Time to Play

by Sam Crescent

  Rolling her eyes, she saw Cole walking into the room followed by a very sweaty Callum.

  “I’ve got to go. Both men have just come to get me. Chat soon.”

  She hung up the phone before her brother could stop her.

  “Anything interesting?”Callum asked, pointing to her cell phone.

  “My brother doing his routine check up.”

  “What do you two have in common?” Cole asked, leaning down to kiss her neck.

  “We both loathe our father. We both came to the conclusion when we were growing up that Malcolm Allusifa is the spawn of Satan.”

  Callum chuckled. “I don’t think you’re wrong there.”

  “It must hurt to think that about your parent. Malcolm may be a bastard, but he’s still your father,” Cole said, reaching down to cup her breast.

  “He was nothing more than a glorified sperm donor. There is nothing inside even close to being parental.”

  Cole cupped her cheek. “Then we’ve got you all to ourselves.” He claimed her lips.

  Simone pulled away on a giggle. Turning back to her desk she went through more of the file. Cole remained at her back, playing with her hair.

  “Do you think we should go out tonight?” Callum asked. “I need to be seen with my woman again. The press will have a field day if I go alone.”

  “I don’t want to go out. If we go out then we have to act all conventional. I want to touch Cole as well as you,” she said, pouting.

  Cole laughed. “I’ll account for every touch and kiss. You can make it up to me in more interesting ways,” he said.

  Simone laughed with him, gazing down at the sheet. She frowned looking at the piece of paper. Picking up the paper, she held the page to the light seeing none of the watermarks from the office supplies on the paper.

  “What’s up?” Callum asked.

  “This is not my signature, and the paper is not from my office.” She glanced at the figures seeing a withdrawal of a sum that made her gasp. “This is not right. I don’t understand. Someone should have noticed this. It is so obvious.”

  She flicked through the file seeing the correct date with alternate figures. The doorbell rang interrupting her.

  Callum left to answer while Cole leaned over her. He was watching her make quick calculations and then holding several sheets up to the light.

  “These are what we’ve been looking for,” she said. “Someone has tried to forge my signature. You see how they have not curled the ‘f’ in my name. I curl mine.” She signed her signature on a piece of spare paper for Cole to look at.

  “I see. Your signature is nothing alike.”

  “There is something else. Because my figures get looked at for tax purposes I have watermarked paper that I use when printing off the correct information and data for file. I fill in each form, print off, then sign. This then gets filed away into the correct file for month and year.”

  Cole nodded his head. She lifted up a piece of the work she’d done. “See, the company’s ledger and watermark can be seen.” Then she held up the doctored figures.

  “There is no watermark,” Cole said.

  “That’s because it is an ordinary piece of paper.” She smiled feeling like she’d accomplished something. “Not only that, this was filed away under last year’s accounts. They’ve already been processed, and this is dated for over four months ago. This would get overlooked, and no one would be any the wiser.”

  “Who can get this water-marked paper?”

  “About every other person in the company.”

  Cole sighed. “We’re still back to not knowing who could have doctored these files.”

  “Then maybe I can help,” Daniel said.

  Simone turned to see her brother. He was holding a file as well.

  “What is going on?” she asked.

  “I think it is time we bring her up to speed on everything that has been going on.”

  All three men looked at her with sober expressions. “Wow, what the hell is going on? You guys look annoyed.”

  “Someone set up cameras in every room in your apartment and began to broadcast it over the internet.”

  Simone felt her cheeks heat up.

  “What?”

  “Have you ever heard of girls getting paid to show their homes off, bring guys back to their apartment for people to watch?”

  She nodded her head. There had been a documentary on it some time ago. She’d hated watching it let alone thinking of some guy or guys watching her and getting off on the experience.

  “Do you mean to tell me, someone set up my apartment for guys to spy on me?”

  Cole and Callum nodded. She shuddered. Simone was freaked out by the thought of someone watching her. Getting off on watching her take a shower or go to the toilet.

  Ew.

  “Moving on, your broadcast went down about a week ago. I got my guys to go into your apartment and find every single camera. Your apartment is clean and camera free,” Daniel said.

  “I may sleep better. Not! Wait, my dad pays for that apartment,” she said.

  Her brother shook his head. “I pay for your apartment. He wanted nothing to do with you.”

  Her father was a lying bastard.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cole tried to contain his chuckle.

  “Cole and Callum gave me the files of everyone you had worked with and had access to your area of the building,” Daniel said. He walked over to her desk with Callum coming up behind him. “Nothing looked out of place until I saw this guy.”

  He flicked a file open. Cole didn’t recognise the man.

  “What about John?” she asked.

  “You know him?” Callum asked.

  Simone nodded. “His name is John Buttons. Besides being a cheating scumbag he’s harmless.”

  “How do you know this?” Daniel asked.

  “He was the boyfriend you caught sleeping with his secretary?”

  Cole froze.

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s his name?” Daniel asked.

  “John Buttons.”

  Daniel shook his head. “His real name is Clarke Wilson. He was accused of sexual harassment some years ago. Malcolm didn’t want to fire him, but I forced the issue. This was before I started out on my own. This guy is bad news.”

  “Why do I think Malcolm has something to do with this?” Callum asked.

  “Because Malcolm would plant him inside your company. Only he’d use him to gain information to take you down. Not to take your money.”

  “That’s his signature on the form,” Simone said.

  Cole turned back to her.

  “I knew I recognised the writing, I couldn’t place it.”

  “What I don’t get is why Malcolm would use someone like him. He wasn’t exactly the brightest person alive. The only thing Clarke was good at was trying to feel up the ladies and being late for work. He couldn’t do what Malcolm wanted him to do,” Daniel said.

  “That makes no sense.” Cole added.

  “John was also the only man you ever let into your apartment,” Daniel said.

  “You mean he was the one responsible for broadcasting me over the internet?” Simone asked. He heard the upset in her voice.

  “I’m afraid so, sis.”

  “That is disgusting.”

  “Do you want the other good news?” Daniel asked.

  “What?” Cole was getting annoyed. Her brother was bringing nothing but bad news.

  “John Buttons or Clarke Wilson was spotted going into our father’s main building. I’ve called the police and given them the update. We can be there to confront both of them if you’re ready.”

  “I’ll go and get dressed. I want to witness this,” Cole said.

  Callum was in agreement.

  Cole took the quickest shower of his life. When he came out of the bathroom and made his way through to the sitting room, Simone was curled up against her brother.

  “It’s going to be okay. I’m not going to le
t anything happen to you,” Daniel said.

  His friend came up behind him. He pressed a finger to his lips to be quiet.

  “How can you take care of this? There are people out there who have seen me naked, Daniel. This is worse than anything else.”

  “Cole and Callum will not care.”

  “Not yet they don’t. They will though. Who wants a woman who has been seen by half the world?” Simone sniffled wiping her eyes.

  “I think you’re presuming too much, sweetheart. There is no way half the world has seen you naked.”

  She chuckled.

  “Do I need to kick their ass?” he asked.

  “No. They’re wonderful, Daniel. Please, let’s sort this mess out, and then we can figure everything else out.”

  She rubbed her nose. Cole and Callum made their presence known.

  “Let’s go and kick some butt,” Cole said.

  Simone laughed, wiping at her eyes. Cole wanted to go to her. He wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter if she’d known about the broadcasting and fucked a million men. She’d still be the one he wanted to sleep with at night.

  “I’m driving,” Daniel said, holding up his keys.

  “I don’t think so. Let’s do this in style.” Callum put a call through to the limousine company.

  Within twenty minutes all four of them were seated in the back watching the city go by.

  Cole stroked her knee feeling himself grow calmer with each touch.

  “You don’t work for dad anymore?” she asked.

  “I haven’t worked for our father in years, Simone.”

  “How come?”

  Daniel sighed. “He blackmailed a lovely girl who was an up and coming singer at the time to kiss and tell.”

  Cole felt her stiffen by his side, and glaring at Daniel, he tried to send him a warning. Callum looked like he was doing the exact same thing.

  “Be careful what you say, Allusifa.”

  “She has a right to know.”

  “That’s the singer who you shared, right?” Simone asked.

  Cole nodded his head.

  “I see why you stopped working for him.”

  “After that, I couldn’t work for a man who forced someone’s hand. He ruined her career, and for that I couldn’t forgive him. Even if that very man is my father.”

  Cole continued to stroke her knee.

  “You’re not like him, Daniel.”

  “Don’t start this, Simone. We’re who we are because of what happened.”

  He began to listen intently.

  “You’d be a wonderful husband and a fantastic father.”

  “If you really believe that then why are you not married? Where are all the children you wanted?”

  Simone sighed beside him. “Our choices change.”

  “I don’t think we should be having this conversation in front of your men. They look ready to tear me apart.”

  Cole watched her sit back. She took his hand in hers, and they sat together looking out of the window.

  Within minutes they were outside of the Allusifa building. “I’ve never been here. We declined every meeting.”

  Daniel was taking a call as they got out of the limousine. “The police are on their way. They’re letting us go on ahead. I have them on speaker phone so that they will hear everything.”

  People on the street stopped to look at them. Cole kept hold of her hand. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “The last time I came here was when my mother brought me. It was the day she requested a divorce.” He felt her shudder. The memory was clearly not a pleasant one.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said.

  “We won’t let anything happen to you,” Callum added.

  “Thanks.”

  Together they walked into the main foyer of the building. Daniel took the lead to the elevator. Several women tried to stop them. Each one was ignored.

  “John will be gone before we make it to the top floor,” Callum said.

  “No, he’ll be there. Malcolm doesn’t like to be disturbed. If he’s in a meeting no one will interrupt,” Daniel said.

  The elevator took them up to the main floor.

  Show time.

  ****

  Simone wanted to run and hide. All she could remember was the shouting as her mother and father cursed and yelled. The tears and the heartache were still palpable after nineteen years of history.

  Cole’s and Callum’s presences stopped her from hiding away. The door to Malcolm’s office was closed. She heard his receptionist shouting in the distance. Daniel opened the doors, and all four of them walked into the office.

  She saw John sat with one leg crossed over the other in front of her father’s desk. Staring at the man she’d slept with, the same man who’d tried to frame her for theft and fraud, the very same man who had broadcast her over the internet without her permission, the anger she’d kept down for weeks came back.

  Pulling away from Cole she charged him. She shoved him off the chair he sat on.

  “How fucking dare you invade my privacy.” She yelled every word.

  John stood up, his arrogance ebbing away. “You can’t prove anything.”

  “You want to fucking bet?” She went to her father’s desk, grabbed his pen and a piece of paper. “Sign your name,” she said.

  John looked from her to the paper. “You’ve got to be joking. No.”

  She turned to Callum and Cole. They came forward grabbing John. “The lady said to sign your name.”

  “Lady? She’s no lady. A slut more like.”

  Daniel charged through. He pushed both men out of the way to grab the lapels of John’s jacket. “Remember me, you little shit?” John showed actual terror.

  “That’s my sister you’re talking about. Sign the paper before I end you.”

  John picked up the pen, signing his name.

  Simone looked at his signature. “Now, sign mine.”

  He hesitated, and Daniel pressed into the base of his back. “Sign her name.” He signed her name. She grabbed the piece of paper then pulled out the one she’d found in the filing cabinet. Matching them up, it was a perfect fit.

  She turned both pieces of paper round to show John. He paled.

  “What the blazes is going on?” Malcolm asked. His voice rose in the airy office.

  “The man you’ve been paying to try to take us down, decided to steal from us. Not only that, he’s been broadcasting your daughter over the internet and getting profit without her knowledge,” Callum said.

  “I don’t understand why you did it,” Simone said.

  “You have no right asking him these questions. I suggest you leave,” Malcolm said.

  “Don’t interfere, Malcolm. We’ll come to you in a minute,” her brother said.

  Simone did not take her eyes off John. “Why did you do it?”

  John looked at her and sneered. “It is all right for you. You grew up in luxury. I needed the money.”

  “Shut your fucking mouth,” Malcolm yelled.

  John stared at her father, and she saw the look of revulsion on his face. “I did everything you asked. I’ve given you more than enough to take down their company. The moment they took over the agency it was a piece of cake.”

  She looked at Cole and Callum to see their reaction. The file in front of her father contained important information. Daniel grabbed it off the desk. He flicked through the contents and paled. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” he asked.

  Malcolm reached for the file, but her brother held it out of his reach. She watched, shocked, as her father remained silent.

  “You could ruin everything with this,” Daniel said.

  “What do you mean?” Simone asked.

  “Stealing is a criminal offence. If he’s convicted he’d be doing time,” Cole said.

  Simone looked over at her father. “All this over a woman?”

  John laughed. “He’s got a real grudge against these t
wo. He wants them out of the picture.”

  “Why are you suddenly being forthcoming?” her brother asked.

  “You’ve got me. I think it’s best if I cooperate.”

  “No, his debt collectors are after him,” Malcolm said, finally saying a word.

  Her head was beginning to hurt. “Debt collectors?”

  Malcolm smirked. “I do my background work properly. You like the cards and pretty much any game that risks losing you money, don’t you? He’s up to his neck in debt and not from the sort who can wait for their money back.”

  “Wait? This is all about money?” Callum asked.

  She watched John bite his lip but didn’t say a word.

  “How much are we talking?” Callum spoke again.

  The two men remained silent.

  “What does the debt matter?” she asked.

  “Why would someone steal money from us as well as being paid to steal facts about our business, and then set up cameras in your apartment? There are too many money grabbing schemes here. How much money are we talking?” Callum explained the facts. John must be making plenty from the two jobs. Why set up the cameras?

  John mumbled a seven figure sum. Simone paled at the amount. “How can you get into that much debt?”

  “I guess you haven’t been to Vegas, baby,” Cole said. “In twenty-four hours on some high price stakes you can lose triple that.”

  Her body was shaking at the amount.

  “Let me guess. They were coming to collect?” Cole asked him.

  John stared at Malcolm and then turned to Callum. “He goes down with me?”

  “He won’t be leaving this unscathed.”

  “Three collectors were knocking on my door, and Malcolm paid enough to keep them off my back for a price,” John said.

  “Shut your fucking mouth.”

  “We already have the evidence, Dad,” Daniel said, silencing their father.

  “I was to get employed by the marketing firm that was handling your advertising. While I was there I was to gather as much information as possible.”

  “We’d never suspect anything from an unknown source,” Cole said.

  “When you bought the company, I was able to get everything he needed. He’s supposed to pay me the rest when the job was done.”

  “Why did you put the cameras in my apartment?” she asked.