“It goes without saying you should be extra vigilant. I don’t even want to know what you’re feeling.” I saw this spider as big as my fist crawling along the wall.
Zane followed my line of sight and was lightning quick in killing it with extreme prejudice. He walked out and I was looking around to see if there was any place I could sit comfortably without thinking something was crawling over my skin. I decided to stand and the stains on the furniture gave me food for thought.
“We need to come up with a plan. This is no time to put all of our eggs in one basket. Zane will look out for number one and we have to do the same thing. I wish I had some property, not under my name.” Lewis had the gears in his head working at a speed that had his eyes darting all over the place.
“I know it might not be prudent, but my friend’s cousin flies all over the globe at a moment’s notice on a private charter. We could conceivably run away from all of this and find a life where there’s a slower pace of living. It means we won’t be here to see the final nail in her coffin.” He turned and held me in his freezing stare of disapproval.
“I am this close to seeing all of my hard work pay off. I shouldn’t care, but I want to see the look on her face when the police put the handcuffs on her wrist. She needs to know I was ultimately responsible for her incarceration. I was instrumental in forming a task force. I was the one that made the suggestion of finding somebody expendable.” Zane was supposed to be collateral damage and Lewis had orchestrated his placement within the Donakov family.
I heard a whistle and this light tap on the window. I flung open the curtains in the living room to see a tree branch scratching against the pane of glass. My nerves were shot and I felt it was high time to fight fire with fire. I could only hope the phone would have some damning evidence against Mrs. Donakov.
“Marsha Donakov is the kind of woman who will never back down. Let’s say for argument’s sake she does go to jail. Even behind bars, criminals have a way of reaching out to make those responsible for their situation pay the ultimate price. I don’t want to always have to look over my shoulder thinking that there’s a contract out on my head.” I wanted him to hold me and to give me a reason to believe everything was going to be perfectly fine.
“I wish I can make things better. Tell me if there is something I can do.” I placed my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes to the reality of my plight crashing down on me.
“My life is over and I’ve been too dense to realize it. I can tell you are still holding out hope that you won’t have to leave everything behind. Snow, there’s no going back for either one of us. The whole house of cards would have to come down at the same time.” I didn’t know the odds of that happening, but it had to be right up there with winning the lottery.
CHAPTER 18
Jonathan
I knew something was going on and I followed from a discreet distance from the party. They left in a hurry and I let me curiosity get the best of me. I snuck up to the house and tried to remain as quiet as possible.
I was standing by the window listening to a conversation between Zane, Lewis, and the woman I had briefly seen in passing at Barker and White. I didn’t know how she played into it, but I was soon to learn not everything was as it seemed. I decided to follow them and satisfy my curiosity.
I made my way over to the barn where I saw them park the car and climbed into the back seat in the cover of darkness. The door swung open moments later and Zane got into the driver’s seat without realizing he had company.
“I feel I can help you if you give me a chance.” I could see him tense up. “There’s no reason to be alarmed by my appearance. If you knew anything about me, you would understand the reason why I can’t let this go. I have resources which you can utilize without bothering with red tape.” He didn’t say anything and put the car into reverse with the wheels spinning on the dirt surface of the floor.
“I would hate to involve a second party and lose the chain of evidence. The Donakov lawyer would rake me over the coals like a pig with an apple in its mouth. How can I be certain that those people you refer to are above reproach?” I was in the right place at the right time.
“There’s no reason for you to worry about the chain of evidence. Most of those employed are either ex-military or police personnel. I have the finest minds available at all hours of the day and night. They have come through for me more times than I can count.” I could easily give them a call at this late hour and have them in the office within minutes.
“It would be better than to worry at about the possibility of a mole inside my own organization. I will give you 2-hours… no more and no less. I shouldn’t even contemplate doing this, but you do drive a hard bargain. I know who you are and what kind of stake you have in bringing her to her knees.” His cold and detached demeanor was a little hard to digest on an empty stomach.
“I have personally invested a lot of time in making sure nobody under my umbrella falls through the cracks. Their personnel file has been researched intensively. I’m not stupid to think she wouldn’t have somebody working to undermine me.” My stepsister was my best friend and to have 1 minute to say goodbye would’ve been enough to sacrifice my soul to the devil.
“Make the phone call but don’t make me regret this. The fewer people who know what we are doing the better. We need somebody who has vast knowledge in the technological side of things. Don’t involve anybody else unless absolutely necessary.” It was sound advice and I was willing to take it without argument.
I gave him the address and made the phone call to arrange a sit down with young Billy Adams. He was only 19, and he was one of my finest warriors against hacking. I had seen him work circles around those in the industry who thought they were above suspicion.
“I know it’s late and I wouldn’t have called unless it was an emergency.”
“I will pay you handsomely for the inconvenience.”
“It’s 1:00 AM in the morning and you expect me to drop everything and open the door for you when you arrive. There’s no limit to what your money can buy.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be seen in the office together. I’m sure somebody like you has an office equipped with everything you will need.” I felt like I was putting him at risk, but everybody had their tiny part to play no matter how insignificant it might seem on the surface.
“I will leave the porch light on. Don’t judge me when you see where I live. I’m sending you a text with my address.” He was a sought-after commodity and someone who could have worked anywhere, but he decided my company was a growing concern.
“Mr. Adams, I have to tell you I have been impressed by your work ethic from the moment you came on board. You may not know this, but I have watched you closely to see if you were ready to be molded into my image.” I wasn’t lying and I’d seen him stand up to be heard over the din of other people.
“I’ve never been afraid to step outside of my comfort zone. You wouldn’t have recruited me had you thought otherwise.” I could hear in his caustic tone that he had just woken up and I felt bad for rousing him from his slumber.
“I would like us to be on a first name basis. From this moment on you will be working closely with me and a colleague never to be named. I expect discretion and I demand results.” He was the only one who exceeded my expectation. He was responsible for digging into the Donakov financials without any red flags going off.
“I told you I didn’t feel very good about what you had me doing. I’ve already cut off their supply to the European dollar. I liberated millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains by making it seem it is still there until it’s too late for them to do anything about it.” I didn’t know half of what he was talking about, but the results were hard not to recognize when I saw them.
“I appreciate the back door to everything you have been doing. You will be rewarded for all of your hard work in cold hard cash in whatever form you want.” I had seen for myself how he
had invested his money into Bitcoin.
“Money has always been the root of all evil. I think somewhere along the line you forgot that. Losing somebody can make you do strange and unpredictable things. It can also make you trust the wrong person. We need to discuss something, but I’m not going to do it over an open phone line.” He had piqued my curiosity and made me anxious to meet him on his own turf.
“We will be there within minutes. Do yourself a favor and make yourself presentable. I would suggest making a boatload of coffee and we are going to need it.” I received a dial tone and I didn’t feel very good about how he felt it was necessary to hang up on me.
“I could be wrong but I get the feeling your talents are being wasted. You should seriously give some thought about coming to work for me.”
“After this job, I might be in need of relocation. Don’t be surprised if I find myself knocking on your door to take you up on your proposal.”
“I have a need for someone with your different way of thinking.” Nobody knew half of what I did and how I twisted the law to suit my purposes.
“I’m sure you pay better than the government could ever hope to. I have been thinking about a change of scenery.” He was somebody that would be able to walk within the shadows on my behalf.
“I have many different ventures which could require your services. I can promise you will never be bored.”
“We could discuss the particulars of this position while your friend is working on the phone.” We drove into this gated community and by a security guard stationed to allow us access.
Billy had done very well for himself and there was no way he could afford this on the salary I was giving him. He was living in the lap of luxury in a home that would have cost millions of dollars. The sports cars in the driveway lined up like dominoes cost more than the national gross product of certain third world countries.
He greeted us in khakis and a white shirt with sneakers on his feet. I handed him the phone. He looked at it and at my companion with shifty eyes. He casually made his way into an office with a four-digit code at the entrance. There was a wall of computers with every Asian stock market playing minute to minute and another line of screen showing the North American news.
“We’re going to have to discuss a pay cut. It looks like you have some side projects. Do I need to worry about you putting in your resignation?” I could be convinced to give him the proper incentive to stay. Stocks and bonuses were on the table.
His dirty blond hair was nothing compared to his beard. I wasn’t concerned with his hygiene and he had proven himself time and time again.
“I don’t like to discuss money without having my first cup of coffee. This is an interesting algorithm and I know who was responsible for making it. He is a very good, but doesn’t even hold a candle to me.”
A young woman of Asian descent came into the room wearing a very short bathrobe barely hiding the essentials. She was carrying a tray of herbal tea and when she bent over there was the hint of a very fine looking ass.
They conversed in a different language. It was obvious she didn’t speak English. Billy wasn’t much to look at, but she looked at him with devotion in her eyes.
“I want you to treat my guest like he’s not even here. Go ahead and speak in front of him. There’s nothing that you can say that he shouldn’t be able to hear.” I gave him the courtesy of not making mention of the Asian temptress who looked innocent, but I had a feeling what they did behind closed doors was not for the faint of heart.
He dismissed the young woman and she bowed politely at the door before disappearing down the hall. I took one sip from my cup and was instantly transported to Japan on the wings of the flavor. It was authentic and made me remember the geisha who had served me at a private tea house that wasn’t known to the local tourist trade.
Billy sat on his throne and moved around the room from one computer to the next on the wheels of the chair. The fact remained, he was a bit eccentric, but he was a genius in his own mind. The young man was doing three things at the same time without the need for an assistant. I was going to have to bring Stephanie into the loop so she wasn’t blindsided by any surprises. It could wait until morning.
“Jonathan, I do believe this is the smoking gun you have been looking for. It was child’s play to break his password. I know the algorithm because I was the one who came up with it. He stole my work, but he lived to regret it.” I didn’t need to know what he had done in the name of revenge.
“There is a time restriction on this. I need you to transfer everything to this phone. Give me the cliff notes of what you found.” He touched his nose and then he brought up an audio file.
“Timothy, I didn’t think you had this in you, but you can stop showing me her body. Megan was someone I thought I could run away with. It’s too bad she couldn’t keep her nose out of the Donakov family business. Those bags of drugs were meant to break inside of her.” Phoenix was getting ready to transport her body to an undisclosed location.
“Phoenix, I think I’m going to be sick. She had no idea what was happening until it was too late. I thought it would be easier, but I don’t think…”
“Thinking has never been your strong suit. I found her rifling through my files and what she saw can never see the light of day. Megan needs to appear to be just another drug mule. I will make sure she doesn’t survive in the emergency room. Drop her off at the door and make sure not to be seen by anybody.” The only thing missing was someone mentioning her by name.
“Mrs. Donakov, I appreciate your faith in me and I won’t let you down.” Phoenix made sure to have the kind of leverage to give him a retirement worthy of Rockefeller.
YES! That bitch was going down.
CHAPTER 19
Snow
They got back from their errand and had a lot to fill me in about at the safe house Zane had taken us to. Zane and Jonathan settled in and I was ready to hear what they had found out.
I listened with an open mind and the words were like a knife in my heart. I didn’t know Megan personally, but the connection I had with her was more intimate than some of my lover’s. She had opened up my eyes to how to live my life without looking back with recrimination.
“I don’t know why you are waiting. I appreciate the need to keep me from finding out about this some other way, but this would be in better hands of someone who could do something about it.” There were other audio files and I was piecing together the last few hours of her life.
“I had to hear this for myself to know it was true. Zane has to remain under to avoid scrutiny. We can’t make the same mistake I made by giving her a reason to come after us to shut us up. The more people that know about this the better chance it will get back to her.” Lewis was playing devil’s advocate by letting us know how all of this could blow up in our face.
“I don’t think it comes as a big surprise I want her to fry. I’ve done my best to get my pound of flesh in a different way. I’ve been underhanded in going after contracts and I’ve siphoned some of her accounts dry under her nose. It’s nothing compared to seeing her hauled into court to answer to her crimes.” Jonathan was a wrinkle, but he made me long for the taste of his mouth.
“There’s nothing I can do until morning. We need to get our rest. I can call the district attorney, but this information should be handled discreetly. Marsha has a lot of clout and people in her back pocket doing her dirty work behind the scenes. I will hold onto this and never let it out of my sight.” Lewis concealed the evidence in his pocket and then made his way upstairs to the only bedroom with a bed. Zane went to the basement and retired for the night.
I was left in the living room with Jonathan. He took a seat at the dining table. I stood by the window, hiding behind the curtain. It was a cloudy evening. Silence filled the room.
“Snow, I know we don’t know each other, but I believe we met briefly in your office. You rushed out the door. Was everything OK?”
&nbs
p; “I wish I could have stayed at the meeting. My apartment was burned down so I had to rush out. That was a crazy day for me and things got more and more out of control than I would ever imagine.” As much I found Jonathan attractive, I didn’t launch myself at him like I did with other men.
This felt different and I didn’t feel the influence of Megan grabbing me by the throat. It felt like this was my decision and I was using that to extract some of the control back into my life.
“Tomorrow will be a better day.”
“Let’s hope so.” I just realized that the flashes of memory were of those Megan had been intimate with. That was the reason why I didn’t experience any flashes or be overtly sexual with Jonathan.
“I know we are virtual strangers, but I’m interested to get to know you better. I was thinking I could whisk you to Italy for authentic pizza. Does that seem too presumptuous?” Jonathan was separate from the rest of them like we were destined to find each other in a world of chaos.
“I never had any man offering to take me to Italy for pizza. That is a first.” That would be quite a first date.
“A woman should be surprised every day in a relationship. I want to make my partner feel cherished and special.” Interesting choice of word - Partner. Not my girlfriend or woman or girl. Partner.
“You do know how to sweet talk.” Part of me did want to tempt him and test him a little. I wanted to know if this act was part of a playboy’s charm.
I went over to Jonathan and sat down next to him. I put my hand in his. He moved his hands and placed them in his lap trying to be a gentleman.
“I don’t think it’s fair to take advantage of you in your current state of mind. I know I’m probably going to kick myself for doing this, but maybe we should cool things down a little.” He had the strength and courage to deny my warm caress.
Time for test number 2.
“It’s very generous of you to think about my feelings. I have never been more attracted to another human being by how you have rejected me.” I traveled my fingers down over his bulging biceps. I found my long and tapered fingers entwined in his thick and calloused digits.
Snow and Her Seven Hunks Page 11
