“What the fuck, Cain?” I grunt. “Is it even daylight out?”
“Yes, it’s actually ten-thirty,” he says. “SJ is on the phone and wishes to speak to you.”
This grabs my attention and I snatch the phone. “Hey baby! What’s up?”
“Why are you still in bed?” she asks.
“I’m hung over,” I say miserably.
“This is the third morning I’ve called and you’ve been hung over,” she says.
“It’s Cain’s fault, he just kept pouring the drinks,” I say in my defense.
“So he was holding you down and pouring the drinks down your throat?”
“Well no, but I couldn’t leave them. He was pouring my thirty year old bourbon and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste.”
“So it’s your own fault,” she teases.
“I already feel awful, don’t make me feel worse,” I mope.
“I was just calling to let you know we’re going to Jungle Rapids today, so don’t panic if you can’t reach me.”
“Thank you for letting me know,” I say, relieved that she told me.
“Have a great day and I’ll speak to you later, I love you,” she says.
“You too, princess. I love you,” I reply, wishing I could express just how much.
We hang up and I put in a call to Thane, the bodyguard I have shadowing SJ and the twins.
“They’re going to Jungle Rapids,” I tell him.
“Okay, I’ll keep on their tales,” he replies.
“Remember, do not let her see you or suspect you,” I remind him.
“I know, sir.”
“It was a close call yesterday. She’s already suspicious of you, but so far she just thinks you’re a hotel guest. If she sees you at Jungle Rapids, it’s going to be a little harder to explain away,” I tell him.
“With all due respect, sir, I know how to do my job. If she already suspects me of something, I’ll make sure I’m invisible from now on,” he says, making me feel a hell of a lot better.
“Thanks Thane. Keep her safe.”
“Yes, sir,” he replies and hangs up.
Something about today just doesn’t seem right—I’ve got a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. The demolition had a few delays, but is going ahead this morning. I just hope nothing else happens. The quicker this building is knocked to the ground, the quicker I can move on from this point.
Cain is in the kitchen watching the news and sipping what looks like an extremely hot coffee. I take a seat next to him and pick up the coffee that’s sitting there waiting for me. Cain looks completely engrossed in whatever the reporter is saying, it’s only when I hear my name that I pay any attention.
“After coming out as being gay, Cain Cunningham went into hiding. He was spotted entering a house in Washington D.C. that our sources believe belongs to D.C. entrepreneur Caleb Slate. Both the movie star and Slate were recently spotted together in New York, taking an evening stroll, moments before the Daylight publication building exploded. By the looks of it, every woman in the country will be weeping as two of America’s hottest men are now officially off the market.”
“What the actual fuck?” I scream at the television.
“Keep kicking when a brother’s down, man,” Cain says to me. “You wound me.”
“Fuck off!” my anger is firing up. The last thing I need is this sort of publicity on my tail, not when I’m trying to protect SJ.
“If anything, it’s an insult to me. You really aren’t my type and you’re clearly not gay. The fact that they even paired us up is beyond ridiculous, besides you’re ugly.” As much as I want to stay angry at the situation, Cain really does have a way of putting things into perspective.
“You should be honored, I’m one of America’s hottest men.” My voice drips with sarcasm.
“So am I,” he replies. “But you’ve got nothing on this.” He emphasizes ‘this’ by rubbing his hands up and down his body.
“You haven’t seen what’s under all this,” I say, mimicking his moves.
Cain straightens up, looking at me with disgust. “Don’t ever do that again, like ever. It’s men like you who give gay men a bad name.”
“You asshole,” I hiss and punch him in the arm.
“Ouch,” he replies and rubs the arm I didn’t hit.
I shake my head at him and turn to leave, an idea forming. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” I say in a high pitch tone and then skip toward my bedroom.
I can hear Cain’s laugh right up until I shut the bedroom door. I’m just about to jump in a shower when a text message comes through.
Is there something you should be telling me?
It’s from SJ, my heart rate quickens. She can’t know about the demolition, it’s not public knowledge.
Not that I’m aware of.
Hopefully I haven’t just made myself look like a liar. Maybe I should have just told her straight up what was going on.
You and Cain are all over the news. If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t turn on the television.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, relief flooding through me.
I’ve seen it and you’re not funny
She replies in a matter of seconds.
It’s a little funny. Don’t worry, I still love you!
I don’t know why her first message scared me so much. I mean even if she knew about the demolition, she wouldn’t have been able to get back here in time to stop it. She’s going to hate me anyway because I’m tearing down her home. I just need to get a grip on myself.
I spend the next couple of hours checking in with the other resident, none of whom know what’s about to happen to their beloved building. They love the place like it’s a family heirloom or something, but the structure is decaying, the building is deemed unsafe and technically the residents should have been out before now. The building won’t take much to come down, a few controlled explosives and it should crumble quickly and efficiently.
I checked in with Claire too. She’s doing well and is much more at ease. I think it has something to do with the high security—it makes her feel safe enough to sleep, which leads to her being well rested and happy.
I put a security detail on Claire after she told me about her husband hunting her down at every job. I know how hard she worked to get her most recent job, not just physically, but emotionally too. So when I receive a call from one of my men, I head straight over to the grocery store she works at.
When I walk in, I head straight to the security guard who points me in the direction of my men, Claire, and her ex husband. I’m escorted out to the back of the store by the manager and taken straight to Claire who’s sitting in the lunch room. She has a female member of staff sitting with her and one of my men is standing just to the side.
“I have to say Mr. Slate, this is a huge disruption to my store,” the manger sneers insensitively. Straight away my temper flares and in a second flat, I have the tiny man up against the wall by his throat.
“That woman in there is a real person, not just a thing for you to talk about in such a dismissive manner. The man who came after her is a wanted man, who knows what would have happened had my men not been here,” I growl in his face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he pleads with me while trying to suck in air.
“Slate, let him go,” one of my men says from behind me.
“You’re lucky,” I hiss in his ear before letting him drop to the floor.
I brush myself down and straighten my suit jacket before heading into the lunchroom. Claire spots me the moment I’m through the door and bursts into tears. I lower myself into the chair next to her and hold her for a moment, soothing her. The female colleague stands and leaves us alone at the table.
“Caleb, I didn’t know you went to this much trouble just for me. Thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” She sobs into my chest.
I push her gently away from me, still hol
ding on to her arms and looking her directly in the eyes.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I ask.
“I’m not worth helping, you have much more important things to worry about than me.”
“Says who? You’re worthy of help Claire, don’t ever think you aren’t.” I know her husband made her feel worthless, but I’m hoping she’ll now learn something from this. “Claire, what happens now is completely up to you.”
“What do you mean?” Her puzzled expression makes her look so young and vulnerable. When I checked her rental agreement, it stated she had just turned thirty-one.
I lower my voice to a hushed whisper, making sure we can’t be overheard. “To your ex-husband. We can call the police and let them deal with it or I can have my men take him to someone else who will deal with him.”
“You mean kill him?” Her expression looks pained as she asks, but her eyes are glistening with vengeance.
“Yes,” I answer simply.
She surprises me with her answer. “Killing him is too easy, I want him to suffer like I did.” Her voice is firm and determined, it’s a confidence I’ve not yet witnessed in her before. I know she truly means what she’s saying.
I wait a moment before answering. “I can make that happen. Well not me personally, but I know someone who can. If you’re absolutely certain, I’ll make the call now.”
“Yes, I’m certain.” She keeps her expression neutral, but I see the change in her eyes. Freedom.
I take out my cell and call Logan. “Caleb? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I need your help. I have a man in my possession, I need him dealt with.”
“Killed?” Logan asks.
“No,” I reply.
“Give me twenty-four hours. Can you keep him until then?” he asks.
“Yeah, shouldn’t be a problem. Why so long though?”
“Buccieri’s men are on the move and we’re on surveillance.”
“What are they up to?” Fear courses through me.
“Don’t worry, they’ve shown no sign of knowing where SJ is,” he replies to the unspoken part of my question.
“Okay.” I breathe a small sigh of relief. “I’ll see you in twenty-four hours. Thanks Logan.”
“Thank you, Caleb,” Claire says as soon as I hang up.
“Did you want to say anything to him before we take him?” I ask. I watch as she visibly shudders at the idea of seeing him. “My men and I will be there the whole time, if there’s something you need to say to him then now’s the time.”
She nods and stands. “Okay.”
We walk through to an office I assume belongs to the manager, I’ll have to make it worth his while to keep his mouth shut about any of this and Claire might need to find a new job. I’ll speak to Grayson—I know he’s looking for a secretary.
Claire pauses as soon as the door opens. The sight of her ex-husband on his knee bound and gagged pulls a vengeful grin to her lips. The man looks petrified and I can see Claire’s body relaxing, knowing he can’t get to her because my men have a firm hold on him.
“I’m done with you. I’m going to carry on living my life with my children and maybe even eventually settle down when I’m ready. As for you, I’ve decided your fate. I don’t know the full details, maybe I’ll ask for them one day but for now, knowing you’re going to suffer as I did is all I need to know. You will never see me again. You’ll begin your new life now while I begin mine, safe with the knowledge that you can no longer hurt me.” Claire turns and leaves the room. I hear her cries of relief as she exits the room. I plan to go after her, but not before I’ve said my piece.
“You’re going to find out what happens to men who beat women. I’m sure your new Mistress will be happy to teach you how to cherish the opposite sex.” His eyes widen at this new information. I have no idea what Logan plans to do with him. He may find a place for him in slave labor, he may even end up with a Master or Logan might have a different idea altogether, but the fear in his eyes was worth taunting him.
Claire is back in the staff room and doesn’t appear to be crying. “Are you okay?” I ask.
“I can’t believe I did that. I was so scared,” she says, obviously exhilarated by the experience.
“It didn’t show.” I smile at her. “You did amazing. I’m sure SJ and Rita will be pleased to hear how brave you were.”
“I don’t know if I should tell them everything. I don’t want them judging me for my need to avenge myself. They may not understand, you know?” I nod along, completely understanding.
“You tell them whatever you want,” I say, letting her know her secret is safe with me. “I’m going to try and smooth this over with your boss, but I’m not sure if you’ll still be able to work here.”
“It’s okay, I didn’t really like this job anyway.” She shrugs, but I know she’s wondering about how she’s going to feed her children and keep a roof over their heads.
“You mentioned before about giving up your studies, what experience do you have?”
“It’s okay Caleb, you don’t have to take pity on me.” She laughs.
“I’m not, I’m asking because there are a few positions available at Slate Securities.”
“I have my master of real estate development and I was really close to getting my master of architecture. Unfortunately I only made it to the second stage. I manage just under six hundred training units of the seven hundred needed to take the third exam.”
“That was why your ex-husband manipulated you to giving up your degree. He didn’t want to feel emasculated,” I spit out through gritted teeth.
“I came to that conclusion eventually,” she laughs dryly.
“Why didn’t you just find a job doing real estate development?”
“By the time I got away from my ex-husband and recovered physically, I was still very broken inside. Plus I was pregnant and had two other children under five in tow. It’s hard to hold down a job when you were scared of your own shadow. I would have had to pay childcare fees for three children and with my ex-husband still out there, I was too afraid to leave the children anywhere in case he found them.” I watch as Claire becomes more hysterical as she goes on and finally begins to hyperventilate.
I step back and allow one of my men trained in first aid to assist her. While I wait, an idea comes to mind. She doesn’t want a pity job but what if it’s earned, she has qualifications in the areas I need.
Once she’s calm again, I approach her with my proposal. “I have a proposition for you,” I say and she begins laugh. Realizing how that may have sounded, I rephrase while trying to hide my embarrassment. “I meant a job proposition.”
“I know you did, it just made me laugh. I’m sorry,” she says and I’m glad she’s smiling again.
“Have you done an internship?”
“Yes, I did a twelve month internship with Philippe Dubois. He’s a famous French architecture who has recently become known in America.”
“I’ve heard of him,” I say in complete astonishment. “He’s like the Armani of the architect world, what an honor that must have been.”
She blushes and it’s only now I’m seeing this woman for the first time. Talking about her passion seems to bring her out of herself.
“How would you feel about finishing off your masters?” She laughs at me for a moment, stopping when a tear escapes and her lip begins to tremble.
“I would have loved to,” she says, taking a deep breath and steadying her voice. “It’s been so long, I don’t know if I’d remember any of it. Plus I’d need to get funding, and studying and working while taking care of three young children don’t mix well.”
“What if I offered you an apprenticeship? You could study while working, so you’ll be getting paid. Plus I’ll give you full benefits and pay childcare costs.”
“Why would you do that for me?”
“I could interview a hundred people tomorrow and none of them would want it as much as you. I know you’ll work hard for it because
I see in your eyes that this is your passion,” I explain, her eyes begin to fill with unshed tears again. “This isn’t a pity job, it’s a job for someone who is dedicated.”
“I can be dedicated.” She gives me a watery smile.
“Good because I need you to start right away and I’m not sure how you’re going to react to what I’m going to say.”
***
I spend the next hour explaining the demolition to Claire and funny enough, once I explained the whole plan, she was very much on board.
We’re at the demolition site, waiting for the explosives to bring the building to the ground when my phone rings. It’s a number I don’t recognize and consider ignoring it, but something in my gut tells me I need to take the call.
“Hello?” I answer warily.
“Mr. Slate,” Rita’s voice comes frantically through the speaker. My gut was right and I know what she’s going to say before she even says it. “SJ is missing.”
I spent the next ten minutes on the phone to Rita getting every detail possible from her, before leaving Claire to supervise the demolition while I race to the office.
“What happened?” Logan asks before I’m even through my office door. Grayson, Aiden and a few of our top men are there, ready and waiting.
I tell them everything Rita told me. That SJ wasn’t feeling well, so Rita took the children on one of the waterslides while SJ sat on a bench out of the sun. The most concerning part of this is that I haven’t heard from Thane, nor is he answering his phone.
Logan makes a few calls and makes a startling discovery. “Buccieri got to him first, offered him a job and a big pay out if he delivered SJ.”
“When I find him, I’m going to kill him,” I swear. “Grayson, Rita and the four children are being driven home as we speak. They should be here by late evening. Can you sort out my house for them and let Cain know he’ll be receiving visitors.”
“Are you sure I can do such a complicated task?” he questions sarcastically.
“Grayson, I’m not going to do this with you now,” I say a lot calmer than I actually feel.
Caleb (The Unseen Series Book 1) Page 18
