by Ann Jensen
“If you’re sure.” At her nod, Jojo gestured to Lisen. “Come on Ice Queen, lets watch your boy from the other side of the glass door.”
Lisen stood up with fire in her eyes. “If he was my boy, he’d be gagged in the corner with a welted ass.”
“Lisen,” Tek growled.
She put her hands up in mock defeat. “Going, Boss.”
Angela played nervously with the edge of her pleated skirt, waiting for Tek to say something. The silence in the room grew heavy. Lisen and Jojo stood right outside the door, obviously not planning on going anywhere.
“I’m sorry.” Tek’s sudden words startled her. He stood and turned his back to her to gaze out the windows that lined the wall.
His words were a tiny balm, but not nearly enough. She waited for him to say more, but the silence continued to wrap around them. Almost two minutes passed before he placed a hand on the window and spoke.
“This company was supposed to change the world. Find the lost, protect the innocent, do right in this fucked up place we call home. Instead, we protect money and corporations. Clean up after a government which can’t or won’t keep its own people safe.”
Angela’s heart ached for the agony she heard in his voice. She understood his pain. The guilt of not being able to do enough, no matter how hard you tried. It was what had driven her every day right up until the moment her father died. The programs she wrote, the systems she hacked, were her way of using her mind to make the world a better place.
She spoke the truth and gave him what comfort she could. “This company has saved lives. I wouldn’t have come to work at your company if it hadn’t.”
A small thump startled her as he banged his fist against the glass. “It’s not enough.”
Angela walked over to stand next to the man who had captured her every fantasy. They made a strange pair reflected in the glass. His clean-cut corporate look contrasted with her purple hair and strange schoolgirl outfit. On the outside he represented the supposed right path in life, and she the twisty back roads. It just went to show that packaging didn’t match the inside truth of a person.
There was no right path in life, only thousands of choices. The important one’s rarely had anything to do with conforming to the social norm. Instead, it was the choices to keep moving forward even when the outcome was uncertain or frightening. Not letting the past weigh you down like an anchor and choose instead to learn from it and be better.
“Then do more. If you don’t want to protect corporations, sell that part of the company and use the money to do what you do want to do.”
Tek chuckled. “You make it sound so easy.”
She shrugged. “Nothing worthwhile is easy. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”
He turned and faced her. He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Can you forgive me?”
“I don’t know.” Angela brushed a finger down her reflection in the glass. “You took something special that was growing between us and twisted it against me.” She took a deep breath and dropped her hand, looking at him through their reflections. “What would you have done if the club hadn’t had the safe word system?”
“I lost control last night.” Tek rubbed his neck and looked up at the ceiling. “The last few months have been crazy. Then I found out I could lose this company to an enemy I didn’t even know I had. I’m not trying to make excuses.” He looked down at her. “I saw you had been in the databases that had been compromised and I snapped.”
So that was why he had been so sure she was involved. There were a hundred other explanations for her being in those databases. Explanations were nice, but it didn’t make his betrayal hurt less. “That doesn’t answer the question.”
“I’ve been drawn to you from the moment we met. Even as crazy as I was, I know I couldn’t have physically harmed you.” His chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “I also don’t think I would have let you leave without giving me answers.”
Angela wasn’t sure if the chill that ran down her spine was from fear or excitement. The truth of his words was apparent in every line of his face. Reality and roleplay could blur lines that shouldn’t be crossed. The idea of being held hostage for real did not appeal but as a fantasy... All the more reason she needed to walk away. For the type of relationship she wanted, trust was not only important, it was necessary.
Angela stepped back from the window and nodded. “I don’t hate you, Tek. I mourn the loss of trust and what we could have been. But I refuse to give in to my anger and lash out. Not sure if that answers your question any more than you answered mine.” Her chest ached knowing it was time to leave. She needed to say one more thing. “I do wish you happiness, whatever that looks like for you.”
Angela turned, picked up her bag, and strode out of the conference room. She was proud that she didn’t glance back once as her heart cracked at the finality of it all. Jojo walked by her side quietly until they reached the lobby.
“You okay, Cami girl?”
Angela slowed as they walked out the front doors. She needed a moment to sort through her thoughts. Was she okay? Logically, she understood what had happened and why. His methods had been extreme. Unacceptable. But was it unforgivable? Did forgiving him even matter since she never planned to see him again?
“I’m trying to decide if I can forgive him.”
“His groveling must have been spectacular. I didn’t see any begging on bended knee.”
“He apologized. But no begging. I don’t think he’s wired that way.”
“Ugh.” Jojo threw her arms into the air, spinning as if shouting to the universe. “My girl is a saint! Everyone gather and witness her halo.”
They were about to step off the curb into the parking lot when Angela heard the shrieking tone she had set on her phone for urgent updates, go off.
“Hold up a second.” She dug into her bag, trying to remember what program she had running that might be sending her an alert. With a couple clicks she silenced the phone and opened the attachment.
Facial recognition match 94%
Child services file #85327
Phoebe Smith
Angela scanned the file, shocked by what she saw. She had found Tek’s sister! The girl had been found alone in an apartment when her supposed mother died of an OD. The woman had been squatting in an abandoned building and had no ID. With nothing to go on, the police didn’t bother looking any further. The traumatized child barely talked so had been given a name and issued a social security number and been dropped into the child welfare system. Picture after picture as she aged matched the projections Angela’s program had created almost perfectly.
“I have to go back inside.”
Jojo gave her a skeptical look. “Why?”
The bang of a sliding car door caught Angela’s attention. Two men dressed in black military fatigues jumped out of a white van parked not fifteen feet away. Chills ran down her spine at their hard expressions and cold eyes as they focused on her. What the hell? Why were men in masks coming for her? Just as the impulse to run hit her muscles, one of them grabbed her roughly by the arm.
Fuck!
Chapter 21
Being a woman means being able to kick ass in heels and a killer outfit.
Tek had intended to get in the elevator and head up to his office to untangle the mess that Rick had made of his company and life. When he stepped onto the elevator, he hadn’t been able to suppress the urge to see Angela one more time and pressed the button for the lobby. He just barely caught sight of Angela’s purple hair as she and Jojo walked out the front doors. He wanted to stop her, call her back and demand she give him another chance, but he didn’t.
He stopped at the front security desk and felt like a creeper watching the two friends talk and pause near the parking lot. Her words echoed in his head. ‘I do wish you happiness, whatever that looks like for you.’ Even after everything he had done, she still was kind to him. What did happiness look like?
Since the d
ay his sister disappeared, he had done everything in his power to fill the void left by his giggling angel. First, with the military, then with the Dark Sons, and most especially with this company. But it had never been enough. Giving up on personally searching for her six years ago had been a breaking point. After that he had changed the focus of the company towards making money, though he had satisfied his guilt with the small amount of charity work they did. He hadn’t given up completely, he still paid an exorbitant amount of money every year to several PI firms to keep the search going but his focus had turned on making this place bigger, better, more profitable.
Why do moments of epiphany always seem to hit you too late to do any good? He had given up on happiness when he had given up on his sister. His Brothers had kept him anchored, their goals giving him purpose. But instead of continuing to search for what he wanted and making a difference, he now ruthlessly chased money like it could solve every problem. That time was over. He would spend the next few days cleaning up the current mess, then find some way to get what he wanted. And he wanted Angela.
An alarm started blinking on the security desk in front of him.
“What is that?” Tek demanded. The seated security personnel were already typing and looking around at their monitors.
“Front gate panic alarm. I don’t see Chris on the monitor,” the first one said.
“He’s not responding to the phone. Roving team three is closest and heading in for a visual,” the second added.
Tek was running before he even realized he needed to move. Angela was outside. He needed her safe. Even if this was nothing, it wasn’t worth the risk. Tek looked back to the security desk and shouted. “Emergency Protocols! Lock this place down!”
His security staff was all ex-military. Selected and trained by Kane personally, he knew right now they would work to assess the problem. Any of the trained operatives who were in the building would be arming up and heading down to assist in any way they could.
He hit the front doors at a run scanning the area for a flash of purple hair. People milled outside all unaware there might be danger. “Get inside! Emergency protocols! This is not a drill!” he bellowed in his best battlefield voice. “Head to your safe zone, follow the instruction of the security personnel!”
Most people listened, but a few down by the parking lot weren’t moving. The outrageous leopard print jumpsuit Jojo had been wearing caught Tek’s eye, Angela next to her. A white van stopped in front of them and his pulse jumped. He sprinted in their direction.
Two men jumped out of the cargo door and tried to drag the two women towards the vehicle. Adrenaline spiked in his chest and his speed picked up. His heart beat in his ears, he knew he wouldn’t get to them in time.
Jojo punched the man trying to grab her in the throat and caused him to fall back. Terror was a bitter taste in his mouth when Angela dropped as if unconscious. Her attacker wasn’t ready for that and she slipped out of his grasp. If she was injured, he would make sure these men suffered.
Two more men jumped from the van to back-up their friends as Jojo somehow managed a beautiful sidekick in her platform heels to the head of the man trying to scoop Angela off the ground. The kidnapper stumbled and dropped his intended victim.
Tek barreled into the man now trying to pick up Angela knocking him away. His opponent reached for a gun and Tek knocked the weapon out of his hand. These were not just random goons. Now, with the surprise of resistance gone, they were starting to coordinate their actions. Tek wanted to check on Angela, but a blow to his shoulder from the man he was fighting forced him to stay focused.
The explosion of a gunshot sounded from nearby. One of the men trying to drag a now struggling Angela into the van fell clutching his leg. Tek connected a blow to his opponent’s face. Air rushed out of his lungs from a kick to his own ribs. He circled so his attacker was no longer between him and the women fighting for their freedom. In one fluid motion, he pulled his own gun from the concealed holster at his back and shot the man center mass. The man stumbled back and Tek spun, scanning for the next person to shoot.
Jojo had her attacker in a very elegant sleeper hold. The man’s struggles barely moving the large drag queen. Angela must have crawled under the car parked next to her as her attacker was crouched down reaching under it. The man wounded in the knee had pulled himself back into the van. Yards away Kane and three of his operatives were closing quickly on the fight, guns drawn.
The squeal of tires was the only warning Tek got. He dove out of the way of the now moving van. Gunshots filled the air along with the echoing dings as bullet met metal. Tek cursed. The van sped away across the grass to reach the road. The gunshots stopped and he stood slowly trying to fight down the rage and anger flowing through him. The rush of time finally seemed to drift back to normal as Tek looked around.
The man he had shot was clutching his stomach while one of Vallier security stripped him of weapons. The other two men were pressed up against a car as two of Kane’s men searched them. A very pissed off Jojo paced behind them. Kane was calling orders through his walkie watching over everything.
Where was Angela?
For a moment Tek’s heart seized thinking he had somehow missed them getting her into the van. A small sob caught his attention. He rushed forward crouching near the car the mercenary had been trying to crawl under. Curled up into a ball under the center of the car was Angela. Air rushed out of his lungs as relief hit him.
“It’s all over, kitten. Can you come out of there or do I need to come get you?” The car she was under was low to the ground. Too low for him to fit comfortably. Hopefully, she would come out on her own.
She opened her beautiful teal eyes and looked at him with a fear so strong he could feel it. “T-tek?”
“Yeah, kitten, it’s me. Can you come out here?”
“If someone tries to drag you. You should go limp because it is harder to drag dead weight. If they pick you up you should struggle, bite, and scream. If you can, you should run away.” A rasping sob shook her body. “I couldn’t run away.”
He knew she was trying to process what had happened in her own unique way, but it tore him apart. “You did great. You’re safe now but you need to come out here so I can hold you.” Tek tried to keep his voice calm.
“Statistically, they could have backup.”
“Kitten there are a lot of highly trained people out here on our side. You are safe.”
Angela muttered to herself for a minute then said clearly. “I want a gun.”
Shocked by the request Tek paused for a second. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“I do. My father thought it was a good skill to know and while I don’t currently own a gun, because I thought it overly paranoid and unnecessary, I’m rethinking my position.”
He chuckled. “I can understand that. If you come out here, we can see about getting you a gun.”
“No. There is only a twenty percent chance of me getting kidnapped while under this low-riding car. If I go out there without a weapon the odds are too high.”
Shaking his head, Tek put the safety on his gun and passed it over to Angela. She unfurled enough to take it from him then, to his surprise, did a quick check of the magazine. He tried not to worry as she slowly crawled out from under the car, the weapon clutched in her hand. She looked so fragile in her tiny schoolgirl uniform, wide teal eyes, and messed purple hair, the handgun an odd fashion statement.
Tek wrapped his arms around her and was careful to keep her arm with the gun pointed down at the ground. She clung to him with her other arm, her body shaking against his. He had almost lost her before he could make things right between them. He could not lose another person he cared for.
“See all the trained men around us? Do you still think you need the gun?” She was handling it well but Tek wasn’t comfortable with her being armed in her current emotional state.
Angela looked around and Tek could almost picture her doing the safety math in her head. She nodded
and handed the gun back to him which he slipped back into his kidney holster. He wasn’t sure he shouldn’t have the gun out at this point since the men who had tried to hurt her were still around.
“Boss, the ambulance and cops are at the gate. Should we let them in?” Kane’s voice cut off his thoughts.
Tek turned to look at his COO with a raised eyebrow.
Kane sighed. “The man you shot will probably die soon if we delay. Not that I care but probably going to be more paperwork and lawyers if you do that.”
There were things that needed to be done and if he was going to keep Angela and Jojo safe he needed to finish as quickly as possible with the police. Things would have been simpler if they hadn’t been called, but there were way too many witnesses for that to be a reality. A plan started to form in his mind, and he nodded.
“I want all the lawyers down here immediately and I want the armored car and a five-man protection detail. Once the police are done with us. I’m taking them both to the backup safe house.”
“Hawk going to like that plan?” Kane raised an eyebrow.
The backup safe house was in the Dark Sons’ compound. His President and Kane knew each other because, in certain circumstances, Hawk occasionally did jobs with Kane’s team. The two men had become friends of a sort. The compound was the most secure remote location Tek knew. If he asked, every one of his Brothers would protect his woman. His woman, he snorted. He should probably find out if she was even still talking to him once the stress wore off. He should get Hawk’s permission before heading over there. But there was plenty of time for that. He squeezed Angela and knew he wouldn’t risk her safety with anyone else.
“I’ll call him.” Kane nodded and spun away and Tek ran his hand down Angela’s hair. “Kitten, the police are coming. I’m going to try and stay by your side but if I can’t someone will be nearby to protect you. My lawyers will be here soon, please don’t say anything until one of them is with you… Unless you have your own lawyer?”
