Hark growled. “You shouldn't tempt me. Master gave us ten minutes while he got the coffee started.”
Bryan stuck his tongue out at him. “You'd be surprised what I can do with ten minutes, Sir.”
A shadow appeared against the frosted door before Diachi's voice broke in. “And you're about to find out what I do to submissives who dawdle in the shower, Bryan. You best hurry up, or I'm going to dump the coffee down the drain and replace it with green tea.”
Bryan froze at the threat, all thoughts of being sassy leaving his mind. He might love oolong and Irish Breakfast Tea, but he absolutely detested green tea. Dropping his hands from Hark's chest, he moved them over his body quickly, ignoring his hair in favor of washing skin. “We'll be right out, Master.” When Hark continued to stand there and stare at him, he tossed the loofah in his direction. “Come on, Sir. He's serious.”
Hark chuckled softly before picking up the shampoo and squeezing a generous amount in his hand. “Amazing. I'd never have guessed threatening you with green tea would work. I'll have to remember that.”
Bryan gave him a dark look, almost a glare as Hark began to wash his dark hair. “I'd rather you didn't, Sir. The first time you switch out my oolong tea for green will be the last time.” He narrowed his eyes. “I don't get mad, I get even —” With Hark’s hands occupied, he wrapped his fingers around his Sir’s erection. “And I don't ever forget.”
Hark sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes darkened. “Play nice, sweetheart, or you'll find out exactly how dirty I can fight.”
“Enough, you two.” Diachi’s voice reminded Bryan of their master’s presence. “You have two minutes to finish up, then I'm kicking you out of the shower, regardless of what's been washed and hasn’t, or if you've managed to rinse all the soap away. And from my understanding, soap itches like a bitch when it dries.”
Hark cast an uneasy glance at the door. “He's serious, isn't he?”
Bryan nodded, his hands flying faster over his body. “Hurry up.”
Both men made it out of the shower with thirty seconds to spare.
* * * *
Less than forty minutes later, Diachi pulled up to the main entrance of the corporate offices of Sterling Foods. It'd been several months since he'd actually set foot on the property. Beside him in the passenger seat, Bryan sipped at the steaming black brew from his travel mug, while directly behind his hana, Hark stared out the window. He had no doubt Hark's sharp gaze was taking in every last detail of the scene, from the security vehicles with their flashing lights to the figures standing beside a mid-size car. Easing to a stop, he put the SUV into park and turned to face his men.
Catching Bryan’s arm, he stopped him. “Harkahome has the lead, Bryan. Let him go first.”
Bryan's jaw clenched as he reluctantly dropped his hand from the door handle. “Sterling Foods is my responsibility, Master.”
Diachi nodded. “Yes, it is. However, where’s the harm in letting Hark secure the area before you talk to Sharonda and your security?”
Hark leaned between the two bucket seats. “I'm not taking away from your duties, Bryan, but I would feel much better if you allow me to assure your safety.”
Diachi watched as the carefully worded request slipped past Bryan's defenses. Leave it to Hark to leave their man his pride, while at the same time assuming the role of protector.
Bryan seemed torn as he chewed on his lower lip before he finally nodded. “Go ahead. You have ten minutes, Sir.” The response came out a bit tart.
Hark chuckled softly, and tipped Bryan's head back. Despite the awkward angle, he gave Bryan a soft kiss of thanks then released him. “That sounded suspiciously like an order, but I'll let it go this time.” He rubbed his thumb over Bryan's swollen lower lip. “However, I doubt Master will let this go.”
Diachi almost smiled evilly when Bryan's gaze flew to him. His hana knew the rules. Only he was allowed to nibble on his subs’ lips.
Bryan’s face reddened. “Oops, I forgot.”
Diachi kept his tone even while Hark slid out of the SUV. “Then I guess I’ll have to see what I can do to keep you from having future lapses.”
Bryan tipped his head submissively. “Yes, Master.” But his hand found Diachi’s, revealing his worry. Clasping their hands together, Diachi gave his support the only way he knew how.
* * * *
Once the area was secure, Hark swiftly returned to the SUV. He shouldn’t have been surprised the security team for Sterling Foods had done such a phenomenal job. After all Jude had recommended each and every person in the five man team. But regardless, it put his mind at rest to know the men had lived up to their reputation. There was no eminent danger to Bryan. Opening the passenger door, he gave his sub the all clear sign. “Let's go, little one. Your lovely assistant seems a bit shaken up. Although it shouldn’t be unexpected, coming so soon after her previous attack.”
Bryan exited the vehicle and stood. “I think you’d be surprised, Hark. She’s a lot stronger than she looks.”
Hark nodded as their master exited the SUV, his every move fluid. “Women can be rather resilient creatures.”
After Diachi joined them, they approached the car where Marius and Sharonda stood. When Bryan greeted both the guard and his assistant, Hark fell back, keeping an eye on the early morning shadows surrounding the building. Moments later, he was joined by Marius.
“I think Mr. Sterling has this handled.” Marius spoke softly, so only Hark could hear him.
Hark kept scanning the shadows. “Of course he does. From my understanding, they’ve been together a long time.”
“Nearly fifteen years from what I’ve been told.” Marius caught his arm. “Which is why I have something strange to show you. Sharonda claims she arrived early to catch up on work, but something isn’t jiving. She shouldn’t have been able to get this close to the building.”
His interested piqued, he caught Diachi’s gaze. With a subtle tilt of his head toward Marius, he let him know he was going with the head of security. The nod Diahci gave him assured Hark their master would stick to Bryan's side.
“Show me, please.”
Marius grimaced, but led him toward the guard shack at the entrance to the parking lot. “Every person who drives in has to come through this gate.” Sinking down in front of the computer, he tapped in a few commands. A video feed of the main entrance popped up on the screen. “As you can see it’s time stamped.” He gestured to the flickering numbers in the corner. Then he entered another flurry of key strokes, backing up the tape. “This was last night. See how Bryan and you are the last ones to exit the building?”
Hark nodded. “Yeah. We stayed late while he finished up a conference call with some suppliers in California.”
“Right.” Another clatter of keys filled the shack as Marius advanced the footage. “And here’s the next person who came into the lot.” A champagne Taurus pulled into the lot and passed through the gate after a short pause.
Hark narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t that Sharonda’s car?”
Marius nodded. “Yes, but this is the kicker. How did she get in? She doesn’t have the updated code for the gate since we change it every week. Today is her first day back since her attack. ”
An uneasy feeling pooled in his stomach. “That does cause an issue.”
Marius sighed. “I’m the last person who wants to accuse an injured woman of anything, but the facts aren’t adding up. She shouldn’t have been able to get into the lot – unless the gate was already unlocked.”
“Unlocked?”
Marius shut the feed down. “Yeah, once regular business hours start, the gate is switched to automatic. The person driving in merely has to push the button and the arm comes up. We monitor the flow of traffic from the Security desk in the main lobby.”
Hark’s mind whirled as he processed the new information. “So either someone gave Sharonda the code or – ”
“Someone switched the gate over to automatic.” Marius leaned back in
the chair. “Once I enter the main building, I’ll be able to tell. The gate can only be switched from the desk in the lobby. It’s a safety feature.”
“Let me know what you find out.” Hark rolled his shoulders. “This shit is getting out of hand. I want the culprit caught – like yesterday.”
“Believe me, so do I.” Marius was in the process of switching back over to the live feed when he stiffened. “What the fuck?” He leaned in, his eyes scanning the footage. “Dammit. I think we have an intruder along the south wall of the building.”
Adrenalin pumped through Hark’s veins. Next to him, Marius surged out of his chair and unhooked the leather thong securing his gun. A quick glance at the screen had Hark swearing as he caught a glint of metal before the figure blended back into the shadows. This wasn’t good.
“He’s heading straight for Bryan.” Sprinting out of the shack, Hark moved fast. He couldn’t let the man reach the small cluster of people standing next to Taurus. Behind him, he could hear the thud of feet as Marius followed him.
“Stop right there! Security!” The yell echoed through the parking lot.
The figure stumbled to a stop, then lifted his hands. “Don't shoot. I work here.”
Sliding to a stop in front of the man, Marius pulled his gun. “Step into the light. I want to see your ID. And don’t make any sudden moves.”
“Fine. Just hold your damn fire.”
The voice sounded familiar as the man stepped out of the darkness and onto the sidewalk leading up to the main doors of building. Just before he stepped fully onto the well-lit path, Hark spotted a long object in the man's hand.
“Son of a bitch.” Throwing his body at him, he tackled the figure. The startled oomph as they landed on the hard pavement echoed through the parking lot. Using his weight to pin him to the ground, Hark yanked back on his arms, securing the man's wrists.
“Damn, Captain, not so rough. I’d like to still be able to use my arms.”
The familiar rank pulled at Hark, causing dread to pool in his stomach. Please don’t let it be him. Rolling the man over, he growled as he identified him. “Goddamn it, Easton. What the hell are you doing here?”
“I live here, asshole.” Easton hissed. “Now get the fuck off me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Okay, spill it. You said you live here?” Marius asked Easton while Hark leaned against the wall of the security office. The large windowless room held a pair of desks and a bank of security monitors adjacent to several file cabinets. With airy ceilings and a soft crème walls, it wasn’t the most intimidating place, but it would work for what Marius and he needed it for. Especially considering Bryan and Diachi were safe and sound several floors above their heads. As it should be. If indeed Easton is behind the attacks, Bryan doesn't need to witness the betrayal firsthand.
Sitting at one of the solid oak desks, Easton raked a hand through his closely cropped hair. “Yeah. I live here, in one of the executive apartments above the corporate offices.”
A quick glance at Marius showed the other man's surprise at the revelation. “I know they've been talking about renting them out, but wasn't aware it had already happened.”
Hark didn’t like where this was going. Why hadn’t Bryan mentioned Easton lived on the premises when he’d told him the man might behind the attack? It might have explained why the he had been in the hallway outside of Bryan’s office.
Marius sighed. “You realize it’ll be easy to check out your story, Easton?”
Easton rolled his eyes. “Of course it would be. If you don't believe me, ask Bryan. He included my place as part of my annual salary once I accepted the position of vice president.”
A disgruntled look passed over Marius’s face. “Fine, it sounds reasonable. But it still doesn't explain why the hell you were creeping around the building at five-thirty this morning. Shouldn't you have been tucked into bed?”
Easton drummed his fingers on the wood. “I would've been if I hadn't gotten a call from that damned investigator. His secretary informed me Mr. Tierney would be downstairs in less than an hour to lay some kind of trap for whoever it is who’s been sabotaging the Wheaton-Free line and if I didn’t believe her, I was to take it up with Bryan.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And since I wasn’t about to call and wake up my boss at five in the morning, I agreed. However I didn't feel comfortable giving out the gate code to the woman, so I told her I’d meet the idiot. Then I went down to the lobby, switched the gate over to automatic, and waited for him to arrive.”
“We will be checking your phone records to verify this call.” Marius warned him.
Scowling, Easton stood. “Do it. I have nothing to fucking hide. I've given this company damned near fifteen years of my life. I'm not about to throw that away because of a line I happen to support.”
“Sit down. We're not accusing you of anything — yet. We just need to clear this up, for the sake of the company and your ongoing employment.” Hark pushed off the wall. “You'd have to admit the fact you were on the premises at such an early hour could be considered suspicious?”
Easton reluctantly sat down. “Yeah, I guess, if you weren’t aware I lived in the building.”
Hark sat down on the edge of the table. “Now, you say you waited for this investigator? Where?”
“In the foyer. It's fucking February and we're right off the damn lake. Do I look I have a death wish? There wasn't a chance in hell I was about to wait outside for the ass to show up.”
“So you've met the investigator?” Marius glared at him.
“Of course I have! You know that.” He turned to Hark. “Look, the board hired him to investigate the new product line I was in charge of. I probably met with the man at least half a dozen times during the course of his investigation.”
“So it didn't strike you odd when he wanted a meeting at six in the morning?” Marius pushed back far enough to snag a file off another desk.
“No. The asshole is an inconsiderate prick. He liked to interrupt product meetings to ask asinine questions. Hell, once he even contaminated a whole sample batch by attempting to “recreate” the malfunction that took out our main cooler without informing us he was doing it. Let me tell you, not only was I pissed, so was Corbin. It set not only the Wheaton-Free line back two weeks, it also destroyed Corbin's new diet fruit bar samples.”
“What's this investigator's full name?” Hark asked.
“Kiefer Tierney. Corbin recommended him to the board as an alternative to bringing in Larson Securities.”
Wondering why the board had been so resistant to Jude’s presence, Hark filed the tidbit of information away, along with the investigator’s name. He’d talk to Bryan and follow up on those leads when they were done here. But first, he needed to clear Easton. “So, how did you end up outside?”
“After waiting nearly a half hour, I saw headlights enter the lot. I assumed it was him, so I went outside to meet him, and that's when I managed to lock myself out of the building. I was checking the windows of the lower offices to see if I could get one open when you spotted me.”
“So that's why you had this crowbar?” Marius plucked the piece of steel off the other desk.
“Yeah, after realizing my stupidity of not propping the door open.” He rolled his shoulders. “Anyway, when I couldn’t get back in I grabbed the tire iron out of my car.”
“You left your car unlocked?”
“No, I had my car keys with me.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Hark gave a mental sigh of relief. The man had a logical answer to everything. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t be checking all the facts out, but something told him they would be verified. A man who’d taken objection to what he saw as Bryan’s infidelity would be the last person Hark would expect to steal from the company. If he hadn’t seen the man on the surveillance tape outside of Bryan’s office, he’d have never considered him as a suspect. “One last question. Do you have to pass by Bryan’s office to come downstairs?”
Eas
ton seemed started by the question. “Yeah. Unless I want to walk down ten flights of steps to get to my office. I use the elevator on his floor. The elevator meant for residents doesn’t stop on the corporate floors.”
“Okay.” Hark stood. “I don’t think you’re behind the attack, but I’ll be checking to make sure everything is as you say. You’re free to go.”
Relief flitted across Easton’s face for a second. “Thanks, Captain.” He pushed back from the desk. “Do me a favor though, if Tierney ends up being behind this mess, kick his ass for me.”
Hark cocked his head. Another suspect? “You think Tierney might have something to do with the attack?”
Easton nodded. “When I ran into Corbin outside his lab that morning, he was escorting Tierney out of the building, so it’s possible. I heard through the grapevine the man asked Sharonda out, but she turned him down. After her nasty break up with Corbin, I’m not surprised. Dating someone from work can be a recipe for disaster, which is why I won’t do it.”
Hark waited for the door to shut behind Easton before turning back to Marius. “Can you pull the video feed from this morning and send it to my email address?”
“Sure.” Marius stood. “Do you honestly believe Easton had nothing to do with the attack or the sabotage?”
Pulling out his cell phone, he hit the number for Larson’s Securities. “That’s what I’m going to find out. Just send me the feeds when you get them.” As the phone connected, Hark stepped out of the office. “Jude? We have a situation at Sterling Foods.”
* * * *
Hark smiled down at Carmen Mendez, Jude and Jackson's secretary/warden as she showed him into Jude's office. She was a pretty little thing if one went for Latin spitfires. When they entered the office, the conversation Jude was having with his business partner died. It didn’t surprise him to see Jackson sitting on the corner of Jude's desk. Sometimes Hark swore the man hung out in Jude’s office just to irritate him.
“Hark’s here to see you, boss.”
Healing Hark (Doms of Chicago) Page 20
