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I had no idea, and I didn’t think I was going to find out any time soon. The detective was gone, and my phone wasn’t ringing from my mystery man. I couldn’t depend on the idea of him anymore. I had to figure this out for myself. No more talking out loud. No more doing anything that might make me appear crazy. The sooner I could get home, the better. It was time I started pushing for a release. Three more days I could do. Five was out of the question.
Chapter 9
Jase
Movement. It was what I had been waiting for. One woman: dark-skinned, curly, shoulder length hair. She was tall. Curvy. Attractive. It was Tiffany Welsh. With her…Kody, wearing a loose, long-sleeve dress. Her brown, layered hair was down to the middle of her back, and she was wearing sunglasses, even inside. I tore my eyes from the monitors on my wall, forcing myself to look down to my laptop.
Work. I sat up straighter.
“I want to start out by saying you all are doing an excellent job. I know it’s going to be a long day of meetings, so we’ll make this short. I’ve already looked at the numbers, and I’m very proud of the hard work you’re all doing. We’re at a record high and climbing. Our average accounts for the month are staying steady at four-hundred thousand per day. Is there anything new you want to add?”
Five faces stared back from our weekly virtual meeting. Two were relatively new. The other three had been with me from the beginning. Aside from numbers, the meetings were almost the same. Barbara would discuss new ways to bring in members. Rush would go over the competitors and give ideas to make us more appealing. Rian would argue with Rush, trying to one-up him even though he headed security with me. They’d been bickering for years, and I was okay with it. Most brothers did, especially twins. Usually, Rian had good points anyway. He was the one who brought up automatic payments and subscriptions before they became popular. We went with it, and it paid off. As for Kramer and Amber, they had potential, but I expected them to prove themselves. I trusted no one, and for good reason.
“Our competitors don’t stand a chance. Bash-up’s numbers are falling. Word of mouth accompanied with our awesome site is taking care of everything. I have a few ideas to grow accounts, but I’m still brainstorming for the magic idea. If you’re looking to make this short, we can talk about my concepts next week.”
My eyebrows rose at Barbara causing her to roll her eyes.
“Surprise, surprise. Save it, Jase. My lips are sealed this morning. You’re lucky I woke up late and my coffee hasn’t kicked in. I’m good. Rush?”
His hands lifted and he shook his head. “She’s right. Bash-up is on its way out. I’ve heard rumors they might sell, but that’s all it is right now, rumors. Winzel’s been shit the last quarter. Jumble’s numbers are close, but their site isn’t as mobile-friendly as ours. We’re at forty-eight percent. They’re only at half that. We’re at the top, my friends. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Amber. Kramer.”
The girl wiggled in her chair, and I knew she was going to be the one to present.
“Yes, Sir. We’ve gone over the numbers for those investing in products. Over seventy-percent—”
“I know the numbers. Tell me how to turn that seventy-two-point-four percent into eighty.”
She quickly nodded. “Video, Sir. Kramer and I don’t have all the kinks out yet, but right now we allow them to advertise on the site. Somehow, we incorporate their products into video. Not just ads at the top or bottom of the page. Perhaps they can pay to have video directly messaged to their followers. Think virtual newsletters without the private email. The user would have the option to opt out if they prefer not to receive it. If they do, they never have to leave the site. It’s a rough idea, but I think users are moving more towards video, and to receive it in their inbox is more personal than their feed, plus it keeps them here with us. It may pay off.”
My mouth twisted. “Personal or annoyance? Work on it. We’ll discuss it more in detail next week.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Rian?”
“You know everything I do.”
“Agreed. Get with those under you. Discuss what they have. I’ll talk to you all at the same time, next week.”
I hit the button, disconnecting my feed. My eyes cut up over my laptop and scanned the wall of monitors. All I cared for was the large screen in the middle that showed Kody’s living area, courtesy of her desktop’s webcam in the back corner of the room. Kody was on the sofa while Tiffany was in the kitchen making something in a mug. I clicked the unmute button, captivated as I watched.
“Give it a few weeks. Let the bruising go down. Greg said there’s no hurry. Your job is secure, babe. Right now, you just need to heal.”
Kody reached up, pulling off the shades. One of her eyes was still slightly swollen, and the bruising looked worse than when I’d seen her in the hospital’s sitting room. The colors were brighter. Darker. It wasn’t fair that I couldn’t kill that son of a bitch twice. I’d pay anything to give him what he truly deserved.
“How long do you think it’ll take? Weeks? Months? I don’t even look the same, Tiff. My face—”
“Will heal. One day at a time. We talked about this.”
“I know.”
“You’re going to be okay. When they catch this bastard, he’s gonna pay. You better believe that.”
Kody’s gaze lifted and she opened her mouth, only to close it. My eyes narrowed as I waited for her to tell her friend I killed him.
“You’re right. One day at a time.”
