Chapter Two
Rex
CyberCo Tech Enterprises...
Rex’s eyes darkened to pure black as he watched Xia Foster’s retreating form when she walked toward the elevator. His body hummed with an awareness he hadn’t felt in years. It was a struggle to tear his gaze away from her confident stride.
“Max DuPont is on the line for you,” Vee said with a knowing smile. He suppressed the snort forming in his chest. She had been his executive assistant for over a decade and knew him way too well. “Do you want to return his call later, or—”
“You can put him through, thanks, Vee.” Rex turned back to his office, slightly annoyed that his mind was still fixated on the woman who had just left.
She was unlike any of the candidates he had interviewed for the club positions. For one, she was completely too beautiful and seductively curvy for her own good.
“Audrey Hepburn... that’s the classic kind of beauty she has.”
His mind filled with a vision of dark chestnut-colored hair falling in elegant waves to her shoulders, catching hints of light that revealed subtle caramel highlights.
Xia’s presence had filled his office with an energy he couldn’t ignore.
Those remarkable topaz eyes had met his with unwavering directness, reflecting intelligence and a challenge.
Rex yanked off his tie as his body continued to respond to the memory of her. At chin-height to his six-foot-two frame, she had shown no trace of intimidation. Instead, she had matched him word for word during the interview in a self-assured manner that only added to her appeal.
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His physical reaction to her caught him off guard. It was something that hadn’t happened since his early thirties. Her full breasts and curvy hips had him salivating the moment she got up from the chair.
“I’m too old for this kind of shit,” he muttered when another surge of desire flashed through him as he glanced at her application.
She might have been a good bartender during her college years but wasn’t the best qualified for the position at Club Decadent Skies.
It was perhaps a good thing, since his strict policy against personal involvement with employees meant he would have to reject her application.
“Fuck, Rex... do you hear yourself?” he growled as he acknowledged the implication of his thoughts. She ticked all the boxes of what appealed to him in a woman—beauty, brains, confidence, sex appeal, and a load of sensuality that oozed from her body as she moved.
He had every intention of fucking Xia Forster...
It’s only a matter of time.
With the decision made, Rex reached for his phone.
“Hey, Max. Why was I expecting you to call today?” he joked as he answered the call.
“You know me too well,” Max’s deep chuckle resonated through the line.
Rex was filled with a familiar warmth of appreciation for his friend.
Max had been their group’s moral compass and voice of reason for decades.
As the owner of CyberCo Enterprises and the mastermind behind Club Decadent Skies, his vision for the luxury airline clubs had transformed their lives.
What started as a single Airbus club operating from Miami had evolved into a network spanning the cities where they all resided.
Max had invited each of them—Rex, Jax, Dexter, and soon Axel—to open their own GoldenEye Airbus clubs, trusting them with his revolutionary concept.
“Since I know your work ethic, I’m confident you’ve got everything under control, but I’m here if you need anything.”
“Thanks, my friend.” Rex leaned back, gazing over the New Orleans skyline. “I completed all the interviews for the inflight positions. We’re going to have an amazing staff complement.”
“I’m sure you made the right choices. You’ve been part of the club’s development since day one.
You know how important it is to have the right inflight staff.
The island venues require personnel who can handle intense emotional situations with discretion and insight.
One wrong move could compromise a member’s trust or safety. ”
“Not to worry, Max. Everyone I’m appointing is mature, highly intelligent, and has been in the lifestyle for years.”
“Good.” The sound of Max’s fingers tapping on a desk carried through the line. “On a different topic, have you received any further threats?”
Rex’s credentials were noteworthy. Dual PhDs in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from MIT, with specialized research in cryptography and quantum computing. His exceptional pattern recognition and eidetic memory had revolutionized the tech industry.
His company, CyberCo Tech Solutions, an affiliate of Max’s CyberCo Enterprises, stood as a testament to his brilliance.
Over a decade ago, Rex developed QuantumSecure, a banking software that used quantum encryption protocols to create impenetrable financial networks.
It had been a feat that had catapulted him into the realm of instant billionaires.
The program had transformed global banking security, but it also made him a prime target for criminal organizations seeking to exploit the system.
Rex had been receiving veiled threats over the past three months from a syndicate that had expert IT specialists and hackers on its books. They wanted a shortcut into the software. One he’d be damned to supply.
“I’ve implemented a sophisticated neural network algorithm across our communication infrastructure,” Rex explained.
“It uses quantum cryptography and NLP pattern recognition to identify and redirect suspicious incoming traffic. All potentially compromised calls and emails are automatically routed through a quantum-encrypted server with military-grade security protocols. The system creates a false digital trail, fooling the criminals into believing their attempts at contact have failed. Meanwhile, I’m gathering intelligence on their methods and origins. ”
The latest threat had arrived three days ago.
Unlike previous messages, this one demonstrated an intimate knowledge of QuantumSecure’s architecture.
They had detailed specific vulnerabilities they claimed to have discovered—vulnerabilities that didn’t exist in the current version but had been present in early development stages.
Someone with inside access to his original program had leaked information.
Rex’s jaw clenched. It could only be one of two possibilities.
An ex-employee with a grudge or a current one who was out to make quick money.
That was what angered him the most. He was known as an empathetic, caring employer who went out of his way to help anyone who had fallen into trouble.
He paid top-dollar wages to all his employees, from the janitor to executive positions.
The organization, known only as The Consortium, had already attempted to breach several major banks using sophisticated cyber-attacks.
The message he received had been clear. Either he collaborated or faced consequences.
They had referenced his friends’ past encounters with criminal syndicates, implying Rex would face similar or worse outcomes if he refused to cooperate.
That alone was worrying, since he and his friends had taken care to keep a low profile even though they had helped to bring felonious enterprises down.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Rex. You know what happened to me, Jax, and Dexter.
Criminals have no filter or stop button.
They want something from you... one way or the other, they’re going to get it.
I invited Colonel Camden Brett to join us for the opening of your club.
I suggest we discuss this matter with him.
He has started a covert Delta Force team specializing in violent crimes and white-collar criminal activities. ”
Rex wasn’t about to disclose it to Max, but he had already put some countermeasures into motion.
His quantum tracking system was quietly mapping The Consortium’s digital footprint through their communication attempts.
Each threat they sent revealed more about their network infrastructure.
He had identified three potential locations for their operations.
One was in Eastern Europe, another in Southeast Asia, and a third, surprisingly, in Montreal.
More telling were the timestamps of their activities, suggesting they operated in shifts with a central command.
The one location he still hadn’t been able to crack was somewhere in the U.S.
He had also embedded untraceable markers in the automated responses to their messages, creating a web of digital breadcrumbs that would help him identify any moles within his organization.
The tricky part would be gathering enough evidence without alerting them to his investigation.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Rex acknowledged the reality of his situation. His expertise in cyber warfare meant little against physical threats from international crime syndicates.
The conversation with Max meandered back to the maiden flight of GoldenEye Airbus IV and the club opening. An hour passed before they said their goodbyes.
Rex had barely set down his phone when Vee appeared with a lunch tray.
“I know you’re trying to maintain those impressive muscles of yours with all that protein you gobble up,” she teased, eyeing his broad shoulders, “but even the Incredible Hulk needs some real food once in a while.” She set down a steaming bowl of soup. “I made it myself. My special recipe.”
The aroma hit him first. A complex blend of Mexican chilies, tender chicken, fresh cilantro, and lime.
His mother used to make something similar, though hers had included hominy and extra oregano.
The memory of Sunday family dinners struck him unexpectedly, bringing a familiar ache to his chest. Six years had passed since her sudden heart attack, but the loss still felt raw at times like these.