fingers brushed the handle of her gun. With all of the craziness that had been happening, she felt fortunate that no one had been shot. They’d be lucky to clean this mess up without any more injuries.

  A large man walked into the room. He was probably close to six feet, and he was built like a bull. A bull who ate too many Twinkies. He had an unfortunate comb-over, and his eyes were obscured behind thick glasses. William Underfall lived up to the picture that Ivy had in her mind. He’d been a decent employee until he fell in love with Petals and chose larceny as a new career path.

  Ivy stood and pointed to a chair. “Have a seat, William.” He collapsed into it and folded his hands in front of him. His demeanor didn’t suggest he was nervous, so he must have had no idea why he was here. Interesting.

  Grace slid the folder in front of Ivy, and she took out the top page. “William, we’ve called you in here today because we’ve discovered that you have been working with Davis in a scheme that’s been adjusting the production numbers. Embezzling five million dollars from the company means that we are relieving you of your duties today.”

  Ivy watched him sit back and let out a breath, and she thought that his lack of concern was strange. No remorse, no anger…nothing.

  Until he exploded from the chair and stepped away from the table. Rocko sat up immediately and growled. Phoebe stopped working on her computer, and Grace slid her phone into her lap. Apparently, the quiet accountant wasn’t going to leave peacefully.

  Ivy stilled her shaking hands and folded them over the folder in front of her. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Maybe she could stall him until Grace could get ahold of Ken.

  “It wasn’t my idea,” he shouted.

  Ivy watched his face grow red. “Whose idea was it?”

  “It was my stupid step-uncle’s.” He started pacing in front of them and fisting his hands.

  “That’s the connection,” Phoebe yelled. “No wonder I couldn’t put it together. I didn’t look into the step angle.” Sitting back, she lifted her hair off her neck. “I thought I was losing my touch, which of course is ridiculous. I don’t enjoy not being able to figure things out immediately.” She looked over at Grace and Ivy and then William the raging bull and zipped her mouth shut.

  “Glad we have that cleared up,” Ivy said. Tilting her head toward the accountant, she said, “We may have a bigger issue.”

  William turned and took a step toward the table. Rocko stood up and growled again. “Call the dog off,” he yelled.

  “Can’t,” Ivy said. “Once he decides we need protecting, there’s no calling him off. So I suggest you calm down and take a seat.” She had no idea if that was true, but she thought it was worth a shot. Sliding her eyes away from the angry man, she glanced at Grace as she furiously texted. Ideally, they would get some backup in here soon. The building was still half-full, so it wasn’t like William was going to get away with anything.

  “Why did you go along with his scheme?” Ivy asked. “I think Petals would’ve wanted you regardless of how much money you had.”

  He leaned over the table and spit out his response. “Do you really think a woman like Petals would be interested in a guy like me if I didn’t have a ton of money?” A hysterical laugh escaped his mouth as he threw his head back.

  Ivy glanced at Phoebe and saw that she was typing something on her laptop. If she could hack into NASA, then she’d better be able to get them some help. “It’s done, William. Your personal items will be sent to you. It’s up to the DA to pursue charges. The evidence of the crime was submitted this morning. Go home and call a lawyer.”

  It seemed to happen in slow motion—at least, that’s how it felt. Ivy watched him take a step away, reach around to his back, pull a gun out, and point it at them. Damn, did everyone in Texas come to work armed? Standing slowly, she kept her eyes on William the crazy accountant. Keep your eyes on me, you crazy lunatic. Resting one hand on the edge of the table, she slid the other toward her open purse. “William, do you really want to add attempted murder to your problems? I don’t think Petals is going to be able to overlook something like that.” As she spoke, she saw Rocko’s head clear the table, and he bared his teeth. Ivy didn’t want him hurt, so she placed her hand on his head. “William, put the gun down. You’re in a ton of trouble, and waving a gun around is only going to add to it.”

  “Shut up!” he yelled. “You don’t know anything about her.”

>   “That’s true, but I know a thing or two about what a girl looks for in a boyfriend. A man who threatens a bunch of innocent women and a dog isn’t considered an ideal mate. So if you hope to save your relationship, then put the gun down.”

  Rocko growled again, and William stared at the dog. “Make the dog shut up.”

  Ivy slipped her hand into her purse, pulled her gun out, and released the safety. Holding it at her side, she gave William one last warning. “Put the damn gun down and quit yelling at the dog. You made this mess, and I’m tired of watching you wave your gun at us. I’ve had a difficult couple of weeks, and my patience is about done. My daddy dies, someone shot at me, the wells are being sabotaged, and you and your crazy uncle stole money. Leave the dog alone.”

  Clearly, he wasn’t paying attention, because when Rocko bared his teeth and barked, William the idiot pointed his gun at the dog. “ Last chance, William.” She watched him release the safety, so she raised her gun smoothly and shot him in the leg. “Whatever doesn’t kill me had better start running,” she said.

  William’s large body crumpled to the ground and the gun slipped from his hand, as he groaned loudly. Rocko continued to growl and Ivy patted his head. “Someone call 911 if you haven’t already.” Leaning against the table, she let the gun clatter from her hand. Grace stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she began shaking violently.

  The doors burst open, and Ken ran in with his gun in his hand. “See if you can stop the bleeding,” Grace called out as she held on to Ivy.

  Phoebe came out of her shock, moved around the table, and took her sweater off. “Here, we can use this to tie around his leg.”

  The front doors of the building crashed open, and Ivy saw a bunch of police run in. They were followed by two paramedics. Knowing that help had arrived allowed her to take a deep breath in. The sound of the helo could be heard in the distance, and she figured that the guys had returned. As black spots filled her vision, she slipped out of Grace’s arms and fell to the floor.