Page 60 of Wicked Rush

“You were there.”

“I was, but I didn’t do it. Braelynn, I…” Shane appeared to soften but a stern expression swiftly replaced his concern. “You should have learned a lesson. Your uncle wanted you here.”

“Fuck you. Seriously, Shane. Just get the hell out of my office. I have work to do. I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Braelynn trembled with anger. Tempted to spring up out of her chair and slap him, she gripped the edge of her desk.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Dr. Rollins. I work for your uncle. He wanted you here yesterday. We went back to your place and you weren’t there. So now,” he leaned toward her, flattening his palms on her desk, “I want to know exactly what happened and where the hell you’ve been.”

Braelynn sucked a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly, then blinked to meet his hard stare. She generally wasn’t a violent person, but after they killed her cat, she wanted to inflict the kind of pain on them that they’d done to her. She glanced to her long silver letter opener and slid her fingers over it, gripping its handle.

“You…you are the biggest asshole I have ever met,” she began, lifting the sharp knife an inch off the surface of her desk. She saw his eyes dart to her hand but he didn’t move to reach for her. Her voice trembled as she spoke in a slow deliberate manner. “After you killed Benny,” she paused, reaching for a piece of mail and inserting the tip into its crease, “you may not understand this since you and my uncle seem to be devoid of any emotion, but I was devastated. Like any normal person, who had a pet die, I could hardly get up off the floor let alone go into work. So I uber’d my ass down to Mission Beach and got fucked up. Spent the night down there. And before you ask, I don’t know his name. Don’t particularly care either.”

The envelope tore open as the knife ripped through it. Braelynn hadn’t intended to embellish her story, but she knew he liked her. A flicker of pain registered in his eyes, and she secretly delighted, knowing he’d never have what he wanted.

“You should have texted. We couldn’t reach you.”

“Yeah, well. The next time you kill someone’s cat, just remember that you aren’t just killing their pet. You killed a tiny part of me. And no, I am not just going to get over it.” Braelynn shook out the letter, giving it a quick glance before inserting it into the shredder. Her eyes flashed to his and she continued speaking to him, this time with a nonchalant lilt in her voice. “My uncle wants me to work. I just looked at the Mead report, and am getting ready to approve it. But I have some research I need to get to before I leave this hellhole. Is there anything else I can help you with? I’d like to get what I need to get done so I can enjoy what is left of my weekend.”

“You need to be careful,” he warned, standing tall, his arms at his sides. “Your uncle is a powerful man.”

Braelynn stared through him to the clock on the wall, her eyes noting the time. She was five minutes over schedule. I’m going to be late. Get out now, Shane. She impatiently tapped her heels, waiting on him to leave.

“I’m not kidding, Braelynn. You need to watch your step. You understand me? The next time he tells you to get in the office,” he shook his head and turned to leave, “you get in the office. Believe it or not, I don’t want anything happening to you.”

Braelynn watched in silence as he left. She resisted the urge to bang her fists onto her desk, but instead sucked a breath before quietly releasing it. Standing, she looked around her office, knowing it was the last time she’d ever be here. Any knick-knacks or pictures would remain. If she had her way, her uncle was going down, and everything in his Godforsaken building would eventually be destroyed as well. She stood, leaving all her belongings, and set off to collect her research.

She strode into the hallway as she would have any other day. An inconspicuous glance over her shoulder was the only hint she provided as to her intention. Braelynn’s adrenaline surged as she approached the secured room, noting that her uncle’s mistress, Jeannette, stood flipping through a manila folder outside the secured room. The icy bitch had a heart as dark as coal. A match made in hell, she and her uncle were the perfect couple. He’d killed her cat as punishment but she imagined that Jeannette strangled puppies for fun.

“Dr. Rollins,” she said, not looking up from her work.

“Good morning.” Determined, Braelynn hid her emotions.

“Your uncle was expecting you yesterday.” She raised her lids, giving Braelynn a cold stare.

“So I hear.” Braelynn balled her fists and dug her fingernails into her palms.

“Did you review the Mead report?” Jeanette tapped the pen against her chin, delight flickering in her eyes.

“Yes. I just have to check on something before I give approval.” Braelynn’s entire body went tense, but she forced herself to release the breath she’d been holding and reached for the doorknob. Get in, get out. You’re running out of time.

“We need it today. It has to go to the client tomorrow.”

“I’ll have it to you within the hour. Like I said, I’ve got to check on something.”

“It would be a shame if something happened to you…if you ended up having another accident like you did a few months ago,” she added, turning to leave.

“Excuse me?” Braelynn’s eyes widened at the veiled threat. Her thoughts spun out of control. Did Jeanette have something to do with my attack? Braelynn fought her rage, attempting to focus on her mission but shock washed across her face. “What did you say?”

“I think you heard me quite clearly, Dr. Rollins. Just remember, you’ve only been working here for a very short time. Loyal employees remain. The others? Well, you do know the expression, ‘heads roll’?” Jeanette’s expression remained flat, her voice as calm as if she was ordering a sandwich. “The weather here in California is lovely, but the sea? Such a dangerous place, you know. The cliffs, the currents…people go missing all the time.”

“I’m well aware of what happens on the beach,” Braelynn spat. She gripped the metal knob for dear life, knowing if she let go, she’d lose it and knock Jeanette to the ground. “You’ll have the report in an hour. Give my dear uncle my best.”

Braelynn turned her attention to the vascular biometric device on the wall. As the yellow light flashed, she placed her finger onto the screen, counting the seconds as it scanned her vein pattern. A click sounded and she opened the door, relieved as it shut behind her.

She scanned the area, noting the seven security cameras in various locations throughout the room. Making a beeline for the large central file unit, she held her security card to the sensor and waited for the mechanical door to unlock and rise. While thousands of files were kept inside, she knew the exact location of the folder she sought. Flipping through the last shelf on the right, she quickly slipped the half inch sleeve out of the cabinet. Following protocol, she scanned the barcode on its exterior, recording its departure, and waited for the shelving unit to relock.

Braelynn glanced at her watch, noting the time. Eleven fifty-seven. In exactly twenty minutes, Lars would call the police. A fine sheen broke out on her forehead as she sat at the desk. She fingered the folder, aware that seconds after she left, she’d be at risk. Laying it onto the desk, she spied its embedded security chip that tripped the alarm.

She set her fingers to the keyboard, typing in her password and ID, and breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the system without an issue. It had only been the third time she’d accessed the file. The first time that she made an attempt, she merely verified the existence of the stolen research and reported it to Garrett. The next time, she’d utilized first generation technology he’d given her, but it had failed, only copying partial files. The second generation single layer cell drive he’d recently provided, was as thin as paper. Garrett had guaranteed her that it would work.