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I cross to the bank of elevators, their doors shiny enough I can watch the scene at the reception desk behind me without turning my head. Shiny enough to see the woman standing across from the woman running the phone bank for the office and signing in visitors is none other than Talissa Smith. The girl my best friends and I tag teamed until we passed out in satisfied heaps just last night. The girl we’d convinced to see us again in just a few days for dinner and, I’d hoped, more milky fucking. The girl who signed an NDA acknowledging the expectation of anonymity. Here. In my place of business. Not at all anonymous.
Before I finish the thought, I catch the eye of Duane Bruno, the head of daytime security for the firm. A jerk of my head in her direction, and he’s already in motion. I don’t know her game, but she won’t be playing it here. Rocks churn in my gut as Duane puts a heavy hand on her shoulder and guides her out the same door I just came through. He points a thick finger in her face and gestures toward the bus stop at the end of the block.
Part of me wants to run after them and demand he treat her more nicely, the other part is boiling with rage at whatever scheme she’s trying to pull. Anxiety spreads through me, turning my limbs to lead, at the thought of her playing us. Playing me. I don’t want to believe she could be conniving, but why else is she here? Hours after disappearing from the room, she turns up at my law firm, a place where she shouldn’t know she can find me? A con is the only explanation that makes any sense.
The ding of the elevator doors opening breaks my focus. Like a zombie, I board the metal box and let it carry me up the fourteen floors to my office. I unlock my phone and start a conference call with Hud and Beck in hopes we can figure out how big of a clusterfuck this situation is.
If nothing else, they need to be alert to the possibility Talissa could very well be a snake in the grass out to blackmail. The thought has bile rising burning hot into my throat. I choke it back when my call connects and swallow hard before explaining how the fantasy girl we met last night may well be our worst nightmare.
Chapter Fourteen
Talissa
Well, if this isn’t the most humiliating moment imaginable. Being escorted by security from the building where my brother-in-law works, in front of who knows how many people, is mortifying. And for what? Trying to drop off a file for Darius that he accidentally left at home?
“You’re banned from the premises, ma’am. Don’t return or the police will be contacted and the firm will press charges for trespass,” the muscle-head guard barks.
“What the heck did I do? I wasn’t trying to get past reception. I just needed to drop off some documents,” I try to reason with the dude, but it’s clear he’s done hearing me.
“Just don’t come back. Got it? My orders come from the top. Whatever you did to piss off Mr. Banks, you got to take up with him.” His command isn’t mean, just resolute.
“Yeah, yeah, fine. I’m going. Calm your tits.” Am I being immature? Obviously. I get the picture now, though.
This is Asher’s fault. I have no clue what crawled up his ass and died between when he got done screwing me six ways to Sunday and now. Whatever it is, fuck him. Fuck all three of them.
I send Darius a text.
Security won’t let me into the building. Meet me at Javalanche for your file.
The coffee shop is close enough to the bus stop and his office it shouldn’t be too much of a time suck for him to run over and grab the documents from me.
You couldn’t get in the building? Explain.
Nothing to worry about, just come get an espresso and your papers.
Knowing Darius, he won’t let this rest. The NDA I signed means I can’t explain why one of the partners at the firm where he’s a rising star just had me frog marched out of the building. Not that I really want to open that can of worms with my brother’s husband, anyway.
Darius was against me joining Club Sin. If he found out I scened with one of his bosses last night and that the same boss just had me kicked out? Well, put it this way: Darius and Teagan have a baby to worry about. The last thing any of them need is Darius playing white knight, taking on his boss for being a dickwad to me.
“You’re coming back over there with me. Somebody’s giving me answers. This is unacceptable!” Darius bursts into the coffee shop, winded. He must have hauled ass down every flight of stairs and sprinted over here.
“Let it go, D. Take your file and get back to work. I ordered your espresso to go,” I say.
“No. I want to know what the fu—er—what’s going on. Now come on.” Darius might be my brother by marriage, but he’s been as adamant about protecting me as Teagan is for my whole life.
“I don’t need you to storm the castle walls for me. Normally, I’d never be at your office, so it won’t matter that I’m banned from the property. Just let it go and get back to work. You have those depositions today, right?”
Maybe, that’s too much information. Strike that. It’s definitely too much information. Darius glowers at me, frustrated with my denying him the ability to rattle his saber.
I can admit it’s nice having Teagan and Darius look out for me. Our little family of three, four now with baby Marley, means the world to me. Which is why I bite my tongue now. I can’t let Darius find out what a jerk Asher turned out to be.
I can tell Darius wants to argue with me, but fortunately, I’ve got time on my side. There’s no way he has enough of a break in his schedule to pester the truth out of me. If he’d had the time, he’d have run home for the papers himself. With enough patience, I can wait him out.
“Fine. I do have the Clarkson depositions this morning. The stenographer was setting up when I left,” he grouches.
“So get to it, then!”
“Don’t think we won’t revisit this subject tonight. I want answers, Tal. You’d best be ready to give them to me. Otherwise, I might do something drastic to get to the bottom of this.” His threat lands, just as he knows it will.
