AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Colton places a cup of coffee in front of me on the table. And I’m aware of this major plot twist in my life. Only a few short months ago I was an underling’s underling. Now, I have four of the most powerful men in New York hanging on my every word. And one of them is watching me like a tiger about to devour his prey in the most carnal way imaginable.
“Thank you. Yes.” I guess there’s no point beating around the bush. I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. “Well, as you might already know, I stayed at Ace’s—uh, Cash’s place over the weekend. And I’d forgotten to take my apartment key with me. I realized I’d left it on my desk when I finished work on Friday afternoon. So I came in early this morning to get it. That was just before five a.m.”
“Go on,” Noah urges, ignoring Colton’s playfully raised eyebrows.
Here’s the part where I ruin Rylee’s life. Which I really don’t want to do, but it’s either give them the truth or watch their company burn to the ground. I either ruin Rylee’s day or Ace’s, and that makes the decision a lot easier. “Rylee Winters was here when I got here. She was working in one of the communal offices. As soon as she saw me, she logged off and started to leave, but not before telling me she already knew that I’d gone to Cash’s apartment on Friday. She used to use the Madison Avenue entrance too.”
I slide a dark glance at Ace (I can’t help it) and his sapphire eyes are leveled at me. It’s a look that says, don’t you dare doubt me. I already told you how I feel.
“Dusty,” Colton says, for my benefit alone, “You should know that he couldn’t stand her, from day one. She made him miserable in the few short weeks they were together. But for you, he’s willing to completely ignore some very real issues that have to do with the company he’s spent the past four years obsessing over. Trust me when I tell you that Cash has never behaved this way before. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I wasn’t worried.” And it’s true. As always with Ace, even from that very first day, I believed him. And I believe him now. I’m speaking more to Ace than to the others when I continue, but they’re all riveted. “She has someone watching that door. She said she’s the jealous ex type and she keeps track of who’s coming and going.”
All four of them are clearly pissed off by this. It’s obviously crossing a line. “That ended months ago,” Noah comments.
“Bitch,” Colton mutters.
“She didn’t want anyone to know she was here early. She said if I mentioned it to anyone, she’ll make sure the whole office knows I spent the weekend at my boss’s apartment. Which means that everyone will assume I slept my way into my job.”
“Then we’ll set the record straight,” Ace growls.
“Which computer was she using, Dusty?” Noah asks.
“The one in room 411. The room with the neon sign that says ‘Don’t let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality.’” Somehow, it’s fitting.
Noah pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to get Jared to bring up the activity records on that computer.” For my benefit, he adds, “He’s one of our IT guys.”
As he makes the call, Ace comes over and sits next to me on the couch. He doesn’t touch me, but his nearness is enough to make me want to lean in. He’s so damn gorgeous in his perfect suit, which fits him like a glove and strains over his muscles. I love that I know what he feels like under the civilized layers of his clothing. How warm he is, how big and hard. I love that I know the sounds he makes when he surges and comes. The bass notes of his voice when he groans my name. “You okay, Texas?”
“Fine.” But he’s right. There’s something unnerving about being threatened by someone you’ve backed into a corner. Especially when she’s still pining after the man of her—and my—dreams.
“You ran out on me again,” he accuses softly.
Before I can answer him, Noah puts his phone call on speaker. “I’m letting the others listen in, Jared. What are you bringing up on the activity log for 411?”
The guy on the other end of the line doesn’t speak right away but there’s the sound of his keyboard clicking as he types. “An email account was deleted at 4:22 a.m.”
“Deleted?”
“She’s trying to erase her tracks,” Alexander offers.
“She can’t,” Jared says. “Activity logs can’t be completely deleted. They’re still in the system, even though this email account is encrypted. Whoever sent it has some pretty sophisticated coding skills. It’s encrypted from the back end, but I’ve just managed to bypass the key. The email address is [email protected]. There are seven sent emails, all to Sanderson Fitzpatrick, dating back several months. The address they were sent to is [email protected].”
“Bingo.” Colton pats Ace on the back.
“Jared,” Ace’s voice is graveled with rage. “Can you email me those records? CC Noah and Colton. Is there a video camera in 411?”
“No, but there’s one in the main office. Let’s see…” Jared pauses. “…this morning at 4:44 a.m., two women were in the office. I recognize one of them but not the other. Do you want me to send you this footage?”
“Yes,” Ace says. “Send me everything.”
“Right. Sending it now.”
Ace’s, Noah’s and Colton’s phones buzz simultaneously.
Ace immediately opens the email and there we are, on the video, Rylee’s hair smooth and platinum, mine not even coming close to disguising the fact that I’d just spent an eventful weekend in bed.
“Thanks, Jared. We’ll want to meet with you once you go through everything you’ve got. Can you come to my office this afternoon at one?”
