Playing with Power - Book 5: New Adult Office Romance

by Huxley, Adele

  “Baby, that’s a drop in the bucket and we can even write it off as a business expense. It’s like this, and I’m wearing my Landon businessman hat now, okay? You’re gorgeous, young, and intelligent. If you want to appeal to the largest demographic of people, you have to look the part. Men should want you and women should want to be you. Make sense?”

  “I suppose,” she said, toeing the cracks on the floor. “I suppose I’ve never considered myself a commodity like that.”

  “Not a commodity, a marketing technique.” He laughed again. “You really are the perfect woman, you know. You’re actually fighting me when I flat out tell you to go spend thousands on clothes.”

  Lauren grabbed a pair of scissors from the knife block and strode back to her desk. Tucking the phone against her cheek, she sat down in the chair and replied, “I’m far from the perfect woman but I’m glad you think so. When do you have to be at the opening?”

  As she sliced length ways through the tape on the package, Lauren realized there was no address label, only her name. She heard Landon speaking but didn’t register what he was saying, the words dimming as her hearing disappeared. Shit, should I even be opening this? With a trembling hand, she cut the remaining tape and opened one of the cardboard flaps.

  Dark brown splotches covered much of the inside of the cardboard box. The room was so dark, she couldn’t see inside with only one part open. As she lifted the second flap with the scissors, she noticed a neon green note taped to the underside.

  This is what you’ve done to me

  The note was completely covered with clear tape, so while it wasn’t stained, a few droplets of moisture clung to its surface. Oh Jesus, it’s blood, she realized.

  “Wren, are you listening to me?” she faintly heard Landon ask.

  “He...he sent me something...there’s blood, I think...” she stammered. She looked down at her fingers and saw a bit had stained her skin. In horror, she pushed the package away, knocking it on its side. With a wet, sticky sound an entire raw heart rolled out and across her desk. The only thing stopping it from tumbling completely off and to the floor was the huge knife sticking out from the middle.

  Lauren screamed and pushed away in her computer chair, wheels skittering across the floor.

  “What is it? Are you alright? What’s happened?” Landon asked frantically.

  “It’s a heart, it’s a fucking heart. Nick sent me a real goddamn heart with a knife in it.”

  “Holy shit,” Lev said as he peered over the monitors. “Someone isn’t very happy with you.”

  4.

  Lauren shuffled up the flights of stairs, exhausted from her long day. All she wanted was to relax and attempt to salvage whatever she could of her girls’ night with Ali. Swinging the heavy duffel bag over her shoulder, she trudged up the last flight. Ali whipped the door open just as she raised her knuckles to knock.

  “Sweetie, what the fuck happened to you? I know you said you’d be late but shit.”

  Lauren stumbled in, dropped her bag on the floor, and sat in a heap on the bed. “I’ve had the worst day. Please tell me you have booze.”

  “Coming right up but tell me what the hell you were doing at the police station. Have you been there this whole time?”

  Lauren recounted everything that’d happened from her and Landon receiving the photos to the surprise offal delivery she’d gotten that afternoon. Landon had insisted she take everything down to the police department to file a report. Once she’d recovered from the initial shock, it’d taken a quite a bit of time to talk him out of flying straight out to be with her. He was only appeased when Brian offered to go to the station with her.

  “I honestly expected the cops to not really give a shit, you know? Be like, ‘Here, fill out the dismembered animal parts form and leave your phone number,’ or something.” Lauren took a big sip of the chilled white wine. “It really only started to sink in when I saw how concerned they were.”

  “Yeah, I totally get it. You know how my mom was a nurse? When I was younger we were taking turns jumping from the loft in the barn into a pile of hay down below. Stupid really, it was a huge drop. Well anyway, I managed to land wrong and hurt my neck. She just brushed me off when I complained about it later but after a couple days of it still hurting, she finally dragged me to the doctor. Turns out I’d been walking around with a fractured vertebra in my neck for nearly a week. When I saw the fear in her face, I knew shit was serious.”

  “God Llama, you never told me that.”

  “And you’ve never gotten love letters from a butcher before. Seems like a night for firsts.” Ali was draped over the round chair, kicking her foot back and forth. “Anyway, I’m nervous and babbling. Do they have any idea who did it?”

  Lauren pursed her lips and sighed. “Landon immediately thought it was Nick when we got the photos but I wasn’t too sure. I just kind of went along with the idea because it made the most sense. After the message on the inside of the box, I don’t know who else it could be.”

  Ali shook her head and walked to the fridge, pulling out the bottle of chilled wine and placed it on the floor between them. “I think I’m gonna need this whole thing. I don’t know. I just can’t see him doing it though. I mean, I’m sure he’s pissed off and everything but Nick? Naw, I can’t see it.”

  “I know! What other explanation is there? The timing is all there...we break up, these threats start coming in. The police even asked me if I wanted to file a restraining order against him.”

  “Shit, this is serious.” Ali tugged at her dark braid.

  “I didn’t do it. They’d contact him, it’d start this whole process with lawyers and court dates. Can you imagine if it was just some random stalker and he got a restraining order from me out of the blue?” Lauren laughed without humor. “The whole thing is a mess.”

  “You know,” Ali said scratching her cheek, “I’m a little surprised of the two of us, you’re the first one with a stalker.”

  For the first time in hours Lauren genuinely chuckled. “What? Am I not stalkable? You don’t think I’m worthy of a stalker?”

  “You’re perfectly stalkable! I just figured the gorgeous, absurdly famous and successful actress would be the first to garner that sort of attention.”

  Lauren snorted. “Yeah, well, you can have him. I tell you what, it’s making my move a lot easier to swallow.”

  “Hush, don’t you dare mention that again. Our sleepovers are numbered, so let’s forget all this bullshit and watch shit TV for a while, okay?”

  A few minutes later Ali turned to her with a serious look on her face. “You know you can stay here as long as you want, right? I don’t want you going back to that place if you don’t feel safe.”

  “I know sweetie, thank you. Now shush, I want to hear what the secret ingredients are.” Lauren did her best to block everything out and enjoy one of the last nights in New York with her best friend.

  Lauren woke the following morning to Ali singing in the shower. The tiny studio didn’t offer much in the way of privacy, so after a few moments blinking the sleep from her eyes, she set about getting ready for work. I’m so glad it’s Friday...I just want to get the day over with, come back here, have food delivered, and watch Netflix all weekend. I’m gonna miss her so much when I go. She heard the shower switch off and Ali bopped out, still humming to herself. She wrapped one towel tightly around her chest while a smaller one was draped over her shoulders catching the water dripping from her hair.

  “Aren’t you happy this morning? I don’t think I’ve ever see you so bubbly this early.”

  “No? It’s a great morning, what shouldn’t I be happy about?” Ali said squeezing the water from her hair.

  “You have an audition or something today?” Lauren said turning back to the mirror. She hastily applied a coat of mascara to both eyes, the extent of her daily makeup routine.

  “You could say that,” Ali hummed. After grabbing a can of Diet Coke from the fridge, she walked back to the bathroom.
Her toe connected with an envelope, sending it across the floor. “Fucking Chinese restaurants. They’re always shoving things under my door.”

  Ali’s voice squeaked a little when she picked up the envelope, a tiny sound escaping her lips. Lauren turned at the odd reaction and found her friend wide-eyed.

  “It...it’s for you. It has your name on it.” Ali immediately dropped it to the floor and backed away, staring at it as if it’d just transformed into a rattlesnake.

  “What the hell...”

  Lauren was getting really tired of this feeling. It was like she suddenly had tunnel vision, her heart started pounding and a faint ringing filled her ears. Whoever was doing this, she hated that they managed to even get that much of a reaction from her. She looked at the envelope and then back to Ali. Ali cried out as Lauren stepped forward.

  “What are you doing? It could have anthrax or something in it!”

  She scoffed. “There’s no anthrax.” Yet she hesitated. “Was this here when you woke up or did it just get pushed under the door?”

  Ali shook her head. She looks absolutely terrified, Lauren thought. “I have no idea. It could’ve been. I wasn’t really with it this morning until I got in the shower. I guess I could’ve stepped on it. You should just take it to the police.”

  “No, fuck it. I refuse to be scared of this! If I let it get to me then he wins,” she nearly growled. She grabbed the envelope off the floor and tore it open. She pulled out a series of small photographs all arranged on a single sheet, like proofs from a photo shoot.

  At first she didn’t realize what she was looking at but then she recognized Landon’s face. He looked amazing in his black tux, his hair slicked back and tan skin glowing. In the first few photos, he was standing alone but then in the next, he had his arm wrapped around the waist of a slender blonde in a short, sequined dress. They were both laughing and looking very intimate. Another shot showed her whispering in his ear. Yet another had them posing for the camera. It was only then, with her stomach churning, Lauren realized these had been taken the night before.

  “What is it? Damnit, just let me see,” Ali said clutching her towel.

  Lauren returned to the edge of the bed, fighting back tears. She felt betrayed, scared, stupid. The girl must’ve been the one he’d been seeing when they met. She matched the description perfectly.

  “What am I looking at exactly? There’s not even a note.”

  “Look at the time stamp,” Lauren whispered.

  Ali checked and nodded, realizing why Lauren was so upset. “I’m sure there’s some explanation about the photos but that’s not what’s worrying me right now.”

  “Yeah? What’s bugging you then?”

  “How the hell did Nick even know you were staying here last night?”

  Lauren went through the rest of the day in a complete fog. She did her best to disconnect from everyone in the office, making excuses that she was incredibly busy. With Faith going wedding crazy, she found it easy enough to fade into the background. Aside from a near altercation when she accidentally bumped into Rochelle coming out of the bathroom, she hadn’t really spoken to anyone the entire day.

  Her mind couldn’t stay still. She’d try and focus on her code but would find herself thinking about her crazy stalker then back to Landon, back and forth all day. Could Nick really be following me? How else did he know I was at Ali’s? I suppose it could’ve been a guess but that’s some crazy timing...how did he even know about Landon’s plans last night?

  Landon. She resisted the urge to pull out the photos she’d stuck in the front pocket of her backpack. Landon, with a pretty blonde. Landon looking pretty cozy with a pretty blonde when he said he’d be going alone. Lauren gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus.

  It wasn’t until Faith tapped her on the shoulder that she finally stopped the painful mental barrage. She jumped a little at Faith’s touch and pulled off her headphones.

  “Sorry honey, I just wanted to say goodnight before I left. Don’t stay too late. Just because you’re CTO now doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself working.”

  “Oh no, of course. I have a couple more things to do and then I’m out of here,” Lauren said with a tight smile.

  “Alright. Well, I’m the last one. You don’t mind locking up, right? You remember the code?”

  “Yeah, no worries. I’ll see you later.”

  “Don’t forget to check out my Pinterest board! I’ve found so many great ideas for the wedding already. I’d love to hear what you think,” Faith glowed. It was with another stab of guilt that Lauren was able to nod and feign excitement. Maybe he did tell her. She’s brushed this sort of stuff under the rug before.

  Moments later, Lauren was all alone in the office and for the first time, the empty space felt threatening. As she sat at her desk, she realized she had no idea where she was going to sleep. She couldn’t go back to Ali’s. For one thing, Nick knew she’d stayed there the night before so it was perfectly plausible that he’d follow her there again. She didn’t want to go dragging Ali into it any further than she already had. Lauren still felt guilty at how scared the whole thing had made her this morning. The MyBFC office was a possibility but there was a good chance she’d be alone there as well. As their work was winding down, the guys were out most nights, soaking in the little time they had left in Manhattan.

  She could feel the panic rising in her chest, threatening to constrict her throat and tighten every muscle in her body. Lauren slowly went to the front door and locked it from the inside. Suddenly aware that everything was glass and transparent, she felt trapped inside a fishbowl. Walking briskly back to the kitchen where at least she wasn’t visible from the street, she pulled out her phone. Her instinct was to call Landon but she paused. Not only would he be of little help, she wasn’t sure she could speak with him without blowing up yet.

  Scrolling through the contact list, her eyes fell on one name.

  D. Kael.

  I haven’t actually spoken with him in months, she thought. Aside from a few emails here and there...but I can’t think of anywhere else I’d honestly feel safe. He has that big penthouse in a super secure building.

  The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to call him. No one knew anything about him; Nick, Landon, even Ali. Feeling the need to act quickly, Lauren pressed his name. She held the phone to her ear with a shaky hand, glancing around the eerily empty office.

  “Lauren,” his deep voice rumbled through the phone. “It’s been a while.”

  “Damon, hi. I...I’m actually in a little bit of trouble.” She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice. “I was wondering if I might be able to stay with you for a couple days until things blow over.”

  “Absolutely.” She loved that he didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll be at the office until pretty late tonight but I’ll let Marco at the front desk know to let you in.” His voice dropped low, as if he were ducking away to speak to her. “Are you in danger?”

  Lauren wasn’t sure at first how to answer that question. She felt threatened, yes, but she didn’t think that Nick would harm her physically. “I’m okay. I’d just feel much better at your place.”

  “Consider it done. Make yourself completely at home. I trust you remember where everything is?” She stomach fluttered at the insinuation.

  “I’m sure I’ll find my way around. Thank you, really. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. I do have to warn you, my hospitality comes at a cost.” Lauren’s breath caught in her throat. Why do all men think sex is some form of currency? Before she could protest he continued, “You better be prepared to tell me everything that’s happening. Not many people realize this about me, but I’m a huge gossip.”

  This might’ve been a little overkill, Lauren thought as she climbed into the third cab. She relayed Damon’s street address and leaned back. After closing up the office, she’d taken a cab down to 14th Street, walked through Whole Foods without buying anything, and took a roundabout path
to the subway station. She’d tried to not look over her shoulder, tried to appear calm, but her nerves had been on edge. Picking a platform at random, she’d stood waiting for the train, watching the people around her peripherally.

  After a few minutes’ wait, Lauren had stepped on the train, hovering at the entrance. Just as the door chimed to shut, she jumped out, narrowly slipping through the gap. She’d gone back to the street level, taken a cab across town and then finally this last one to the apartment.

  Might be overkill but I’m pretty sure no one could’ve followed me after that. At least I can sleep easy tonight.

  She still couldn’t help a glance over her shoulder as she stepped through the doors to the building lobby.

  “Miss Kemp,” the doorman said warmly. “Let me take your bag. Follow me.”

  “How do you know who I am?”

  “Mr. Kael sent me a photo when he phoned earlier.” The elevator took them swiftly to the penthouse, her ears popping with the quick change in pressure. “If you need anything, any food or drink delivered, just call down to the desk and I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thank you, Marco,” Lauren whispered, feeling a little overwhelmed. I’m not sure I should really be here. The doorman let her into the sprawling apartment and set her bag on the floor beside the door.

  He shook his head as she tried to hand him some money for his troubles. “No, no, thank you. Really, anything you need just let me know. You can reach me with this buzzer here. Good night, Miss Kemp.”

  I never thought I’d be back here. Now, let’s see how well stocked his bar really is.

  After pouring herself a couple fingers of scotch in a glass tumbler, she threw on a long, cream sweater and stepped out onto the balcony. The weather was significantly cooler than the first time she’d visited but the view was still just as incredible. The glass guard was dizzying, making it feel as though she could step off the edge with ease. Daring herself to step closer, closer, she leaned on the edge and peered over. It seemed like she could watch the whole world ebb and flow around her, below her, without having to touch foot on the ground.