Seven Guilty Pleasures

by Jeannette Winters

“Do you need me to grant you access to our employee database?”

  Gabe laughed. “If I did, you wouldn’t really need me.”

  Cocky bastard. Hope you’re as good as you think you are. Then again, Drake was not sure he wanted Gabe hacking into his system. A guy like Gabe probably could do a lot of fucking damage if he chose to. Not someone you want to piss off. Gabe could’ve gotten in and never mentioned it to Drake. Hopefully whatever Gabe found would be beneficial. “Good. Then I’d also like to add to your list, enhance security and firewalls while you’re in there.”

  “Will do. I’ll also let you know if anyone else has been fishing around before me.”

  If Drake’s gut was correct, there had been. He needed to know if it was someone internally. If so, he could put an end to that quickly by removing their access and terminating them.

  “I am meeting with Dean Henderson in a few days to discuss the groundbreaking. We need this cleared up before then.”

  “Send me the names, and I’ll get started.”

  Gabe made it sound as though that was easy. But Drake had intentionally left out a few key elements. He wanted to see what Gabe would bring back. Hopefully answers and not more questions.

  Drake sent him a message containing the names. He had highlighted Isa’s name in bold. Next to her name he commented, still employed but highly questionable.

  Gabe responded, simply saying, “Got it.”

  Drake wasn’t used to handing the reins over to someone else. If he had his way, he would be standing right behind Gabe monitoring everything he did. Since that didn’t seem to be a possibility, he decided to focus on the one thing he had control of. Running his business.

  It was a good time to make his daily walk through the facility. That kept the staff on their toes because they never knew when he would show up. But he also liked to see the guests. He didn’t interact with them on a personal level, but he liked to overhear what they had to say about their stay. For now, he was at the top of his game. High View Falls was the place everyone wanted to go to. He could not risk losing that reputation. If he did, then the resort in Tabiq wouldn’t have a chance in hell of success. And I never come out the loser.

  Chapter 6

  Isa had looked over her shoulder the entire shift. She really expected Drake to show up and make a scene. It’s not what she wanted, but it was what she anticipated. She even planned what she would say. Quote a few lines from the code of conduct manual and then explain that she’d declined coffee, whatever made him believe she’d show for lunch. It all sounded great in her head. Then again, her plans usually did. The outcome, on the other hand, was never quite what she thought.

  “Is everything okay?” Janet asked as their shift was coming to an end.

  Isa nodded. “You weren’t joking. Thursday night seemed like a breeze compared to this. I have no idea how you do it.”

  Janet laughed and elbowed her playfully. “Easy. I count my tips, and I’m rejuvenated.” Then she rushed off with her last tray of drinks for the night.

  Isa’s replacement had already shown up, so her night was over. And not soon enough. She went into the back room and pulled out her tips. As she counted them, she had to admit Janet was right. Isa’s dream was to go to college, get her degree, and land another nine to five position. Now she saw the benefit of holding a job in an affluent lounge. She cleared another five hundred dollars in tips tonight. The only other time she’d seen that was her first day when Alex dropped that wad of cash, but she now understood why. If she had known he was trying to lure her in, she’d have thrown that money in the trash before accepting it.

  But it was too late. She had already applied it to her back rent first thing the next morning. Isa was just that stubborn that she’d let her pride stand in the way of what bought her extra time in her apartment. But that’s who she was, a person with character. She’d crossed paths with enough unscrupulous people to know she never wanted to be one. I want to be the woman my parents would be proud to call their daughter.

  She missed home more and more lately. It didn’t make sense. She thought she’d forget through the years, but that hadn’t happened. The sounds, the smells, the love that had filled the house were haunting her. If she reached out after twenty years, would it be any different? Isa knew her parents would accept her back, but it wouldn’t be enough. Nothing could make her unsullied. She’d be viewed as . . . damaged goods. And they’d be right.

  Isa never had an intimate relationship. At least not willingly. After the horrendous abuse, she’d never trust another living soul to touch her in such a manner. She’d spoken to other women who’d suffered the same fate. Their stories were even worse. The brutality was unimaginable. At least Isa hadn’t been beaten or tortured. He only took my innocence. The one thing I had to offer a husband. The one thing I should’ve had the right to give or not.

  The Bowens had been kind enough to get her into support groups, even though she never told them what had happened. But living in their house, they must’ve heard her crying out in her sleep. It used to be a nightly occurrence. But in those groups she never spoke, she only listened. She still wasn’t able to say the words.

  That’s how she knew going back was impossible. Even if they would accept her, it still might break her. She was in the United States now, and that was where she belonged. It meant being Isa Bowen and no longer Isa Grzyb. A small price to pay for freedom. A large price to pay for losing my family.

  All this weighed heavily on her heart. Thankfully Janet returned to the back room and was in a very cheery mood. She was waving her money in the air saying, “It is Friday night, let’s go out and celebrate.”

  Isa laughed. “You do know we have to work tomorrow, don’t you?”

  Janet nodded. “I’m sure you can get away with being a little late.”

  That was the second time Janet made that statement. Isa did not understand why she assumed the new girl could get away with anything. It was the exact opposite. She was in a probationary period and getting a warning could adversely affect her employment status.

  “I believe you have that incorrect.”

  Janet crossed her arms saying, “Isa, you’re having coffee with the boss, and you don’t think he will cut you some slack?”

  “I have never had coffee with Carlos.” She liked Janet a lot, but there was no way she could allow those rumors to get started. It wasn’t only that Carlos was her boss. He was also a married man.

  “Duh. I’m not talking about him.”

  Isa was confused. Carlos was her boss. There was no way she meant Drake. But he was the one who asked me for coffee. “Do you mean—”

  “Oh, girl, sometimes you are so dense. Of course, I mean Mr. Fletcher. Unless you’re having coffee with more than one man. If so I wouldn’t let him know, because he seems like a jealous type.”

  Being called dense wasn’t as bad as learning Mr. Fletcher was somehow her boss. Since Janet already knew more than what Isa would like her to, she decided to pump her for information.

  “Dra—Mr. Fletcher is Carlos’s boss?”

  “His and everybody else’s.” Janet grinned. “Isa, you have no idea who he is, do you?” Isa shook her head. “He owns this joint.”

  “Do you mean the Pussy Cat Lounge?”

  Janet shook her head. “I mean he owns it all. The casino, the hotel, and everything in it. So yeah, he’s Carlos’s boss.”

  Isa grabbed the counter; this new development was a bit overwhelming. She knew Drake acted as though he was in control of things, but she never thought he actually was. “Janet, you’re not teasing me are you?” She really hoped she was. Isa wasn’t fond of pranks, but at this moment she would prefer it over the reality.

  “I’m sorry, Isa. I honestly thought you knew. You’re not going to tell him I told you, are you?”

  Isa could see the concern in Janet’s eyes. Obviously, Drake had intentionally kept that information from her and may not appreciate Janet revealing it. Janet had been supportive, and Isa wa
s not about to feed her to the wolves. But Drake is no wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s all wolf and doesn’t hide it.

  Isa reached out and touched Janet’s arm gently. “I promise not to say a word. Can you please do the same for me?”

  Janet threw her arms around Isa, hugging her so tight she thought her ribs would break. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have this job.”

  We have that in common. “They would be a fool to lose you because you could run this lounge.” In a softer voice, Isa added, “Don’t tell Carlos I said that.”

  Both ladies chuckled, grabbed their purses, and headed toward the service elevator. Isa half expected to see Drake hanging around as he had last night. She knew if he had then Janet’s light mood would vanish once again. But they were able to make it to the dressing room, remove their makeup, and head out for the night.

  When Janet was following her outside Isa asked, “I thought you were going out to celebrate?”

  Janet replied, “I am. But I can’t afford the drinks here. There is a pizza joint that’s open until four in the morning. I usually meet up with friends there. Heck, we work too hard earning this money to give it right back to them.”

  “You got that right.” Isa was about to head to the bus stop when she halted abruptly and turned toward Janet. “What toppings do you like on your pizza?”

  “Peppers and onions, but if you come, I’ll let you pick.”

  Isa didn’t eat much pizza because it didn’t take much for her to gain weight. But that was when she had a desk job. Now she was on her feet for at least eight hours a day. She could definitely go for a couple of slices of hot pizza. And some good company. Going home to an empty apartment, especially after what she’d just learned, meant another sleepless night.

  “Peppers and onions it is.”

  Janet seemed more elated than Isa as she raised her fist in the air and pulled her elbow down quickly shouting, “Yes!”

  At least one of us is thrilled we won’t be going home to sleep.

  * * *

  Drake had intended to be there when Isa got off her shift, but when Gabe called and asked to meet with him, he knew Gabe had found something important. What Drake didn’t know was if it was about Isa or the three men he had fired.

  Since Drake didn’t want anyone to know he was working with Gabe, he opted to meet him off-site. There was a bar on the other side of town he didn’t believe anyone who worked for him would go to. It looked shady on the outside and probably worse inside. But it was the type of place where no one would question what was going on.

  Sure enough, when he went in the joint was so stale with cigarette smoke, you could cut the air with a knife. He looked around, and there was only one man in the bar who could be Gabe. The only guy who probably showered. Making his way over, he took the empty seat across from him.

  Gabe said, “You really couldn’t pick another place?”

  He’d also questioned his own judgment after entering, but he wasn’t about to let Gabe know that. “Scared? If you are, you’re probably not the right guy for the job.”

  Gabe laughed. “You decide once you hear what I’ve learned.”

  The waitress came over snapping her gum, and asked, “You want a beer?”

  Drake didn’t want to put anything from that place in his mouth, but hopefully, the alcohol killed the germs. He nodded and walked away. The waitress never even asked what kind. From the looks of the crowd, it probably didn’t matter as long as it was cold.

  “Let me start by saying, what I found is not true.”

  Drake arched a brow. He did not come out to find Gabe had nothing of importance to say. Could the Hendersons have overstated Gabe’s qualifications? He hoped not. A lot was riding on finding the answers.

  “What you’re telling me is, you have nothing.” Drake did not hide his frustration one bit.

  Gabe shook his head. “I’m saying I found what they want me to find. It’s as though someone knew you would go to great lengths to get to the bottom of it.”

  “And they would be right. Tell me what you found.” Whether it was true or not, Drake wanted to hear it. If it was that important for someone to plant information, he needed to know what it was.

  “Whoever is behind this knows the Hendersons are trying to rebuild Tabiq. And they knew you were going to be offered the opportunity to join forces with them.”

  Drake did not believe the leak was on his side, because he had not told anyone except his attorney. And that only took place after the thefts had already occurred. “What exactly does this have to do with the thefts?”

  “Everything. I was able to locate emails which appeared to come from one of the Hendersons with instructions on what to do. They mentioned how much to take, when, and how much they would get paid for doing so.”

  Drake did not like this development one bit. Gabe said it was a lie, but why would anyone go to such extreme lengths as to pretend to be a Henderson? “You are positive they did not do this? Because I’m not sure where your loyalty lies. They are the ones who recommended you to me.” Drake could feel the anger building up within him. He did not like being played for a fool, and Henderson or not, he wasn’t going to stand by and let them get away with it.

  “I guarantee it’s not. My loyalty is to my family and the truth. There is no reason for me to lie. But I am very concerned with what I found. I do not believe you are the target.”

  “They want me to go after the Hendersons?” Gabe nodded in response. “Why would anyone want that? What do they gain?” It wasn’t as though Drake had been friendly with the Hendersons before this. If anything he only knew their names and reputation.

  “I suspect they want control of Tabiq.”

  He had already signed the contract and backing out now would be a financial loss of millions of dollars. There was no way he was going to let go of that kind of cash when there was time to turn things around and gain the upper hand.

  “Have you told Dean or anyone else about this?”

  “I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “I’m glad you did. I need you to find out who is behind this.” Because they’re fucking with my company. Nobody gets away with that.

  Gabe nodded. “Already in process. Whether you wanted it or not, I’m not walking away until we have the answers.”

  “Because of the Hendersons?”

  Shaking his head, Gabe replied, “I’ve spent more time in Tabiq than I ever imagined I would. I’ve seen the ugly side, and I’ve also seen the hope in the people for change. They have fought long and hard, and it would be a damn shame to revert to the old ways now. Besides you, only my brothers are aware of what is going on.”

  Drake hadn’t approved of Gabe sharing this information. “And you can trust them not to say anything?”

  Firmly Gabe answered, “I trust them with my life.”

  It had been a foolish question, but Drake was an only child and didn’t have anyone he could count on to have his back to that extent. And being at the top of his game, trusting others was riskier. Nothing makes another happier than watching someone fall. But the Hendersons were not his competition. And if what Gabe said was true, the Hendersons might be the ones to need him.

  He didn’t want to ask the question, because he was afraid of the answer. But he had to know. “What about Isa Bowen?” Gabe leaned back in his chair, and Drake could tell he did not want to discuss the topic. “What the fuck did you find?”

  “She changed her name to Bowen when she became a US citizen years ago. She originally is from Tabiq.”

  “Tell me something I wasn’t able to find on my own,” Drake demanded angrily.

  “She has nothing to do with what happened with the other employees.”

  But you’re not telling me what you found. Why? “If you want me to trust you, give me a reason. Right now I don’t.”

  “The information I have is not vital to you.”

  “But it is vital?” Gabe nodded, and Drake asked, “To w
hom?”

  “The Hendersons.”

  It seems to always come back to them. “Yet you’re telling me it’s not connected to the thefts? Is she a plant here for another reason?”

  “I’m not sure why she is here. Everything I have uncovered shows she’s been searching for a job for a few months. She’s behind on paying bills and was at risk of being evicted from her apartment. I believe it is a coincidence that she landed on your doorstep.”

  “I don’t believe in coincidence or luck of any kind. And you’re saying this is vital to a Henderson? Why? Because she’s from Tabiq?”

  “If I’m correct, she is someone who has been missing for many years and presumed dead.”

  “And?” This cat and mouse game was getting old quickly.

  “I would like to have confirmation of this before it goes any further.”

  “I’ll just ask her,” Drake said and enjoyed the look of panic on Gabe’s face. Don’t call my bluff.

  “You really are an asshole, aren’t you?” Drake nodded and Gabe continued, “If I am correct she is the sister of Ziva, Alex’s wife.”

  The wheels were turning, and he recalled how badly Ziva wanted Isa to work at the resort in Tabiq. Was it possible Ziva knew she was her sister? How, when she was in a costume and makeup? Drake couldn’t make the connection. Gabe may have provided information regarding Isa, but now he had more questions than ever. Is that why she refused to take the job? Is she hiding from her family? Or from the Hendersons? If she fled Tabiq, did I inadvertently put her in danger when she met Alex?

  “I suggest you get your ass back to work because it sounds as though there are a lot of loose ends.” And I need those answers fast.

  Gabe got up and dropped a twenty on the table without taking a sip of the beer the waitress had brought him. “Let’s get something straight. You might have hired me, but I don’t work for you. I do things my way. If you took the time to do your research, you’d have learned what Turchettas Promise was all about. We help the innocent. The ones really in need. I’m not sure you or the Hendersons fit that category. But don’t worry. I’m not quitting. There is something definitely not right. You’ll get the information as soon as I have it. Whether you like what I find, well, that’s a different story.”