Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Paige
“Can I get you a glass of wine?” he asked, emerging from the bathroom.
“No, thanks. But I will take a scotch on the rocks.”
“Better yet. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He winked and walked out of the bedroom.
I pulled the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around me as I walked to the window, staring out at the water as the rain fell. A bolt of lightning hit, lighting up the entire room.
“Gee, that was kind of scary.” Parker walked over and handed me my drink.
“Really?” My brows furrowed.
“Nah. I just said that in case you were scared.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“I don’t scare easily and certainly not by a thunderstorm.” I walked back to the bed and climbed on it.
“So, Paige. What do you do for a living?” he asked, sitting up with his back against the headboard.
“I’m a fixer.” I tipped the glass to my lips.
“Interesting. What exactly do you fix?”
“I keep damaging situations from escalating. Quietly,” I said.
“Which company do you work for?”
“I’m a contractor. I was right about you.”
“About what?” He smirked.
“I had you pegged as an attorney when you walked up to the bar.”
“I never told you I was an attorney,” he said.
“The Lawyer of the Year plaque on your dresser confirmed it. Why is it just sitting there and not being proudly displayed in your office?”
“I just received it a couple of weeks ago and keep forgetting to bring it to the firm.”
“You must be really good to have won that.”
“I am. My brothers and I are the best in California.”
“Were those the two men you were sitting with at the table?” I asked.
“Yes. And the two beautiful women are their wives. Well, one wife, and one fiancée.”
“Are you three triplets? Because you all look the same age.”
“We might as well be. We are the same age and were born a couple of months apart. Our father knocked up our mothers at the same time.”
“What?” I laughed.
“We have one father and three mothers. When our moms found out about each other, they kicked our dad to the curb, bought houses next to each other, and the three of them raised us together.”
“Is your dad in your life?” I asked.
“Oh yeah.” He chuckled. “He was the one who started The Hamilton Group. He’s also a brilliant attorney, or was. He’s retired now. The bar we were in. He owns it.”
“Harrison’s is his bar?” I cocked my head.
“Yep. You’ve never been in there before?”
“Uh, no. Tonight was my first time.”
“Lucky me.” A smile crossed his lips.
He took my glass from my hand and set it on the nightstand. Then wrapped his arms around me while his tongue softly stroked my neck.
“How about another round?” he quietly asked.
“Thought you’d never ask.” I pushed him back and climbed on top of him.
I lay there, his arm wrapped securely around me, while I stared at the clock.
It was three a.m., the rain had stopped, and it was time for me to leave.
Carefully removing his arm, he stirred and rolled the other way.
I didn’t move until I knew for sure he was asleep.
He had plans for us in the morning: a cup of hot coffee and a homemade breakfast. As good as that sounded, I wasn’t the type to stick around after sex, and I didn’t think he was either.
But he insisted that I stay and have breakfast with him.
I only agreed so he would go to sleep. I’d never see him again, so what was the point? I had things to do—work to do.
I quietly gathered my clothes from the floor and slipped them on in the living room.
His house was beautiful and too clean for a bachelor.
Light gray walls, crisp white moldings, and solid walnut hardwood floors graced the space.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were the focal point of the living room, as were the views of the ocean.
But what caught my attention was his luxury infinity pool, with crystal-clear water, all lit up under the night sky.
I stepped into his spacious kitchen, which featured white cabinets, black Italian marble countertops, and state-of-the-art appliances. Opening one of the drawers, I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a note. Setting it on the pillow, I stared at him momentarily before I left.
I arrived home at 3:45 a.m. Taking the flash drive from my pocket, I set it on the dresser, changed into my nightshirt, and climbed into bed, where I slept until eight a.m.
“Hello,” I sleepily answered my ringing phone.
“Top of the morning to you, Paige. Did I wake you?”
“Yes, Gabriel. You did.”
“I hacked into the warehouse’s security system last night. Axel showed up after he got word that some of his crew were dead. He thinks it was the Russians. You should have seen his reaction.” He laughed.
“Did you erase the footage?” I asked.
“Of course. Poof. It was gone within seconds, just as Axel sat down to view what had happened. Did you look at the drive yet?”
“No. I’m going to now.”
“Why didn’t you last night after you copied the files? That’s not like you.”
“I went to the bar for a drink and met a guy. We went back to his place. I was too tired by the time I got home.”
“Who is this guy you were with?”
“Just a random guy.”
“Insert the drive, and we’ll look at it together.”
“I will after I make some coffee. So, keep an eye on your monitors. Bye, Gabriel.”
“Don’t you dare, Paige—”
Click.
I ended the call, used the bathroom, and headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Once the coffee had finished brewing, I took the cup to my computer, inserted the flash drive, and downloaded everything on it. Numbers and codes filled my screen. As I scrolled, two pictures appeared.
“Oh shit,” I said.
My phone rang. Glancing at it, I saw that Gabriel was calling.
“It’s about time, Paige,” he said.
“Excuse me for wanting coffee, Gabriel.”
“The two men are Eric Noles and his attorney, Parker Hamilton. Eric is the accountant who runs the books for Elias. He was picked up by the FBI and brought in a couple of days ago. He’s going into witness protection for flipping on Elias.”
“And his attorney knows all about Elias, and now he’s a loose end,” I sighed.
“Paige, you need to make sure Eric stays safe in jail until he’s moved into witness protection, and you need to keep an eye on the lawyer. Do what you need to.”
“Don’t I always?”
“I’ll be in touch.” He ended the call.
After showering and getting dressed, I grabbed the keys to the Mercedes and drove to the police station.
“How can I help you?” An officer behind the window asked.
“I’m an associate at The Hamilton Group, and I need to speak with Eric Noles.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible, ma’am.”
“First, don’t call me ma’am. Second, why? I’m part of his legal team.”
“Eric Noles was found dead in his jail cell about thirty minutes ago. Someone shanked him.”
“Shit. Okay. Thanks.” I walked out of the station.
I pulled out my phone and called Gabriel.
“What’s up?”
“Eric Noles was found dead in his jail cell.”
“Suicide?” he asked.
“Someone shanked him.”
“Fuck. Elias must have men on the inside doing his dirty work, too. You’d better keep an eye on that lawyer until we catch Elias. He works at The Hamilton Group.”
“I know. He’s the man I was with last night, which puts me in a bad spot, Gabriel. I never planned on seeing him again.”
“Sorry, kid. I know how seriously you take your one-night stands. But this can’t be helped. You’re going to have to see him again.”
“I’m heading to his firm now. I’ll be in touch.”
I pulled into The Hamilton Group's parking garage and drove around until I spotted his car, parked in a reserved spot just for him.
I recognized his car from last night, but what really stood out was his license plate: Luv 2 Obj.
There was an empty spot across the aisle, so I backed in, waited, and watched.
An hour later, Parker threw his briefcase in the backseat, climbed in, and drove off.
I followed at a distance all the way to the courthouse.
But I wasn’t the only one following him.
After he left the courthouse, I followed him back to his office building and watched as he walked inside.
The black SUV with two men that was following him pulled into a parking spot five spots down from me.