She laughed. “I know and I do, which is why I didn’t fire you. We’ve been friends for longer than we’ve been business associates. And I have great respect for your opinion. I hope you know how much you mean to me.”
Every muscle in Frederick’s body was smiling brightly. “So what’s next?” he asked, the lines in his face finally relaxing.
She paused, reflecting on his question. As a company they were as ready as they were ever going to be. And if Noah’s investigation didn’t dig anything else up, she fathomed the stock release would go smoothly. She suddenly thought about the highly publicized event. She’d been invited to stand behind the New York Stock Exchange podium to push the button that signaled the bells that would announce the opening of the trading day. It was an honor and would symbolize a lifetime of achievement. She’d been dreaming of that moment since the first Fly High plane took flight.
“On Monday I want you with me when the bells ring,” she finally said. “You should be there.”
Frederick sat upright, understanding washing over his expression. He nodded, excitement playing on his face. “Of course, Cat. Thank you.”
“Good. I’ll arrange for car service to take us. Noah and I will be leaving from here. We need to be there by nine o’clock.”
“Noah?”
Catherine nodded. She turned to jot some notes onto a yellow lined notepad. “Yes. I anticipate...” she started.
Frederick snapped, cutting off her words abruptly. “Why is Noah going to be there?”
Catherine was taken aback by the rage that flashed across Frederick’s face. His eyes were bulging and his face was flushed a deep hue of ruby red. He was clenching his teeth so tightly that every blood vessel in his face and neck was engorged. For a brief moment she imagined that if he could have, he would have hit her, his fists clenched like locked vises at his sides.
She took a deep breath and held it as she pushed herself back from the table. She turned her entire body to face him.
“Noah will be there because I want him there. He will be there to support me just like you will.”
“So are you two an item now?” Frederick’s eyes were now thin slits, his gaze narrowed tightly.
She met the look he was giving her with one of her own. “Noah is very important to me. Whatever the relationship is between us is no one’s business but ours.”
“We have a strict no-fraternization policy, Cat! Do you remember that? How is that going to look to our other employees?”
Catherine continued to eye him as intensely as he was eyeing her. His question was one that she and Noah had both asked themselves. Noah’s answer had surprised her, and she’d been replaying the conversation over in her head since he’d left her that morning.
The morning sun had just risen in a picture-perfect sky. Catherine had stretched her naked body against his, relishing the warmth of his skin against her own. It felt good to wake up next to him, and she imagined that going back to a life without Noah there would truly break her heart.
There was something remarkable growing between them. Something mesmerizing and consuming. She found herself craving him like she’d never craved anything before. It was intoxicating and she felt as if it were the sweetest addiction imaginable. But she was reluctant to label it because that four-letter word had always scared her. Love wasn’t something she ever imagined for herself, not even in passing.
Noah must have sensed her musings as he snuggled closer against her, nuzzling his face into her hair. He had gently kissed the back of her neck as he murmured good morning against her ear. His breath was hot against her skin and the sensation caused a shiver to course through her body.
“I was dreaming about you,” he’d whispered softly.
She’d smiled into the pillow. “Hmm. Good dreams, I hope.”
He’d nodded. “Really good dreams. I dreamed you married me.”
Catherine had then rolled in his arms, turning her body to face him. “Really?”
“You married me and we made beautiful babies and lived in Salt Lake City and we were incredibly happy.”
His comment had surprised her. “Marriage?”
Noah had laughed. “You do know what that is, right?”
She’d pushed her palm against his bare chest. “Don’t be silly. I just... Well...I...” she stammered, suddenly at a loss for words.
“We can’t keep our relationship a secret forever,” Noah said. “And at some point it’s going to be a problem with my employment. So you really need to think about marrying me. If we get married then no one can say anything about you sleeping around with one of your employees. And people wouldn’t think twice about your husband working for your business.”
Catherine had laughed. “We must both still be dreaming,” she’d said softly.
Noah had cupped his hand around her face, tilting her gaze to his. “Think about it, Cat. Because I’m going to ask you proper. In the very near future I’m going to get down on one knee with a ring in hand and I’m going to ask you to be my wife. And you’ll need to have an answer for me.”
“But...”
He pressed his index fingers to her lips, stalling her doubts. “No buts. Just give it some thought.”
She’d been thinking about it ever since. Noah would be expecting an answer from her and she instinctively knew that her answer wasn’t going to sit well with Frederick.
She changed the subject. “Frederick, my friend, you worry too much. Don’t make this something it doesn’t need to be.”
Before he could respond Marvin burst through the door. “Sorry to interrupt but they’re evacuating the building. There’s been a bomb threat!”
* * *
Noah was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. Despite his best efforts, his mind kept drifting back to thoughts of Catherine. They’d spent the past few days having serious conversations about their relationship. Waking up that morning, he’d been thinking about marriage and he’d said so, the prospect surprising them both.
What was growing between them had taken on a life of its own. It had happened faster than either of them could have ever imagined and it wasn’t going away. One day they’d been high school acquaintances reconnecting and the next day neither of them could imagine a future without each other. On one hand it all made perfect sense. On the other it was the craziest thing he had ever experienced. But the more he thought about the two of them together, the more certain he was that he had fallen head over heels in love with Catherine Moore. He loved her. That scared him and made his heart sing in the same breath. The sudden intensity of emotions they were both feeling felt as natural to him as breathing but he knew he needed to take a step back and re-evaluate what was going on. The element of fear that came with commitment had him second-guessing what he was most certain about and it was a necessary occurrence. His pragmatic nature wouldn’t allow for anything less.
He deeply sighed as the office administrator dropped a stack of folders onto the makeshift desk where he’d been working. He’d been at it for hours, confirming a series of numbers on a computer-generated spreadsheet. The reports should have corresponded with each other but one had been edited, and then a second, throwing all the numbers off. The pilot hours and the plane’s mileage logs didn’t match and they should have. Noah had needed the originals to confirm why.
He looked up at the woman who was assisting him. “These two pilots, Paul Contreras and Michael Thames, are they not employees of Fly High?”
The buxom blonde shook her head. “No, sir, they’re both independent contractors. We use them when our regular pilots are unavailable.”
“Who makes that call?”
“Usually Mr. Ross.”
“Do me a favor, please, and pull the employee records for the regular pilots.”
The woman nodded, her smile filling her face. “Yes, sir, Mr. Stallion.”
Noah watched as the woman walked out of the room, her thin hips shimmying from side to side. She tossed him
a look over her shoulder, invitation in her eyes. Noah ignored the implementation, turning his attention back to his papers.
His cell phone suddenly rang, vibrating against the tabletop. Answering it, he leaned back in his seat. “Hello?”
“Noah Stallion?”
“Speaking.”
“Hey, man, it’s Kendrick Boudreaux. How are you?”
“Kendrick, hello. I really appreciate you giving me a call.”
“No big deal. My man John said you needed some help.”
Noah smiled into the receiver. When he’d reached out to his first cousin he hadn’t expected the familial connection that would have put him in contact with a bona fide government agent. But John’s brother-in-law, Kendrick Boudreaux, worked for the Secret Service and from everything his Dallas cousins had shared, he’d participated in a number of high-level, covert missions before marrying his new wife Vanessa. Noah had figured if anyone could point him in the right direction, Kendrick could.
“I hate to be a bother but I could really use a hand,” Noah said, explaining what he needed and why.
Kendrick listened intently. Noah could hear him jotting down notes on his end of the line. “And what do you think is going on?” he asked.
Noah sighed. “I’m no rocket scientist but calculating the distance those planes traveled based on the actual mileage and not the mileage that was reported, the only place any of them could have gone was across the border into Mexico and back. I could be wrong but it’s the only thing that makes sense. The looming question is why? I don’t have the connections or the resources on that end to try and figure it out.”
“Well, I have a few favors I can call in. Let me see what I can dig up.”
“I would really appreciate that.”
“And do you think the email threats are connected? Or do you have two separate problems?”
“I want to say they’re one and the same but I could be wrong.”
“Can you forward all of those emails to me?” Kendrick asked. “I have a crackerjack team of internet specialists who can track down an IP address like they’re going to their mother’s house.”
Noah laughed. “I sure can. Consider them on the way.”
“And give me a few hours to see what I can dig up on your plane problem. I’ll give you a call as soon as I have some answers.”
“Man, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. I’ll owe you big-time.”
“Don’t sweat it, bro. It’s what family does, and you know that Stallion-Boudreaux connection runs deep.”
“I think I heard that somewhere!” Noah laughed.
“You can trust it. I know I do,” Kendrick said as he disconnected the call.
* * *
The return call from Kendrick came minutes before Noah’s plane was preparing to take off. Their conversation was extensive, Noah not liking anything he had heard. The situation was even worse than he’d imagined.
“There will be a federal investigation,” Kendrick was saying. “But I’ll do everything I can to keep it on the low.”
“How long do I have?” Noah questioned. “I need to get to Catherine. I’m flying back to New York as we speak. But I don’t want her blindsided, especially since the company goes public on Monday.”
“I’m flying into the city tonight. More than likely we will execute a warrant tomorrow morning. That’s probably the best I’m going to be able to do. But I’m also going to need you to keep the lid on this. We can’t risk them finding out that we’re onto them. If they run we could lose this whole case.”
Noah extended his appreciation, the two men agreeing to speak again once Kendrick landed in New York. He disconnected the call and signaled the pilot to take off. His mind was racing. He’d gone looking for something and what he’d found was bigger than he could have fathomed. It was dark and dirty and he didn’t need a federal investigation to tell him that it started and stopped at Frederick’s door. Catherine was going to be devastated.
His anxiety was raging. His knee shook with a vengeance. His first priority was to protect Catherine, though Catherine was going to want to protect Fly High. Doing both successfully would be a test of Noah’s business acumen. He couldn’t help but think that solving a double murder might have been easier.
* * *
Noah wasn’t surprised to find the corporate headquarters empty when he finally found his way back to downtown Manhattan. The moment they’d landed and he’d been able to turn his cell phone back on, a lengthy list of text and voice messages welcomed his arrival. He and Catherine had only hung up after she’d been called back for more questioning, investigators ensuring the bomb threat had been a cruel prank and nothing more.
Bishop stood behind the reception desk and a half-dozen NYPD officers loitered in the lobby. Dismay washed over Noah’s face as he looked toward the police and back to his friend.
Bishop’s head nodded anxiously in his direction. “Miss Cat is expecting you, Mr. Stallion. She’s in the boardroom. I think there’s a detective still there with her and Mr. Ross.”
He nodded his head. “Is someone doing rounds?”
“That new boy, Jimmy, and one of them police officers are walking around now. I’ll do the next shift myself.”
Noah sighed. “Call me when you’re ready, Mr. Bishop. I’d like to walk the floors with you.”
Bishop grinned. “Yes, sir.”
Noah nodded at the officers who all turned to stare as he waited for the elevators to take him up to the twelfth floor. It was only a few minutes later when he stepped into the company boardroom. Catherine sat at the head of the table, a detective sitting in the seat beside her. Frederick stood, his hand gently caressing Catherine’s back and shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Noah felt himself bristle as he struggled to keep the emotion void from his face. It took everything he had not to cross the room and snatch the smirk from Frederick’s lips. The two men locked eyes and held the stare far longer than necessary.
Catherine didn’t miss the rise of tension that suddenly flooded the room. “Noah, I’m glad you’re back,” she said, rising from her seat and rushing to his side. She stopped short of throwing her body into his arms, but he could see the fright and frustration that pierced her dark eyes. She paused and took a deep breath as he reached for her hands and held them between his own.
His smile was slight but endearing. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a loud whisper.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I am now.” She took another deep breath. “Noah Stallion, this is Detective Joe Locke,” she said as she gestured in the police officer’s direction. “Detective Locke, this is Noah Stallion. He’s our vice president of security.”
The two men shook hands.
“It’s a pleasure,” Noah said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get back here sooner. Do we know anything yet?”
The detective shook his fire-engine-red hair. “Our bomb squad has cleared the building and they didn’t find anything. Right now we’re thinking it was just a hoax. The call came in from a disposable phone so we’re unable to trace it. But it was probably someone’s kid playing games. I don’t think you have anything real to be worried about.”
“I beg to differ,” Frederick suddenly chimed in. “I think we need to be very worried. Did you not hear me when I said that Ms. Moore’s life had been previously threatened? In fact,” he continued, turning his attention toward Noah, “had you been here you would have known that she received more email messages today and this time she was threatened with physical harm.”
Noah tossed Catherine a quick look. She was chewing anxiously on her bottom lip, sadness floating in her gaze.
“We can look into that,” the detective said. “Make sure my office gets copies of those messages.”
“We appreciate that, Detective, but I can assure you it’s being handled,” Noah said emphatically as he turned to stare at Frederick.
The two men locked gazes both eyeing the other with distaste. Catherine’s eyes shifted back and forth
between the two. She sensed that whatever ill will the two were harboring wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.
Noah’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts. “Detective, if we can speak privately, please?” He gestured for the man to follow him as he headed back toward the door.
Detective Locke extended his goodbyes to Catherine and Frederick and made his exit.
Once the door was closed, Frederick’s anger seethed. “I don’t know how he can believe that you aren’t in harm’s way.”
She shook her head. “If Noah says he has it handled, then I trust him. If he’s not worried, you shouldn’t be. You hired him because he’s good, or did you forget that?”
“No, I didn’t forget. That’s why I am worried. Noah was good but I can’t help but question whether or not your relationship with him is distracting him from his responsibilities.”
Frederick’s comment was snarky and uncalled for, Catherine thought. Annoyance painted her expression. She shifted the conversation back to the tasks at hand. “I need you to make sure this doesn’t hit the news feeds. And if it does we need to get on top of the story with a press statement. So do your job, please, and let me worry about Noah.”
“If I’m being honest, I have questions about your judgment, as well,” Frederick snapped, his tone edged in barbed wire.
Catherine narrowed her gaze as she eyed him. There was an awkward silence between the two. She finally nodded her head slightly before responding.
“Frederick, I’m going to assume that you’re tired, and with everything that has happened you aren’t thinking clearly. But so there are no further misunderstandings, don’t think that I’m okay with you speaking to me that way because I’m not. And since I’ve warned you once before, please trust that this will be the last time. Right now I’ve got way too much on my mind to deal with your foolishness. But I will deal with it.” She let out a low sigh before she continued.
“Handle the media, get a good night’s sleep and come back tomorrow like you want to continue to be employed by this company. If you can’t handle that I’ll accept your resignation now.”
Frederick took a step toward her, contrition flooding his expression. “Cat, I’m sorry, I didn’t...”
Stallion Magic Page 10
