Cards of Love: Ace of Swords

by Flite, Nora

  “Rolland?” Tatiana asked with a bewildered grin. “Should we go in?”

  “Yeah, sure,” I stuttered, coming back to myself. “Right this way.”

  I opened the door for her and we headed inside.

  The hostess took one look at Tatiana, then sat us in a corner booth by the fireplace. “The most romantic seat of the house!” she announced. After we ordered drinks, we fell into an awkward silence. I was searching my mind for an icebreaker, anything to say, when Tatiana spoke first. “Do you make coffee for every girl you take home?”

  I furrowed my eyebrows. “Just my boss's daughter.”

  “Your boss’s daughter? Really, Rolland?”

  “What do you mean? You are my boss’s daughter.”

  “Well I don’t look at you and think my father’s employee,” she said. Then she leaned closer and whispered, “I look at you and think you’re the man that left this mark on my shoulder when you came all over my hand the other day.”

  Her smile was sly and seductive. Sure enough, just to the side of her yellow jumpsuit’s strap, was a quarter sized purple bruise from where I’d latched on when my orgasm overwhelmed me. The memory had me shifting in my seat.

  “I liked that, by the way,” she continued. “That's why I called you tonight. To tell you I had fun, and... to thank you. I’ll never forget it, Rolland. In fact, I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

  Her hand rested on my kneecap, her skin was glowing from the firelight. This was a romantic booth. When the hostess brought our drinks and I watched Tatiana take a sip of wine, it occurred to me like a bolt of lightening–Tatiana and I were on a date! How could I have been so obtuse?

  Tatiana, now that I looked at her closely, was dressed for a night out. Thin hoop earrings, her hair was freshly blown out, not a strand out of place, and that jumpsuit she was wearing, with those sexy heels, that was an outfit that she planned carefully.

  My suspicions about Sergio were just another chaotic addition to an already messy situation. My feelings for Tatiana couldn’t be resolved easily; not until I figured out what the hell was gong on with the Montalla’s finances. So despite her hand on my knee and the way her cleavage peeked out the top of her jumpsuit, I was going to tackle problem number one head on.

  “Do you think your father is capable of breaking the law, Tatiana?” I asked flatly.

  “What?” she said, her mouth hanging open. Her hand stopped stroking my knee and I instantly missed it.

  “I’ve noticed some irregularities in the books, and I’m trying to make sense of it all. Obviously I don’t want to accuse your father of anything without knowing all the facts, so I thought I’d run it by you. I mean, I feel like we have a connection. We can talk like this, right?”

  She was looking at me like I was a stranger.

  “I’m such an idiot,” she said.

  “You're not,” I assured her.

  “Were you getting close to me to try and get at my father?”

  “No, god, no! I just need you to clear up a few things for me. Like when your dad first started the Chinese Import division of–”

  “Stop!” she said, loudly enough that some guests looked over. She raised her hand in front of me. Her cheeks were turning red, but not the way they turned red when we'd been in my bed. “I don't know anything about my father’s business dealings. In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t work there and I don’t have an interest in his companies at all. But Rolland,” she said, seeming to calm down a bit, “if my father were guilty of some crime, and I can’t even begin to imagine what you suspect him of, why would I rat him out to you? He’s my father.”

  “The law is the law, Tatiana. If your father is–” I lowered my voice to a whisper, “hiding money, my ass could be on the line. And it’s wrong. Tell me if you think it’s impossible. I could do some more digging, maybe expose that someone he trusts has defrauded him. I need to know.”

  A single tear trailed down her cheek. It stunned me to see it appear. Holy hell, was I being that terrible? I reached out to take her hand, hoping she was upset by the revelation that her father could be a crook, and not angry at me. As soon as my hand touched hers she jumped back, sliding quickly out of the booth and heading for the door. What was happening?

  I threw a twenty on the table to cover the drinks, then followed Tatiana down the block to the parking lot. I found her by her car, digging through her purse, searching for her keys.

  “Tatiana, don’t run away like this. Let’s go back,” I suggested, touching her cool shoulder and gently turning her to me.

  “Back off, Rolland,” she shouted, jabbing a finger so close to my face I felt the air fly past my nose. “I’m a person, not some spreadsheet filled with numbers and statistics that you can play with and figure out to your satisfaction. You can’t fuck me one day and then use me to nail my father the next. And you certainly can’t accuse my father of being a criminal over cocktails and then think we can exchange our life stories over appetizers. Really, how can someone as smart as you be so fucking stupid?” She practically spit those last words in my face. She was seething.

  Tatiana opened the car door and slid behind the wheel. As she was twisting the key in the ignition, she paused, giving me a feeling of hope. Maybe she'd had a change of heart? “My father’s not guilty of anything, Rolland. You’re on the wrong track. He worked hard to build his company, pushed by grief for my mother and love for me. Now get your hand off my car and forget you even know me.” She slammed the door closed, almost taking my hand off in the process, then she reversed the car and sped down the street, leaving me in the parking lot.

  I’d royally screwed this up, that I knew. But where did I go wrong? I never thought Tatiana would be so defensive about her father. All indications had been that she loathed the guy. All I’d heard from her was resentment, and watching her shopping the other day, it was obvious every one of those purchases was a giant “fuck you” to the man.

  There had to be a bigger picture that I was missing, and I hated missing anything. Maybe Tatiana was right, maybe I looked at the world too simplistically, expecting everything to add up, everything to be either black or white.

  Did I retreat to my orderly columns of numbers and data because I was incapable of handling feelings? How was it possible that one minute I was ogling the hickey I’d left on Tatiana’s shoulder, getting turned on from her hand on my knee, and the very next minute I'd decided interrogating her about her father’s business was better than enjoying her presence over drinks?

  It didn’t feel wrong in that moment, but looking back, I realized I’d made a big mistake.

  I wouldn’t be able to rest until I'd worked this out. I needed to make this right; not for my career, but to protect any chance I had of being close to Tatiana again.

  There was only one person who could help me.

  Chapter Nine

  The cleaning crew was milling around the office when I arrived, but aside from them, everyone had gone home. I was glad for that. I didn’t need anyone else knowing about my suspicions other than Marcus.

  I’d called him soon after Tatiana screeched out of the parking lot. He agreed to meet me at the office. If anyone knew about Sergio’s businesses, it was him. He’d been Sergio’s right hand man since the early days and knew things inside and out. He had no formal education, but Sergio was loyal to him and treated him like a son. He managed the books for Sergio’s initial businesses, while I took on the new ventures.

  Our styles were very different, and if I was being honest, Marcus really wasn’t up to the task. That’s why I was so enthusiastic when Sergio promised to give me more responsibility. I really thought I could take the operation to the next level. But now I wasn’t sure if I had any future at this company.

  I started laying out the files I’d retrieved earlier in the day, preparing to show Marcus the relevant data blips that were so alarming. He strode in and immediately sat in the chair across from my desk, putting up his feet. I was galled by his inform
ality, and frankly I wasn’t used to having anyone else in my office, but I tamped down those feeling in the interest of efficiency. “Marcus, thanks for coming so quickly.”

  “I couldn't sit around knowing there was a problem,” he said. “Bring me up on the details.”

  Quickly I explained to him the inconsistencies I’d found. I showed him the dummy vendor names, pointing out that LD Petrol was a real vendor while LD Petroleum was just a front. I couldn’t trace where that money had gone, but it wasn’t being used to fuel Sergio’s trucks. I went down the list of other fake vendors I’d found, searching Marcus’s face to make sure he understood the nature of the con. He was grim.

  “Marcus, you know the man better than I do. I haven’t picked up any signals that he’s not an ethical businessman, but I’m realizing lately that I may not be picking up every signal that comes my way.” Tatiana. “You’ve been by his side for years. I know he trusts you and you, him. What do you think? Is it possible he’s behind this?”

  He was quiet for a long time. It was making me uncomfortable. Had I made a mistake laying out my hunch to Marcus? Would he act like Tatiana, out of loyalty? Or could he be objective and help me crack this puzzle?

  Marcus took his feet off my desk and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. He started to laugh bitterly. “Man, I hate to say it, but absolutely. Ever since the old days Sergio hasn’t been afraid to cut corners to turn a profit or outbid a competitor. Can I see him squirreling away money illegally, in secret? Of course I can.”

  Relief rushed through me. I wasn’t imagining things. I hadn’t falsely accused Sergio to Tatiana.

  I was right.

  “But I have to say, Rolland, I never imagined a dick move from you like this. I mean, where’s your loyalty?” His words didn’t match his demeanor. He was speaking to me calmly but he was clearly accusing me of something.

  “Dick move? How? We’re responsible for the information we provide to the CPA. If the IRS–”

  Marcus cut me off mid-sentence. “I understand going after some sweet ass, believe me, I see what you see. Tatiana is fine. But you’re really planning to betray Sergio just so you can be with her? There are other fish in the sea, Rolland.” On the surface it sounded like friendly advice, but his tone was threatening. And what did he know about Tatiana and me?

  I swallowed the uneasy knot stuck in my throat. “You’re mistaken, Marcus. You clearly have the wrong impression.”

  “I got a pretty good impression at Tatiana’s graduation party. Your hand up her dress and her tits hanging out. I don’t think I misinterpreted that, Rolland. Seems pretty black and white to me.”

  The slamming door that night. Someone did see us.

  Sweat pooled down my spine. “What happened with Tatiana has nothing to do with this. It’s two completely separate things,” I started to explain. “Sergio–”

  “What would he think if he knew you were fucking his daughter?”

  My stomach dropped out.

  Marcus sighed as he said, “I think you’d be thrown out on your ass so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you. That's if you're lucky. Might lose a few bones, first. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

  “Are you suggesting you’re going to tell him? Are you trying to blackmail me or something?” I couldn’t understand his angle.

  He spread his hands and shrugged. “Rolland, buddy, we’re on the same side. It’s Sergio who’s the problem. He’s putting us at professional risk and he’s standing in the way of you being with Tatiana. Hell, he’s standing in the way of Tatiana doing anything. I was in the house when she begged her father to let her go to South Africa. I’d never heard Sergio raise his voice like that before. It was quite a scene.”

  Marcus had gone from menacing to logical. He was right; Sergio was the variable in every problem. His shenanigans with the books put my career in jeopardy. His overprotective nature made Tatiana unhappy. His disapproval kept me apart from a woman I desired.

  “So many problems solved if you just pick up the phone,” Marcus said. “Call the IRS. Call the press. All you need to do is tip that first domino and I guarantee it’ll lead to Sergio in a prison cell. He doesn’t deserve your protection.”

  It was a bombardment of information, and I was having trouble making sense out of it. When Marcus walked into my office, I had hoped he could straighten this all out by explaining it was an innocent accounting mistake. I’d never expected him to turn on Sergio like this, and to use Tatiana to help bring him down.

  I remembered the hurt on her face when I asked if her father could be involved in illegal dealings. She was adamant he wasn’t. If Marcus was right, I needed to call the authorities. So why was I second guessing myself suddenly?

  I needed to look at the books again. If I was going to disrupt Tatiana’s life with this accusation, I had to be completely positive it was true. I settled behind my desk and started pulling up the spreadsheets I’d created earlier, opening the graphs showing the expenditures and profits. I was looking for a clue, anything to convince me that Sergio was innocent and Tatiana was right. What was I missing?

  “What are you doing, Rolland? You said it, he created these phony companies and siphoned the money overseas. I see what you see. You’re right! Call the feds and get on with it.” Marcus was getting agitated as he spoke. I didn’t respond to him. I kept clicking on my computer, pulling up invoices and trying to find some pattern. Marcus was pacing around now, muttering under his breath, “Just call the fucking police, already.” He was irritating and distracting.

  Finally I looked up from my laptop and said, “Why don’t you call the fucking police if you’re so sure? And while I’m at it, how did this happen under your nose for years without you realizing? You’re the one who receives these invoices. I understand the names were intentionally similar to escape detection, but how couldn’t you realize you were getting hit with them twice as often as you should be?”

  He was the one who paid the double invoices. These were all Marcus’s accounts.

  It was Marcus who wanted to keep these files hidden upstairs.

  All at once, the buzzy feeling in my skull vanished. I gaped at Marcus. “It’s not Sergio. It’s you.”

  Marcus snatched me by my collar, wrenching me over the desk—I gripped his wrists, fighting back. “Listen smart guy, it’s Sergio. Got it? Stop looking at your files! If you want to keep your reputation and your kneecaps intact, you’ll pick up the phone and call the IRS. If you don’t, I’m going to tell Sergio all about how you had your hands up his virgin daughter’s dress the other night. He won’t take kindly to that. Do not FUCK with me, Rolland!”

  Again, I remembered Tatiana’s face. The emotion in her voice when she was defending her father. Sergio wasn’t just some variable in this problem. He was a person and people couldn’t be managed. They weren’t predictable, either. Weeks ago I couldn’t have predicted I’d be fucking my boss’s daughter.

  If I could surprise myself, anyone could surprise me.

  “No,” I said plainly. “I’m not going along with your plan. There’s too much at risk. People’s lives and emotions. I’m calling Sergio.”

  He released me and backed up. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” His face darkened drastically. “You won’t even act in your own best fucking interests, you’re leaving me no choice. One phone call and she’s in the back of a van with a sack over her head. This is bigger than you think. I won’t hesitate to use Tatiana against you.”

  The blood was pounding in my ears. My hands were hot and fisted with rage. I should have called Tatiana. Warned Sergio. Picked up the phone to notify the police. Those were reasonable things to do. But all reason had left me when I imagined Tatiana in danger.

  Marcus hurried out of my office with me at his heels. He glanced at me, trying to get into the elevator. The sight of the phone in his hands... the vision of Tatiana trussed up in the back of a van going who knew where for who knew what, snapped the last
of my control. I sprinted at full speed, taking him out at the knees.

  We were wrestling in a mass of limbs; I was fighting for purchase, trying to raise myself high enough to throw a punch. Marcus’s landed across my jaw first, stunning me. I spotted his phone blinking on the floor. I didn’t know if he’d given an order to kidnap Tatiana, but I needed to alert her quickly. The thought gave me a shot of adrenaline; I swung hard, connecting with Marcus’s nose.

  A torrent of blood sprayed across my sweatshirt. As he grabbed for his face, I swung again, knocking him backwards. Just then I felt arms around me. I looked and saw the terrified night shift cleaner surrounded by three security guards, one of whom crouched down to Marcus.

  “The two of you better come with me,” the lead officer shouted. I didn't argue, I let him half-drag me while I pulled out my phone with my other hand. Quickly I texted Tatiana. The guard yelled at me to stop, but I ignored him. The only thing that mattered was doing everything I could to keep her safe.

  Tell your father to come to the office.

  Trust me.

  And don’t answer your door for anybody.

  ****

  I’d made it almost thirty years without ending up in the back of a police car.

  But here I was, outside my office, looking across the parking lot illuminated with flashing red lights. Marcus was in the back of another car parked nearby. Sergio was leaning into the backseat, having an intense conversation with him. I could see them both from where I waited.

  Life really was unpredictable. That damn Ace of Swords tarot card popped into my head. What had Tatiana said? To expect a “shift in perception?” I couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling up. I wanted to tell her she was right. Everything had shifted. I didn’t care about what Marcus was telling Sergio. I didn’t worry if I’d have an office to return to the next morning.

  Everything seemed secondary to Tatiana’s safety, and I knew she was safe. She’d texted back that she ended up at a movie after our disastrous “date,” and security had already called her father and he was on his way.