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  When I pass his office, I don’t even see him inside. What the heck? How does he keep becoming a bigger and bigger jerk? I huff, hitting the button for the elevator. I send Scott a text telling him I’m on my way. At least I’ll be able to get something to eat. I hope they have half price appetizers or something.

  I push into the restaurant seeing everyone at the bar. Scott waves me over. Todd says something to him that has him punching him in the shoulder, making him laugh.

  “Hey,” I say, taking the seat next to Scott.

  “Glad you could make it.” He pushes his plate towards me. I steal one of the mozzarella sticks. “Drink?”

  “I’ll have a water for now.”

  “Really?” He lifts his eyebrows at me.

  “I have a small headache,” I lie. He orders me water before pulling a bottle of Advil out of his messenger bag and giving me two pills.

  “What are you doing down here?” My heart drops to my stomach at the sound of that deep voice. I slowly turn to face Warren. He towers over me. “I told you to stay late in the office.”

  “I thought you left.” He grabs the pills from out of my hand, tossing them on the table. Everyone is staring at us. I wonder if this is normal behavior or if I’m getting the extra asshole special.

  “You don’t take random pills from people. We’re leaving.” He starts to walk back out of the restaurant, clearly thinking that I should be following him. Not wanting to push my luck and get removed from the office permanently, I grab my bag and run after him.

  He holds the elevator door open, letting me step on first. For once he shows a little bit of manners. Who knew he had it in him? I’m never going to understand all those articles about what a great man Warren is. I’m guessing they are bought and paid for by some PR firm or something. You really can’t believe everything you read.

  The air in the elevator grows thick as we ride up together.

  “When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it.” He doesn't even glance my way as he issues his command. He really must not like the look of me.

  “Yes, sir,” I say in my sweetest voice.

  He sucks in a deep breath. “Don’t push it.” The doors slide open a moment later, thankfully. I step off and go directly to my desk. Warren goes straight into his office. A few minutes later he comes out with a binder in his hands.

  “I need three copies of each of these contracts.” He drops them down on my desk. He doesn’t say another word to me. He turns and walks back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

  I smile, thumbing through the contracts and wondering if I already have something good.

  Chapter Four

  Warren

  “Taking drugs from somebody you barely know. What a naïve fool. She should be locked up!” I rant in the privacy of my office. The girl is going to end up kidnapped and locked in some madman’s dungeon by the end of the week. It’s a miracle she’s survived this long without me.

  I shove an angry hand through my hair. If she’d listened to me and stayed in the office instead of going to eat with her co-workers, none of this would’ve happened. I mean, yes, the co-workers are safe, but what if she had dinner with someone else? She shows the sense of a gnat.

  I want to storm out of my office and paddle her ass until she promises she won’t do that again. In fact, she shouldn’t take anything from a man—not medicine, not a hand across the street, not money, nothing. She shouldn’t be talking to men at all. No contact with the opposite sex. She should come into my office and lock herself inside, never leaving unless it’s with me and there’s a bag over her head so no one can see how beautiful she is. They’d want to steal her.

  I collapse into my office chair. The thoughts I’m having are not normal. I need to get back to my old self, the one who pays no attention to women because they are completely unnecessary to my happiness and life goals. I need a distraction and some protection—from her and myself. I pick up the phone and dial.

  “Christina Vazquez’ phone. She’s not here at the moment so—”

  “Christina,” I interrupt her fake voice mail message. “It’s me. War.”

  “I know. I recognized your number on my caller ID.” She laughs.

  “Why’d you act as if it was voicemail then?” I grumble irritably.

  “To hear you get all worked up. It’s funny.”

  I scowl at the phone. “You’re an actress; not a comedian.”

  “I can be both.”

  “Well, be both in my office then. I’ll see you in fifteen.”

  “I can’t. I’m on a date with my co-star. The studio wants us to be papped for publicity.”

  “I’ll send them a photo of the two of you in bed.”

  “Not that kind of publicity. Besides, I’m not sleeping with this guy. He’s got bad breath, and I actually deserve an Oscar for the way I pretend to be in love with him.”

  “All the more reason to ditch his ass and come help me. I’m drowning.”

  I hang up because I don’t want to hear her excuses and make a beeline for the bathroom. Leila—I looked her up after she left my office—doesn’t even acknowledge my presence as I walk by. I slam the exterior office door hard and watch with grim satisfaction as she jumps and looks my way. I remain in the men’s room until I get an impatient text from Christina:

  I’m here. Your office is empty, and the new girl is looking like she’s going to stab me with a stapler.

  I hurry out because Christina has long nails and might hurt my temp.

  “Hey, good looking,” she says mockingly when I stride through the door. Leila is again ignoring me, dammit.

  “Come on.” I grab Christina’s arm and drag her into my office. I shut the door, shutter the blinds, and then turn to my friend with my hands on my hips.

  “What do you think?”

  “She’s very nice looking?”

  “Very nice? She’s fucking gorgeous.”

  “Yes.”

  “Say it,” I demand.

  “Say what?”

  “That she’s gorgeous. A dream. A goddess recreated on this hell hole we call earth.”

  “Darling, what has gotten into you?”

  Nothing. That’s my problem. “Say. It.”

  “She’s gorgeous. A dream. Spring incarnate weeps at the sight of her which is why it is always rainy in April.”

  “Okay. Nicely done.” I’m appeased.

  “Thank you.” Christina takes a deep curtsy. “On a more serious note, why are we spying on your new temp employee? Why not go over and tell her to go on a date with you? And I did use the word ‘tell’ purposefully since you never ask and always demand.”

  “I can’t. I’m building an empire here. I don’t have time for women.” I peek through the blinds again because it’s been at least fifty seconds since I’ve last laid eyes on her.

  “You can carve out enough time to take a woman to dinner. Even you, War, have to eat.”

  “I eat at my desk.”

  “Maybe you wouldn’t be ‘drowning’”—she makes quote signs with her fingers—“if you spent more time outside of your office. Being a hermit has eroded all your social skills. You’re literally the person in the saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

  “I’m plenty entertaining,” I grouch but inside a kernel of anxiety pings to life. Am I dull? Would Leila find me boring?

  “If you say so, but you still haven’t answered the real question. Why am I here? Do you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend? Oh, War. Yes. War. Yes!” she cries.

  I fly across the room and slap a hand over her mouth. “What the hell?”

  My friend laughs and pushes me away. “Didn’t you ask me here to make her jealous so that she’s spurred into action? When she attacks me, do I pretend like I’m scared away? Or do you want me to play the rich bitch?”

  “I just needed a distraction,” I say, returning to the glass wall. “I can’t afford to become embroiled in an affair with an employee.” I p
ull out a stack of cards and throw them down on coffee table. “I’ll let you win in poker.”

  Christina pulls herself away from the blinds and settles into the sofa. “I still think it makes more sense for you to just talk to the girl. Maybe she doesn’t like you and rejects your advances? Then you can just move on.”

  “That’s what I don’t want.”

  Chapter Five

  Leila

  My stomach tightens when I hear the beautiful woman that walked into Warren’s office moan. At least I think that’s what I’m hearing. What the hell? I can’t believe he’s getting it on while making me work late. This is such bullshit.

  This guy is a bigger prick than I even realized. I don’t even know why I care. I’m only here for one thing: to get my revenge. I need to remember that. That nothing else matters. The end game is what I need to focus on. I’ll have the last laugh in the end.

  I decide to steal a moment to hop onto Kelly’s computer. Her desk is closest to mine. I hit the mouse to wake it up, and the password screen appears. I close my eyes for a moment and recall the keys I saw her entering earlier. I stood a few feet behind her, watching as she entered her password.

  She’s not dumb in the least. I have to admit her password is actually pretty complex compared to others I’ve seen here. It’s a mixture of both numbers and letters. There are no actual words, but that doesn't matter to me. I can recall every keystroke she made today. If Warren is going to make me stay late, I might as well make it worth it. His own asshole behavior will be part of his downfall.

  I’m not sure what I should be looking for. I plug in a USB and just start loading everything that I can to it quickly. I clench my jaw when I hear bubbles of laughter coming from his office again. The woman looked so familiar, but I can’t place her.

  I pull out the USB once I’ve gathered a fair amount of info. I drop it into my bag, not wanting to push my luck before I take the contracts to all be copied. I print off an extra one for myself. My uncle is going to be so pleased with how much I’ve gotten in such a short time.

  It takes me over an hour to get everything printed off, and Warren’s office door is still closed. I stack it all nicely on my desk before grabbing my bag to head out. Irritation still gnaws at me as I get in the elevator.

  I want to make his day as much of a pain in the ass as he made mine. When I exit the building, I head toward the bus stop. I stop short when I notice the parking lot and Warren’s car parked off to the side.

  I glance around, making sure no one sees me as I head over to it. I reach in my purse, pulling out my switchblade and thrusting it into each tire. With each strike I feel a moment of relief. Some of my anger and hurt releases from within me. I smile, knowing what a big inconvenience this will be for Warren. I guess he’ll also be staying later than he expected.

  My brief moment of joy is short lived. I almost pee myself when my own cell phone startles me. I grab it, dropping the knife back in my bag, and quickly getting out of the parking lot before anyone can see me.

  “Hey,” I answer, knowing it’s Chris. He’s the only one that has this number.

  “Get anything?”

  “Yes. At least, I think I did. You really haven't made it clear what exactly it is that you're looking for,” I say, hoping he’ll finally give me more.

  “Why were you at the office late?” I look around, wondering how the hell he even knows that.

  “I was asked to stay late. It was good, though. I used the opportunity to our benefit.”

  “I’m pulling up.” He ends the call. A moment later a black SUV pulls up to the corner and comes to a stop. The window rolls down to reveal Chris. “Get in.” I barely get in and he’s speeding off. “So what did you get?”

  “I got some contracts he had me make copies of for some stupid reason.” I pull out the USB. “I also got a bunch of stuff off one of the girls’ computers. I just dumped as much stuff as I could.”

  “You did good tonight.” His approval feels good. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m needy for human connection. “There are whispers of a big deal that’s going down soon. Warren has been looking at shipyards. No one is quite sure what he has up his sleeve or with who, but I want to know.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” I’m starting to think Chris doesn't give me any real details of what I need to get my hands on. It doesn't feel right, but it’s not like I can push him for more.

  “You should try and get closer to him.” Chris pulls up outside of my extended stay hotel. I’ve been living there for the past month. “Is that a problem?”

  “No. I’m in this.” I swallow. I shouldn't be worried because there is no way I can get close to him. He’s banging some beautiful blonde and thinks I’m ugly. I don’t tell Chris that. He might pull me out and then where will I be? Nowhere with no purpose.

  “This all could get messy, Leila. Are you prepared for something like that?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not sure that we should let Warren even live if we pull this deal off. He’ll poke around. It would only be a matter of time until he traced everything back to you.” I know he is gauging me for a reaction.

  “I…” I try to respond but no words come out. “I can’t kill someone.”

  “Everyone is capable of murder. Especially a young, pretty girl who is trying to ward off her boss who can’t take no for an answer.” My heart starts pounding harder. “But we don’t have to worry about that today. I only mentioned it because I thought you should know it’s on the table and to prepare yourself.”

  I open the car door to get out. Chris grabs my arm, stopping me. “Your father would be so proud of you.”

  “Thank you.” He slowly releases my arm

  “This man is the reason my brother and your father are no longer with us. Warren forced his hand. Set him up. He deserves everything he gets, and you can make sure he never does what he did to our family to another soul.”

  I have a feeling when this is all said and done, that I’ll be the one to have lost my own soul.

  Chapter Six

  Warren

  “These tire slashes were done with a small knife, likely a switchblade. See here?” The security guard squats down and points to the barely visible line in the rubber. “It doesn’t take much to damage a tire, not if you’re intentional about it. These should be easy to patch so you can get home, but you’ll need to take it to a shop right away.”

  “Let’s just call a tow from here.”

  “You want me to stick around?” The older man takes one last poke at my back tire before straightening and dusting off the arms of his gray polyester jacket.

  “No. Not necessary.” I text the auto service to request a tow and repair.

  The man lifts his cap and scratches his head. “I don’t know, Mr. Holmes. It might not be safe for you out here.”

  I peer over the top of my phone at the guard. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because your tires.” He throws an arm toward the rear of my car. “Obviously someone has it out for you.”

  “Can’t it just be some random vandalism?”

  “Yours is the only car that was hit in the whole lot.”

  I look around and realize that there are a handful of cars down here, including a very expensive Alfa Romeo Spyder which I know belongs to the president of the tech company who leases out the top floor.

  “Have you looked at the CCTV footage?”

  “Yeah. Couldn’t make much out though. The person was small enough, and then a black SUV pulled up and took the person away. License plate was covered too. Anyone got a problem with you, Mr. Holmes?”

  “Too many.” I tap my phone against my leg.

  “Let’s get some additional cameras and lights in here. If there’s some kind of gang running around, it won’t be me in danger but my staff.”

  A chilling thought strikes me. What if Leila was attacked?

  “Make it double.”

  “Double what, sir?”

  “Doub
le up all the cameras. All the lights. I want it to look like a baseball stadium in this parking lot. The sun should be less bright.”

  “Yessir. On it. Should I report this to the police?”

  “Yes, and make sure that you give them the stills of the SUV. Maybe they can track it down by make and model.”

  As the security guard contacts the authorities and I wait for the taxi, I call Connor. He answers even though it’s late.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah, someone slashed my tires.”

  “Oh, fuck. I’ll call the police right now.”

  “Already done. Also, I’m upping security right now and lighting this place up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.”

  “That’s good, but why’d you call me then?”

  “I need Leila’s address.”

  “Who?”

  “The new girl. The temp. I need her address.”

  There’s a prolonged silence followed by a cautious question. “May I know why?”

  “Sure. I don’t want her to get knifed by whoever slashed my tires.” Headlights bounce in front of me, signaling the taxi’s arrival.

  “I mean, thanks for worrying about the rest of us,” grumbles my assistant.

  “You are so competent that I figured it would be insulting to suggest you needed protection from me.” Leila, on the other hand, will enjoy my extra attention regardless. She’s not getting hurt on my watch.

  “That was a nice save. As for her address, the temporary agency doesn’t provide it.”

  “I know you have it.” Connor is nothing if not meticulous.

  “Fine. I’ll text it to you, but I did not get this by legal means so please don’t ask and don’t tell, for God’s sake.”

  “Who am I going to tell?” I climb into the taxi and give him the address to Leila’s. It turns out to be one of those extended stay motels and not a great one at that. I walk in and rent a room.