Hidden Threat

by Sherri Hayes

  Cali couldn’t help the blush that crept up her cheeks. Even if she wasn’t with someone at the moment, hitting on waiters was not her thing. It was Rachael’s though. In the end, Cali knew her friend just wanted to have a good time and wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to.

  She knew Matthew wouldn’t be thrilled as she heard herself say, “Sure. What time?”

  Smiling, Rachael stood picking up her designer purse. “I’ll pick you up at seven. This is going to be so much fun, Cali; just you wait.”

  Cali had her doubts about that but nodded and watched her friend leave. Once she heard the elevator doors close, marking Rachael’s exit from the floor, she picked up the phone. He answered on the first ring. “What did she want?” Of course, Matthew saw Rachael in her office.

  She sighed. “We’re going to dinner tonight at Ruby’s.” And then, for some reason, she felt compelled to add, “She’s been told the waiters are cute.”

  And just as she was hoping, he laughed. “Oh she was, was she? And just what are you hoping to get out of this evening, Ms. Stanton?”

  There was no tension, just joy at hearing his voice on the other end. “Well, Mr. Andersen. I was thinking about doing some ogling myself, but I don’t think I’ll find anything up to my standards.”

  “So you have high standards, do you, Ms. Stanton?”

  “Oh, most definitely, Mr. Andersen.”

  Chapter 37

  The rest of the week went by without much fanfare. Well except for the string of condoms Matthew found inside the drawer of this desk Friday morning. And if there’d been any doubt who’d put them there, Jason cleared it up quickly when he strolled into Matthew’s office just before noon and offered the use of his apartment for the lunch hour, should Matthew and Cali need it.

  Matthew was too distracted over the latest piece of mail Cali had received that morning to let his brother goad him. He barely spared his brother a glance and said, “Yeah, thanks for the gift. Saves me a trip to pick up more.”

  Jason threw his head back and roared with laughter before sitting down across from his brother. Matthew couldn’t help but smile back. Even though he was knee deep in the latest mess, he’d learned over the years that every now and then, one had to relieve the tension, or it could and would quite literally kill them.

  When they’d both finally stopped laughing, Jason asked him how things were with Cali. At the mention of her name, Matthew’s smile grew.

  “Ah,” Jason smirked. “I see. That good huh?”

  Matthew just laughed and shook his head. “Here,” he said, shoving the latest package over to Jason.

  Picking it up, his brother took a minute to look over the five sheets of paper. “This is from Wednesday night, right? When she went out with her friend?”

  “Yeah,” Matthew sighed, leaning his elbows in front of him on the desk. “I don’t know what to make of it, or even if I should make something out of it at all. Wednesday’s the only day this week she’s really been out in public so maybe that’s it; but it just doesn’t sit well with me that the last two times she’s been photographed, she’s been out with Rachael Michaels.”

  “Still can’t find anything on her?” Jason said, handing the pictures back.

  “No,” he said, clearly frustrated. “Maybe I’m just making trouble where there isn’t any.”

  Jason thought about that for a second. “Matthew, you have good instincts. If you feel something isn’t right, I wouldn’t dismiss it.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jason turned to leave. “Anytime.”

  When Jason reached the door, Matthew’s voice stopped him. “Jason, did you just come in here to rib me about the condoms or was there a real reason?”

  His brother turned around and laughed. “You know me too well, Matthew. And yeah, there was, but it’s not important.” Matthew looked at his brother, clearly not believing him. Jason sighed, and his face turned serious. “We lost another one today.”

  “And you didn’t think I needed to know that another shipment was taken?”

  “You’ve got a lot on your mind lately, Matthew. I can handle it. It’s my job, remember.”

  Matthew’s hands rubbed aggressively on his face several times before raking back over his head. “We have to figure this out, Jason.” Picking up the pile of growing pictures, letters, and reports from the corner of his desk, he threw them down in front of Jason and shouted, “What are we missing?”

  Jason took a step toward his brother but stopped short. “I don’t know. They’ll trip up soon. They have to.”

  ***

  The weekend came with the normal family obligations. Saturday they spent with Cali’s father, and Sunday afternoon with Jason and Lisa. It was relaxing this time even with the gentle teasing by his brother and her friend.

  Sunday evening Cali offered to clean up the mess, so Matthew took the opportunity to go over some files on his laptop. Most of it was of the security footage. Something was nagging at him. It was as if his subconscious was telling him he was missing something. He just couldn’t put the pieces together.

  By the time Cali walked into the study, he was still as clueless as he’d been when he’d sat down. One look at her though quickly made him forget work. She was leaning against the door in a long black silk nightgown. It flowed gracefully down her long legs ending at her ankles and had a long slit running up the side clear to her thigh. The position of her leg hinted that the slit went all the way up.

  Matthew swallowed, stood, and walked to her. He didn’t even bother closing down his computer.

  Stopping in front of her, he let his palms skim up the sides of her bare arms and over her shoulders before coming to rest on the sides of her face. “Gorgeous,” he whispered.

  Cali’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in and took Matthew’s bottom lip into her mouth, biting it gently. All he could do was moan in response and press forward. Instead of pressing against him as he’d hoped, she pulled back and stepped away.

  His puzzled look made her laugh. In way of answer, she reached out and grasped his hand in hers, pulling him up the stairs.

  They managed to make it to the bedroom, and made quick work of their clothes.

  Their connection as they came together never failed to amaze him. He’d always felt so alone in the world, but since meeting Cali, that had changed. When together he found a peace he’d never had before and knew he’d never find again.

  It was that thought that floated in his mind as he drifted off to sleep that night while idly massaging the fingers of her right hand.

  ***

  Four hours later, he jerked awake, looking around the room in a panic. Something had woken him, but all was quiet in the room. Feeling the need to check the rest of the house, he edged out of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping beauty beside him.

  Room by room he checked, but there was nothing. As he passed by the study, Matthew remembered he’d left his laptop on earlier. Walking back into Alvin’s office, he rounded the desk and moved the mouse to bring the screen back to light. As he moved the curser to begin the shut down, something stopped him dead in his tracks. Looking at the monitor again, he remembered what had woken him so suddenly.

  He knew who their mystery woman was.

  Chapter 38

  Monday morning Cali woke up to the alarm beeping annoyingly by her bedside.

  Turning it off, she rolled over and buried her head in Matthew’s empty pillow before tucking it under her chin with a sigh. His scent was all around her along with hers and a hint of sex, which added to the mix.

  Cali couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy. She knew she’d find Matthew downstairs, showered, dressed and ready for the day. He was such a morning person; something she was clearly not.

  In the past, that had bothered her. Her roommate in college and even one of the doctors she’d bunked with last year were those people who were running at one hundred percent as soon as they opened their eyes. For some reaso
n, the fact that Matthew was that way didn’t faze her in the least. The thought of him already downstairs in his suit and tie brought with it a little fluttering in the pit of her stomach.

  That was enough to motivate her to get up and out of bed. She hurried through her morning ritual and went downstairs to find the man on her mind.

  In her rush down the stairs, she almost missed the light on in the study.

  Detouring, she looked inside. Matthew sat behind the desk, deep in thought by the look on his face; but that wasn’t what struck her the most. Matthew wasn’t wearing a shirt. He hadn’t dressed yet.

  Cali’s nerves kicked in as she walked into the room. Matthew still hadn’t moved. Stepping beside him, she placed her hand to his shoulder, causing him to jump.

  “Sorry,” she murmured.

  He looked up, her presence seeming to pull him out of whatever trance he’d been in. He rubbed his face roughly as if trying to bring himself back to reality. “What time is it?”

  “About seven,” she paused and looked at him a little closer. His eyes were bloodshot, and she wondered how long he’d been up. “Everything okay?” She’d expected him to answer right away, but he didn’t. “Matthew?”

  He shook his head and sat back in his seat. His focus was back to the computer screen again. “I don’t know.”

  Then it hit her. “Did you find something?”

  Looking up at her, he said, “I think so.” He initiated the shutdown of his laptop and then stood. “I need to check a few things out first though.”

  “Is there something I should know?” she asked, concerned by his evasion.

  Matthew noticed her worry. He closed the small distance between them and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I may have figured out who’s on the tape in the garage.”

  “What can I do?” She wanted to help him if she could.

  “Nothing.” He shook his head. “And if my suspicions are correct, this person is my problem anyway.”

  He saw the doubt in her eyes and the small frown. He brought his hand up and brushed the hair back from her face. “I’m not just trying to keep this from you, Cali. I really do want to make sure I’m right before I say anything. I’ll tell you once I know.” His eyes held hers until he saw the clouds of uncertainty fade.

  When Matthew stepped back, Cali’s eyes ran down the length of him, clad only in boxers. “You might want to get dressed, Andersen. That is unless you were planning on working from home today?” she asked suggestively, knowing he wouldn’t take her up on her offer.

  He groaned and then laughed. Stepping forward, he placed another kiss on her lips. This one wasn’t the soft hello of earlier; it held promises she knew he was more than capable of keeping. The kiss was much too short for her liking as she stood in a daze, watching him walk out of the office and up the staircase.

  Heading into the kitchen, Cali found Jessie standing in front of the stove, frying bacon. As she took her usual seat at the counter, Cali greeted her.

  Jessie turned with a knowing smile and said good morning.

  It was Cali’s turn to blush. Although she was a grown woman, it still felt weird to know that the woman she saw as her surrogate mother knew she was having sex with her—someone. She’d almost thought boyfriend, but she wasn’t really sure that was the correct term. Cali knew they would eventually have to discuss what they wanted since she’d decided to stay. Now wasn’t the time though; too much was going on in their lives. And Cali didn’t want Matthew to stay with her to protect her. She wanted him there because that was where he wanted to be.

  The man in question strolled into the kitchen and took a seat beside her. She couldn’t help the smile of pride when she looked at him. He was more than dashing in his pinstriped suit.

  Jessie made her presence known by setting two plates full of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of them. Her smile let Cali know her ogling hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  Deciding she didn’t care, she dug into her food as Matthew did the same. For however long it lasted, Matthew was her man, and she wasn’t going to apologize for enjoying the view.

  ***

  Hours later, Matthew sat at his desk staring at the computer screen. He’d run a new updated background check on her and still had nothing. Not one thing stood out that screamed “mole.” Although the possibility that he was wrong was there, he didn’t think he was wrong.

  There was one last thing left to verify if his subconscious had been right in putting the pieces together. Saving and locking the file, he pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Mariana, could I see you in my office for a moment? And bring something to write on.”

  Less than a minute later, his assistant came through the door of his office and took a seat in front of him. A pad of paper lay on her lap, and her right hand held a standard issue ballpoint pen. On her right hand was a ring, the ring. The one he’d been racking his brain about for the last two weeks.

  Making sure his expression remained unchanged, he gave her a list of reports he wanted pulled and compiled by the end of the day. He told her he wanted a list of all of the drivers whose shipments were targeted over the past six months. It wasn’t something he cared about at all, but it would keep her busy for most of the day.

  After she left, he sat back in his chair and started running through everything in his head. Something still didn’t make sense. Mariana was smart but not that smart. She didn’t have the skills to pull off something this complex.

  And what about the photos of Cali in Africa? Mariana hadn’t been there. Although it was possible she’d hired someone, he didn’t think that was the case. This was bigger than he’d originally thought, and Mariana was just one piece of the puzzle.

  Now he had to figure out what exactly he was going to do with his newfound knowledge.

  It was Monday, which meant he had a security briefing with Cali that afternoon. Pulling up his calendar, he sent two quick e-mails: one to Cali and one to Jason. He wouldn’t be joining Cali for lunch today, and Jason would be sitting in on their afternoon meeting.

  Once that was done, he pulled out his phone. Martinez answered, and Matthew quickly explained the situation. His friend was more than happy to meet him for an impromptu lunch at the police station. One way or another, he would have a plan by the end of the day.

  ***

  Matthew met Martinez at noon. He shared what he’d found and what he was thinking of doing next with his friend. Martinez agreed with him; something just didn’t add up. Mariana didn’t have much more than a high school education. Her work history was solid prior to coming to work for Stanton Enterprises. And Matthew had no problems with her up until now.

  They went over her background check with a fine tooth comb. Martinez ran her through the criminal database as well, with variations on her name, but came up blank.

  What was her motivation?

  According to the information they’d obtained, she was a third generation immigrant. Her parents lived and worked a half hour away in the suburbs. And all her school records seemed normal enough. It just furthered his suspicion that she was not in this alone. Someone was pulling her strings. But why? What did they have over her? It had to be something. There had to be some sort of a pay off for her to risk so much.

  ***

  It was just after one when he parted ways with Martinez. Nothing much was gained besides more questions. Before Matthew returned to the office, he stopped off to pick up some supplies. It was amazing what one could buy over the counter these days, and in this case, he was very thankful. He didn’t have time to order what he needed through his regular supplier.

  He returned to the office just after three and went straight to Cali’s office. When he stepped out of the elevator, Lisa didn’t seem surprised to see him even though he was about fifteen minutes early. After saying hello, she informed him Cali was expecting him.

  Walking through the open door, he saw her sitting casually behind her desk, head bowed, looking at
something in her hand. Seeing her was the breath of fresh air he needed after the last few hours.

  She didn’t look up until he rounded her desk and was only a foot away. He didn’t wait for her to react, he just pulled her out of her chair and pressed his lips to hers.

  They kissed for several minutes before coming up for air. “Wow,” she said, trying to regain her equilibrium. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

  Matthew brushed a stray hair from her face, trailing a finger down her cheek to her neck and lower. “Do I need a reason?”

  She swallowed. “No.”

  A throat cleared, and they stepped away from each other.

  Jason walked in with a huge grin on his face. “Am I interrupting?”

  “No, we were just—” Cali began.

  “Oh, I know what you were just,” he said, laughing now. “I’m only wondering if you’d like some more time to just.”

  Cali blushed, but Matthew picked up the papers he’d thrown down on her desk moments before and took his seat across from her, giving his brother a look that told him to shut it. Jason’s chest continued to vibrate, but he didn’t say anything more as they got down to business.

  “Mariana?” Cali asked in shock when Matthew shared his discovery. “You’re sure? I mean…”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I saw the ring. She’s wearing it today.”

  “But why?” Cali asked.

  “I have no idea. I didn’t even consider her before because it didn’t make any sense. It still doesn’t. But the facts remain the same. She was the one on the tape. Granted, all that proves is that she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be, but her actions on the tape are suspicious.”

  “And given her position, she also has access to security,” Jason added.