43. Ana
CHAPTER 43
ANA
R ight before the end of the day, I call Jackie into my office and close the door. “I have a favor I need to ask.”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“I need you to call Charles right before you head home. Tell him your computer’s been acting glitchy and you’d like him to run virus scans and do some other maintenance on it. Tell him it needs to be done this evening because you have to run payroll tomorrow.”
“Okay… Why?”
“I can fill you in soon. Are you up for it?”
“Sure. No problem. My computer could probably benefit from some preventive maintenance, anyway.”
We talk for a few minutes, and then Jackie leaves. Ten minutes later, she walks by with her bag in hand, giving me a little wave and salute, and almost fifteen minutes after that, Charles walks by my open door, headed toward Jackie’s desk.
I wait a couple of minutes, then text Derek. A moment later, my phone rings. Typically, it’s in silent mode at the office, but the volume is up high now, and I let it ring three times before I answer.
“Hello?” I say in a cheery tone. After the greeting, I lower my voice to sound like I’m aiming to keep my conversation confidential, but I’m careful to still speak loudly enough to be overheard outside of my office. It helps that the majority of the staff have gone home, so the office is much quieter than it would usually be.
“Hi, thanks for calling me back so quickly. I really appreciate it. …Yeah, so you know my current position is temporary, and it’s a good thing, because I just found out the company’s about to be acquired by a huge national brand. …Yeah … Yeah, that one.”
On the other end of the line, Derek doesn’t say anything, but I swear I hear him snarl when I pause where my pretend HR contact would be speaking. I’m sure this fake scenario that I’m selling isn’t a pleasant one for him to imagine. Being bought out by a behemoth coffee corporation could be very lucrative for him and Jansen, if any of this were true, but I bet they would feel like they were selling their soul to the devil.
“… No, it’s not a done deal yet, so you can’t say an ything, but it’s very close to happening, as long as everything goes smoothly. … Yeah, that’s why I called you. Can you put feelers out, because I don’t want to wait around here until they start cutting people. … Yeah, I’m sure Starlight’s going to bring their own HR people in to decide what to do with everyone. …Yeah …Okay … Thanks, Jen, and let me know if you hear of any opportunities. …Okay, thanks. … Bye.”
After I click off the call, I gather my things. When I leave my office, I glance in Charles’s direction and pretend to be startled when I see him in Jackie’s workspace. Then I bend my head in a guilty posture and scurry off toward the elevator.
The next day is nerve wracking, as we wait to see if the bait will be taken. I check in with Derek and Jansen throughout the day, but it’s not until after five that they hear from the blackmailer again, and he’s threatening to ruin the acquisition plans.
There’s a strange mix of both satisfaction and disillusionment on their faces. It must be incredibly unsettling to know that your most trusted employee would turn on you.
Derek and Jansen call me with an update later in the evening, telling me they met with the investigators, who will petition for a warrant. I also learn that Derek searched Charles’s desk, which is company property, and found a lot of creepy scribblings in a notebook he didn’t even bother to put under lock and key.
Apparently, Charles became suspicious of something going on between me and the men and started listening in on us and even followed me a couple of times to confirm his suspicions.
“You should stay home tomorrow, Ana.” The men have me on speaker. I can’t see them, but I can easily envision Jansen’s tight jaw as he says this.
All I’m concerned about is them and their company, but they seem to be more worried about my safety.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
I’m not worried, but I also don’t want to stay home because I want to be with Derek and Jansen to support them.
The three of us have to act like nothing is going on as we work and wait to hear from the investigators. My bosses ask me to stay late, and I suspect that’s mostly because they feel like I’m safer if I’m with them. There’s been nothing about this situation that’s made me think I’m in danger, but their overprotectiveness gives me a warm feeling.
The investigators come to the office after everyone else is gone for the night, and instruct Derek and Jansen to send payment to the blackmailer so they can trace it. Meanwhile, other agents are going to bust into Charles’s home to catch him in the act of receiving the currency.
It’s a tense several minutes, until confirmation comes through: he’s been caught! There’s a small outburst of celebration, but overall, the mood is somber.
Even though Charles will need to be formally convicted, his arrest is all the proof Derek and Jansen need of his guilt—along with the damning notebook they found—and they still need to come to terms with the fact that their longtime associate betrayed them.
Even though I’d been telling myself to try to keep my distance, when they invite me to spend the night with them, I agree without hesitation.
Despite the mix of emotions, it’s a celebration of sorts, and the relief the men feel that their blackmailer’s been caught plays out in their actions. Sex that night is lovely and languid, and I feel more connected to them than I ever have.
They hold me and caress me—they hardly have their hands off of me at any point. They’re affectionate and intimate, and I know I’m getting in far too deep with them, but I’ll just have to worry about my heart later.