“Well you should know, you started it. Visiting naughty clubs!”
“If you carry on like that, I will eat the rest of your ice cream,” Joseph says dipping his spoon into the tub.
“Touch that, and I will shove that spoon up your muscular ass,” I reply with a slap to his wrist.
Joseph grins. “You are so defensive over a little bit of ice cream.”
“Do you know why women crave for this stuff? I mean, it can solve no end of problems for us, silly.”
“What sort of problems?” he asks.
“Any problem that has a man in it mainly, that’s what sort of problems.” I look into his eyes. “There’s really nothing it can’t do!”
Joseph looks deep into my eyes. “I wish we could get a tub that would solve all of our problems.”
“Maybe we need to buy more.”
“Buy more what?” he says smiling, eating the last scoop.
“You are a devil.”
“Me?”
“What? I don’t get it!”
Joseph
“Girls are dangerous for your health!”
We arrive at the club and see Owen is already waiting by the reception. As we get closer to him, I notice he has a rather tired look on his face. The dark bags under his eyes give it away that he had more than a little fun with the girl from the last show at the club.
I jump from the car as Stacey drives off to find a place to park. I approach Owen with a broad grin on my face; the closer I get the more downtrodden he appears.
"It looks like you had a heavy night."
Owen forces a grin. "These girls should have warning label tattooed on them, they are dangerous for your health." He grimaces.
"What do you think would happen if you did this every night?" I say grinning.
"I am not sure I could manage it, maybe the club one night and sleep a full day. Then I would consider it," he says.
Stacey walks up beside me and takes a good look at Owens' face, she starts laughing.
"Don't tell me, it was Becky you went with," she says.
"Yeah, how do you know that?" he asks.
"I have seen that look on guys quite a few times, she has that effect. If she can't suck you dry, she will die trying," Stacey comments, now belly laughing.
"She is quite a woman that's for sure," Owen says.
"You need a good cup of coffee inside of you," I say.
"I think a good shot of whiskey would be more beneficial," Owen replies.
We enter the spa reception. Stacey leaves us, as I take Owen for a strong coffee. The restaurant is nearly empty, and there are just a few staff sipping drinks, and the staff behind the counter buying themselves preparations for a little later in the night.
The hissing and spitting of the coffee machines fill the air as I approach the counter. The machines are not all those singing and dancing ones you see in the modern coffee shops, they are handcrafted and based on the old classic models.
A large vat of water bubbles away at the rear, and it travels through the series of pipes to be transformed into scolding hot water that does something magical to the coffee. The waitress brings the two steaming cups of coffee to the counter.
"I have put extra sugar on the tray, it looks like your friend needs it," the waitress says.
I chuckle. "From the look of him, I might be coming back for another couple of cups," I say.
"There is plenty more where that came from, just give me a shout," she replies.
I place the tray on the table. Owen slips from the light slumber he was falling into.
"It is worse than it looks," I say.
"I will be okay soon, I promise.
Relief washes over Owen’s face as he sips the coffee. "Damn this tastes good, what do they do to it?" he asks.
"It’s all in the equipment. It is just another thing that makes this place so special."
"I can see why you want to make damn sure you can hang on to it," he says.
"This fucking Kingmaker whoever he is, we have to get free from his damned clutches," I reply. “This place needs to stay here.”
"I have a few people who I can ask about him. I don't really know much more than what I have already told you," Owen replies.
"At least we are aware Cherry is a link to him, and so far, he has no idea that we know that much," I say.
Owen sips from his cup. "Did you mention it to Stacey?" he asks.
"Yeah, but she is solid, she won't tell anyone, even Shona and Cally won't know."
"Let's keep it that way, for now, the fewer people who know, the better," he says.
"There is just one thing that puzzles me. Why are you so eager to help us?" I ask.
Owen looks at me with a wry grin. "I have my own reasons, strictly personal of course," he says. My lips curl as I give a small smile back to him.
Not a question he wants to answer… yet.
Owen pushes his empty cup into the middle of the table. "Any chance of a top up?" he asks.
I laugh. "Sure, you earned it."
I signal to the waitress. She waves back and turns to face the machine. The hissing and spitting starts as she prepares the next two cups.
"How are you tracking the whereabouts of The Kingmaker anyway?" Owen asks.
"I have a contact who is undercover in a bike club, The Sons of Rebellion."
"I have heard of them, they have that camp high up on the ridge."
"That's the one. Anyway, Ty provides them with guns, and you can guess what supply they come from."
Owen chuckles. "Military grade, no serial numbers, right?" he asks.
"Exactly. So. Their leader Drake has put the feelers out to the other gangs, but they were looking for a supposed person who killed my fiancé, who you informed me, was not actually real," I reply.
Owen screws his face up. "Sorry. I always seem to be the harbinger of bad news."
"I think you can be forgiven in this instance," I reply.
"As long as they can track him without him realizing he is being followed," Owen says with a concerned look.
"Would you think you were being watched by a bike gang?"
"Probably not, even if they cast you a glare, it can just be because they are mad. What the fuck are you looking at punk?" Owen says chuckling.
"Spot on, they are the eyes and ears of the underworld," I add.
"How do you get in touch with this contact?" Owen asks.
"Ty takes care of all that when he delivers. They typically want him to make a shipment about every ten days," I reply.
"Once The Kingmaker is on his way back, he will be using everything in his power to remain out of sight."
"All that is under control. Do you have any idea what he looks like?" I ask.
"I did, for a few years after college, I had a good idea. And then he opted for quite a large degree of facial transformation. Not just a nip and tuck, but a real game changer," Owen explains.
"He may have had it done again, who knows, he is in the right business," I say.
"It wouldn't surprise me if he had come up with a method that allows him to change his face every week," he replies.
"Why did he go into this whole world domination thing anyway? If he was into science, why not just stick to that side of it?"
"He is a complicated guy. A bit of a loner but not really bad, he just stood on the fringes of everything," Owen says plainly. "I think it is just from the greed and the power he has been given by his employers, whoever they are."
"Let's not talk of his employers, that is another bucket of crap that needs sorting at some point," I reply. I feel really duped by the whole fucken charade.
"We always seem to forget they exist," Owen says as he empties his cup.
I raise my eyebrows. "You want another?"
"Hell no, there will be no stopping me now," he replies.
Owen says he has to go and speak to some of his contacts. We stand and make our way to the reception. Becky walks through the reception door.
&nb
sp; She smiles. "Hello again Owen, back again so soon?" she asks.
"Dead man walking, I am only visiting," he replies laughing.
Becky runs her finger seductively over Owen’s lips, "Well you know where to find me." she says softly.
We watch as she walks behind the reception desk.
Owen turns to me. "These girls are like a drug, you have them once, and you want more," he says shaking his head.
"You don't have to tell me that, look at the situation I am in," I reply.
Owen looks at me sharply. "I almost forgot. Beau is a financial wizard yeah?" he asks.
"Yeah, he is a multi-billionaire," I reply.
Owen shakes his head and curls his mouth down. "Tell him to look closer, it is not his money, he will find a leak somewhere… maybe a million here a million there will vanish," he says.
"So, all that he is doing is making money for the Kingmaker's bosses?"
"It is not just that, he is slowly taking control of one of the greatest financial markets on the planet, and he won't be the only one," he says.
"Holy fuck, if he carries on the way he is going, he will basically control the whole market of the United States." My mind boggles with it all.
Owen nods. "Yeah, now do that in every country. See the position it leaves you in."
I scratch my head. "I would say it leaves you in control of absolutely everything."
“Except girls,” he says. We both laugh and he leaves, needing sleep.
“Girls are dangerous for your health!”
Stacey
“Take a load off with me.”
Stepping from the change room, I see Joseph approaching. His head is bowed, and he looks deep in thought. He stops and turns as if to walk back to Beau's office, then he turns again and continues to walk in my direction.
"Are you okay?” I ask.
Joseph nods and forces a smile. "I am okay, I have just had my eyes opened widely, again!" he says.
I take hold of his arm and walk with him to his office. I usher him to the couch and remove his shoes.
"Put your feet up and take a load off,” I say.
"I would never have even thought things like this could happen," he murmurs.
"Why is that?” I ask.
"Not only are we a part of some kind of experiment, but whoever is manipulating everything, is doing so in each and every country. Fuck, they will control the world eventually," Joseph says.
"And you three are stuck in the middle of everything?” I ask.
Joseph places an arm over his eyes as he rests his head. "Like three little pigs."
"I have faith, and I am sure all the others do too. If anyone can fix this mess, you can,” I say proudly.
Joseph huffs. "I fucken hope so, if I can't, everything has gone, and worst of all, I will lose you," he says.
"Come on Wet Wednesday, that will never happen, and you know that. When was the last time you failed?”
Joseph lifts his arm and looks at me with one eye. "I don't know how to fail, it is programmed into me not to," he says, in truth.
"Exactly, use what they have given you to fight against them. It is simple in theory, but a little more complicated in practice, that’s all.”
"Stacey, you are an absolute fucking genius sometimes," he says.
I smile at Joseph. "I have my moments.”
Joseph goes to swing his legs from the couch, I push him back down.
"Just relax for a while, I am sure no one can take over the world in an hour,” I say sarcastically.
Joseph rolls his neck in a circle. "Yeah, Rome wasn't built in a day either," he says smiling.
"Is there anything I can get you?”
"Just your company for a while," he says grinning.
I push his body over on the couch. "Move over and let me on then,” I say.
Joseph rolls onto his side, I slide myself onto the couch beside him. My head rests on a cushion as he wraps his arm tightly around my body. I embrace the warmth of being in his clutches. I feel special, and most of all, I feel wanted. Joseph had said, how much his mind was swimming from all of the information he was receiving. For some reason, I did not feel that stressed. Maybe it was because I was receiving it filtered and diluted from him. Or maybe because I am a strong woman.
I like that option the best.
Our bodies entwine as we cuddle closely together. Joseph’s muscular arms remain holding me tight. I wriggle my body closer toward him. We lay in silence enjoying the comfort of solitude from the outside world. The faint crackle of the radio fills the room, the lights on the wall map flash intermittently. I lay there watching and listening. I feel like I am in the center of a spy story, it is so exciting and scary at the same time.
I feel Joseph’s warm breath on the back of my neck, I feel he has fallen asleep. I close my eyes and relax. I slip into a light slumber.
From what seems an eternity, I open my eyes. The radio crackles loudly and the lights on the map flash red. I wake Joseph.
"The radio is crackling,” I say.
"Leave it, it is probably nothing," he says.
"You know you can't think like that, you will give the game away,” I reply.
"Your right again," he says as he swings his legs from the couch.
Joseph sits at the desk and the headphones sit firmly over his ears. He scribbles notes as the voice rambles on in his ears. He removes the headphones and puts them on the desk.
"Hmm," he says.
"What is it?' I ask.
"Well, reading between the lines, I think the Kingmaker is about to enter into the United States," he explains.
"What makes you say that?”
"There is a major terror alert at the major border crossings, fuel tankers have been set on fire," he explains.
"Sneaky, so no focus will be on where he will cross,” I reply.
Joseph nods. "He can pick the place and just walk across the border if he so wishes, with no questions asked."
"What happens when he is back in town? I mean, how will things change?”
"I wish I could answer that, maybe to us, it won't appear any different," he says.
"Well, I am sure it will take him a while to reach the city if he is coming by land.”
"I am not worried, Ty's contacts will keep him posted," he says. "Now, I just have to speak to Beau if he is here."
"I can tell you now, he isn't, he is in the office, in the city.”
"Fuck, I can't go there, it is too obvious."
"I can go, just tell me what I have to say to him,” I say.
"That could work, no eyes will be on you in the same way," he replies.
I sit in amazement as Joseph explains all about the financial impact of what Beau is doing with his super-successful business. It seems hard to believe, but highly feasible.
"I will see you later then,” I say.
Joseph kisses me on the cheek. "Just be careful, my Wednesday girl."
I reach the office to see Beau. The girl at the reception desk informs me he will see me immediately. I ride up in the elevator and exit the floor where he is situated.
"Come in," Beau says.
"A beautiful place you have here,” I say.
"A home from home so to speak."
"What brings you here anyway?" he asks.
"Joseph has sent me, I have something I have to tell you.”
I look around the office ceiling. I stand and grab a piece of paper from his desk and scribble. Beau reads the note and nods with his head to follow him. We walk to the computer room. The servers hum away as the fans blow air to keep them cool.
"So, what is the message?" Beau asks.
"Joseph has found out that your business is just a front. The Kingmaker is manipulating things to make you more successful,” I explain.
Beau smiles. "And here was me thinking I had the Midas touch," he says laughing.
"It is not just you, in every major financial center the same thing is happening. The world markets are slowly bein
g brought together,” I explain.
"It makes a lot of sense. Once all they are controlled, you can dictate what happens in the world, and no one would have a clue what was going on," Beau explains.
"He also said, check your accounts, there is the chance regular amounts are being withdrawn, as well.”
"How much are we talking?" he asks.
"Small change for you, maybe a million here a million there,” I say smiling.
"Well, all of it is basically their war fund for domination," Beau says.
"Joseph has a plan though, he asks how quickly you could liquidate your assets if required?” I ask.
"It depends on the day, Fridays and Mondays are no good. I would say Tuesdays, and then forty-eight hours I could dump a lot of it with some careful planning," he explains.
"Now you have a job to do, start planning. Even if you have to convert assets into legitimate businesses that have no ties to your current accounts,” I explain.
"I can do that no problem, their assets can just vanish before they realize what is happening," Beau says.
"It sounds good, you better start putting things into place. This so-called Kingmaker is leaving Mexico and on his way back to the city,” I add.
"Right you are boss," Beau says laughing.
I grin. "It does seem that way sometimes, doesn't it?” I reply with a wink.
"You better get back and keep Joseph updated, I think time is of the essence now," Beau says.
We walk back toward the elevator. The humming of the fans fade as the door closes behind us.
"I have told Joseph, I have faith in him to fix all of this,” I explain.
The door for the elevator opens. I step inside. "I will see you later,” I say, as the door starts closing.
“Help Joseph, Stacey. He needs you. Thank you.”
“I will.”
“Take a load off with me.”
Joseph
“You can do this! Think positive.”
I pace around my office. Come on Joseph think. You can do this. Everyone is relying on you.
I run option after option through my mind. Do we have the resources to combat The Kingmaker? If I count bodies, I could muster up a couple of hundred physical soldiers if force was required, but I don't think this sort of fight is a physical one.
Wet Wednesday (The Billionaires Temptations Book 3) Page 14
