Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Hello,” I answered my phone, entering the Transient Building without bothering to glance at the number.
We had an early security meeting with Steven’s new personal assistant, Bryan Andrews. A conniving son of a bitch, if I’d ever seen one. I walked toward the elevator, waiting on the person to say something on the other end.
“Hello?” I repeated.
“Hey, Tish.”
“Charlie?” A grin spread across my lips, as it had been a few months since I’d talked with anyone from my old team. “Is that you? OMG, it’s been a while. How’ve you been?” I was genuinely happy to hear from him.
Damn, I miss them.
“Yeah, it’s me, and I’ve been great. How’ve you been?”
I waited for the elevator to make its descent from the top floor. Steven had a meeting with the CEO of St. Clair Technologies today and requested my attendance.
“I’ve been doing great. How is everyone?” There was a pause so long that I thought he’d hung up. “Charlie. You still there?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m still here.” He blew into the phone, and I stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the fourth floor. “Look, I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to say it.”
“Okay. Say what you got to say.”
“Tristan is dead.”
I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I was suffocating, and the elevator I rode in every day had suddenly become a death box, threatening to close in on me. I pushed myself against the wall behind me just before my legs gave out.
“How?” I whispered.
“Killed by another inmate. That’s all I know.” He paused. “I know what he did to you was fucked up, but he was still a part of our team, and I thought you should know.”
I was on autopilot. “Yeah, yeah. You’re right, he was.” I shook my head like he could see me. “He was a part of the team,” I echoed, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
Charlie cleared his throat. “Tish, I’m sorry to tell you over the phone, but I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”
“I appreciate it. I’ll talk to you later, okay.”
“Sure thing,” he said, ending the call.
The elevator climb seemed like it took forever. How did I feel? Sad? Relieved? Confused? All the above.
I couldn’t think about it right now. If I did, I’d shatter. And I couldn’t do that in front of Steven. I dried my tears, ducked into the restroom to make sure I looked presentable, then marched into the conference room for my first meeting.
The day waned on. I’d been walking through fog with no way out.
I was lost as hell, trying to get to a destination I had no clue about.
My team side-eyed me throughout the meeting.
I was quieter than usual and passed up the opportunity to make a snide comment toward Steven’s assistant, like normal.
Several times, I found myself staring out the windows, not following the conversation and only jumping in if questions were asked of me.
I glanced down at my watch. I had to meet Steven before his meeting with Tony St. Clair. Hopefully, I’d get some clarification as to why I was even supposed to be there. I knocked on his door; his deep bravado beckoned me to enter. Swiping my key, I shut the door behind me, inching toward his desk.
“You wanted to see me?” I cleared my throat because, even to me, I sounded as if something was wrong.
His eyes snapped to my face. Wrinkles marred his brow as his grays scrutinized me. I couldn’t hide anything from him. It was like he was attuned to my body, my moods. He always knew.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
I slouched down into the chair in front of his desk. “No. It’s nothing.” This wasn’t business, but personal. It could wait. “I’ll tell you later. So, you wanted to see me?”
I pushed thoughts about Tristan in the back of my mind. I didn’t want anything clouding my judgment if Steven’s life depended on it.
“I did. I want you in the meeting with St. Clair.”
“I get that.” I crossed my legs, waiting for him to say more. “What I don’t get is why. You’ve never asked me to attend meetings before.”
“Tisha, I just want you there.” He blew out a breath of irritation, steepling his fingers as if he was praying for patience. “You’re not guarding me on this one. St. Clair is a stand-up guy. I just want you to observe his mannerisms.”
I studied him for a moment. It was a strange-ass request. He wanted me there to watch. That didn’t make sense to me.
“If he’s not a threat to you, then why do you want me to watch him?”
Steven sat back in his seat and folded his arms. “As you said to me, I’ll tell you later…maybe. Just do as I ask.” He looked at his watch and stood. “Let’s go.”
I clamped my lips shut and followed him out of the office.
I’d do as he asked and find out what the issue was later.
We entered the conference room. Steven’s lawyer was already planted in his seat.
I took my place in a corner behind him over his shoulder, out of the way, but where I could still see every aspect of the room as he sat at the head of the table.
After a few minutes, Mr. St. Clair and a pretty, curvy, brown-skinned woman in a killer white pantsuit entered behind Steven’s personal assistant, Bryan.
Introductions were made, with Steven introducing me as his head of security. Mr. St. Clair visibly bristled and turned a heated gaze on me before looking back at Steven.
“Really, Smith,” he snarled. “Security?”
Steven laughed it off, but I didn’t hear his response, because I was watching Steven’s lawyer and Andrews with their heads together.
As negotiations got underway, it was evident there was no love lost between the two men. It was like a boxing match, with punches and counterpunches. When one threw what they thought was the knockout punch, it turned out to be a miss, and the negotiations started all over again.
It was fascinating to watch. I understood why they were some of the top men in the tech industry and two of the richest men in the world. They were impressive.
We left the meeting, and by the look on Steven’s face, he was satisfied with how things went. Entering his office, I closed the door behind me, only to find myself pushed up against it. His lips crashed into mine. When I melted against him, he broke the kiss.
“Now, tell me what happened earlier,” he ordered.
It wasn’t fair. He made me pliable and ready. We never had sex in his office before, but I was willing. Any time I was around him, after he kissed me silly, he asked me to do something or asked me a question. It was maddening, because I could never resist.
My chest rose and fell; I couldn’t catch my breath. The anticipation of reliving what Tristan did again, and then him being murdered, seemed as if I was suffocating.
He sat behind his desk. I knew he wasn’t going to let this go. I blew out a breath, still in a haze after his kiss.
“Tristan is dead,” I said, sitting in the chair. My eyes drifted to his. Creases formed in his forehead as he gauged my reaction, but he didn’t say anything. “He was murdered.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I know.”
I sat up straight in my seat.
What did he mean he knew?
Then it dawned on me. This was Steven Smith. I didn’t have any illusions about who he was. He didn’t do love and devotion, but damn it, I wanted him to. I wanted to think I’d been slowly changing him for the better somehow. But it was clear that I was wrong. He’d done something to make this happen.
“You had something to do with it. Didn’t you?”
He gave one nod. “I did.”
To his credit, he didn’t try to lie. I knew he wouldn’t. Good or bad, he made shit happen, and that was one thing he was proud of. I waited for an explanation, even though I wasn’t even sure why I needed one.
I shook my head. “How? How the fuck did you do that? He was in a fucking brig.”
Hearing the panic in my voice, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
I didn’t know how I should feel about any of this.
The man I was sleeping with admitted that he killed someone.
When did he even have time? We’d spent almost every waking hour together, although I’d never stayed the night at his home, leaving in the early hours of the morning.
“Tisha, don’t ask me that. You knew who I was when you took this job. You signed the gotdamn non-disclosure form,” he reminded me. “But I will say this: I have a long reach. And that son of a bitch tried to kill you. I’m the one holding you after those gotdamn night terrors.”
I didn’t know whether to be flattered or repulsed by his admission.
Steven was unlike any man I’d ever been involved with.
There were things about him I didn’t know that I was sure would scare even a military vet like me, even though I saw a different side to him—one I fell in love with.
I couldn’t reconcile that with the man in front of me now.
“He did, but I survived,” I said. “And that doesn’t give you the right to take justice into your own hands.
He was serving a life sentence in jail, Steven.
” My voice was becoming louder. I swallowed down my anger and jumped from my seat.
I couldn’t with him. “Look, I’m leaving.
I can’t deal with any of this right now.
” I made my way to the door and then out to the elevator banks.
Leaving as soon as the door closed, I half expected him to fling it open and order me back to his office. I wanted that to happen. For him to stop me, because if he did, that meant he cared.
The elevator dinged and its door slid open. I gave one last look toward his door, then stepped in.