Risky Temptation

by Hart, Gemma

  “Yes,” I said softly.

  “You’ll remain only in the library?” he pressed.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Tobias eyed me for a moment, his green eyes sweeping over me. “I should be back within two hours. I hope you can find something enjoyable here.” And after another peculiar look of earnestness, he left, shutting the doors behind him.

  He really did want me to find a book to enjoy here.

  I counted out a minute before I headed towards the doors, cracking them open just a bit to peek out. I caught the elevator doors closing on Tobias as he took them down, presumably to the first floor.

  So he was really gone.

  I closed the doors, needing a moment to gather myself. This was the first time in days (or weeks? I wasn’t sure how long I’d been here) that I was by myself. And I was by myself on a different floor no less!

  Okay, what was my next move?

  I was not going to waste two valuable hours reading a book when I was on my own and on a different floor for the first time.

  Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door another crack and looked out again. I looked up towards the ceiling and noticed no cameras. On the first floor there had been several black orbs mounted above.

  On the sixth floor there were no cameras but I assumed it was because they were the personal residence of Tobias. Now I was starting to think there were no cameras anywhere except the first floor.

  The Black Saints had taken great pains to cover up their headquarters and to make themselves as invisible as possible. That makes sense, considering the illustrious roster of members associated with the Black Saints. So naturally, these members wouldn’t appreciate having their every movement recorded and captured in this secret and shadowy location.

  Well, that just meant good luck to me. I could come out of the library without being caught by security guards downstairs.

  But that did leave the rest of the rooms on the floor. Most of the doors were shut, leaving me no idea of how many people were on the floor. I had seen cigar smoke coming out of one room so I knew there was at least one other person on the floor.

  I looked behind me. There was no clock anywhere to be seen. So I had no way to measure how much time had passed. I needed to act quickly.

  Taking my courage in my own two hands, I took in a deep breath and pushed myself out of the safety of the library and into the open space of the third floor.

  With my heart racing a mile a minute, I pressed close to the wall and scooted towards the nearest door. It was closed but I pressed an ear against it, listening for any kind of sound or movement.

  I was sure I hadn’t waited more than thirty seconds but it felt like thirty years. When the time passed with absolutely no noise coming from inside, I swallowed and carefully grasped the handle.

  If there was anyone inside, anyone, I was done. I couldn’t even imagine what Tobias’s reaction would be and I honestly didn’t want to. This was a man who could make kings disappear. I would be no challenge.

  But pressed for time and luck, I swallowed my reservations and gently opened the door, careful not to make a sound with the latch.

  Opening the door, I only saw dimness. None of the lights were on. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  No one was in here.

  I quickly entered the room and shut the door behind me. Groping around I found a lamp and turned it on, revealing the room to me.

  I was in some kind of office.

  It was small but it was well furnished and impeccably kept. There was a thick walnut desk with intricate gold decorations on it. A large leather chair sat quietly behind the desk, looking as if it hadn’t been sat in in a very long time. But the crowning jewel was sitting at the corner of the desk—a thin sleek computer.

  I immediately rushed around the desk towards it. The screen was off. I punched the power button, my pulse racing. I could email Marco! I could tell him the general idea of where I was since I wasn’t exactly sure of my specific location. I could tell him I was alright.

  Maybe together we could come up with some kind of plan to get me out of here and to get him out of his job.

  My mind raced at all the possibilities but it quickly was all put to a halt when the screen turned on and a little window popped up, asking for a password.

  Of course.

  I was a fool to think it could’ve been as easy as turning on a computer and having instant access to the internet.

  I stared at the screen, debating on whether I should try to guess the password. Would bad guys also try something stupid like ‘password’ for a password?

  But in the end, I decided against it. I wasn’t sure what the repercussions would be if I got the password wrong. Would the computer alert someone that someone had failed to type in the right code? It was safer just not to try.

  I sighed and drummed my fingers on the desk.

  I couldn’t get stuck here! I still had time. I needed to take advantage of it. I wracked my brain for ideas, trying to think of what I could do out here to help Marco’s and my situation when suddenly, I heard a muted cough.

  I froze, panic ebbing nearer to my heart.

  Then ten seconds later, another cough.

  I turned to my right. It was from the room next door.

  Someone was coughing in the room next door.

  That meant someone was in that room!

  Immediately, I slowed down my movements to that of a sloth, not wanting to cause any unnecessary noise. Turning off the computer screen, I inched my way towards the wall so I could press my ear against it.

  The walls were fairly thick and I couldn’t hear much. There was another cough. What kind of room was next door? If it was another office, the computer there must surely be on. If there was a way to get in there….

  I listened carefully, trying to recognize the tonalities of the coughs to see if I could tell how many people were in there.

  From what little I could tell, it sounded like there was only one person in there.

  I knelt on the floor, my ear pressed against the wall for nearly half an hour, listening to the sporadic coughs of the mysterious occupant next door. I kept an eye on the door to make sure no one barged in and an ear on the wall, to hear what the next door neighbor was doing.

  God, all I needed was a shot at a computer! That would change everything!

  I jerked when I heard a loud squeaking noise. It sounded like someone was pushing themselves up from a large reclining chair. I turned my head towards the leather chair that sat in my own room. I was sure it reclined a bit. And I was sure that it would also make a similar squeaking noise if I rose from it.

  I listened carefully, nearly biting my lip in half with my nerves. There were footsteps. Was the man leaving? Was he leaving the room? Oh god, he hadn’t heard me, had he?

  He couldn’t have. I had barely been breathing for fear of making noise. But then, what? Why was he leaving? Maybe to have a smoke? There had been that smoking room.

  I tiptoed in an odd crouch towards my door. I opened it to the tiniest sliver of a crack and peeked an eye out.

  Within two minutes, a middle aged man who looked no more remarkable than a bank teller stepped out of the office. He hacked into his hand before clearing his throat and heading down the hall towards another room.

  I waited another five minutes to see if anyone else would emerge from the room but no one else did.

  Okay, so I had no idea if this mysterious man was going to be coming back and if so, when.

  But I did know that this was my shot.

  Breathing a slow breath out, I quickly shot out of my room, gently shut the door and then opened the door into the room next door.

  It was almost identical to the first office I had entered, except there was a lingering smell of cigar smoke and brandy. Knowing I was pressed for time, I immediately rushed towards the desk.

  The computer was on! And there was no window for a password!

  I nearly cried in excited joy. Immediately, I moved the
mouse towards the little internet icon. But as soon as I clicked it, the same password window opened up.

  I instinctively gave a small cry of frustrated disappointment then clapped my mouth shut, remembering where I was.

  I tried again. They same demand for a password. I clicked another icon. Password. Another icon. Password.

  Every application required a password.

  Clearly the Black Saints were not lax in their privacy. I felt tears already stinging my eyes in frustration. How could I be so close and yet so far? I had the means of communication literally in my hands and yet I was being thwarted by one word, one password!

  I was about to give into my tears when I caught the sight of a minimized screen.

  More out of just random desperation than actual hope, I clicked on the screen.

  But what popped up was no random application. My eyes widened as I read the words that filled the screen. My jaw dropped.

  “Holy shit,” I said. I didn’t understand everything I was reading but I got the clear and distinct impression that this was unbelievably important. In the bigger picture, this was probably better than the internet or an email to Marco. This might be our saving grace.

  I looked through the desk, hoping against hope that I could possibly find what I was looking for. It seemed unlikely but—

  “Ha!” I said more loudly than I should have.

  I picked up the tiny silver thumb drive from the corner of one desk drawer and quickly saved what I hoped would be our saving grace.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Marco

  “Shouldn’t you be doing more planning?” Jamie asked confused. “More research or preparations or something?”

  I leaned back in my seat. We sat in the dining room. I sat next to Zeke’s mess of computers while Jamie sat across from me. Zeke was upstairs sleeping. It was two in the afternoon. The man kept the oddest hours.

  The computer screen had a permanent bar that was loading slowly. It was the key. Already at 68%. Soon, we’d have the whole thing in our possession.

  I shook my head calmly. “We did all of that. We have Copper’s schedule. He’ll be home having a night in in two days. It’ll be the perfect night. His home location will give me the most space with the least amount of guards or security interference. I’ve recon-ed the whole place along with the best spot for the killshot. All I need to do now is wait till then.”

  Jamie furrowed his brows in worry then sighed and shrugged. “I guess when it comes to this, you’re the expert,” he said.

  My lips twitched humorlessly. If he only knew. “I guess so,” I said.

  We sat in comfortable silence together. Any time I had a moment of quiet, my thoughts always ran towards Halle. I knew Tobias wouldn’t kill her. He wouldn’t. And yet, there was no comfort in such knowledge. The Black Saints were notorious. Could anyone really know what they would do? Especially the Enforcer?

  And of course, there was the inescapable level of guilt I felt at knowing I had a hand in having Halle captured. The only reason why she had been dragged into this disaster was because of me.

  More than finding peace in life, more than escaping Roy and my past, more than having a future, I just wanted Halle by my side. With her, I felt completely whole within the moment. I needed nothing or want anything when I’m with her.

  And it drove a dagger into me to think that I had repaid the peace she had bestowed upon me with danger and kidnapping.

  “She wouldn’t blame you.”

  I looked up in surprise, shaken out of my thoughts.

  Jamie was watching me carefully, his cornflower blue eyes studying me. He gave me a faint little smile.

  “She doesn’t blame you for what’s happened,” he said.

  I gave a small smile in response, impressed by his sharpness. “And how do you know that?” I asked.

  His eyes, steady and blue, turned a shade lighter as they softened in gentle compassion. “Because I don’t blame you,” he said, leaning back in his wheelchair. “I never have.”

  My chest tightened at his words. I looked at his slender shoulders and thin body resting comfortably in his wheelchair. He had always been a slight boy but who knows how he could’ve changed or transformed had he not been stunted by a stray bullet at eighteen.

  I had blamed Roy, of course. After all, it was Roy that had sent an untrained kid out into a dangerous situation. Roy fucking Desmond, who thought any son of his would have to earn his name and keep.

  But I had also blamed myself. I should’ve been there. I should’ve been there to stop it. If I had been present, Jamie would still be walking. He would have a different chance at life. He would—

  “I’ve never blamed you,” Jamie said, interrupting my self-punishing tirade of thoughts. He shook his head, as if he was only saying the obvious. “How could I blame you? It wasn’t your fault.”

  “It wasn’t my fault?” I said incredulously. “I should’ve been there to protect you! If I had been there—”

  “If you had been there, then what?” Jamie countered. “You could’ve stopped that one moment. But then what about the next? You think Roy would’ve just stopped there? There was no way you could’ve been by my side 24/7.” Jamie shook his head again. “No, I think Roy was determined to watch me fail.”

  “You didn’t fail,” I argued vehemently. “You were too good for that Family. You should take pride in the fact that you didn’t fit in. Who wants to fit in with a mob of crooks and fucking criminals? You’re better than them.” I paused, studying him. “You’ve always been the better one.”

  Jamie smiled warmly at me. “Because you kept me safe. You were always looking out for me, big brother. And I was always so glad to know you were in my corner.” He pressed his hand lightly against his chest.

  “That’s how I know Halle doesn’t blame you,” he said. “If she loves you as much as I love you, which I think she definitely does, then she knows that this is not your fault.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe you can make that argument for yourself. You were born into one fucked up Family without much choice. But Halle…Halle has a choice. She could lead a much safer, happier life.”

  “Safer, maybe. But not happier,” Jamie said. “Give her some credit, big brother. She knows where she wants to be. You can’t take the blame for everything bad that happens in our lives forever.”

  I looked at Jamie, so light, so kind. How did any part of Roy Desmond make something as good as this? But I knew Jamie’s delicate frame only belied a strong inner core.

  You had to be strong to survive the Desmond Family but you had to be even stronger to survive it with a smile. Jamie had gotten nothing but bruises and beatings and a bullet wound out of Roy and the Desmond Mafia and yet, he lived now with a constant smile on his face and continually brought laughter into any place he entered.

  That was strength.

  “When did you get so wise, little brother?” I asked, unable to keep the corner of my lips from turning up.

  Jamie grinned. “Learned it from the best, I guess,” he said, throwing me a wink.

  I gave a little laugh then shook my head.

  “Let’s just hope I can get this over and behind us soon. I can worry later what to do about the future and the like then. For now, I just want to finish this hit and get Halle back.”

  “That might be a little harder than we planned,” a voice interrupted us from behind.

  Jamie and I turned our attentions to the dining room entry where Zeke stood, disheveled, with a tablet. His clothes were wrinkled and messy, looking as if he had slept in them. I realized, he probably had.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  Zeke slid the tablet towards me.

  A news page was pulled up on the screen with a blaring huge headline:

  “Millionaire Security Tycoon Almost Killed By Mysterious Shooter”

  “What the heck?” Jamie cried, reading the screen. “What does this mean? We haven’t done anything yet!”

  I s
at back in my seat, my shoulders as tense as a violin string. I eyed the screen darkly, plans and back up plans flying by in my brain as I tried to quickly think of the best response.

  “Fuck!” I barked so loudly and sharply both Zeke and Jamie jumped.

  “But what does this mean?” Jamie asked, grabbing the tablet. “Who else would shoot Copper?”

  I shook my head. “It means that other black market groups and probably some European Families have caught wind of what Marshall Copper has. And they’re trying to move in on him.”