Chapter 25
Leo twiddled his thumbs watching Neil work on his laptop. The CD drive he’d attached to it whirled, the sound loud in the quiet as the four of them stared at the screen.
Of course, Leo didn’t understand what the various boxes and applications throwing up more boxes on the screen were doing. Neil had said he was ensuring there wasn’t a virus or a fail-safe that would erase whatever was on the CD.
Leo’s gaze fell on Molly. She had checked on Rose, had dinner, then found a throw and bundled herself in it. She looked tiny but safe under the furry throw, even more determined to bring Johnny down.
He had finally told her about his mother. Perhaps telling Rose had smoothed the way. Still, he hadn’t told her about the other half of the story. He couldn’t tell her the other half. It would send her running as far away from him as she possibly could.
Leo turned his attention back to the screen. How long is this going to take?
Neil shrugged. I’m scanning the files. There was no protection on the CD, and none of the files are showing up as password-protected either. Now I want to know if there is anything hidden, or a Trojan horse-like malware on it.
Alasdair ran a hand through his hair. In the last fifteen minutes, he had leaned further back, until he now half slept, half sat on the sofa. If it’s a Trojan horse, won’t it already have done its job? You’re accessing the CD when logged into the computer.
Neil eyed his half-brother with what looked like contempt. Do you honestly think this ancient gadget is my actual laptop?
Sorry if I don’t live in an electronic landfill-like house. Alasdair yawned. That would also explain why we’re still here, watching a screen like it’s playing the damned Godfather. Speaking of, Alasdair continued, I always forget to ask. Is it at all like The Godfather?
Leo almost didn’t understand what the eejit was asking him, then remembered the family in The Godfather had Italian ties. I’m not in the mafia, that’s a fucking stereotype. I was born and raised here.
You would’ve been cooler if you were. Someone I can brag about. Alasdair yawned again. I’m sleeping.
He wished that he could’ve gone back to Italy too. That his mother had returned there. Perhaps she’d still be alive if she had.
Now was not the time to think about what-ifs. No, this time, Leo was older and wiser. And he would ensure he protected Molly and Rose. What’s that?
Neil leaned over, peering at the screen until he was almost on top of it. These files don’t make any sense. They’re just names. But I don’t know these people.
Leo tried to see, but Alasdair had popped his head up and was crowding the only sliver of screen Neil wasn’t hogging.
Gripping Alasdair’s shoulder, Leo pulled the man back. Why don’t you sleep?
Hey, that’s not fair! You called us for help. Alasdair slapped his hand away. Wait your turn.
Leo tried to pull Alasdair away again. Molly found the CD. And technically, I had asked for your help a couple days ago. Aren’t you supposed to leave for Malta or something tomorrow?
Thailand. You’re not even close. And I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon. Alasdair smacked Leo’s hand away again and followed his smack with a punch to the torso.
What the fuck was that for?
For being a cunt. Alasdair grinned. Molly, you should’ve seen him with Rose earlier. Adorable. Rose, I mean. This grizzly bear is just a piece of work. But his half-brother leaned in so only Leo heard him and murmured, You’re a good father to Rose. Hope she sees it.
Neil handed the laptop to Leo. See if this makes any sense. I can run it through our database, but as I said, it would leave a trace and alert Knox.
Alasdair patted Leo’s thigh and stood up. Right, I’m off. As the elder says, I have a flight tomorrow. With a wave at Molly, he added, My best to you and Rose. I wish I could kick about with you guys. Rose is amazing.
At the door, he waved at his brothers with his middle finger, then walked off.
Leo gazed at Alasdair’s retreating back a moment after the door closed behind him. A few days ago, his half-brothers hadn’t frequented his house, but neither had they roasted him. But this ribbing and a quiet compliment felt almost sibling-like.
He had never experienced it, but he had seen it during that rare summer he’d gone to visit his Nonna. His cousins had been like this, arguing, even physically fighting each other, but all with love. It had alarmed him at first, then he’d longed for that connection. Of course, he hadn’t received it.
In fact, two years after that summer, he had experienced the opposite of familial love.
Leo? Molly’s voice, hoarse from how long she’d been quiet, jolted him out of those thoughts. He really shouldn’t be thinking about the past.
Fuck, it had been so long since he’d talked about his mother, his brain was digging out those memories. Nothing was more jarring than the events that had succeeded the happy times he’d shared with his mum.
He tilted the screen so Molly could also read it. Neil adjusted the attached CD drive, ensuring it didn’t disconnect.
Molly frowned at the screen. All the folders have people’s names on them. Is Johnny’s there?
Neil twirled his hand. You can check. It’s alphabetically filed.
They scrolled down to J, and even checked E and found two John’s, but none of them were Johnny. What’s his last name?
Edwards, Molly murmured, her gaze riveted on the screen. She hadn’t flinched or shown any vulnerability after they’d left his study. He wondered if she’d overcome the fear or was trying to fake it until she felt it.
Either way, the woman was damned strong.
It’s such a normal name. Neil sighed. I can do a search if you want. But—
No Edwards on the list. Leo huffed. Who the hell could these people be? And why would Knox hide them on a CD in his office?
Leo still went through the list. As the HR head, he hoped one of the names would ring a bell. He thought he’d read a couple of the names somewhere else, but nothing came to him clearly.
I don’t know. Molly sat back. What’s inside the folders?
Leo clicked on one. Inside was a regular document with what looked like the person’s résumé and image. The format of the CVs looked familiar, though.
Molly guessed it the moment Leo did. This formatting looks exactly like those files on yous we found in Knox’s desk.
The one that included the private investigator’s reports.
She took the laptop from Leo and started opening up more files.
They’re all like that. And yup, these are way too detailed to be résumés.
Being the HR head, Leo had made it a point to know what the process was in their company when recruiting new people.
Unlike most other industries, it was legally and ethically prudent for them to run checks on their employees.
Like in the police, they also ran an aptitude check with applicants to check whether their values and thoughts on crime matched those of Buchanan Security.
Besides, they also had to check for any convictions or warnings that the individual wasn’t allowed to work with children or vulnerable people.
How detailed the check was depended on the role a person was applying for.
That was all in those résumés, alongside a list of housemates and checks with the bank.
Isn’t this intrusive? Molly pointed at something on the document. This has the person’s daily schedule on it.
Neil had turned around, one leg hitched up on the sofa. The more active a role you play, the more checks. But we don’t hire private investigators, do we? Or look at people’s daily schedules?
Leo frowned at the screen. No, we don’t.
We don’t usually check people’s bank accounts either.
It is mostly convictions and checks with the local police to see if they’re on any warning lists.
But we do have assessment tests and the like.
However, like Molly had pointed out, some of the documents contained some very personal information.
And yet, none of it rang a bell for Leo.
He hadn’t seen these types of files cross his desk, and he hadn’t approved of such intrusive screening methods.
What do you think Knox is doing with this data? Molly asked, handing the laptop back to Neil. It has to be illegal if he was hiding it.
Neil once again hunched over the laptop, scanning through the folders. Nothing stands out to me either. Leo?
Leo dragged out a long breath. He didn’t know what to make of it. After Knox’s ultimatum, he had done everything in his power to be a competent HR head. That meant he knew all the HR policies they had, asked his employees to draft better ones where needed, and edited out the archaic stuff.
He knew how they recruited staff, how they onboarded people, and how they conducted exit interviews. He knew their employee contracts and even knew the complains raised during appraisals by each individual employee. He made it a point to know the nuances that underlined those overall statistics.
So how the fuck had he missed a whole bunch of employees? Unless… they weren’t their employees, but the off-the-books employees of Newtar.
I have no fucking clue. Can you send me the files? I want to have a look at them on my own computer. See if any of them are ours or perhaps Newtar’s. Leo raised a hand before Neil stated the obvious. No, send them to my personal computer.
Molly burrowed further into the throw, supressing a yawn. Neil shut the laptop down at that. Guess it’s getting late, huh?
Leo’s body had no clue what the time was. In fact, it didn’t care. Those damned folders had revved his adrenaline up, and Johnny’s words to Molly kept playing in this head.
You can’t keep Rose from me. I know where you are now. And I’m back in the country for good.
Is that why he was sniffing after Leo? What would he do to take Rose from them? How—
Leo?
He jumped at the soft hand on his shoulder. Molly’s fingers began kneading into his tight muscles. Are you alright? Neil just said goodbye and headed off. You seemed miles away.
I—I… He cleared his throat. You should sleep.
Molly wiggled closer to him until she could drape that throw over him. I don’t think I can sleep. I mean, that sleeping pill knocked me out good before. I’m just clearing away the cobwebs from it, hence the yawn.
Even as she said it, he could see her eyes appearing dusky, almost as if she could nod off. But then she licked her lips, the same lips she’d clearly been gnawing on in concentration earlier because they were plump and red.
Oh fuck. She wasn’t sleepy, she was…
Molly’s hand on his shoulder lowered, trailing down his forearms, and intertwining around his wrists.
She pulled his sleeve back and traced one of his bulging veins.
You know, I always fantasised about your arms. They are so sexy especially when you walk in the door after a day’s work and roll up your sleeves. Yum.
Her low voice tugged at Leo, as if his ear had to be closer to listen to her words. Perhaps if his heart stopped thumping like a giant’s footsteps, he could hear her better. Molly—
Her fingers lifted to his eyes. It was your eyes though that struck me first. Do you know they glint in the dark like a predator’s?
Leo sat back to give Molly space to straddle his hips. His brain told him it was a bad idea. But when her core rubbed against his bulging erection and she purred, thrusting her breasts up, his heart superseded logic.
He’d been wanting to take their physical intimacy all the way, but had held back. And now, with her thighs covered in those fucking yoga pants again and spread to either side of his body, her pussy right there, his cock twitched in anticipation.
She had been through so much, though. He should be the voice of reason. But who the fuck was he kidding? He was so hard, he had no hope of bringing any of this to a halt, his instincts urging him to rip those tights apart and surge into her.
Leo set his arms on the outside of her thighs, wrenching his attention towards Molly. My eyes and forearms?
A smile lit up her face as she leaned in. Aye. You in general.
With a smirk, he closed the distance between them. Show me how much, he whispered before kissing her.