Daniel froze. Son of a bitch! He knew exactly why the data was stolen. If someone knew what to look for, they could find out where Kerri was hidden. All they had to do was figure out who he trusted the most. And they had at least an eight-hour head start. It took all of his power not to run out of the building and hop the first plane to Kerri. He never made rash decisions, and he couldn’t start now. Kerri’s life depended on him staying calm and focused. He needed to find out who his enemy was and study him. Opening another file, Daniel took the thirteen names that were logged in at the time of the breach and cross-referenced them with the list of employees. Only one name raised a red flag. Justin Rawson was no longer an employee of MacGregor Inc. and had not been for over three years. The question was whose head was going to roll for not disabling his security access. Daniel remembered every employee that ever worked for him, and he definitely remembered Justin. His gut told him not to hire Justin, but he went against it at the time. That lapse in judgment was coming back to bite him on the ass.
Daniel went about pulling every file he had on Justin Rawson. He wanted to know every move the man made for the past three years. Daniel had felt guilty about Justin at one point because he was injured on a job that went wrong. The job was a setup to get to him, but Justin was the one caught in the crossfire. He offered Justin an admin and training position so that he could stay on with the company, but the man refused. Justin had informed him that he no longer wanted to be there if he couldn’t go back out into the field. With his injuries, there was no way Daniel could put him back out there. He would have been a danger to himself and his team members. He knew Justin was upset that he let him go, but he never thought it would come to this. Now Daniel had no sympathy for him. Justin crossed a line when he took Kerri. There was no coming back for him. He touched what was most precious to Daniel, and now it was time for him to pay. Daniel studied all the files and went about setting a trap for Justin Rawson.
* * * *
Justin was over the moon. He couldn’t believe the answer to his problem was that simple. He had been frustrated when he couldn’t find Kerri. She had disappeared without a trace. He needed a miracle to find her, and now he had it. Sure, he could go directly after Daniel, but he wanted him to suffer. He wanted to make him pay. Daniel took the most important thing away from him which was his job, so he was going to return the favor by taking out Kerri.
It was pure luck and desperation that made him try to log into the MacGregor Inc. system. He knew that Daniel had Kerri hidden with someone he trusted, and he was more than likely an employee. The problem was he needed access to files that held the information on current and former employees and their locations. Justin’s heart almost stopped when his login actually worked. Wow, someone dropped the ball on this one. Justin laughed. This was too good to be true.
He got in and out, getting what he needed as quickly as possible. He had no doubt that Daniel would be alerted to the security breach soon, so he needed to find a place to hide out while he went over the files. He had a feeling he knew the one person Daniel trusted more than anyone. If he was correct, then these files just made his job a whole lot easier. He just needed to get there and come up with a plan. She was not escaping him this time, and he would finally bring Daniel down. He had no problems with anyone else, but if they stood in his way, then he would bring them down, too.
The first step to finding Kerri was to go through the files and figure out who Daniel trusted the most. He separated all the files into two folders, those who just worked for the man and those in his top circle. The pattern became clear once Justin was done. The “Top Circle” folder contained all the men that worked closely under Daniel. There were only seven men in the folder and Justin knew that Kerri would be with one of these men. He studied them all, but only one name kept popping out to him. Chase Matthews. Justin worked with the man only once, but he saw him often. He was Daniel’s number two guy and seemed to make just as many decisions as Daniel. He even saw Daniel defer to Chase on a few occasions when in the planning process. He read some more of Chase’s file and saw that the only reason he left the company was because his parents died, so he was still in good standings with Daniel. He looked at Chase’s last-known residence and smiled. This was it. The location was perfect for hiding someone. The small town was remote and not a popular destination. If no one paid attention, Kerri would blend right into his family and no one would be the wiser.
Justin cleared the screen and quickly removed the hard drive from the computer. These files could prove to be very handy in the future, so he decided to keep them safe. He set about packing for his trip. He let Kerri escape him once, but not again.
Chapter 7
The bar that the guys took them to was about thirty minutes from the ranch. Kerri would have never spotted it sitting back off into the woods if she had been alone. She was sure that not a lot of people knew about this place and, judging from the crowd, she was right. She loved it. This was her type of place, a place that had character, was off the beaten path, and was only known about through word of mouth. Kerri followed Cane and Ali over to a table in the corner that was already occupied by a young redhead.
“Kerri, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is Kerri,” Cane said, introducing them as she slid into her seat.
So this is the infamous Jessica that I keep hearing so much about. During one of her many conversations with Cane, Kerri learned about Riley’s crush on the redheaded librarian. He was head over heels in love with the woman. Kerri could certainly see why Riley was so attracted to her. Jessica was gorgeous, with her long red hair and aqua eyes.
The waitress came by, and Kerri ordered the biggest margarita they had with a shot of tequila on the side. Kerri wondered if Ali was even going to be allowed into the bar at her age, but Chase informed her that the owner was a friend and would allow it for him. She felt sorry for Cane and Ali because they could only order juice or soda, but she had no such restrictions and planned to make the most of her night. She turned from the waitress to find Cane, Ali, and Jessica all staring at her with open mouths.
“What?” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“Where do you plan to put all of that?” Jessica asked.
Kerri laughed. “Don’t worry, it will take me all night to drink that, and I doubt if I could finish all of it. I would probably have to be carried out of here if I did.”
The waitress returned with their drinks and sat what looked like a fishbowl down in front of Kerri. Her eyes bugged at the size of the drink.
Ali giggled. “You should see the look on your face right now.”
“Now I know why you guys were staring at me like I was crazy earlier. This thing is freaking huge!” Kerri took a sip and moaned, “Oh man I needed that.” She took a few more sips before she slid the glass away and asked, “So ladies, what do you what to talk about?”
“I have an idea,” Cane said as she adjusted in her chair. “Why don’t you tell us what is going on between you and Chase.”
“You get straight to the point,” Kerri said, smiling to show that she wasn’t angry that her privacy was being invaded. She had been warned by Chase that Cane was playing matchmaker. Cane felt that everyone should be as happy as she and her husbands were and had made it her mission to get the last two Matthews men hitched.
“Well, I think I am in love with him, but don’t say anything to him because I haven’t told him yet. I want to wait until all this trouble is behind us before I do.”
Cane clapped and bounced in her seat like a seven-year-old girl. “Oh, this is so good. I’m so happy for you and Chase, and I can tell that he is head over heels for you, too.” Kerri blushed. If Chase felt a fraction of what she felt for him, it would make Kerri’s day.
They all sat and talked and filled Kerri in on everyone’s stories. She’d already heard Ali’s but was shocked to hear about what happened to Cane about eight months back. She was glad that Cane had moved on with her life and found love. Kerri also found out tha
t Jessica was a secret erotic romance writer. With her pure, innocent looks, Kerri would have never guessed that about her. From what she observed, Jessica was quiet and reserved. She sat back and listened to the conversations, only joining in when she was asked a direct question. It’s always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for, Kerri thought. She was fascinated by Jessica and saw her watching Riley throughout the night.
She didn’t want to get into Jessica’s business, but Kerri just had to ask, “You do know that he is just as into you as you are into him, right?” Conversation at the table immediately stopped, and she watched the blush creep up Jessica’s neck into her face.
Jessica sighed. “I just get so nervous when he is around. I get tongue-tied and don’t know what to say. Usually I just end up making a fool of myself.”
Kerri looked over at Cane and Ali to see if they were all on the same page. Being housebound with these two women for so long, she felt that she knew what they were thinking. It seemed they were going to have to help this relationship along. They all three nodded at each other as if silently communicating.
Ali spoke first. “Okay, here is what you are going to have to do. You order a few drinks, and we all make sure that it looks like you drank all of them. When it is time to go home, we will say that we don’t think you should go alone and need an escort. Of course Riley will volunteer in a heartbeat, but the only downside is that if things do turn out good, you won’t be getting any tonight. He will be a perfect gentleman and not take advantage of you while he thinks you are drunk. It will give you the chance though to tell him exactly how you feel, though, and if you make a fool of yourself, then you can wake up in the morning and pretend to not remember it ever happening.” Everyone at the table turned to stare at Ali in shock. Who knew sweet, innocent Ali had such a devious mind?
By the time they coached Jessica on what to do, the alcohol had begun to affect Kerri. It always swept through her system in stages. First, it relaxed her. After that, her limbs began to tingle as the alcohol spread through her system. For some reason, this caused horniness. Kerri didn’t know why, but alcohol was like an aphrodisiac to her. She knew that if she continued to drink that she would eventually pass out. Her small size made it almost impossible for the liquor to leave her system fast enough, so she made a point of never making it to this stage. Right now, Kerri was at the horniness stage, and that was her cue to stop drinking. Unfortunately, dirty thoughts of Chase invaded her mind. She had been catching glimpses of him off and on all night and, true to his word, he hadn’t bothered her once. He left her at the front door with a kiss when they had arrived, and walked away. Now, she wanted him. She wondered if they could sneak off somewhere and mess around. Her panties were growing wetter and wetter the more she thought about it.
* * * *
Chase watched Kerri ease from the chair that she had been sitting in all night. Her limp was more pronounced from the effects of the alcohol, but her walk was still damn sexy to Chase. He had been watching her all night, and not being able to talk to her or touch her was torture. He made her a promise not to bother her for the evening, and he was trying his best to stick to it. Now it looked like he was going to get a reprieve. Kerri made it to him and walked straight into his arms.
“Hey, little bit, you having fun?”
“I was, but now I need a restroom break and was wondering if you would come with me since I’m not supposed to go alone.”
Chase narrowed his eyes, trying to determine just how much alcohol Kerri had consumed. He hadn’t seen her order anything besides that first drink, but that looked like it had been enough for about five people. Her skin was flushed, and she had a small amount of perspiration dotting her upper lip. He was about to refuse her request and suggest they call it a night, but Kerri took the decision out of his hands by squeezing his erection. Chase groaned as he lifted Kerri and practically ran to the bathroom.
He chose the women’s room because he figured it would be a lot cleaner than the men’s. Chase sat Kerri on the counter and wrapped her legs around his waist. He leaned down and kissed her until they were both desperate for air.
“Damn, Kerri, I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he said as he ground his pelvis into hers. Kerri whimpered and lifted her hips, grinding herself against him. Her moans got louder the faster she moved until she let out a wail and shuddered against him. Chase was amazed at how responsive she was. It didn’t take but a little pressure to set her off every time. He stepped back and shook his head, trying to get control of himself. If he kept this up, he was going to come in his pants like some teenage boy.
“We can’t do this here, Kerri. I made myself a promise that the next time I took you, it would be in a bed where I could take my time and make love to you properly. I’m not going to do that in some public bathroom.”
He expected Kerri to protest, but she was leaning back against the mirror, sound asleep. Chuckling, Chase picked her up and left the room. He went over to her table and let the other girls know that it was time to call it a night, but the other guys had beat him to it. Riley was already headed to the door, guiding Jessica with his hand on her back. Jessica turned at the door and winked back at Ali and Cane who started giggling nonstop. Chase looked over at Duncan and Logan who both shrugged. Obviously they were just as clueless as him about what was going on.
Angel and Gavin had gone on ahead to check the vehicles. Once they checked out, Angel gave the “all clear” signal, and Chase climbed in the back of the SUV, cradling Kerri in his lap. She let out a soft snore and curled into his chest. She felt right in his arms, and he became convinced more than ever that he had to convince her to stay with him when this was all over. He wanted peace in his life, and Kerri was just the person to give it to him. Something about her soothed his soul and proved that there was still goodness in the world despite all of the horrors that he had seen.
When they arrived home, Chase refused to put Kerri back into the guest room. He wanted her with him, so he carried her to his room instead. He quickly stripped them both and placed her in the middle of the bed. He climbed in behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He sighed and the word “content” popped in his head just as he dozed off to sleep.
* * * *
Kerri wasn’t sure what woke her from sleep. She lay there, blinking up at the ceiling, trying to get her eyes to adjust. Where am I? The room was unfamiliar to her. A muffled moan drew her attention to the man lying next to her. Chase’s room. That sound was what had woken her up. Chase was obviously having a bad dream, judging by the moans getting louder. Kerri placed her hand on his back to wake him up but quickly withdrew it when Chase began to lash out. She scrambled out of bed as fast as her injured leg would let her and backed into a corner. She wasn’t scared of Chase but knew that he was very dangerous at the moment. Her dad had explained it to her one time, telling her that the nightmares were more like flashbacks than dreams. They seemed so real that a person could see someone trying to wake them as a threat and hurt them before they realized what they were doing. Kerri knew that she needed to let Chase wake up on his own, but the whimpers and moans coming from the big guy nearly broke her heart. She softly called his name a few times until his body stiffened, and he sat straight up in bed. Kerri knew the exact moment he came out of the dream because the glazed look cleared from his eyes, and he reached out for her. When he realized that she wasn’t next to him, he scanned the room until his eyes locked onto her standing in the corner.
“Oh shit, Kerri. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”
When she shook her head no, Chase turned his back and sat on the side of the bed. His shoulders slumped, and he held his head in his hands. Kerri couldn’t stand to see him this way and crossed the room to kneel in front of him. It wasn’t easy getting her leg to bend far enough so that she could rest on her knees, but she made it work. She placed her hand under Chase’s chin and lifted until he looked at her.
“Hey, you didn’t hurt me. I recogniz
ed the signs and got out of the bed before anything happened. No harm, no foul.”
Chase still had the look of guilt on his face, and Kerri wanted it gone. She wanted to take his mind off of everything, so she placed her hand against his chest and pushed him back. Chase didn’t budge but grabbed her hand instead.
“What are you doing, Kerri?”
“Shh, just lay back. You have been taking excellent care of me. Now let me do the same for you. Just trust me.” Kerri pushed again, and this time Chase lay back. It made her feel good that he trusted her because if he didn’t, there was no way she would have been able to push him to the bed. It was a good thing that Chase was already naked because it made what she was about to do a whole lot easier.
Kerri lifted his cock from where it rested against his thigh. Even at half-mast it was impressive. Even though they’d had sex a few times, she had gotten only quick glimpses of it. Now she took the time to study it closely. His cock was truly a work of art, from the large, purple-mushroomed cap, to the thick shaft. Kerri gripped him and squeezed a little, causing Chase to moan and buck his hips. He grew impossibly larger, and Kerri was unable to wrap her fingers all the way around him. It’s a wonder he even fit inside me.
Davis, Keyonna - Faceless Enemy [Pine Valley 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8
