Power: Power Series #1

by Victoria Woods

  “I realize this is going to put a lot of pressure on all of you, but I’m afraid we don’t have a say in this,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “They want all of the code completed before some of you are relocated to their headquarters.”

  “Some of us?” Nat asked in frustration as she stood up from her seat. Apparently, the layoff rumors were true.

  “Nothing is set in stone, but it seems as though they’ll only be keeping a few of you on board after we deliver the final product and the merger is complete,” Jason replied with a resigned look on his face.

  Silence settled over the office. We all were mute from shock. We had poured our hearts and souls into this product. The office felt like a family. The idea of this team breaking up made my heart hurt. This software had quickly become a passion after I started at IP Innovations. If I were laid off, I would feel so lost. I could probably find a new job at a different startup, but I just felt like I wasn’t finished with my role at IP Innovations yet. All of this made me feel depressed.

  Jason wrapped up his meeting with us by offering more specifics on features that we needed to polish. There was so much work to cover and not enough time if we were to meet the deadline next week. Usually, mergers took months to be completed, so it was alarming that this was happening by next week. I did not know how we would finish the software in time, but it seemed like we didn’t have much of a choice.

  After Jason finished speaking, he disappeared into his office and didn’t resurface for the rest of the day. The rest of us spent a good twenty minutes venting our frustrations to each other. The room was filled with hushed chatter. Eventually, we all recovered enough to resume working. I busied myself with my assigned features. If I were going to finish everything by next week, I would need to pull a lot of all-nighters. I couldn’t waste any more time complaining about the acquisition. Every waking hour that I could work was valuable now.

  At around six o’clock, Natalie pushed her chair away from her desk and massaged a kink out of her neck. My back felt stiff from sitting all day too, but I didn’t have time to get up and stretch.

  The office was still full, despite the time.

  Nat stood up and walked over to my desk. Plopping her butt down on my desktop, she exclaimed, “Let’s go get wasted!” My desk neighbors all looked up at her, annoyed that she’d broken their concentration. Nat either didn’t notice or didn’t care that eyes were on her.

  I was glued to my laptop screen and kept typing furiously. “I can’t. I still have so much more I need to work on for tonight.” There was no way I could spare any time to go out drinking.

  Not liking my answer, she slammed my screen down, shutting my laptop. I gaped at her. “What the hell, Nat?”

  “No. If we’re going to be working like mules for the next week, then we should have one last hurrah. Plus, after next week, we may not even be working together again.” Her expression turned solemn.

  That last part made me sad, too. It was a definite possibility that neither of us would be working at Sethi Tech. We would have to search for jobs elsewhere and be forced to go our separate ways. She was my best friend in the city, and the possibility of not seeing her every day formed a pit in my stomach.

  I would probably regret giving up coding for the night, but she was right. We needed one last hurrah together before shit got real.

  I scrunched my eyes closed, already remorseful of my irresponsible decision. “Give me five minutes to wrap up.”

  She pumped her fist in the air, bopping on my desk with excitement. “That’s my girl!” she beamed as she added a shoulder shimmy to her bopping.

  III. Amelia

  Nirvana was packed. The club was overflowing with people swaying to the deep thumping of music. Beautiful women showed off their toned bodies while moving to the rhythm and grinding on equally sexy and firm-bodied men. The crowd thrashed us back and forth as we pushed our way through the dance floor.

  Luckily, we had time to change our clothes before arriving. We stopped at Natalie’s apartment to freshen up after work. I didn’t own any clothes worthy of clubbing, so Nat was generous enough to loan me a form-fitting rose gold dress with the thinnest spaghetti straps I’d ever seen. It was too short for my liking, but she had insisted that it was appropriate for the evening ahead. She also loaned me a pair of too-high strappy black stilettos. As if the dress and shoes weren’t enough, she did my hair and makeup too. I looked like a totally different person. My eyes were smokey and my lips were glossed in a rosy-pink color. My hair was set into soft waves that were still touchable and flowed down my back. I wasn’t used to this version of myself. I’d never met this Amelia before.

  Nat was perfection in her black-sequined miniskirt and silky top in the same color. She had long legs like a model and just the right amount of cleavage to fill out her top. She was always the first one noticed in a room, with her bright-orange hair and sun-kissed skin.

  We made our way to the upper level of the club and found our other co-workers. Ramone, Dave, and Jen were already waiting for us at a table, drinks in hand. Nat ordered us all a round of shots when the waitress passed by. I wasn’t much of a drinker, but I knew Nat wasn’t in the mood to hear my protest. She was on a mission to let loose tonight and was taking all of us down with her, too.

  “Can you believe that Sethi Tech bought us over?” Ramone shouted over the music. “I guess it was bound to happen eventually. The Sethis acquire nearly every promising startup.”

  Dave took a sip of his drink before replying, “I hear those Sethi brothers are into illegal shit, like drug dealing.” Everyone stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. As if for effect, he took an even longer sip of his Jack and Coke, without offering any further information.

  Nat punched him hard in his arm, mid-sip. He choked and coughed to clear his throat. “You can’t just drop a bomb like that and stop talking, idiot! Explain yourself!”

  Dave rubbed his arm while scooting his body out of Nat’s line of fire. He continued, “Well, it’s just that I heard some of my friends who worked at another startup talking. The Sethis acquired their startup months ago. They said that the brothers liked to scope out places that deal with tracking software. I assume it has something to do with keeping tabs on people who sell their stuff or their competition, if the rumors are true.”

  “So, our new bosses are drug dealers?” I asked in disbelief. What was I supposed to do with this information? I loved my job, but if I continued working there, I’d be involved in shady business too. Should I start searching for a new job out of principle? Maybe I would be a part of the group that got laid off, so I wouldn’t have to worry about handing in my two-week notice to a bunch of gangster drug dealers. They probably did not handle rejection too well.

  “Yeah, but those are just rumors,” Jen said, trying to calm us down with her skepticism. “It seems a little unbelievable that drug dealers would be so heavily involved with all these startups without anyone going to the police. They’ve been acquiring businesses for a while. They would have been caught by now.”

  “All I know is what I’ve heard. That’s all.” Dave raised both his hands, signaling us to not shoot the messenger.

  “Thank fuck! Our shots are here!” Nat interrupted. The night was finally about to start, according to her.

  She grabbed the glasses off the tray before the waitress could do it herself and slammed one in front of each person. “Drink up!” Everyone downed their shots in one gulp, except for me. The smell had my guts churning. Nat grunted with distaste at my hesitance. Impatient, she suddenly pinched my nose and tipped the glass to my mouth, forcing me to swallow it. Warm liquid rushed down my throat and warmed me all the way to my belly.

  She let go of my nose as I coughed to clear my throat of the burn. “Hey! I would have done it on my own!” I managed to sputter. I wiped the streams of spilled booze from my chin with the back of my hand.

  “No, you wouldn’t have, ya flake,” she said and winked, flashing me her most charismati
c smile. She was so damn pushy, but it was hard to be annoyed with her.

  Then her eyes went wide as she zoned in on something over my shoulder. I turned around to see what she was staring at.

  Speak of the devils—perhaps even literally. The two dark and presumably dangerous brothers were seated in a private booth near the balcony that overlooked the main floor. The taller one was wearing a black button-down shirt and dark-gray slacks that hugged every muscle of his frame. His sleeves were rolled up, showing the cords of veins in his forearms as he took a sip of amber liquid from his glass. He swiped his tongue over his lower lip to collect the remaining droplets of liquor in the smoothest of ways. His face was set in a stern expression as he spoke with his brother, who was again dressed in a blazer over a t-shirt and jeans. He was the more casual of the two, but still gorgeous. The pair of them attracted the eyes of every woman within view of the table, mine included. It was difficult not to stare at their chiseled features, which made them look like gods.

  “What are they doing here?” I tried to keep my voice as low as possible, for fear of them overhearing.

  “Oh, the Sethis own this club! Didn’t you know?” Jen giggled at my doe eyes.

  Of course, they owned the club. They probably owned half this town, with the amount of money they had.

  Just then, two beautiful, leggy women approached the Sethis’ booth with their arms slung around each other’s waists. They seemed desperate for attention with how they slithered their bodies alongside the men in the booth. The blonde cozied up to the brother with the blazer. After an exchange of a few words into each other’s ears, she slid on top of his lap, straddling him. He didn’t hold back, either, making out with her right there in public. The blonde weaved her fingers into his hair, gripping him tightly. Her body writhed on top of the guy like she was humping him to get herself off. They seemed oblivious to anybody who might be watching, including the dark and brooding man sitting right next to them.

  The brunette next to the stern brother threw her head back and let out a throaty laugh in response to her blonde friend’s show. She tucked her body in closer to his side and undid the top button of his shirt before slipping her hand inside. I could tell from the way his shirt moved that she was stroking the bare skin of his chest. Unlike his brother, it didn’t seem like he was enjoying the attention, because his lips were pressed tightly together and his hazel eyes seemed unaffected, almost bored. But he didn’t stop her. For some reason, I wished he would.

  His eyes were roaming the room, as if to find something more interesting to focus on. Suddenly, they caught mine. His eyebrow hiked up in curiosity, then lowered as recognition set in, but boredom no longer showed in his eyes. It was replaced by something more intense. Darker. He was daring me to approach him. My body felt it too. I uncrossed my legs and shifted one foot forward, as if compelled to stand up and walk over to him.

  Brown hair came into view again, moving against his chin. The brunette must have sensed his distraction, because she tried even harder to get his attention. She pressed her too-big tits into his body and nibbled at his ear. His gaze never left mine.

  As if his eyes were too bright, like the sun, I looked away. I could not watch the bimbo throw herself all over him anymore. I grabbed the shot nearest to me and slammed it down without hesitating or pinching my nose to mask the bitter taste.

  Nat squealed in delight and clapped her hands. “That’s my girl!” she shouted, then she grabbed my hand and dragged me downstairs to the dance floor.

  IV. Shyam

  Jai had convinced me to meet him at our club in the city to celebrate our acquisition of IP Innovations and discuss business. Even though I owned this place, I did not particularly enjoy meeting here to discuss business while desperate women threw themselves at me. My brother, on the other hand, lived for this shit. Planning and pussy.

  I shouldn’t complain, though. It was an easy way to score pussy. I never had to work for it. When I came to the club, the women lined up at our booth the moment we sat down. As flattering and easy as it was, I had real business to discuss tonight. Tarun.

  “Any word from India?” I surveyed my surroundings as I took a sip of my scotch. I was always aware of the room around me. Always on guard. Enemies waited until you were distracted to strike. Though, they wouldn’t be dumb to attack me in my own club. This place was teeming with my men, all armed and ready to kill. To the untrained eye, they just seemed like terrifying bouncers.

  “Nothing yet. Tarun’s been quiet for too long,” Jai replied, eyeing a tall blonde at a table across the room. He flashed her a mega-watt smile as an invitation to join him. “You think he saw Vik’s ring yet?”

  “Yes, he’s seen it.” I was sure of it. Tarun’s only brother was dead. We were Indian, and family loyalty ran deep for us. Vik died serving his brother, and in return, Tarun would do anything to avenge his death. He was most likely quiet because he was plotting his next move.

  The blonde who’d been making eyes at Jai sauntered up to our booth with a friend attached to her hip. “You boys want to buy us a drink?” the blonde asked sheepishly as she batted her eyelashes.

  I glared at her in annoyance. We should have met at our suite upstairs to avoid this shit. I wasn’t in the mood for easy pussy when I had a war to plan.

  “Lighten up, man. Have a little fun. We just acquired a company with the best tracking software available. We should be celebrating. Instead, you’re dressed like you’re headed to the office.” Jai motioned for the blonde to join us. Her presumptuous friend assumed the invitation extended to her as well and slid into my side of the booth, pressing her thin body tightly against my frame.

  While Jai and the blonde dry humped each other next to me, the brunette took it upon herself to undo my top button and stroke my chest. The hairs on my body stood up—but not from the woman touching me. I felt like I was being watched.

  I surveyed the room until my eyes met with a pair of green ones. I remembered those eyes. They held my attention just like the last time I saw them. Though their owner, my new employee, looked different from the last time I saw her. She looked sultry in that little dress. Her fair skin was flushed, and I could tell her breathing had sped up by the way her chest rose and fell so quickly. My gaze slid down to her breasts, where I could see her nipples poking through the thin fabric of her dress. No bra. A devious smile spread across my lips at this discovery.

  I had completely forgotten about the woman groping my chest until I felt her teeth graze my ear lobe. The fair angel across the room huffed in irritation, and her neck turned bright red before she slammed a shot and stormed off. I knew that look. She was jealous. I smirked to myself—perhaps tonight was going to be interesting, after all.

  V. Amelia

  I threw myself into the beat of the music on the dance floor, trying to wipe away the image of Miss Big-Tits groping my new boss. It wasn’t long before the vibe got to me. I felt sexy in my skimpy dress and let loose, shaking my hips and dipping low to the ground.

  I worked up a hard sweat from all the dancing. Nat and I made frequent stops at the bar to hydrate, drinking shots like water. This was the most alcohol I’d ever drunk in one night.

  I didn’t know why I had been so bothered earlier. I told myself that it was probably just because I was disturbed that my new boss was so unprofessional, letting random women fondle him in public where his employees could see. Sure, he didn’t know we would be there, but it was a public place, so really anyone could see. And he did own the club, so it was even more sleazy that he would act that way in his own establishment.

  Working for that horny drug dealer now seemed to be out of the question. I had morals, and I hadn’t studied so hard in college to work for someone as tacky as him. Jason had been bad enough with his creepiness, but this crossed a line. I should email my resignation and quit immediately!

  After what felt like hours of dancing and drinking, I felt my brain getting fuzzy. I needed to take a breather. All the alcohol and hot bod
ies nearby were suffocating me. I signaled to Nat that I was going to find a bathroom. She gave me the thumbs up and continued grinding on some random guy that had bought us our last round of drinks.

  I pushed my way through the crowd and held on carefully to the stairway railing as I wandered back up to the second floor. My feet were killing me because they weren’t used to heels. I would have killed for my sneakers right now.

  Finding myself in a long, narrow hallway, I assumed the bathroom was at the far end, and I made my way further down in search of it. It seemed too quiet to be the way to the restroom, though. There should have been a ton of people hanging around here.

  I realized only too late that I wasn’t alone. A large, cold hand covered my mouth from behind, while another wrapped around my waist too tightly. My back was pressed against something hard. I tried to scream, but no sounds escaped from my covered mouth. Hot breath wafted over the side of my neck.

  “Don’t move, bitch,” a deep warning rang through my ear. My chest started heaving in panic. God, why did I think it was a good idea to wander around the club alone?