Thirsty Thursday (The Billionaires Temptations Book 4)

by Annalise Wells

  “I will show you, do you have your laptop?”

  “Yeah, over by the table.” He wipes himself with a towel.

  I plug in the flash drive, and a large folder appears. I click on it, and dozens of other folders open up. We scour the folders, I find the one that relates to Ty and the others. I click on the icon, there are documents and reports. A lot are all about the experiments and relate to all the teams that are based around the world.

  “This is extreme, it mentions everyone you can imagine,” Ty says.

  “Yeah, once Bob goes public with this, everything is finished. You won’t have anyone trying to get to you, ever again, and Tina will be out of it for good,” I say.

  “You better get it to Bob, I think he is itching for something else to do,” Ty says laughing.

  I make my way to Bob with the flash drive. I walk into his room. “Great job last night,” I say.

  “I had the easy part. I did hear something after, and now I know why The Kingmaker was making so many calls,” Bob says.

  “Why was that?” I ask.

  “He was supposedly under the protection of the agency, and we just walked in and killed their prime asset,” Bob replies.

  “Fuck, they will be pissed.”

  “Not as pissed as when we expose them,” Bob says.

  “Saying that… I have you a gift,” I reply.

  I hand Bob the flash drive. He plugs it into his computer. He watches the screen as the folders open.

  “This stuff is highly classified, you do know that?”

  “I had a very good idea it was, and I think that is why the agency was protecting him, the chiefs wanted this information back,” I say.

  “I can see why they are going down once this is exposed,” Bob says.

  “I guess this is useful stuff.”

  “This is the fucking motherload.”

  “Awesome. They going down.”

  “Oh, I have a friend that’s a clown if you need tips, by the way.” Bob grins.

  “Really?”

  Fuck, I am so going to get Tina back for this.

  “And you have a great view from that office of yours, huh?”

  I look at him sternly. “Bob!” He laughs at me.

  “No one ever mentions the calm after the storm.”

  Tina

  “Waiting can be worse than watching paint dry.”

  Two days and there has been no call from my bosses. I am not used to this sort of suspense. They have always called me in as soon as anything has happened. This time though, it is different. I was not involved. They had tasked me to get hold of The Kingmaker, but from the information Bob had provided, The Kingmaker was under the agency’s protection, or at least he was supposed to be under someone’s protection.

  I went to Shona’s club just to get away for a couple of hours. A breath of fresh air would make all the difference. I enter the parking lot and make my way to the club entrance. It was such a contrast to the new one, and I think either would feel good compared to the other after a while.

  Shona meets me in reception and leads me to her office. “What can I do for you?” Shona asks.

  “I just needed a break, I have heard nothing from my bosses yet,” I say. “The waiting is a real killer.”

  “I bet, just come here anytime you feel like it. I get the feeling we will all be between the two clubs anyway,” Shona says.

  “What’s with this new club? Jamaica? Was that what Beau mentioned?”

  “It was Jamaica, and would you believe it, he has already landed somewhere, it is a going concern, so there is not much development to do,” Shona explains.

  “And your cousin? I didn’t know you had family.”

  “I never speak much of family. But my cousin, he and I are really close, or we were until he started working in Vegas, and I moved here,” Shona says.

  “What does he do in Vegas?”

  “He’s a club manager, but nothing like these, more gambling and just a regular titty bar, that sort of thing,” Shona says.

  “When are you meeting him? Stacey says he is coming sometime this week?” I ask.

  Shona smiles. “Actually, he should be here any time now, so you can be the first one to meet him,” Shona says.

  Shona continues to tell me about the new club. It is already running, her cousin and Conor will jet out and supervise pencil guy who is going to arrange the work that needs doing. Beau is throwing a huge wad of cash at this one. There are millions of holidaymakers who visit Jamaica every year.

  “What is your cousin’s name anyway?”

  “His name is Alex.”

  Shona leans forward on her desk. “He has the most gorgeous eyes. He used to have shoulder length hair and a body like Tarzan, and a real primal male sort of physique,” Shona explains.

  “Yummy. He sounds lovely.”

  Shona explains that Alex, Conor and the pencil guy will be shipping out soon. Vacation season is not far away, and Beau wants the whole complex transformed and finished a couple of weeks before they open for the real summer visitors.

  Shona’s phone rings. She picks it up. “Hello?” she says.

  “A Mr. Alex is here for you,” the girl says over the intercom.

  “Ah, he is here?” Shona says.

  “He has just arrived,” the girl says.

  “I will be right there,” Shona answers as she walks from behind her desk, excitedly.

  I stand and walk out of the office with Shona. I can see from the spring in her step, she is super-excited.

  We walk into the spa reception. “Alex!” Shona screams. She runs up and throws her arms around his neck and gives him a huge kiss on the cheek.

  He throws his arms around her and hugs her tightly. “It has been too long, just look at you,” he says.

  Shona stands back. I am not sure about his body, but from what I can see, she is right. I think he could have women all over him. He is hotter than hot. Not as hot as my Orlando.

  “Alex this is Tina,” Shona says.

  “I am pleased to meet you,” Alex says as he kisses my hand.

  “A true gentleman,” I say.

  “What did I tell you?” Shona says, looking at me.

  “You were right in every sense,” I reply.

  “Come on, let’s go and sit in the restaurant, Beau will be here soon,” Shona says.

  We walk to the restaurant. I see Alex looking around at the club a lot. I am not sure if it’s because it is new to him, or maybe he saw one of the girls.

  We sit at the table as we wait for Beau to arrive. “So, tell us about Vegas,” Shona says.

  “There is not much to say, I managed a couple of different underground gambling clubs mainly, and I suddenly thought it was time for a change,” Alex says. “I missed you Shona.”

  I sit listening as Shona explains the situation of the new club and complex. Alex seems really keen on the idea and is ready to go as soon as she wants him to. He explains there is nothing to hold him in Vegas and a major change like that will do him the world of good.

  I am not sure where my hunches come from, but they are rarely wrong. Alex seems like a great guy, and he is, as Shona said, drop dead gorgeous. I feel like there might be more to him.

  Beau walks into the restaurant. He makes his way over to the table. Alex stands and offers his hand to Beau. He shakes and takes a seat next to Shona.

  “Nice to finally meet you. So, Alex, I guess Shona has filled you in on everything?” Beau asks.

  “Yes, she has explained that Conor and Mike your builder guy will be going with me,” Alex says.

  “And you know what we are looking to achieve?” Beau says.

  “Yes, we have a few weeks before the peak summer season, so we want to make a huge impact,” Beau explains.

  “I understand all that, I will do all that is needed,” Alex says.

  “There is a club there already, but we will have another built, so we don’t lose the custom that is already going,” Beau says plainly.

/>   “Understood, old club runs until the new one is ready,” Alex says.

  “Exactly, that way we can filter things over to the new one when we are ready,” Beau explains.

  “What about the money?” Alex asks.

  I knew there was something…

  “There will be a debit card that has more than enough on it, you just have to keep the receipts and tie it up with Conor when you purchase something,” Beau says.

  “Of course, no problem,” Alex says.

  “I think we have most of that sorted. So, if we say the day after tomorrow, then you have time to get things together,” Beau says.

  “That’s good with me, I am as good as ready now,” Alex says.

  I sit and listen. I am sure something is going to go wrong, and I don’t know what it is. Alex appears to be squeaky clean, but as Shona said to me, it has been a while since she has seen him.

  “I have to get back, I have a club to run,” I say as I stand up from the table.

  “Tina, it has been a pleasure,” Alex says as he kisses my hand.

  Shona was right. A kiss on the hand from Alex and my mind was going to be blanked from what I was thinking of him. I will have to watch out for that in future. He is more than charming.

  “Waiting can be worse than watching paint dry.”

  Orlando

  “Gotta love information.”

  Bob was busy preparing all the information to be broadcast on the internet. He had linked everything to the media; forums, social media and any other channels he could think of that would reach as many people as possible. It had been four days since I had given him the flash drive, so he must be close to being ready.

  We had to tie the agency up into many knots, so there would be no way they could get out of the situation. Even if they stepped down and retired, we had everything set up so no one could take their place and continue. It had to be completely dead in the water. No more manipulating things, even the families who were behind all of it, they would also be dead in the water.

  The world is not here to be dominated by anyone, it is here to be shared, and that was what we were giving back to the people. The chance to share. I walk across the club toward Tina’s office. I walk inside and close the door behind me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “I was just thinking?” Tina replies.

  “What about?”

  “Quite a few things. My bosses haven’t called which is freaking me out, and this Alex guy that Beau and Shona have sent to Jamaica. There is just something about him,” Tina says. She looks worried.

  “You have one of your hunches?” I ask.

  “Yes, but I don’t know what it is, it has been eating at me since I met him the other day,” Tina says.

  “He has gone now, so there is not much you can say,” I reply.

  “At least Conor and pencil guy are there with him.”

  “That’s it, no more worrying, it will all work itself out. I am sure of that,” I say.

  “Orlando, what would I do without you?” Tina beams a kind smile.

  “That is not the first time you have asked that, and you would worry yourself stupid,” I reply. “Come on, let’s do something and take our mind off things for a while,” I say.

  “Get me those receipt books, and I will bury my head in some receipts for an hour or so. You go online and learn about clowns. That party is next week,” Tina says.

  I start to pass Tina one of her ledgers and her cell phone rings. There is no name just a number. “Keep quiet,” she says.

  I sit motionless as Tina answers her phone and puts it on speaker. “Hello,” she says.

  “Tina, we have a crisis. I am not sure if you know anything about it, but we need to speak to you tomorrow. Eleven o’clock at the G headquarters,” the voice says.

  “Can you give me an idea what it is about?” Tina asks.

  “I thought you would know already.”

  “I am sorry Sir, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Tina says.

  “If you have no idea, it can wait until tomorrow, just brace yourself for some tough questions,” the voice says plainly.

  “Okay Sir, I will be there at eleven o’clock.”

  Tina looks at me as the call ends. She makes sure her phone has disconnected.

  “This is it, they are hauling me in.”

  “So tomorrow then, Bob has to crash their system while you are there,” I say.

  “It looks that way, by the time they have ranted and raved it will say eleven twenty. That will be the time I will be free,” she says smiling.

  I walk behind Tina’s desk and put my hands on her shoulders. I massage her and feel her relax as my fingers dig into her muscles.

  “This is the moment you have been waiting for,” I say.

  “It has been a struggle, and I don’t think I could have done it alone,” Tina says. “Not without my Lando.”

  “I am a sexy clown. This is not the end of anything. This is just a new beginning.”

  I lower my head and place it next to Tina’s ear, I can hear her sniffling as if she is crying. I spin her chair to face me, and I can see tears have started to flow down her cheeks.

  “Orlando, you have no idea what this means to me,” she says.

  “I think I do, I have been with you every step of the way, and I have seen how you have fought to get through it,” I say.

  “It has affected me emotionally. I have battled deep inside to get through it, and I have wanted to cry so many times,” she says.

  “This is what makes you special, and it is this determination that makes me attracted to you, well that, and because you have a killer body,” I say, obviously smiling.

  “You know what, I have had enough of these books, I need a fucking drink,” Tina says.

  We walk from the office. We approach the bar, and it seems strange not to have Conor there to greet us. Now we have Dillon and Conor’s friend who he introduced. I have no idea what he is saying though, his accent is just too broad.

  “Dillon, pour us the best god-damned drink you can make,” I say.

  “Sure, do you want the spinning bottles or straight up?” he asks, smiling.

  “Just pour the god-damned drink.” He’s a cheeky one.

  “How is Paddy getting on?” Tina asks Dillon.

  “He’s a great bartender, but between you and me, I don’t have a clue what he is saying,” Dillon comments.

  “Paddy,” I call. Paddy looks up and walks to us by the bar.

  “Top o’ the morning to you,” he says.

  “How are you getting on with the job?” I ask.

  “Oh bejesus, it be grand, I am like a pig in shit,” he replies.

  “Are you coping well with the customers?” I ask.

  “Oh, is no problem, sum tink dey are better t’an us, but they are just tinkers the same as you and me,” Paddy says.

  “I am happy to see you are enjoying it.”

  “I have to say, there are some fit girls, I wouldn’t mind rootin’ one or two of them me self,” Paddy says.

  “Ah, yes,” I reply with a grin.

  Paddy walks back to the end of the bar and continues cleaning the glasses.

  I look at Tina, and she smiles at me. “You asked for that,” she says.

  “Did you understand any of it?” I ask.

  “I understood every word, I have been speaking to Conor more than you,” Tina replies.

  “It is another language to me, I will leave that to you in future,” I say.

  “I am going to call Shona and the others and let them know,” Tina says.

  “You want me to come with you?”

  “No, it’s okay, go and have a chat with Scott or something, I won’t be long,” Tina says.

  Tina takes her glass and walks to her office. I sit and look around for Scott. I see him appear from behind the big heavy curtain at the side of the stage.

  “Scott,” I call out.

  He looks at me and walks over to the bar.
“What do you want?” Scott asks. He beams a smile.

  “I just want to see how thing are going?” I ask.

  “They are great, the other guys have really taken to it,” he says.

  “I am not surprised, where else can you get a free blow job as part of your days’ work,” I reply laughing.

  “Yep,” Scott says.

  “How are things with you and Angie?”

  “How did you know about us two? I thought we had kept that a secret,” Scott says.

  “It’s me you’re dealing with, I have known you too long for you to hide things.”

  “I have to say, she is a great girl, I wouldn’t have thought that she could have that effect on me,” Scott says.

  “I am sure it has something to do with these clubs, they bring out the best in us when we least expect it,” I reply.

  “She’s more than enough for me.”

  “I feel the same way about Tina.”

  “When is your clown gig?” asks Scott, trying to hold back a laugh.

  “Who has spread that around? For fuck’s sake.”

  “Gotta love information.”

  Tina

  “The final showdown, or the final countdown, they both give the same result.”

  I was unable to sleep and sat on the roof garden for half of the night. I felt the cool air lifting as the sun started to rise over the city. Birds hopped around the wall and I threw breadcrumbs from my toast for them. They stood on the pavers and pecked up the crumbs that lay on the floor.

  I took it as a sign that the day was going to be a revelation. Orlando is going to instruct Bob at exactly what time to crash the system, and I will be amidst the panic of my superiors when it all happens. It will be a joy.

  I look at the clock on the wall. I see it is eight thirty. Soon, I will have to get ready and go to my appointment. Orlando comes back upstairs and is covered in sweat. I can see that he is back doing his daily routine and going to the gym.

  Things are finally taking shape and we are getting a good structure in our lives. We are moving forward and things can only get better for both of us. All of us.

  “You better have a shower quickly, I have to get ready soon,” I say.