“Really? Tell me why.”
Maxwell scoffed. “If you kill me, or if I survive this dispute between us, either way, when I die, Lucifer is going to give me up to half his kingdom.”
Maxwell’s confidence started to return as he told me of his reward in the afterlife.
“I didn’t realize I was speaking with royalty,” I said. “But still, what is your answer?”
Maxwell reached out and took a glass and decanter from his desk, poured himself a rather large quantity of scotch, and downed it quickly. He placed the glass back on the desk. “No. My answer to you is no, because no matter what you do, I still win.” He walked around his desk and sat in his chair and glared at me. “How’s that for an answer? Are we done now?”
Finally, he had given me what I was there for. “Yes Maxwell, our business has concluded.”
“Good. Now get the hell out.”
“I will take my leave, but not until I’ve watched you be released to inherit your kingdom.”
“What are you talking abo....”
It looked like his breath got caught in his chest as the revelation he was dying began to set in. His eyes darted about as he tried to call for help but couldn’t make a sound above a whisper. His head descended to the desk.
I looked on as his spirit rose up and stood next to his physical body. He looked terrified as he repeatedly glanced at his body and then at me.
“Don’t worry, Maxwell, it’s natural to be a little scared and confused at this point.”
He repeatedly tried to step back into his body but passed through it with each attempt. “Am I dead? Did you kill me?”
“Yes, you are dead, but I didn’t kill you. You condemned yourself with your own words. I hope you enjoy your kingdom, my prince.” I offered him a sarcastic tip of my hat, though I know he couldn’t see me do it.
“What are you talking about?” Suddenly. Maxwell began to sink through the floor. Panic flooded his features. “What’s going on? What did you do?”
“Me? I didn’t do anything. Lucifer must be calling you home to rule by his side.”
His face lit up like a Christmas tree. “That’s right, and after I am seated over my kingdom, I’m coming for you.”
“I look forward to it. As of now, no angel or demon has bested me in combat. Maybe you’ll be the first.”
At that point, only his shoulders and chest were still exposed. “I’m coming for you! You can bet on th—”
He was gone, and I never saw him again.
My mind returned to the present. The excitement of fulfilling my purpose returned as well, but there was something there trying to take away from my moment—a group of uninvited guests.
About twenty feet behind me, a large group of demons had gathered, undoubtedly to see what I was up to. All varied in strength, size, and authority, but none of them were of concern to me. The only thing that mattered to me was the achievement of my objective by fulfilling the purpose for which I was created. Besides, I hated when any spirit came around me as I worked. They always got in my way, and I made them pay for their infraction.
The group stood at my back. None of them dared to come close to me except for one small imp. I could only assume he figured his small size and stealth-like nature would give him the ability to get close to me, and then all of Hell would have to respect him. Little did he know he was about to be undone by his own hubris.
The imp stalked inch by inch toward me using his mangled, elongated arms to reach out and pull himself close. He slithered across the ground like a snake and coiled up to strike before making a quick getaway. All of the demons watched with bated breath at what might happen next. Would the imp be able to get right next to me without me noticing, or would it become overwhelmed with fear and run back to the group? He didn’t realize I could sense his movements. I knew what he was doing, and I would deny him the very prize he sought.
Before the demons realized, I sprang into action. The imp had only progressed about a foot when I moved from where I stood to directly in front of him. My movements were so fast, the demons couldn’t detect them. I wrapped my hand around its neck and snapped it in one fluid motion. I tossed it at the feet of his friends. The mangled imp landed with a satisfying thud as I moved back to my original spot in the blink of an eye.
The lifeless imp’s eyes bulged from their sockets and its tongue uncurled and flopped on the ground as he slowly melted and slipped back down to Hell. The demons shuddered in fear as they gazed upon their comrade. They knew he would be punished severely for his failure before he would be allowed to come back and inflict pain on humanity. There was not one in their group strong enough to challenge me, and they all knew it.
The dread of being my next victim coursed through them as, one by one, they left my powerful presence.
I stood there as Alec continued to dry his tears and smile as he looked out the window. He had no idea I was there, safely hidden in the spirit realm. For the moment he lacked the eyes to see into my world.
“Well now, Mr. Williams, I think it’s time for you and me to finally meet.”
Chapter Twelve
Alec Williams
Williams Estate – Private Residence Wing
Williams Point, New York
DAYS PASSED, AND THAT one morning started like so many before it since I had taken over the company. I awoke in a cold sweat, engulfed in dread and the feeling I was being pursued by someone in my dreams. I could only truly remember certain things about the dream—the images of darkness and the feelings of fear.
I’m too old to be having bad dreams. I’m not a child. I dismissed the thought and went about my morning as usual and had James drive me to the office.
When I walked in the building, Rachel greeted me. “Good morning, Mr. Williams.”
“What are you doing, Rachel?”
“I have volunteered for the safety team, sir, and I am doing the monthly fire extinguisher checks. So far, two need to be replaced. I’ll have those taken care of by the end of the day. We wouldn’t want any fines if the fire marshal were to drop in for a visit.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Rachel Willenski was actually doing something for someone else.
“Thank you, Rachel. I appreciate you making sure we are safe in the building. If you don’t mind me asking, how are you doing with the loss of your father?”
“You’re welcome and thank you for asking. I’m taking it one day at a time.” She dropped her gaze to her iPad and made a quick note as if she were trying to avoid the discussion. If the dark circles under her usually bright eyes were any indication, she wasn’t getting any more sleep than I was. Grief tended to do that to a person. She glanced up with a smile. “I’m going to get back to it then. Have a good day.”
“Alec. Call me Alec. You and I go so far back. You don’t have to call me Mr. Williams because you’re an employee... I don’t mind if you call me Alec.” I realized I rambled like a pimply-faced kid. “My dad was Mr. Williams. I would prefer my employees call me by my first name.”
“Thank you, Alec.”
She flashed a smile and turned to continue her work. Wow. I couldn’t believe the change to a more helpful and subdued demeanor. The demotion and losing her dad seemed to have caused her to soften.
As time passed, she became kinder and more courteous to everyone in her group and others in the office. She even put together an employee appreciation week for the people on her team, which she paid for out of her own pocket. Many people in the other work groups were jealous and wanted their managers to do something similar for them. Since then, I had been toying with the idea of making an employee appreciation week a yearly company-wide practice. I made my way to my office and Paul came in right behind me with a concerned look on his face.
“Sorry to catch you right when you walk in, but do you have a minute?”
“Yeah, what do you got?”
“I found something of concern with the numbers in our textile division.”
“Okay.”<
br />
Paul took a seat across from me at my desk and handed me a copy of his findings. “I've noticed something odd. Over the last several years, the company has always had positive growth of two percent every year, even in years when the industry was down overall. It appears the profits from the division seem slightly higher than they should be given the size of the division. Now, the reported profits are not large enough to draw suspicion unless an auditor had intimate working knowledge of the company and the division, but after reviewing everything, I feel we need to perform a comprehensive audit of the department. I can’t shake the feeling something bad is going on there.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I think someone may be laundering money through the textile division. Maybe other divisions of the company as well.”
The words hit me like a tidal wave to the face. My dad was as big a bully as they came when it came to me, but I always thought he knew what he was doing with his business and kept it above board. How else had he been so successful for so long? And how could he have escaped the eye of regulators and auditors? My father was a horrible dad but a great businessman.
Wasn’t he?
“You’re gonna have to give me a minute here, Paul. My dad was a lot of nasty things, but... Illegal activity within his business?”
Paul’s shoulders sagged. “The numbers don’t lie, Alec. Something is wrong somewhere.”
“How is this possible? The company has annual audits, and it has always passed with flying colors.”
“I know, and I have been looking into those as well. Your father always used an external auditor to come in and review the findings of the internal auditing team. So, either the external auditing team was not very thorough, or someone in the company paid the external auditors to make everything appear legitimate.”
“There’s no way that’s possible.”
“I know it sounds crazy but hear me out. I have been trying to get access to the financial records the company keeps, and they are sealed up by your father, and only he can access them. I have also found various charitable organizations the company donates to.”
“So what? This company has been giving to charities for years.”
“Yes, but the amounts are almost the same every year give or take a few hundred dollars.”
“Paul, this is crazy I have been to some of these charities, and they are legit organizations.”
“But have you been to all of them? Have you looked into every group this company gives money to? Because I have been looking, and the majority of these charities are located overseas. I have spent hours researching these groups, and I can’t find much confirmable information about them, and many of them are looking like shell corporations. These mysterious charities could be a way the company funneled money to pay people off, and make it look legitimate in the eyes of the law.”
I felt my stomach do a backflip and I had to fight to keep my breakfast from erupting all over my desk. I took a few deep breadths to steady myself.
“Okay. Okay, does anyone else know about this?”
“No, of course not. I came straight to you.”
“Alright. Go and inspect every one of our textile plants. Do not tell anyone you’re coming, show up for a surprise inspection, and report to me all you find. If something is going on you will be there to catch them in the act before anyone can try and cover it up. I’ll review the locked financial records and continue the investigation on this side. If there is something illegal going on, we have to find it and stop it before any more damage can be done. Too many people depend upon this company to provide for their families. We have to stop the bleeding. Maybe the IRS and the authorities will go easy if we expose it ourselves.”
He gathered his things. “I agree. This is the best course of action.”
“Hey, Paul. I mean it when I say do not let anyone know you’re coming. Let’s keep everything you find between you and me until we figure it out.”
“You got it.”
I sat back in my chair and reviewed Paul’s report. Surely, it couldn’t be right.
Paul had to be wrong.
Chapter Thirteen
Rachel Willenski
Williams Industries Headquarters – Accounting Division
Williams Point, New York
I SAT IN MY OFFICE, elated at what I heard between Alec and Paul. It couldn’t have shaped up any better than it did, and the best part was, I hadn’t lifted a single finger. I thought I was going to have to sprinkle a trail of crumbs for those two idiots to follow, which would have been extremely dangerous to do. But in the end, it was Paul’s attention to detail that would be their downfall. Once they were gone, the company would be all mine. My body quivered at the thought of possessing all the power and authority that came with ownership of the company, and the favor I would garner from Lucifer. All of it was made possible because of my father, which proved he wasn’t a total failure.
Little did Alec know my father had placed several small cameras in his office when his dad was still alive. My dad planted the cameras at Reviler’s request, so they could surveil Maxwell easier. My father had the same idea, but lacked the strength to make it happen, and the vision for a properly executed takeover. I had completed college and returned home before Alec did, and I had incessantly hounded my dad for a job. At first, he refused, but over time I had picked up on his plan to take over the company, so I told him I’d help to remove Maxwell and he agreed.
Soon after I started working with my dad, he shared such secrets with me that now were mine alone. I learned about Lucifer’s connection with the company, my dad’s, and the Williams’ roles. I immediately coveted all they had. I wanted to be a Williams without having to be married to one. I thought it was going to take years to carefully set him up, but he was dead in less than one year. Now Alec, a pathetic excuse of a man, was in charge, and my work had just gotten a whole lot easier.
I had started to get the evidence I needed to prove Alec was not going to go along with Lucifer’s grand plans, but I still didn’t have enough to have him removed. Eventually he would find out who his family served, and when he did, I was sure he would struggle with the truth. Then I would come in and help push him to stand up to Lucifer, at which time Lucifer would have to kill him—since I wasn’t allowed to kill Alec myself.
If Alec decided to side with Lucifer, I would use these recordings to have him removed. Either way, Alec would be gone, and I would reign supreme. After all, Lucifer did gift me with power the night I killed my father. I would do anything to get more of that authority, including cozying up to Alec.
The very thought of that repulsed me to my core.
Alec was so wretched, and I did enjoy destroying his happiness. It would be just as easy as all the other times before, including the time I destroyed his engagement. I still laughed about how easy it was. I made repeated trips to Alec’s school and surprised him, and every time he asked what I was doing there I simply told him I missed him and wanted to see him. I swear I could see the moment his heart skipped a beat when I said I longed to see him, and he would nearly swoon right in front of me. It took all I had not to throw up on him every time he did that. Then there were all those late-night text messages, and sexual photos. I knew he would save every one of those pictures, and eventually his girlfriend, Tiffany, would find them.
The night came for me to make my ultimate move. My father told me Alec and Tiffany would soon be married. Alec had called his dad to tell him, and the word got to my dad. Maxwell couldn’t believe his son would waste his time with such needless endeavors. Poor romantic sap. His dad didn’t even care about his son’s potential bride or his happily-ever-after love story.
I showed up unannounced on a Tuesday night, because I knew that was their regular dinner date and study time. I’d considered every sensual, emotional, and physical move I would make. When I showed up, he thought it was Tiffany at the door of his upscale apartment. At first, he tried to turn me away, and said it wasn’t a g
ood time to talk. I gave him my best oh, Alec, I need you look, and even shed a few well-timed tears. He could never resist a woman in distress—especially when it was me.
I told him a made-up story about how I had been thinking about us a lot, and I had decided to break up with my boyfriend because I realized I wanted to be with him. He looked shocked and thrilled all at the same time. I knew at that point I could say anything, and he would eat it up and ask for seconds.
I’ve run from my true feelings, Alec...
I held back because you’re too good for me, Alec...
I only said I didn’t want to settle for you because I was afraid, Alec...
Alec said he wished I had told him sooner, but he was with Tiffany and he loved her. He loved her so much he was going to marry her. He asked me to stay away and to stop calling him. I was surprised, and that surprise briefly sparked a desire for him. What was more attractive than a rejection?
I accepted the challenge.
He’d never stood up to me before. I had to regain the upper hand. Men didn’t tell me no.
I stepped up my game. As I heard his front door open, I grabbed him and kissed him as passionately as I could. He tried to push me away, but the damage had been done in a tangle of arms and lips and a well-placed swipe of my tongue.
“What’s going on here?”
Tiffany’s ridiculously hurt and pained expression in the doorway satisfied a bit of my mission. Alec pulled away and tried to explain, but the love of his life didn’t want to hear it. He even chased her to the parking lot, but he returned to his apartment with a huge red mark on the right side of his face.
Had to hand it to the mousy twig of a woman. She’d hit him pretty hard.
He asked me to leave, grabbed his keys, and tore out of his apartment. I strutted to my car feeling proud of what I accomplished.
And the added beauty of it was, back then I didn’t torment Alec so he would make a mistake and I could have his company. Oh no. I tormented Alec because I hated him.
The Man Wrapped in Darkness Page 8
