Edge of Grey

by Phelps, J. C.

  Jake seemed genuinely out of the loop where Eric’s surveillance of me was concerned, so that was a plus on his side. Another plus was Jake had been trying to give White something against Posner to feed the Admiral for years so he could take control of Mesa for himself. But the negating factors were that he used me to find out from Eric if they suspected anything with the incident at the drug refinery. He wouldn’t be afraid to throw me out there to give himself a running head start. What a gentleman. Not only did he use me as bait for the sharks, he’d been telling those same sharks things I’d thought were private between us.

  Still, Jake was the closest thing I had to an ally in my world right now. The last thing I wanted was to lose this connection, no matter how dubious it felt.

  “Posner said he’d meet with you at your earliest convenience. You ready?”

  “More than ready. I’m itching to get back to work,” I said.

  Jake escorted me to Posner’s office. He knocked once before being told to “Come in.”

  Eric was sitting in front of Posner’s desk.

  I always hated coming into Posner’s office. The large mirror on the back wall made me feel like I was being watched. I was certain it was a two-way mirror because there was a door leading into Posner's quarters on the same wall.

  “Ms. Grey,” Posner greeted me.

  “Posner.”

  Jake took the only other available chair in front of Posner’s desk.

  “So, I hear you have a background that isn’t all that savory. And, I’ve also been told you’d like me to pay you for that. Do I hear correctly?” Posner asked.

  I stood in the parade rest position out of habit. The stance disguised my lack of respect for Mark Posner. There was no need to be blatantly disrespectful. I was about to lay down the law to my boss I’d been told to fear. I’d never experienced fear or felt respect in connection with this man and I needed him to be aware that I, at the very least, didn’t fear him. Still, I didn’t need to start off the negotiations with more than one show of confrontation.

  “Before I will discuss my past or possible future I require more privacy.”

  I inclined my head toward Eric without taking my eyes away from Posner.

  He raised his eyebrows as if he couldn’t believe my challenge and I waited for a response.

  “I have no problems with Eric knowing my business,” he finally said.

  “Well then,” I said. “You’ve heard wrong. I will keep in touch with Jake just in case there are any future jobs you think I might be suited for. I’ll be leaving the lodge as soon as I can pack.” I didn’t wait for a response. There was no way I’d do jobs of this nature if someone was following me around. To allow it was reckless. Besides, Eric was a dumbass. His constant presence irked me and I knew he’d do something that would be detrimental to any job I was on.

  As soon as my hand touched the doorknob Posner said, “Eric would you excuse us?”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  I opened the door and moved to the side to allow Eric passage.

  The room was tensely quiet for only a few seconds before Posner gave Eric a pointed look. Eric gave out a disgusted huff as he pushed back his chair to stand, then stomped out of the room. I shut the door as soon as he was over the threshold.

  “I’m willing to discuss my expectations with you, but I will only work these specific jobs under certain conditions.”

  “Is that so? Before we get down to negotiations, I’d like to know what prompted your change of heart. I already have plenty of people in my employ that can and will do the jobs you are seeking. Convince me I need your expertise.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I took a breath then continued.

  “I enjoy the work. I prefer to work alone and this allows for it, if not requires it. I’ll be doing it for my own pleasure, so my prices are highly negotiable. I’ve done very well for myself by working with White and Associates as well as taking on outside jobs away from them. Now White is dead and I no longer have to watch my back so I can get back to it.”

  “Watch your back, Ms. Grey?”

  “Yes. When my freelancing came to the attention of my partners some were okay with it, others were not. White, though he knew of my freelancing before any of the other men, decided to side with the faction who didn’t approve. He stabbed me in the back to retain his brotherhood. I’ve been staying under the radar just in case he decided to give out certain information to people who really wanted to know.”

  “You seemed more than a little upset that he died. I can’t quite believe this story of yours. Didn’t you used to share a bed with White?”

  Again my private life I’d stupidly shared with only Jake was thrown in my face.

  “I did. Thankfully his heart was more involved than mine. I believe that’s why he didn’t take it any further. Still, I did have some feelings for the man. We did several jobs together as well as enjoyed a short relationship outside of work. It wasn’t easy news to hear. I’ve done my grieving and now I’m ready to get back to work without any further distractions.” I said.

  I managed to lie so well I even convinced myself I no longer cared.

  “I’m not entirely certain you are going to be what I’m looking for.”

  “Okay then.” I turned again to leave.

  “You don’t seem to want this job too badly.”

  I had to suppress the satisfied feeling as I turned to face him again.

  “We’ve already established I’m a freelance employee and I’m not here for the money. We’ve also established that I have other connections that I’m not afraid to utilize. You are not my only option for work. I will admit, having your contacts to add to my own is very convenient, but not necessary. I have a strict set of rules I operate under and if my needs can’t be met—”

  “I’ll hire you, but you’ll endure a probationary period. You will complete the jobs without question.”

  He didn’t give up. He wanted to own me, but he’d have to deal with just keeping me around for now.

  “Asking questions is how I remain alive and free. I will only take on jobs after I’ve been given the reason for the elimination and a satisfactory period of time to confirm that reason. I reserve the right to refuse any job at my discretion and without explanation. You can count on my confidentiality whether or not I take a job and I expect the same in return. As you said, you have plenty of people willing to take on the same jobs. If I refuse, simply offer it to one of them.”

  Posner opened his mouth with intent to set me straight. I could see it in his expression. I couldn’t back down in the slightest.

  “I’m not finished,” I said before he could cut in. “I also require complete secrecy. Only you and I will know about my job assignments. I’d be willing to entertain one go-between, but that will be Jake. No one else will know of my involvement in any particular job. That means I will not stand for being followed. You will tell Eric to back off. I know you have an affinity for him and you really shouldn’t put him in such danger. I can promise, if he continues to follow me, it will not end well.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  He put his palms flat on his desk and looked as if he was going to stand to meet my challenge. I might have pushed just a bit too hard.

  “Not you personally, unless you start following me around. I can’t imagine you wouldn’t understand my position. Nothing I require is above and beyond what any other freelancer of this type would expect from their employer. I have a strong desire to survive. Being shadowed is an unacceptable intrusion and creates highly volatile situations. None of these requests are unreasonable. But because you couldn’t know if I can do the job satisfactorily, I will not object to the probationary period, as far as price goes. However, I will not put myself on the line for you or anyone else. If you cannot allow me to protect myself, I can’t protect you. I will admit, my biggest selling point until you learn of my skill, is my price point. I’m flexible.”

  The room was quiet f
or a full minute before Posner spoke again.

  “Will you be staying in your room here at the lodge?”

  “I’d like to retain my quarters here,” I said.

  “You will make sure Jake knows where you are at all times.”

  “I will always answer Jake’s calls when it’s feasible and always return the calls I’ve missed.” Again, I changed it up a little to retain my control.

  “I'd like to discuss this with Jake a little further. But first, send Eric back in so I can relieve him of his detail.”

  I was officially dismissed.

  “Meet me in my room,” Jake pulled out his keys and drew his arm back to toss them to me.

  I held up my hand and said, “No. I have to shower. Come to my room. I know you have a master key that’ll get you into any room in the lodge.”

  Eric was standing in the hallway with his arms folded and a severe look on his face.

  “They want you back in there,” I said.

  He didn’t acknowledge me other than to make his way to Posner’s door.

  Chapter Three

  BACK IN MY ROOM I went directly to my shower. The run right before my meeting with Posner had made me sweaty and gross. I didn’t hear Jake come in and was glad I hadn’t gone back to his room to wait.

  When I stepped from my bathroom in just a towel Jake’s voice surprised me.

  “Hurry up and get dressed so we can talk,” he said.

  I almost dropped my towel and had to readjust it as I stood next to my bed.

  “Crap. I didn’t hear you come in.”

  Jake laughed and said, “Just hurry up.”

  When I finished dressing in the bathroom, I went out to my kitchenette area to talk with Jake.

  “Posner has a job for you. It’s not what you were looking for just yet, but it’s a job you’ll do mostly alone. At least you’ll be keeping busy,” Jake said.

  “Okay,” I said as I took the towel off my head. “What is it?”

  “We’ve been having some issues with Andrew Thomas. Andy uses our services for his club, Club Crimson, and for his personal security. His contract runs out in a couple days and we will not renew it. We have run into a conflict of interest. To make things worse, Andy has refused to meet with Posner about our conflict and this has forced our hand. We’ve had to choose a side and since Thomas’ contract runs out soon, we’ve chosen the side of the client who remains. Posner wants you to get into his office and deliver a message.”

  “What, break in?” I asked.

  “No. It’s a lot more complicated than that,” Jake said. “I’m going to give you the details, even though I know you have this higher sense of morality.”

  “Higher sense of morality?” I scoffed.

  “Yes. I know you look down on most of our clients because of their illegal activities, but we are just providing a service to our clients. We don’t always take a hand in the criminal acts.”

  “So, what’s the full story?”

  “Andy has a deal with one of our clients to allow a few of their dealers to sell at his club. He’s compensated very well and we get a kickback for bringing the club into the fold. Andy has used our security to muscle the dealers out of more money in the past. Posner spoke to him and explained that this is not an acceptable use of the team we’ve provided. Andy took the hint and stopped his little show. But now, Andy has begun another enterprise with a different organization and is stepping on toes. Posner has tried to mitigate the damage, but Thomas has refused all contact and already employed a new security team so we have no access to him. This is where you come in,” Jake said.

  “Okay.”

  “Thomas employs an escort service to provide him with a girl twice a week. We’ve set it up so you’ll go in place of the girl scheduled tomorrow night.”

  “An escort? You want me to become an escort?” I was very uncomfortable with this idea. It was worse than waiting tables in a strip club, much worse.

  “You won’t have to do anything,” Jake said.

  He shook his head and chuckled.

  “I’ve never met a more repressed woman than you. Well, except maybe that chick I dated in college who talked about nothing but marriage every time I tried to hold her hand.”

  “I’m not that bad,” I said.

  He laughed again and shook his head.

  “Yeah you are. It’s okay. It’s part of your charm. Anyway, back to Thomas,” he said. “The ruse is just so you can get private time alone with Thomas to deliver a message. It’s the only way you’re going to get past his guards aside from fighting your way in. Posner doesn’t expect you, or want you, to indulge Andy. He’s not up for any type of rewards here.”

  I sighed.

  “Fine. What time am I supposed to be there tomorrow night?”

  “He schedules his girls to show up at ten o’clock so he can start his night off right. All you need to do is put on a little makeup, wear a party dress and show up at his door. They should let you in and then you can make sure he understands that our client means business.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

  He hiked his eyebrows and added a wicked grin.

  “Posner is all for some type of lasting scar. You just have to keep in mind the security that’ll be present outside Thomas’ office door.”

  “He does this in his office?”

  I was appalled at the thought.

  “It’s a nice office,” Jake said and smiled again. “Just make sure Andy knows that our clients are not happy with him expanding the market in his club and he needs to know that this is the last warning. If he doesn’t heed it, you might be able to bid on another job that involves him.”

  I tried to get Jake to give me more specific instructions, but he just told me to use my imagination when I asked him what exactly they expected me to do to leave a lasting impression. He said he and Joe would drive me to the club and be my backup. They’d wait until I was given safe passage into the office and then they’d come in and restrain the guards until I’d completed my job. At least that took a little off my plate. Then he left me alone stating he had some other business to attend to.

  I spent the better part of the day researching Andrew Thomas online. I found out a great deal about him but the only thing worthy of blackmail involved Mesa. I knew he wouldn’t fall for that one because I worked for Mesa and we were representing the people creating the opportunity for blackmail. The mention of a lasting scar told me they expected some kind of violence.

  Jake returned around dinner time and asked me if I knew how I was going to go about this. I told him I had no idea, but I’d figure it out.

  The following afternoon I made a trip into the city and bought a suitable dress. It was a short, tight-fitting number in black with flashy sequins across the top, long sleeves, and the back open all the way down to the small of my back. I got a chill when I tried it on because of the lack of coverage, but I was pleased with the look. I bought some suitable ankle-high boots to complete the outfit. I looked like I would enjoy a good time, but it was still classy enough to not scream street walker. I really hoped I would be convincing.

  The remainder of my evening was spent trying to perfect my hair and makeup. Since I’d gotten my hair cut, I hadn’t done much with it but brush it and makeup was something I’d always struggled with. I’d always stuck with the less is more mantra and did that for my costume for tonight. My hair was a different story, though. It wasn’t long enough to pull back or braid and it had no body lately. I opted to comb it back with some mousse giving me a slick look. It fit with the theme of the dress, bold but not too trashy.

  I waited for Jake to call me before I stepped out of my room. Then I met him and Joe in the lobby. They were going to drive me to Club Crimson.

  Just like back at White and Associates these men were not accustomed to seeing me dressed in anything other than my work clothes. Both Jake and Joe stood with their mouths agape for two seconds bef
ore Joe said, “You look —”

  “Suitable,” Jake supplied while shooting Joe an angry look.

  I smiled inwardly. I could still turn a few heads, but could I pass as an escort?

  During the drive to the club, Joe kept turning in his seat to talk to me and I caught his eyes wandering over my legs.

  “Would you stop that?” I said.

  “What?” Joe asked.

  “I know this isn’t my normal attire, but keep your eyes off my legs.”

  “I can’t help it,” he said.

  “Then turn around and face forward.”

  The rest of the ride was quiet though Joe fidgeted in his seat a lot and I caught Jake watching me from the rearview mirror more than once. The looks from both men gave me mixed feelings. I was flattered and pleased they enjoyed the sight of me. It was a good feeling to be desired, but their sordid looks also made me feel tawdry and worth only the sum of what I could provide in a bedroom. Or in this case, an office. Black’s advice to be careful with what, where and how I flaunted was good advice. I could give them a glimpse of the carnal side, but if I wanted to be respected, I had to keep it to a minimum. I guess tonight counted as a necessary peek.

  Despite their attention in the car, neither one of them got out to open the door for me when we pulled up to a side door in the alley. Instead, Jake turned in his seat and said, “Joe and I will enter a couple minutes after you do and subdue the guards so you’ll have time to work.”

  “Don’t fully incapacitate them just in case Thomas needs a ride to the hospital,” I said.

  Joe laughed but stopped short when I cocked my head to the side in a warning. Already this outfit was working against my credibility. They should both know what I was capable of and I could hold my own against one club owner.

  I almost turned my ankle while walking toward the side door. These boots were cute, but I wasn’t used to heels. I took a moment to straighten my dress and make sure nothing was hanging out that wasn’t supposed to be.

  The door was heavy metal and creaked as I pulled it open. Once inside I stopped to allow my eyes a chance to adjust to the dim lighting. I was standing at the end of a long hall. The door closed behind me with a metallic thud.