by Ravenna Tate
Sela could hardly speak between wanting to giggle, and desire for this incredible man, racing through her body like electricity. “Apologize for what?”
He smacked her again, harder this time, but she adored it. “For calling me gross and a smart-ass.”
She really didn’t want him to stop, but she apologized just the same although she knew he was only teasing. “I’m sorry I called you a gross smart-ass.”
Damien gave her a couple of half-hearted smacks again. “That’s better.” When he helped her sit, he pulled her onto his lap. “You’re the most beautiful, seductive woman I’ve ever met.”
“When you say things like that, I can hardly breathe.”
“Niña, I’m afraid to go to sleep most nights because I’m convinced I will wake and find this has all been a dream.”
“I have a confession to make.”
He brushed a finger into the valley between her breasts. “What is it?”
“I never thought you’d be like this. When I first met you, I thought you were so damn arrogant and full of yourself. Everything Santino told me about you made you sound focused on your business only, and on going through women like water. I was so wrong.”
He kissed her gently. “Like you said earlier, it’s in the past. Let’s both keep it there, okay? Let’s go forward from here.”
How could she help but be crazy in love with such a man?
****
Damien was on the phone for three days, speaking with every trusted person he knew in the industry. The rumors about this scheme had been circulating for years, but never the same ones twice, and the names associated with them had been either non-existent or changed each time someone heard more about it, so Tomás had been right about that point. Nothing had ever been substantiated.
The men behind this were very good at covering their tracks. Either that or they were very good at threatening anyone who tried to expose them.
He finally found one man in a city called Sonora, which was underneath the former federal entity of Mexico by the same name, willing to talk about it in detail. This man had been in business with three of the dummy companies, but had since pulled out because the men behind this were, as he called them, hotheads who would kill without a second thought.
Damien was ready to travel to Sonora to meet with Jorge Diaz in person because Jorge didn’t have the necessary papers to travel into a US city, but he ultimately decided to arrange a time when he could video chat with Jorge undisturbed instead. He wanted to see the man’s eyes and facial expressions as they talked.
Jorge told him the men behind this were all loggers who worked in Mexico and Central America. The cities underneath those countries weren’t yet as developed as the US cities, and the government controlling all of them was crooked.
They forced construction companies to bid for jobs, and they only gave permits either to those who bribed them, or to the lowest bidders. Then they’d turn around and tell those companies that they had to pay the officials a percentage of their profits or they’d give the job to another company. As a consequence, the companies were forced to charge their customers more money so they had made a profit as well.
All of this had driven up lumber prices, as well as prices for other materials. Builders who wouldn’t or couldn’t pay the inflated prices waited a long time for permits, and had to wade through red tape to get anything started. Companies were formed but went out of business just as quickly because they ran into brick walls when trying get materials or permits.
“Were the men behind this scheme part of the crowd who couldn’t get permits or materials?” asked Damien.
“No. These were men who raised prices and then lined the pockets of key government officials. They became powerful in their own right, and soon were doing whatever they wanted. Because they continued to pay off the government, those officials turned a blind eye. It’s like an organized crime scheme now. They control the lumber industry, and they have several sets of books so if anyone forces an audit, they won’t be caught.”
“How did they end up selling lumber here?”
“The demand for woods from this area is high, and your government allows trade freely. Once these men realized that, they began looking for contacts this side of the border.”
“How did they find Ernest?”
“He worked here shortly after moving underground.”
“Excuse me?” How was that possible? Ernest and Tomás had known each other all their lives, and Tomás never mentioned Ernest having worked in another country. Had Tomás lied to him after all, or had Ernest fooled Tomás all this time?
“He uses another name when he’s here. Rafael Torres. Look him up on the website of a company called Hierra Construcción. It’s a fake. The entire thing. Rafael is listed as one of the owners. He’s selling hard to find wood like canarywood, bocote, and Indian Rosewood to companies like yours in cities here at four to five times the cost of what he pays for it.”
Damien’s palms began to sweat. “Why is Ernest here then, working as a foreman on this mall remodel?”
“Easy. They want to infiltrate your company, Damien. They’ve had their eye on it for years, because you have most of the construction in such a large area sewn up. So when Ernest had the chance to work on that project, he used his friendship with Tomás as a way to get inside.”
Damien searched Jorge’s face for any trace of bullshit, but he knew there was none. The man was telling him the truth. Ernest would have to go at once. There was no more time to waste. “You must be at risk knowing all this.”
“I am. My family and I are trying to move, but it’s not so easy.”
“How can I help?”
Jorge gave him a look of sincere gratitude. “I’ll email you more details. If there’s anything you can do, I’d be very grateful. I honestly fear for my life now that I’ve walked away from them.”
“What are you doing for work?”
Jorge snorted. “I bus tables. My wife makes more money than I do right now.”
“What skills do you have? What’s your background?”
“All types of construction, from pouring cement to electrical and plumbing work. I also have some accounting training. I have a business degree.”
“Give me a few days. I’ll see what I can do about moving you and your family safely across the border. Then, if I can’t find a spot for you here, I know my friend Viggo Ingram with Ingram Properties in CentralWest is looking for people with property management experience. You’d be perfect to do that kind of work with your background.”
Damien thought Jorge was going to cry. “Thank you.”
After they disconnected the call, Damien sat back in his chair and let everything Jorge had told him roll around in his brain for a few moments. Ernest was a plant. He had betrayed Tomás, and he’d betrayed Rivera Construction. New crew in place or not, Ernest had to go.
Damien made a quick list of things to do, starting with setting Santino loose on the website of Hierra Construcción. He wanted to know if any of the other names they’d found across the country were connected to Rafael or Hierra Construcción.
Even if the dummy companies south of the border and the hackers responsible for the Tommy Twister virus weren’t connected, this opened up a whole new avenue for the IT teams to explore.
Damien then composed an email to each of the Weathermen, detailing everything Jorge had told him and what Damien planned to do about it. He called Viggo, and the two discussed Jorge’s background and what he might be best suited for that wouldn’t insult him, and would pay him a wage to allow his family to live in comfort.
Viggo jumped at the change to offer Jorge a spot on his team, and told him since CentralWest was further north than SouthWest, Jorge and his family might be safer living there. Damien agreed, and emailed his contacts at the Office of Immigration to get things started. It wasn’t the first time Damien had helped families from Mexico, Central America, or South America enter the US territories legally.
&n
bsp; The last call he made was to Tomás, and it was a video call. His friend was visibly shaken as Damien laid everything out for him that he’d learned from Jorge. By the end of the call, they both agreed that they’d rather have the project delayed by a few weeks than take a chance on having Ernest around any longer. Tomás said he’d take care of firing Ernest and his crew immediately.
Damien had also decided to tell Sela everything. He wanted her in his life, and that meant she had a right to know what was going on in all aspects of his. This concerned her studio, too, and he didn’t want to keep her in the dark. You didn’t do that to the woman you loved.
Chapter Thirteen
Sela listened to Damien as he told her about Ernest’s other name, the fake company he was involved with, and how deep the scheme he and Tomás had discovered actually went. When he told her that he had also found a job for Jorge in CentralWest with Ingram Properties, and had called in favors with a contact from the Office of Immigration, she asked if he was going to CentralWest with Jorge and his family to help them get settled.
“I thought I would, at least for a few days. Just until we make sure all the paperwork is in order and that they’re safe. Plus, it would give me a chance to thank Viggo in person.”
Travel between cities in the US was unrestricted for citizens, but it took a while because the train system from one city to another had more passengers than the resources provided for. “Have you booked your travel yet?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I have, actually.”
She shook her head. “How do you get so much done with a few simple phone calls?”
“My friends and I aren’t above using our connections when we want something done.”
Sela crawled into his lap. “You know, all that power is kind of sexy.”
He kissed her. “Is that so? I knew that’s why you loved me. For my connections.”
She licked his neck. “Well of course. What did you think it was?”
He chuckled softly. “I’m hoping you could come with me, niña.”
“To CentralWest? Really?”
“Of course. We’ll only be gone a few days at most. Can you take time off your lessons and interviews?”
“You booked travel already, which means you knew I’d say ‘yes’.”
“Well, I’m not taking anyone else with me, so yes. I was hoping you could arrange it.”
How could she say no to that? “I’ll rearrange everything so I can come with you. Don’t you worry. There isn’t much for me to do right now at the studio anyway.” She frowned as a thought occurred to her. “How much do you think this will slow down the project?”
“No more than a couple of weeks at most. Tomás has already found another foreman and crew. There are plenty of people who need work. He’s firing Ernest and the people he brought in to work.”
“Won’t he retaliate?”
“Not when we lay everything out for him, and when I point out all the people I know in key government agencies who could make sure Ernest, aka Rafael, never sets foot on US soil again. They would certainly make sure he never worked in this country again, even if they didn’t kick him out.”
A shiver ran down her spine, but not from desire. He must have seen the worried look on her face because he pulled her closer. “Don’t you worry, mi amor. Dealing with unscrupulous people is part of this industry. I know what I’m doing.”
“I know you do. It’s just if anything ever happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Damien kissed her again. “I love you, Sela.”
“I love you, too. That’s why it’s important to me that you’re safe.”
“I am. I promise you that.” His eyes lit up. “Oh, I didn’t tell you the rest of it.” He told her that Santino and his teams were working on poking around behind the scenes of Hierra Construcción, and making sure Ernest hadn’t posted as Rafael on other sites they routinely track.
“You don’t think he’s part of the hackers you’re looking for, do you?”
“Probably not, but he did post as JackHammer on two hacker sites that we found. That might mean he’s posting in other places, and finding him might lead us to others who have targeted our companies.”
“It will be exciting to meet another of the Weathermen. I love what all of you are doing to try to save the planet.”
“You’ll meet more than one. Both Viggo and Dominic Greco live in CentralWest.”
She moved off his lap. “Then I’d better get busy and juggle a few things around. I don’t want to miss this trip.”
He caught her around the waist as she started to walk away from him. “Can’t it wait a few minutes? You have me all hot and bothered now.”
She giggled and turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his shoulders. “When aren’t you all hot and bothered?”
“Never.” He kissed her neck and she moaned softly. “Not since I met you again.”
“That makes two of us.” Sela kissed his mouth, and her plans to get ready for a trip to Central West were put on hold for an hour or so while she and Damien tested out the comfort and stability of the dining room table.
****
Sela had never been to any of the other cities, but she wasn’t surprised to hear that Damien had been to each of them. “The last time I traveled was to NorthCentral for Ace and Harper’s wedding, about a month before we started seeing each other.”
“How was the wedding?”
“Very nice. Kane and Julianne got engaged at the reception.”
She smiled. “Was that a surprise, or was it planned?”
“Kane planned it with Ace, but Julianne didn’t know he was going to propose.”
“And you said Dominic is engaged to Angela now?”
“That’s right.” He grinned. “Emmett is engaged to Liane, too. We’re dropping like flies.”
She laughed. “Oh no! We can’t have that! Who is next? Heaven forbid.”
The car that Damien had procured for them was private, but it was still cramped enough that when he narrowed his eyes at her, she had very little room to scoot away from him. Her peals of laughter filled the small space as he grabbed her around the waist, pinned her down, and began tickling her.
“No! Please!” Sela could hardly speak she was so short of breath. “I hate being tickled!”
“I can see that. What shall I do to punish you for your smart mouth instead?”
“Make love to me?”
The lust that filled his eyes took her breath away all over again. “That’s not exactly a punishment, niña.”
She sat up and unbuttoned his shirt. “No, it’s not, but I don’t think you’ll protest too much, will you?”
Sela took off his shirt and ran her tongue over his torso and chest, loving the way goosebumps broke out over his skin as she did. He reached for her, capturing her mouth in a kiss so hot she expected the fabric on the bench seat beneath them to start smoldering.
Damien took off her top and removed her bra. “I wonder how many people have fucked in this car before us?”
She giggled as she stood to remove her shorts and panties. “We can add two more to the list.”
Damien took off his jeans, underwear, socks, and shoes, and then he lay on the bench and pulled Sela on top so she could sheath his swollen cock with her pussy. She pulled down the shade on the window next to her. “I don’t want an audience.”
He laughed. “We’re speeding along at seventy miles an hour. No one is going to see anything.”
She leaned over and kissed him as she began to move up and down. “Less talking and more fucking, please.”
****
Damien sat in a conference room at Ingram Properties with Viggo and Dominic. Sela had gone out spend the day with Angela. Jorge and his family were moving into their new house, and he would start work for Viggo the following Monday. The men were on a video call with Santino, who told Damien that what he’d found couldn’t wait until Damien’s return to SouthWest.
“I found Jac
kHammer posting on each of our PR message boards.”
“What do you mean?” asked Viggo. “All of us? Each of our companies?”
“Yes.” Santino shared a document. “You all recognize this. It’s Liane’s database.” He highlighted a line. “After JackHammer showed up on the two hacker sites, Emmett had her add his user name to the database, and then I gave my tracker team the task of finding the machine he was using. We already know it was the computer he used for construction business, but here’s what else they found.”
Santino placed the other database next to Liane’s. This was the one Angela had developed, and it interfaced with Liane’s, showing the IP addresses and machine IDs if they had been found, of each name on Liane’s database. Santino highlighted a cell. “Here’s the construction computer ID, but here is another one my team found yesterday.”
“What is it, specifically?” asked Damien.
Santino beamed as if he’d just discovered the hackers on his own, and Damien held his breath. “None other than the workstation of one William Santiago, one of the other owners of Hierra Construction.”
Damien frowned. “Are you telling us that Ernest has yet another name, and that he’s listed under both as owner of this construction company?”
“I sure am. And the company is as fake as the sun in the sky over these cities. It’s nothing more than a front to move around money.”
“Who else owns it?” asked Dominic.
“A man named Scott Blankenship. I do believe he was part of Ernest’s crew.”
Damien stood and ran a hand through his hair. “He sure as shit was. What the fuck did he do? Bring the entire operation here and hire them as laborers?”
Damien made a note in his phone to call his contact at Immigration immediately after this call. He also sent a text to Tomás and told him he’d need to dig up all the paperwork on the entire crew that Ernest had hired.
“Do we have any reason to believe these men are part of the hackers behind the Tommy Twister virus?” asked Viggo.
