I should join a gym and work out. The thing is, who has time to do that? Not me when I’m being dragged around the world. Speaking of, if I don’t leave now, I will never make it downtown and to Tobias’s office even remotely close to on time.
Bag in hand, keys locking the door, I feel my phone start to vibrate in my bag. I pull the door shut, lock it, and then fish out my phone. A new text from Tobias.
Shit.
I am not looking forward to being reamed out right now. Letting out a sigh, I swipe the screen to read the text.
Tobias: I have an obligation this morning. You don’t have to come in until after lunch.
Hell, yeah! Saved by the obligation.
What obligation is this? And why am I not involved? Is this something about those damned teddy bears?
Seriously, if I find out he’s lying and he is stuffing drugs into a bear, I will lose my shit. I don’t have many hard limits, but this is one.
No stuffed animals. Also, no trafficking of people and no non-self-defense murder, but those seem like a given. Once I find out what I need, I’ll quit and take an extended vacation alone.
Since I no longer must go with Tobias, I use this opportunity to head into my office. Instead of downtown, I head to my midtown office. It feels weird heading here. It’s been forever since I took this trip, even though it’s only been two weeks. The cab ride goes by fast. Lucky for me, there’s little traffic.
Stepping out of the cab, I walk through the lobby. Nodding to the security behind the desk, I head toward the elevator banks. I forgot how much I hate riding the elevators here. It’s funny, but in the past few weeks, since I met Tobias, I have remembered my hatred of enclosed spaces.
For a long time, it hovered in the back of my brain, but ever since I met him, it’s like a weird tickle I can’t seem to scratch. A lingering memory I can’t shut out.
I step out of the elevator and into the lobby of the floor, and as soon as I do, I push down my dress where the skirt rode up and fluff my hair. Then I walk toward my office. Turning the corner, I almost walk right into my boss and Mr. Bernard.
“Just the person we were talking about.”
“Oh. You were talking about me?” I respond, not sure where this is going and not liking that, either.
My brain shuffles through what they could be saying. Maybe it’s good. Maybe Bernard demanded I work on a file for him and wants me to move back to him.
“Yes, actually we were, my dear.”
The chill of his voice makes my back go straight. In this day and age, the fact my boss hasn’t stopped him from looking at me the way he does speaks volumes for the corruption and power this man has and what my boss won’t do to keep it nearby.
“All good things, I hope?” I smile back. Maybe I can use this in my favor.
Felix steps closer, and I have to fight my desire to step back. But I can’t risk looking rude or having him see the true depth of my hatred toward him.
“Felix needs your help with a sensitive matter.”
Turning toward my boss, I meet his stare. “Of course. Whatever Mr. Bernard needs, it would be my pleasure to help.”
“Very good answer. Then you won’t have a problem attending a gala with him.”
“No, of course not. When is this gala?”
“Next week. It’s the Fire and Ice Gala.”
“I’ll pick you up.” Something about the way Felix says this has me not wanting him to come to my place.
“No. It’s okay. I’ll meet you there.”
“No. I insist.”
I’m about to object when my boss’s hard stare meets mine. “Let the man pick you up. Can’t let him not look like a gentleman,” he jokes.
Nothing is funny about this, but I have no choice. I know enough about Bernard that I can’t object, not without throwing up a red flag, so I nod.
“Very well.” I move to step away. “If that will be all, I do have a lot of work to do.”
“Yes, that’s all. You can go.”
I walk off to my office, not at all happy about this turn of events.
I shake my head back and forth. Stop. This is good. Everything is going exactly as planned. Hours pass, and before long, I’m looking at the clock on my desk. It’s time to head over to see Tobias.
I never did eat, but I guess I’ll have to do that later. Instead of lunch, I scoured over everything on the company’s server on Felix. When he started his business. When he amassed his fortune. The dates ran back about twenty years.
That’s when he took over. I was six years old when my parents died. He was in his thirties. The fact this man wants me makes bile form in my stomach.
There is more about him, cases from before my time. If the rumors are true, I believe he’s much more than the magazines say. He’s not a good man. A drug lord. Evil. He rained bullets over his competition and supposedly killed, too.
Never acquitted. Never stood trial for his crimes. Crimes that have affected the innocent. I grind my teeth together. Conflict of interest or not, I will make him suffer for the pain he inflicted. The pain he inflicted on people who mattered to me.
I shut my computer and stand, and then I’m off, ready to meet with another devil. Is this one any different? He wants out. Or so he says. He just needs to finalize things. Does that make him better?
Or is he also a wolf?
But the question is, behind the hard exterior, is there more? Or is he the devil like Bernard? Only time will tell. For now, I can only deal with one devil at a time. Felix Bernard must have my focus.
17
Tobias
Where the fuck is she?
I told her to be here after lunch. Not that I gave her a time, but it’s now three o’clock, and she’s still not here.
Each time my feet hit the concrete floors of my office, the sound echoes through the space. I’m pacing, and I don’t know why. Everything is set. Gideon and I will fly down to Miami to meet with Emil. No one within my organization knows about him or the pills he distributes to me, which I sell to Lorenzo.
Just as I go to grab my phone to call her, my cell rings. It’s my security detail with a text, letting me know she’s here and making her approach.
The need to throw her off her game grabs me by the balls, and before I can think better of it, I’m pressing the call button for the elevator and stepping inside.
The elevator reaches the ground floor and then opens.
Skintight dress again. I let my eyes peruse her for a second before I pull my gaze away. She’s stunning, and if I allow myself, I could stare at her all day. But I can’t, and I won’t. It pisses me the fuck off that I can’t turn off the attraction. She doesn’t deserve it.
Skye rolls her eyes as she makes her way inside, standing as far as way as she can in the enclosed space.
When we are between floors, I press the stop button, bringing our ascent to a halt.
I move toward her. She moves back until she’s touching the wall.
“You’re late.”
“I thought you hate elevators.”
“You have no idea what I hate . . .”
“Why don’t you tell me then, it would be a lot easier to deal with your moods.”
“I hate . . .” I move closer until I have her boxed in. “Being made to wait.”