Moaning in delight, I finished my steak and then took a large bite of my potato. “This is great.”
“You act as if you hadn’t eaten in days. Maybe Drake did find you at a shelter,” Stella said with a smirk.
I froze, fork part way to my mouth. “Are you kidding me?”
Drake placed a hand on my leg to stop me from saying anything awful. His warm hand was doing more to me than I cared to admit. I trembled in response, trying to stay focused on the bitch in front of me.
“People at shelters are there because they need help. They have reached some point in their life where they need support that they can’t get anywhere else. They’re down on their luck and can’t be as fortunate as you clearly are.” My lips obviously had a mind of their own.
Squeezing my leg, Drake smiled. “She has a point.”
“She must have come from there, then.” Stella flashed a bitch smile.
“That’s enough, Stella. You’re speaking out of turn. How dare you speak so ill of people who are having hard times?” Roark shook his head in disapproval.
Stella shot daggers in my direction, her face flaming red from embarrassment. “Well—” she stopped, deciding against the next thing she had to say. Throwing her napkin on the table, she scooted back her chair, stomping away in the direction of the bathrooms. At least, I thought that’s where the bathrooms were. I wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t the exit.
Sighing, Roark glanced in the direction of his wife, and then at me. “I apologize for her behavior.”
“It’s out of character for her to lash out,” Dexter said, cutting into his food.
Roark nodded in agreement, but I could tell from his expression that wasn’t completely true. “I called this meeting hoping you would at least consider the layoffs. I think for this company to stay ahead, we have to make those cuts. At least until we’re making the sales targets again.”
Drake scowled. “I’m not cutting people! You may be my second in command, but I don’t always have to take your opinion. We will continue as we are. Our people make sacrifices for us every day just by coming into work and leaving their families behind. We can at least make sure they have a job to come to in order to keep their homes—”
Waving his hand to stop his brother, Roark rolled his eyes. “Fine. But when shit hits the fan, don’t come bitching to me.”
It was hard to believe these guys were old Vampires. I could hear a slight accent in their voices. When Drake got angry, an Irish lilt came through and his age was obvious, but any other time, it was as if they were actually in their thirties. Vampires were far too good when it came to fitting into society. That was scary. It was probably beneficial when luring in their prey.
*
Drake didn’t even bother walking me to my door. He stayed in his car, distracted by his thoughts. “Be at work by eight. We have much to do.”
When he didn’t say anything more, I figured I was dismissed. His driver was holding the door open for me, so I slid out, cringing when my thighs squeaked across the leather seat. Turning to see if he was staring at me, I met his gaze. He didn’t appear amused, but distracted still. Realizing I’d better go before he becomes impatient, I continue my squeaky escape, heels hitting the pavement.
I turned to say goodbye, but the door was already closed. Shrugging, I hurried toward the hotel’s entrance, ignoring the stare of the desk attendant as I went through the lobby. Getting out of the dress was my number one priority. Goose bumps were forming all over my body because of the chill I kept getting. It was a definite sign that I wasn’t feeling comfortable in the dress.
Sliding my key card into the door mechanism, I pushed it open, relieved to be in my own space. Hopefully sleep came easy, because I was exhausted. My first day with Drake was more than I’d planned on. We just met, and he was already including me in dinner meetings. If you could even call that a meeting, considering everything that happened.
The door clicked closed as I walked into the room, hitting a switch so I could see. Just as I was about to shimmy out of my dress, a gloved hand went over my mouth, pulling me close to the person’s body. I struggled, their strength more powerful than mine as I was caught off guard. Stomping down with one foot, the person still managed to hold me tightly.
Was it a man? A woman? The body felt solid, so maybe it was a man. My strength was leaving me from struggling so much and I quickly became lax, waiting for them to do the same thing. Something cold bit into my neck, pain registering seconds later from the cut that was forming across my throat. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough for me to swing out my elbow in response, slamming it into their stomach. The person grunted, sounding male. I turned around, preparing my magic, to only find the door swinging shut.
Chapter Six
Shaken up over what just happened, I grabbed my cell phone to call Mikey. Someone had to calm me down. Or maybe Jenna was the best one. Not caring, I found Mikey’s number first and dialed. He didn’t answer. Annoyed, I tried Jenna’s. She picked up after the third ring, sounding as if she had been asleep.
“Hello?” her voice croaked over the line.
“Someone just tried to kill me,” I said, not even saying hello first.
“What? Are you serious, or is this another one of your pranks?”
I took a deep breath, prepared to scold her for not taking me seriously. Then, I changed my mind. “Someone was in my hotel room and had a knife to my throat. I elbowed them and they managed to escape before I could use my awesome ninja skills on them.”
“Please, we both know you’re out of practice.”
“Why aren’t you taking this seriously? My life was in danger. I could have died,” I said in exasperation.
Jenna yawned loudly. “I know you can handle this shit. You’re just flipping out because it’s been a long time. I do this all the time.”
“I guess.”
“Don’t be a baby.”
“I’m not—”
“You totally are.”
Changing the subject, I asked, “Why hasn’t my lawyer called me?”
Jenna was silent for a few seconds. “I told him I would do it.”
“That doesn’t sound right. James would call me no matter what.”
“I bet he’s getting to it.”
Suspicious, I went to question her some more, but she said, “I guess I should go.”
“Wait! What happened with my apartment? Why are you being so evasive?”
“She didn’t have enough evidence to even have the warrant. So, James doesn’t understand how she got the Council to sign off on it. You know how they have to get every single signature to issue a search warrant. Anyway, James threatened to bring them all in for questioning, and he wanted to see the proof. He said if there wasn’t sufficient proof then he would put the entire Council under investigation.”
“Then what happened? That bastard is magnificent. I love seeing him work.”
Jenna grunted. “Anyway, she left right away. Though, she appeared angry. I’m not sure what she expected to find. The whole charge sounds bogus to me. James pointed out that you didn’t even have access to Council funds. Daphne avoided all his questions, claiming she had the right as High Priestess to follow up on accusations. Which, James also pointed out wasn’t enough evidence to invade someone’s home.”
“Should I have Mikey stay with me here?” I asked, deciding that I got enough information about the search.
“No, because if you do, that could make the killer suspicious. Plus, you want to appear single to Drake. He may be your guy, and if you have another man around, that might steer him away.”
Deciding she made sense, I huffed out my surrender. I had no choice but to deal with my problems by myself. Not that I didn’t usually, but the near-death experience was enough to shake anyone up. I was ready in that moment to head back home and leave everything behind. Screw finding the killer. Only, there could be more victims than we know, and I wasn’t sure I could forgive myself if someone else died as a resu
lt of my leaving.
Ending my phone call with Jenna, I locked the door of the hotel room, wondering why I didn’t do that as soon as the killer left. Remembering that I requested another room, I went to the phone, dialing zero for the front desk.
“Hi, I was wondering if you had any nonsmoking rooms available?” I asked.
“We do have a few available now. Do you wish to switch rooms? Is there something wrong with the one you’re in?”
“Well, it smells like smoke.”
“Oh, right, I think there’s a note here about that. Just come down and get the other key and we’ll get you switched over.”
Hanging up, I packed up my things. They would probably think it was weird that I was still in my evening dress, but whatever. I wanted a new room as soon as possible. It was already eight and I had to get up early. Grabbing my bags, I headed for the door, preparing my magic in case the killer returned.
*
The office was buzzing by the time I came in. I set my purse down on my desk and looked around, wondering what the hell was going on. Drake’s office door was wide open, but he wasn’t inside. Not sure on what to do, I took a seat and waited, looking around my desk for something to do. You were supposed to look busy, right?
Drake appeared then, coming down the hallway. He looked angry, eyes flashing, and I could see a hint of fang peeking out of his mouth. That was confirmed when he barked, “Into my office!”
Shit. Did he figure out why I was in town? Did he know that I was part of the Witches’ Council? My chest tightened with anticipation for what was to come. I sat down in one of his plush leather chairs, bracing myself. He was probably going to yell at me. But then after that? Kill me? Was he the killer? He seemed so distracted when I got out of the car. Was that the point where he was planning on coming into my room to attack me?
“First, I would like to thank you for coming to dinner with me. It was uncomfortable, and Stella was rude.” Drake said, closing the office door. He began to pace, hands in his pants pockets.
I was surprised this wasn’t about the real reason why I was in town. He must not have found out. Relief filled me as I began to relax slowly. My gaze followed him around the room, noting the confidence of his walk. He was a man of power, and every stride he took proved that. His shoulders were straight and his head held high. My fingers went to my lips, checking for drool. I was doing it again.
“Second, we need to call back all the employees that Roark just laid off. I can’t believe the asshole did this, especially when I told him I was against it.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets, clenching them into fists. “This is my company. He has no right to take control like this. Who the hell does he think he is?” he roared, making me cringe.
He was scary. His fangs were out, and his eyes wild with anger. It was as if any second he could flip out and tear at my throat. Didn’t this encourage blood lust? I didn’t know what I could do to do to calm him down. Without thinking, I said, “He was probably just doing what he thought was best for the company. You’re a compassionate man and always puts your employees first. I can see why everyone loves you so much.”
Nodding once, Drake continued to pace, his fangs returned to normal. “Thank you. I try to keep my people happy. I know what it’s like to go through hard times, having experiencing them myself when I was younger. Now that I have the means to help others, I want to do it.” Sighing, he went to his chair, taking a seat. “We need to call them back. I already called Roark. He ignored my phone call, but I’m sure he knows what I’ll do.”
I could only imagine the message he left for his brother. There was probably a death threat somewhere in that voicemail. Drake had a short temper, so it wouldn’t surprise me. For Roark to step over his brother was a bold move. A move I wasn’t expecting. I silently vowed to keep him on my investigative radar.
Drake shoved a paper across his desk in my direction. “Call these people. Tell them to return to work, and that the layoff wasn’t supposed to have been enforced.”
Grabbing the paper, I nodded, heading toward the door. “I’ll be sure to let them know it was a mistake and a miscommunication.”
“Thank you, Sophie.” He turned his chair around, looking out his window silently.
Forty calls later, I spun my chair around, exhausted. So many people were relieved, but then there were a few that were angry with me because of the confusion. I was a little puzzled, since they should have been thankful to still have their jobs. Drake was an awesome employer, so what the hell was their problem?
I was bored. Maybe the women didn’t get fired, but quit out of boredom. What the hell else was I supposed to do all day? Just go on dinner dates and take notes? My question was answered when a girl with short brown hair and glasses came in my direction carrying a stack of files. She smiled apologetically at me. “Here are the files. You have to enter these into the database A.S.A.P. because Drake likes to look at them by the end of the week.”
“What are they?” I asked, eyes wide.
She was sweating from carrying them. After setting them down on my desk, she wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand. “Sales information for each of the clients.”
I took a file to examine and frowned. “A bunch of numbers.”
“Yep. Have fun! Oh, and my name is Maggie, by the way.” She waved, walking fast, as if she needed to get away before I asked for help.
Sighing, I turned on the computer. This was going to be a terrible day. I hated data entry. How long did I have to put up with this kind of torture? Groaning, I opened the first file and then looked at the computer to find the database. It was going to fill up my entire week—if I didn’t fall asleep first.
*
At the end of the day, I was tired. My brain couldn’t handle anymore numbers. It was ridiculous! Did Mr. Jacobi’s assistant really have to do such work? It was a question I planned on asking him. Maybe not that one, specifically. But I would ask what my job duties included; that way, I could at least get a better idea of what to expect.
Just as I was about to enter his office at the end of the day, Drake came out, walking fast. “I will see you in the morning, Sophie. I have a meeting. Tomorrow we will discuss more of your duties.” It was like he could read my mind or something!
Frowning, I grabbed my purse to follow him out. Maybe I should find out where he was going. It was about time I learned his habits. Maybe then I could get a better idea about the man behind the company.
Pausing, I decided that I would begin to follow him from his home. It would be too obvious if I followed him right out of the parking lot of work. I turned the computer back on, figuring that I could find his address in the employee files. You’d think as his assistant I should have that information, but as many as he’d been through, it might be something he didn’t reveal right away. He seemed to do a lot for me with just being a brand new employee. With his record in keeping secretaries, you’d think he’d be a little leery. It didn’t make sense to me, but I would figure it all out eventually.
Surfing through the list of addresses, I did find his. I wrote it down on a piece of paper and then tucked it into my purse. I’d have to use the map app on my cell phone because if he looked in his GPS to find out I’d been to his home, he would certainly be suspicious.
On the way to his house, I stopped to get something to eat. Nothing like good food on a stake-out. I munched on some fries as I went down a side road to a subdivision. I really couldn’t picture him living in one of these identical homes, but whatever. My phone beeped to let me know I needed to turn down another street. “Peacock Road. Here we go,” I mumbled as I slowed down to park several houses down from his, which appeared to be completely out of place. It wasn’t identical to the rest. It sat at a dead end road, far back into the woods. There was a large black gate that prevented people from going further down the driveway. It was a beautiful home—brick, with a lot of windows. Now that house, I could picture him in.
If he was to drive out right n
ow, he would see his car parked here. Feeling like a douche, I looked around for a place to hide. Finding another dirt road just before his, I drove down, turning around so I was facing out to the road. The car was hidden well enough behind an overgrown bush, but I needed to make sure he wouldn’t see me for sure. Chanting aloud, “Here I be, obviously seen, make me appear invisible to all that can see,” my smoky magic filled the car, exiting from the windows so it could cloud over the shape. When it disappeared, I was confident that I was hidden properly.
I pulled out a notebook and wrote down that I needed to take my lunch tomorrow at the medical examiner’s office. I had to find out everything he knew that may have been missed in his report. He was a local Witch examiner, so it wasn’t like he would be confused by some of the things I would ask him.
Looking at the clock on the radio, I frowned. Drake might not even leave home at all. If he did, it probably wouldn’t be until later in the evening. Groaning, I ate some more fries, making sure to not leave a mess.
*
Hearing a noise a few hours later, I looked up from playing with my phone. Drake’s driver was leaving. Here’s to hoping that Drake was in the car. I turned the key in the ignition and began to follow behind, chanting an uncloaking spell as we left the subdivision. When the smoke cleared, I stayed a little farther behind so I wouldn’t be noticed. Maybe Drake wasn’t an overly-paranoid Vampire, and wouldn’t see me following them.
We went out onto the main drag of road and headed toward downtown where his company was located. It was getting dark outside now since it was eight o’clock. I had spent too long waiting for him to come out of his house. I was tired, and my phone was nearly dead.
Eventually, we pulled off onto a side road. I had to pull back even more because there was less traffic around me. He turned into a parking lot, choosing a spot in front of a warehouse-looking place that appeared to be abandoned. Deciding to drive past the place, I parked in another parking lot and climbed out of the car. Should I go into the place? Maybe it was really abandoned, and he was having a private meeting.
Spell Hell: An Undercover Witch (Witch's Brew Book 1) Page 4
