by Kimbra Swain
“Of course, as an employee of Malone, your accounts will always be handled. I’m sorry. I don’t mean that arrogantly, it’s just that I take care of my employees financially. It’s doesn’t make for a good working environment, if you are worried about how to pay your next bill. There are some things of course that are not covered, but I’m prattling,” I stopped suddenly.
“Just the same. I am thankful,” he said. “We need to talk about the shooting.”
“Yes, we do,” I said.
“First of all, are you okay? The attack was mild I would think. I’ve seen much worse,” he said.
“Yes, it was mild. Other than some tension, I’m fine. Thank you for your help,” I said.
“Good. My sources say that the Abrego cartel is involved,” he said.
I nodded. “Yes, mine as well. However, I make a point to avoid Abrego’s business dealings. I’ve pulled out of profitable ventures just so I didn’t have to cross him. They are extremely dangerous, and I don’t want Malone tangled with them in any way.”
He stood up and walked to the window. I could only see him in profile. He was a stunning man. Angry sex would be nice. He shoved his hands in his pockets as I admired him and waited for him to speak.
Fifteen
JAMEY
She watched me as I decided how much of this story I wanted to tell her. The embarrassing conversation I’d heard between her and her personal assistant had her flustered. She and Charity Rimmel were obviously more than just co-workers. I had heard girl talk before so it didn’t faze me. In fact, it was rather amusing to hear Charity trying to convince her that I would be a good match for her.
I disagreed with the sentiment, but it was interesting to hear. I was sure we would strangle each other as opposed to providing any semblance of pleasure to each other. Still, the way she watched me, I knew she liked what she saw.
“It’s a Tom Ford,” I said.
“Ah, yes, James Bond,” she said. “Omega watch, too?”
I shook the timepiece on my arm flashing it to her. She smiled. “Some buddies and I bought the suits and watches a couple of years ago. I never wore mine. I decided it was time for a change.”
“It looks good,” she said.
“Thank you, Miss Malone,” I said.
“Alexa,” she said.
“No, inside the building, I prefer to keep it formal. We can’t have all of your employees assuming that we are having angry sex,” I said watching the flush travel over her cheeks again.
“Yes, well, my assistant needs to be admonished for her vulgar mouth,” she said.
“It’s okay. Truly. I came uninvited,” I said.
“My door is always open to you, Mr. Elliot,” she said.
“Is this room private? Can anyone hear us talking?” I asked.
She pointed to the camera in the corner. “Security can see and hear us,” she explained.
“Can you turn it off?” I asked.
She looked uneasy but pulled a remote out of her desk. Pointing it at the dark orb hanging from the ceiling, the red light went dark. “It’s off. We won’t be disturbed until Sebastian comes barreling in here demanding that I turn it back on.”
“How long do I have?” I asked turning to her.
“Less than five minutes, I’d say,” she replied.
“Okay, two months ago, I saw an opportunity to buy four businesses, liquidate the assets and create a small amount of cash flow for Bright. I’d seen my father do it a million times. Fortunately, the companies were easily acquired and liquidated. Before the money hit the bank account I was kidnapped and threatened by men who work for the Abrego cartel. I had no idea that the businesses belonged to them. To this day, I cannot find evidence that they owned them at all. Chevaka Jimenez demanded that I pay them back for the businesses which I promptly did. However, they didn’t find that to be punishment enough, they made me sign a contract that required that I move goods through Bright on occasion. They beat me within an inch of my life, and I signed their deal in my own blood,” I said barely breathing through any of it.
I’d come to the conclusion that if I decided that I wanted to destroy Alexandra Malone, then I would have to tell her about the Abrego deal. I didn’t want them to get a crack at her. She sat back in the chair and stared over my shoulder. “When I went through Bright’s financials, I saw the deals. Hoping to ask you about them at our meeting yesterday, I didn’t intend to bring it up until then. After we talked, I wasn’t sure we’d ever be on the same page. I suppose we have to be now,” she stood and paced to the window with her back to me.
“I don’t know why they would come after you. You don’t have anything to do with the deals,” I said.
“No, they think you told me about them, and I’m bailing you out to save you,” she said.
“You are saving Bright, but you didn’t know what you were getting into. I haven’t been contacted by them. To be honest, Miss Malone, they terrify me,” I said. It was true. The cartel was known for their brutality. The beating I took at their hands left evidence on my body for weeks. “I will contact them and assure them that you have nothing to do with it.”
“No,” she said.
“No?”
“Bright is my responsibility until such time that you buy it back from me Until then, I will deal with the Abrego problem. I’m having lunch today with a man who has a connection on the inside of their outfit. I’m hoping to get as much information as I can about them. Then we will all decide how we want to proceed. I’m putting a 24/7 guard on you. How much trouble would it be for you to move your office here?” she asked. I suddenly saw the stalwart businesswoman I’d always heard about. She faced the problem head-on and was covering all angles.
“Are you sure you want me here?” I asked.
She turned and tapped on the folder holding the contract. I nodded. “Come,” she said as she headed toward the door. I stood and quickly followed her down a long hallway. We came to the central reception area. She breezed through it without speaking to anyone, into an identical hallway on the other side of the building. I realized that all the rooms leading up to the last door were identical to the opposite side of the building. As we approached the door, the nameplate on the door said, “Synclair Elliot, Vice President.” She swung open the door, motioning for me to step inside.
The office was identical to hers. “This is the main office. Through that door is a small suite. One room and a bathroom. I put a small bed in mine. Do with it as you wish. The room can be personalized however you would like. On the desk are two new credit cards for you. One of them is a company card to use for business deals, food, and supplies. Go ahead and purchase whatever furniture you need. The office just outside the door will be perfect for Kelly if you decide to bring her here. If not, you are welcome to hire a personal assistant.”
“This is an executive office,” I said looking at her.
“Yes, it was my father’s office,” she said.
“I don’t need this office. I shouldn’t have this office,” I said watching her. I didn’t want to offend her, but this was more than I imagined.
“Of course, you do. Plus, there are no other open offices in the building. I want you here,” she said.
“You want me here?” I said, pointing to the floor.
“Yes, I told you. I want you to have an office here,” she said.
I pointed to the desk in the room. “Do you want me there, too?” I teased. She realized what I was doing, quirked a smile, and left the room. “Oh, wait, Miss Malone, I’m just teasing.”
“I know,” I heard her voice drift down the hallway. I stood up and ran to catch up with her. She breezed through the middle area with me on her heels. Returning to her office, she turned to look at me. “Will that be all, for now, Mr. Elliot?”
I laughed. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your time. I’ll head back to Bright and make arrangements to move.”
“Jamey,” she said as I got to the door.
“Hm?”
/> “Where are we going to eat? I need to know what to wear,” she said.
“Oh, I made reservations at Bones,” I said. It was a favorite of my father’s, and I hadn’t been there in ages.
“Sounds good. I’ll be back at my townhouse by then. I’ll have Charity send you the address,” she said, looking nervous. Good. I intended to keep her off-balance. If I could continue to mix business with the idle flirtation. I might just get everything I wanted out of Miss Alexandra Malone.
Sixteen
ALEXA
Up until that last moment, he’d seemed completely pleasant. But at the last minute, his eyes turned dark. Calculating and dark. He hadn’t given into the inevitable. In fact, he hadn’t given in to anything at all. I’d agreed to go to dinner with the enemy. No more would I allow myself to get distracted by his good looks and flirtatious manner. I couldn’t back out of the deal now. We had a contract.
“Fuck,” I said several minutes after he left. I turned to my computer and started tracking down the four companies. I wanted to know at what point could I discover exactly what Abrego was doing with the companies, and why they weren’t watched closely enough to allow Mr. Elliot to acquire them and liquidate them without a move on their part. The whole deal was fishy.
Looking through the four companies that Elliot bought from Abrego, I realized there were at least two dozen others that could be quickly bought and liquidated. Abrego had done nothing to shore up his assets from the first losses. Arrogance on his part. He believed that no one would cross the mafia. I started making notes and moving the proper funds into position. If Senor Abrego wanted to play. I’d play. I’d played with far worse demons than the Mexican Cartel.
“What are you so intent on?” Charity asked breaking me from my prep work.
“Hm, oh? What time is it?” I asked.
“Almost noon,” she said.
“Shit! I’m supposed to have lunch with Javier,” I said closing out my work, saving and encrypting my documents.
“He’s out here waiting for you. Looking mighty fine, in fact,” she smiled.
“Oh yeah?”
“Definitely,” she said.
“On my way,” I said.
“Do me a favor and take a long lunch. Get laid,” she said.
“No, he’s my employee,” I said.
“Whatever! Fire him and fuck him,” she said.
“Charity, the last time you talked about me having sex with someone, that person walked in the room. Maybe we should refrain from that for now,” I said smiling.
“Okay,” she rolled her eyes.
I stepped out of the office, and Javier Salida stood there in a black suit and a black shirt. No tie. It accentuated his dark features. A smile spread across his face upon which sat a pair of dark-rimmed glasses. So damn hot.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said.
“It’s not a problem at all, Miss Malone. You are a very busy woman,” he smiled.
“Ready?” I asked.
He nodded and offered me his arm. Hell, yes. I took it as we approached the elevators. “Are your brothers going with us?” he asked.
“I’m sure one of them will drive us. Is that okay?”
“Yes, I suggest you stay with one of them all the time. Abrego is not above coming into this building to harm you if he wanted,” he explained with genuine concern.
“Unless we have a snake in the grass, he will find it very hard to get into this building,” I replied.
“Anyone can be bought or coerced, Miss Malone,” he said as we entered the elevator.
“For the purposes of our lunch, I would love it if you would call me Alexa,” I said.
He blushed but smiled. “Of course, Alexa. You must call me Javier, or Javy. It’s what my friends call me.”
“I’d like very much for us to be friends,” I said. The elevator took us down as we chatted about going to eat at Serafina. He’d only been there once. I was excited to take him. He promised to take me to his parent’s restaurant in Tucker. A small Mexican bodega. It sounded delicious.
Sebastian drove us to Serafina, then walked us to the door. He returned to the car. From our seat inside the restaurant, I could see him inside the car watching the surrounding area. He’d probably arranged with Luigi, the owner to put us at this exact table and have that exact parking spot open. He was worse than I was sometimes, planning ahead.
“Do you drink wine?” I asked as the server approached.
“Yes, I do,” he replied looking at the menu.
“Then please, you choose. I like them all,” I replied.
“Good afternoon, welcome back to Serafina, Miss Malone,” the woman said.
“Good afternoon, Becca. This is Mr. Salida. He will be choosing our wine,” I said.
He looked over the menu. “The Pepper Bridge Merlot please,” he said.
“By the bottle or glass?” she asked.
“Bottle,” I replied. “Please give us a few minutes to look at the menu.”
“Yes, of course,” she said walking away.
“When you eat out, do they always know who you are?” he asked.
I laughed. “No, not always, but I love Serafina. I eat here often, and I own a quarter stake in the restaurant.”
“Oh, I see,” he smiled. “You realize that you are intimidating, correct?”
“Are you intimidated by me?” I asked.
He laughed. “Yes, I am. Very much.” He said he was, but I didn’t detect a hint of nervousness from him.
“You shouldn’t be. I’m just a plain, old woman,” I replied.
“You are neither plain nor old,” he countered. His flirtations weren’t flowery. In fact, it didn’t seem like a flirtation more than just a statement of fact. I liked him already, besides the fact that I found him increasingly attractive. “What do you suggest?”
“With the Merlot, you want to have something with a red sauce. I’d say the Bolognese sauce is fantastic on the rigatoni. If you like tortellini, they have it with ricotta and tomato basil sauce. The rustic lasagna is fabulous too,” I suggested.
“Thank you. I think I’ll try the lasagna,” he said. “What are you getting?”
“The rigatoni,” I smiled, as Becca returned with the wine. Pouring each of us a glass she asked what we would like to order. When we told her our choices, she left the bottle and hurried away.
Javier and I discussed the IT department and some changes he would like to see made in the future. He was bright and had great ideas. I enjoyed our conversation. We talked some about the defective tablets, but he assured me that if he found anything tracing them back to who put the tracking devices on them that he would tell me. He doubted it would be a tactic that Abrego would use. He said he believed Abrego to be old school, avoiding technological attacks. However, he hadn’t spoken to his brother in quite some time. He wasn’t as up to date on their operations as he once was when he tried to convince his brother to leave the cartel.
“Unfortunately, no one leaves,” he said. “I’ve lost my brother completely.”
I reached across the table and touched his hand. “Javier, you don’t have to talk about this. I’m so sorry about your brother. It’s almost worse than having a death. At least with a death, you know that person is at peace, but your brother is out there living somewhere without you. I can’t imagine.”
“Thank you, Alexa. It is difficult sometimes. I feel like I’ve failed him,” he said.
“Sometimes you can’t help what your siblings do. Look at me and my brothers. They have absolutely no control over me,” I smiled.
“I see,” he said laughing.
We took longer than his allotted lunch time, but I told him that it was okay since he was with the boss. He was anxious to get back to his IT dungeon, though. As we walked out, I peeked into the bar area to see if I could see Luigi. Instead, I locked eyes with Mr. Elliot who sat at the bar with a glass of white wine and an empty bowl. He nodded smugly to me. I returned the nod slipping my arm through
Javier’s who responded with a smile.
My brother escorted us to the car, and we returned to Malone Enterprises. I walked with Javier back to his office. Sebastian allowed me to go without his imposing figure looming behind me.
“I had a wonderful time, Javier. I would like to do it again sometime,” I said.
“I think the guy is supposed to ask the girl out, not the other way around,” he said.
“I’ve never been traditional,” I confessed.
“I like that, and yes, I would like to do it again sometime. If I come across anything about the tablets, I will let you know.” He took my hand in his raising it to his lips and kissed it gently. “Have a good afternoon, Alexa.”
“You too,” I said gently pulling my hand away and turning back to the elevators to go to my office. It was a sweet gesture, and while I enjoyed the lunch and would like to see him again outside of work, I got a weird vibe from him right there at the end. I was becoming more and more paranoid.
Seventeen
JAMEY
As I sat and watched her wine and dine the handsome Latino, I realized I was doing the very thing I accused her of doing. Spying. At first, I decided to follow her just to keep tabs on her, but the more I thought about it, the contact she had with connections could be very dangerous. The man didn't look dangerous, but when he shifted his suit coat, I clearly saw the outline if the butt of a gun.
I tensed. If he were working for the cartel, at close range like that there would be nothing her brother could do. Nor I for that matter. Hopefully, her judgment with this man wasn't clouded by his good looks.
Is that what drew her to me? Was it the reason she seemed so vulnerable around me but resolute with everyone else? It had to be more than just being handsome. It's not like I had any real business skills. Perhaps she just got off on sharing her knowledge with the lesser beings like myself.