by Me, Tara Sue
“Because I’m an ass, and I know it irritates you.” Tenor was actually speaking to me in a roundabout way. It wasn’t the way he spoke to me when he’d considered me his best friend, but it was better than how it’d been, and at that moment I took it.
I was saved from having to answer by Mia exiting the building. She held a beer in each hand, and as she stepped outside, she looked over her shoulder and said something to someone still inside.
“I swear she knows everyone,” Tenor grumbled, but he was smiling, and pride shone in his expression.
“Probably a good characteristic for a matchmaker to have.” I gave Mia a curt nod. She sat down and placed one of the beer bottles in front of Tenor. Before he could get mushy and kiss her in thanks, I spoke. “It’s rather fortuitous that the three of us crossed paths tonight. There’s something I need to tell you, and I wasn’t sure how or when to go about doing it, so I’ll take this as a sign.”
“Hell,” Tenor said. “It can’t be anything good with that many disclaimers. You haven’t fucked up again and fired another employee, have you?”
I knew he was referring to the way I fired Mia without his knowledge or approval. However, I wasn’t sure if he was joking or being serious. Obviously, Mia was just as confused, because she placed her hand atop his and simply whispered, “Tenor.”
“To be quite frank,” I said, “if I’d thought about firing her or if I had stayed in her presence long enough to get the words out, I might have done so. But, as it stands, you can have the honor of escorting Bri to the door. That is, if she has the balls to show back up at Bachelor International. My guess is she’s long gone, but people have been known to surprise me every so often, and I’ll be the first to admit that she’s done so on more than one occasion. It’s possible she’ll show up tomorrow.”
Trevor and Mia wore matching expressions of shock when I finished speaking.
“Do you want to tell me what the hell you’re talking about?” Tenor asked.
Mia still had her hand on top of his. She gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure Piers was just getting ready to tell us what he meant.”
I looked at Tenor. “Do I want to tell you what I’m talking about? Hell fucking, no, I don’t want to tell you. But I will because you need to know.”
Neither of them said anything for a long moment.
“Tell us,” Tenor said, lacing his fingers through Mia’s.
“I’m the threat against Bachelor International,” I said. “That’s why we have found nothing in the client files. One of the threats anyway.”
“How could you be a threat and not know it?” Mia asked.
“From what Bri told me, I’m the target of a shady underground organization in the UK.” That’s all I said, waiting for the information to sink in.
Tenor spoke first. “How does Bri know?”
I kept my voice as unemotional as possible. “She works for them.”
Mia gasped.
“Fuck,” Tenor said.
“She told you this?” Mia asked, her forehead wrinkled.
“Trust me,” I said. “I don’t think she wanted to tell me at all, or if she did, she didn’t want to tell me when she did. But we stopped by her apartment to pick a few things up, and a man was waiting inside for her. From what I gathered, he’s a bigwig in this organization. He wasn’t happy with her.”
“Is she okay?” Mia asked. “Did he leave? Is she there by herself?”
I reached up and scratched my head. “He left before I did, and she was fine when I left.”
“But you left her alone and a high-ranking man from a potentially shady company, who you admitted wasn’t happy with her, can get into her apartment?”
It was probably for the best I’d let out the part about the sniper. “Yes,” I said in reply to Mia’s question. “She’d pretty much admitted she came to Boston to destroy me professionally and that Bachelor International was just a casualty.”
“I can’t imagine she still feels that way,” Mia said.
“It doesn’t matter what she feels,” I said. “What matters is what they hired her to do.”
Mia opened her mouth to reply, but Tenor beat her to it. “I think he’s right, Mia.”
“I think there’s more to it that you both don’t see,” Mia said. “You don’t know her, Tenor. Not like I do. And Piers, all you remember is the young girl she was. You don’t know the woman she’s become.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying that I knew her better than she thought I did. As far as I was aware, Mia didn’t know that Bri and I had been seeing each other outside the office.
“I think we need to focus on the fact that Bachelor International might still be in danger,” I said.
“How probable is it we would remain in danger after Bri’s blown her cover and it’s known that you’re who they’re after?” Mia asked.
“If it’s probable at all, I think it needs to be taken seriously,” Tenor said.
“I’m not saying we don’t take it seriously.” Mia sounded irritated. “I’m saying we can focus on more than one thing.”
I had to admit she was right, but that still left one question. “What else do we need to focus on?”
“You said yourself these people are shady and not happy with Bri.” Mia bit her bottom lip. “I can’t help but worry about her.”
Chapter 20
Piers
I didn’t want Mia to be right. But the longer I thought about it, the more likely it appeared she was. When Bri confessed everything to me, she’d said she no longer believed what the Organization told her about me and that she had been working on her own to prove I wasn’t the criminal or the devil they’d painted me out to be.
I was also finding it harder and harder to fault her for thinking those horrid things about me. How was she to blame because they had groomed her to take me down? The only things she heard were lies. Once she had the information and ability to question those teachings, she did.
Could she have told me what was going on sooner than she did? Of course. But I could also see Bri’s side as well. It made more sense to wait until she had gathered up enough information to dispute the Organization. It was also possible that had she been forthcoming from the start and admitted everything at once that I wouldn’t have believed her. Yes, it was a small possibility, and I’d like to think I would have taken what she said seriously… But the fact remained I didn’t know with any certainty what my reaction would have been. If I wasn’t sure, how could I expect her to guess?
“I have to go,” I said to Mia. “I need to check on her.”
Mia’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “I haven’t found her.”
“But you will,” Mia said, eyes dancing. “And I wasn’t thanking you for saving her. I was thanking you for not being a dick about the situation.”
“Let’s not jump to any hasty assumptions yet,” Tenor said. “Jury is still out on whether Piers is a perpetual dick or only a situational one.” Though I knew he was being serious, there was a part of Tenor that was also teasing. I didn’t want to hope that his words and actions meant he forgave me for the way I’d botched things up in the beginning with him and Mia. However, I couldn’t help but feel as if significant strides had been made in that direction.
I wouldn’t hesitate to admit it: I missed my best friend. Since the age of thirteen, Tenor had been by my side and helped fill in the gap Bri’s absence had left. It was almost too much to think I could walk out of this mess with two restored friendships: Tenor and Bri.
For the time being, I wouldn’t listen to the voice saying I wanted way more than friendship from Bri.
My first stop was, obviously, back to Bri’s apartment. I didn’t realize how far I’d walked until I started back the way I’d come. I debated taking the train, but I hadn’t lied before when I told Bri I hated that fucking thing. Knowing my luck, it’d stop underground or in a tunnel, and I’d be stuck inside a ti
n can with a bunch of strangers who would soon learn I suffered from claustrophobia. It wouldn’t be pretty.
I continued walking.
As I drew closer to Bri’s apartment building, I couldn’t help but think on that one moment in time when we were both deceived. Why would the director of a children’s home go through so much trouble to ensure the separation of two young teenagers? And was that separation in any way related to the Organization Bri now worked for? It didn’t seem likely, but I couldn’t deny it was a possibility.
I should have asked Bri more questions about her employer. What was their end game? Why was I so important to them? Yes, I’d worked for some major businesses before, but I couldn’t put a finger on anything resulting from those businesses that could equal the utter mess I now found myself in.
Nor did it seem possible that any of my pro bono cases could bring about the wrath of a questionable organization.
I wanted to get my hands on the information they had given her to see if it was real, doctored, or completely made up. What offenses had been cast at my feet? It bothered me to know someone could have found my services lacking and never told me. I needed to know details and had to hold back my impatience, telling myself whatever had been devised hadn’t been planned or created overnight, and because of that, I couldn’t expect to correct it that quickly.
I made it to Bri’s apartment. The doorman, who recognized me thanks to my many visits over the past few weeks, didn’t stop me but waved me inside. I made a note to talk to Bri and the building’s management. While I couldn’t deny I benefited from the lax security, it really wasn’t a safe practice. Just because I’d been seen with Bri didn’t give me carte blanche to come and go as I pleased.
I took the elevator up to her floor, wondering if I should have called before coming over. Too late to worry about it now. Besides, I reasoned, if I had called, the odds leaned heavily to her ignoring me.
Not that it mattered. I made it to her door and knocked. Nothing from inside. I glanced at my watch to check the time. It wasn’t late enough for her to be in bed. But unfortunately, I didn’t know what time it had been when I stormed out, so I wasn’t sure how long I’d been gone.
I knocked again. “Bri,” I called out, probably louder than necessary. “It’s me, Piers.”
Still nothing.
The third time I knocked, the door to the apartment next to hers opened and an older gentleman stuck his head out into the hall. “Stop your shouting,” he said, obviously disgruntled at my presence. “You’re being way too loud.”
“Sorry,” I apologized, even though I wasn’t sorry at all. “I’m looking for Bri. Do you know if she’s inside?” It was a stupid question. Where else would she be after ten thirty at night?
“You think I have nothing better to do than to sit around and concern myself with when that girl goes somewhere with someone?”
Was he saying she’d left tonight with someone? “Of course not,” I said in response to his question. “It’s only you come across as someone who knows what’s going on.”
I said nothing else. There was no need. Instead, I watched his chest swell with pride. All the while hiding a grin. Because I knew he was about to spill everything he knew.
“Hell, boy.” He shook his head and laughed. I stood frozen because I suspected he was getting ready to call me out for the number of times I’d come by in the past week. “You really know what you’re doing, playing me like that. But you should know better than to play a player.”
I took a deep breath, preparing myself to leave. “Right.”
“I like you though,” he said before I could convince my feet to move. He waved me toward him and dropped his voice to a whisper. “She’s not there. She left not long after you took off a few hours ago.”
“Ah,” I said, abashed. “What can I say? I came to my senses and want to apologize.”
“Good luck with that,” he said.
“Thanks. You don’t know where she was headed, do you?”
“I’m good,” he said with a soft laugh. “But I’m not that good.”
I shot him a smile, a genuine one because I truly liked Bri’s neighbor. “Worth the try.”
“I hope you find her,” he said and closed the door between us.
“Me too,” I whispered to the empty hallway. “Me too.”
It was after one in the morning before I trudge into my apartment in the city. I’d gone by the Bachelor International building to check her office and called Tenor and Mia to make sure Bri hadn’t gone by their place. I didn’t bother calling the hospitals or airlines because I knew I’d get nothing useful from them. Instead, I contacted a few of my best trackers and had them do their own checking.
I drove by the library and the museum. Neither of them were fruitful, and I felt defeated making my way home with empty hands and no additional information to work with. I could only hope a few hours of sleep would prove beneficial and I’d awake with a few new ideas in the morning. I was so exhausted I crawled on top of my bed and fell asleep in the clothes I had on.
Chapter 21
Piers
One week later, Bri was still nowhere to be found. She hadn’t shown up at Bachelor International, and neither Mia nor Tenor had heard from her. We contacted the police, but there was little they could do.
I went by her apartment even though her neighbor—Frank Gillespie, I’d learned—had told me he’d contact me if or when she returned. But so far, nothing.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that her disappearance had something to do with the man inside her apartment. His words that evening had been calm, but I knew better than to underestimate the man. Why should he bother showing displeasure at all when he had a sharpshooter following him around?
Thoughts of the sharpshooter always set me on edge because I feared what could happen to Bri if she was with them. As the days went by with no sign of her, it seemed more and more likely that was what happened.
I was getting ready to enter her apartment building when my phone buzzed with an incoming text. Stepping out of the flow of traffic, I checked to see who it was. My heart pounded at the sight of the urgent notification from one of my paid investigators, Trent. His message was brief.
Call me ASAP when able to talk.
I ducked onto a side street and called.
After being unable to find Bri that first night, I’d put a man on the trail of Mr. Newsome. I wasn’t sure where he currently lived or if he was still alive, but I thought he was as good as a place to start as any in my search for the truth. So far, my investigator hadn’t been able to locate him. Maybe that had changed.
“What have you found?” I asked by way of a greeting.
“He’s alive.”
I let out my breath. “Where?”
“Providence.”
It took my brain a second to catch up. “Rhode Island?”
“Yes.”
“What the fuck is he doing in Rhode Island?” And how was it possible he lived a mere hour from me and I never knew?
“He came to the States seven years ago under the Immigrant Investment Program.”
I was seeing why Trent told me to call when I could talk. I wished I was sitting at my desk with my laptop handy. “He worked in London as the head of a children’s home. How did he come across the money or the business he needed to apply?”
“That’s where it gets interesting.” I heard papers shuffle. “According to the records I’ve been able to find, he left the children’s home not long after you did. The day he left, he had over two million pounds in his bank account and a controlling interest in Miltawords Software.”
I vaguely remembered hearing about Miltawords. They were an up-and-coming software company from the UK and had been acquired a handful of years ago by a big name out on the West Coast for an obscene amount of money.
“What the everlasting fuck?” I ran my hand through my hair. “That makes no sense at all.”
“Not a bit, and it gets worse,” Trent agree
d. “I looked into where the money came from and how he got involved with Miltawords. There’s no direct link to anyone or any corporation.”
“Of course not.”
“But I happened to notice the name TPA in a few documents.”
TPA? I frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that company before.”
“I’m not sure many people have. It appears to be a sham.”
Which seemed to be the case with everything I’d tried to research lately. “Not surprising. Did the government not look into any of this at the time?”
“Did you really just ask me that question?”
“I guess not.” I sighed. “At least I can do a quick trip down the road and won’t have to travel out of the country.”
While I wrapped things up, I couldn’t help but wonder if Bri had somehow discovered Mr. Newsome’s current location before I had. If so, maybe she had traveled to Providence.
But for over a week? It seemed very unlikely.
Trent told me he’d send an encrypted email with his report, including all the contact details for Mr. Newsome, within the hour. I thanked him and started the trek back to my apartment.
Less than three hours later, I was on the road to Providence. My plan was to stay overnight in a hotel and knock on Newsome’s door first thing in the morning. I’d also decided not to call Mia or Tenor until I made it to the hotel. Not that I thought they would try to talk me out of seeing Newsome. On the contrary, I feared they’d want to come with me or would balk at me coming by myself.
Though I appreciated they would volunteer to travel with me, I wanted to confront Newsome alone. It didn’t matter how rich he was. He’d lied to me, and I didn’t take kindly to anyone lying to me. He’d once held a position of power over me, but those days were long gone, and I was no longer the young teenager he remembered.
And on the off chance Bri was in Providence, things would probably go better if she only had to deal with me. She might get defensive if she saw the three of us approaching.