3. Sonali
Chapter 3
Sonali
I stared at my reflection in the elevator mirror. My concealer no longer covered the deep, dark circles under my eyes. A few strands of hair had fallen from my messy bun, and a long run in my pantyhose stretched from my ankle to my knee. A shower and a new outfit would have been nice before I ran out of the room.
It would be nice too, if Devon was alive and could explain what the hell was going on. Sawyer wanted me out of the States, Benson wanted me dead, and I wasn’t sure who sent me the obituary link or why someone stole my passport.
Before I could solve any of my problems or fix my makeup the elevator doors slid open. A large gold clock ticked on the wall, it was one in the afternoon, but I felt as if I had three life times in one day. Behind the large marble desk stood a woman dressed in jeans and a Hello Kitty shirt. Her casual clothes didn’t fit the upscale, modern décor.
“Welcome to AA Security. How can I help you?” she asked.
I opened my mouth to respond, but a grunt to my right drew my attention. A strikingly tall man with dark brown hair, sapphire eyes, and tattoos lining his arms stood at the entrance of the hallway. He glanced in my direction, and a shiver ran over my body as our eyes connected—like he could see right through me. I wondered how it would feel to have his arms tight around my body, protecting me from what was happening. My daydream was cut short when a woman with a blonde bob walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
What the hell was I thinking, expecting a man that sexy to be single? Besides, I didn’t have time to date anyone. At the moment, I wasn’t sure if I was running for my life or if someone was playing a fucked-up mind game with me.
The woman cleared her throat, and asked, “Can I help you?”
“Sorry, I got distracted for a moment. I was wondering if could talk with Zayla Solace?”
Instantly, the warm smile dropped from the woman’s face. “And what tabloid are you from? You really want to go up against the Ross family?”
“I don’t work for a tabloid,” I explained. “I was told to reach out to AA Security for help. I read a story about Zayla and her connection to AA Security. I don’t know her personally, but my mom knew her dad.”
She nodded slightly and typed on her computer. “Zayla doesn’t work at AA Security, but I can give a message to Aaron Ross to relay it to her.”
“My name is Sonali Bailey,” I said.
Her eyes widened as she asked, “Can you repeat your name one more time?”
“Sonali Bailey.”
“You can have a seat over there on the couch,” she replied, her tone no longer clipped. “Let me see if my boss is out of his meeting. Do not leave this room.”
I wasn’t sure if the Hello Kitty shirt made me think the woman was safe enough to stay, but I was on edge by the way her eyes widened at the mention of my name. My butt sank into the cushion when I sat on the couch. My eyes watched the second hand of the clock near the hallway. Each complete circle felt like an hour and not a minute. Not wanting to wait another minute I strode toward the long hallway.
Every door had a silver plaque. The first one proclaimed CJ, then Jason, followed by Paolo. I turned down another hall that opened into a room with two larger doors, one read Antonio Ross, and the other had Asher Ross etched in the metal.
I heard voices on the other side, and thought maybe this was my chance to talk with Zayla sooner. My fingers gripped the handle, and I pushed open the heavy wooden door.
My eyes couldn’t comprehend what the hell I had just walked into. Of all the things I had expected to see, it definitely wasn’t Zayla—completely naked—with the two men from the magazine beside her, Asher and CJ.
“You’re all naked,” I screamed. The receptionist appeared next to me and sighed, like it was no big deal. “Do something,” I pleaded.
She stepped back and put her hand on her hip. “I told you not to leave the front area,” she said matter-of-factly. “AA Security has a list of rules, and the top one is not to open closed doors. Unless you want to see the bosses naked or their significant others naked, don’t open them. Any closed door—even a coat closet. People seem to have sex in every section of this office.”
“Actually, that’s rule number two,” A tall man huffed to my left. “Rule number one is always shoot to kill.”
CJ stood to the left of Zayla and tilted his head to the side. “I thought rule number one was to keep Kat Ross in your eyesight, or you don’t know what will happen.”
“Umm …This is a great rules conversation,” Zayla sighed. “But maybe we could close the door for me to put some clothes on.”
A woman in a black suit with red hair came up and wrapped her arm around the tall man next to me. “Honey, I told you I don’t want to have an orgy at work. And having it with your family is not something I plan to change my mind on.”
“I second what Kat said.” Zayla added.
This whole situation was beyond bizarre. I had googled AA Security on the way over from the hotel. This company was supposed to be one of the best. “You guys are close to the top of the list for security agencies for hire.”
CJ’s brows drew together. He leaned forward not caring his dick was in full view as he reached for the keyboard near the monitor screen. “We are the top. I know I hacked the algorithm and tweaked it to move Blackwood Mercenaries to third. Brock better not of changed that back.”
“You all can’t be serious.”
I had watched some American prank shows over the years and wondered for a moment if a camera crew would pop out from another closed door. Hopefully, they would have clothes on. At least that could explain the past twenty-four hours better than how my reality was working out.
“AA Security is the best. Now can you tell me what we can help you with?” Kat asked.
This would be the perfect moment to leave and find another company to work with, except my feet didn’t move and I didn’t run for the door. Instead, I proceeded to talk like this was all normal. “I have spent twenty-six years in hiding. I knew my life would never be easy. A man tried to save me years ago. He was sweet and always talked about his daughter. I can’t remember the number of times he promised I would get to meet her one day.”
“You need us to help you find someone? We can, but our services aren’t cheap,” Asher stated still naked.
Kat tapped her red shoe on the marble floor drawing my attention. “We might be able to cut a deal. I have the perfect person to use for the search.”
“Stop trying to play matchmaker with our employees,” the man next to her protested.
“I don’t need your help finding this woman. Every time I imagined the day I’d meet her; we would hug and talk about her father. Not once … And I want to repeat that. Not once did I think I would meet her while she was naked sitting on her boyfriend's lap.”
Zayla’s eyes widened. “Sonali?”
“Yes, and I need your help.”
Kat clapped her hands. “This is even better. I get to pair you with a bodyguard. I’m so going to get points for this setup.”
“Sonali, my name is Antonio Ross, and this is my wife Kat Ross. Why don’t we head to the conference room while these three put some clothes on?” Antonio offered.
“Thank you, I am not even sure what is going on. I can assure you I can pay for your services.” The words came out in a rush.
Kat wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a half hug, the gentle touch caused my eyes to water. “Don’t worry about the fee. We’ve been looking for you.”
And like that the day shifted again. I wasn’t dumb, Zayla’s dad knew about my mom’s research which meant she knew about me.
“Don’t worry,” Kat added quickly. “Yes, we know about the research and you. The reason we were looking for you was to protect you because the Russo family in New York came after Zayla trying to get to you.”
My stomach flipped knowing that Zayla could have been hurt because of me. How the hell was all this going on and I was living my life like nobody knew I even existed.
“Maybe I should leave. I don’t want to put any of you in danger. Coming here was a mistake. I need to go back to Paris, but someone stole my passport.” I was rambling information as Kat guided me to a conference room and had me sit in a large leather chair. The weight of the day crashed down on me, and I was so exhausted.
“Tea, coffee or vodka?” Antonio asked as he actually held up a bottle of vodka. I was tempted.
“Tea …” I paused, “But I might need the shot of vodka by the end of the meeting.”
He smiled and poured a glass of tea for me while his wife took the seat across from me. “Oh, he wasn’t talking about a shot. My guess is you need a large glass of vodka.”
The warm tea felt good as it slid down my throat. My stomach right then decided to growl. I hadn’t even realized until that moment I hadn’t eaten since I had breakfast on the plane.
“I am not sure where to start or what you need to know.” A part of me worried about divulging too much about my blood. Part of me figured Zayla would already know from information her father had left her. Talking about it always left me feeling raw and vulnerable, and currently I wasn’t sure how much I was up to telling.
Kat lowered herself into the seat next to me and poured two glasses of vodka. “First let’s have a drink I am sure you need this.”
I grabbed the crystal glass and Kat clinked the edge of hers to mine and said, “Santé.”
The alcohol burned as it went down my throat, but left my entire body feeling warm and a little more relaxed. Kat filled the glass up again and I shook my head.
Kat picked the glass up and took a swig before she asked, “How about I start and then you go? Would it make you feel better knowing what we know?”
“Yes.”
Kat briefly explained how Zayla’s half-sister had used Zayla to get to her dad’s safety deposit box which they thought might contain some of my mother’s research or my location. She was looking for a way to find me, so she could sell me on the black market and her father had wanted to find me to help cure his cancer. Zayla’s half-sister was killed along with her father by AA Security. But a few people in the Russo family knew about me. Which answered the question from earlier when they mentioned the mob was looking for me. For years I had been in danger not realizing how many people knew about me. Ultimately, they did not have any of the research.
“Start from the beginning,” Kat urged, her voice soft yet firm. “Even if it seems unimportant, leave nothing out.”
I hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Okay,” I began, “it started with a Facebook notification from someone I didn't know.”
Antonio leaned forward, his gaze intense. “Did you recognize the name or profile?”
“No, it went straight to spam since we weren't friends,” I explained. “I almost missed it entirely. But my assistant checks the spam message folder daily in case a client’s message goes there by accident. She was the one who let me know.”
“You will need to show CJ the message,” Antonio said, and sighed, tapping a pencil against a notepad. “Profiles can be easily faked, but the team has some software that might be able to pull hidden information the user doesn’t even realize is being collected. It might be easier to give CJ your phone to clone, so he could look for anything else.”
"I don't have anything to hide," I said, perhaps too quickly. "Here, take it."
Kat swiped the phone off the table. “I will make sure this gets to CJ and team.”
“Continue on with what happened after you received the message,” Antonio prompted, pushing for her to keep talking.
For the next half-hour, I recounted every detail, step, and observation, from my front door to the moment I arrived at AA security. By the time I finished, I was drained.
“And this guy who sent you to us,” Kat started, her voice laced with concern, “I don't like that he approached you in the cemetery and knew so much about you. What is worse is that he has all your medical information.”
Years of my data could be anywhere, and the only problem was I had no clue what any of it actually said. I wanted to take the research and hide it, but theoretically I knew that it wasn’t possible to make sure no one would ever see it.
“From what we could track down, your mother never gave Zayla's dad any of your medical information,” Antonio added. “The only thing we found was a coded message from Zayla’s dad to her. It was about how to find you.”
Part of me really wanted to see records of what my mom had written down. The other part of me dreaded reading the analysis she had done on me. From what I can remember my mother was very loving and didn’t treat me like a pin cushion to further her research. But there was also a chance I had cut out a lot of what my childhood was really like.
Kat tapped her finger on the table before she spoke. “Fort Lauderdale isn't safe for you right now,” she stated the obvious. “We have local safe houses, but I want you in Houston with Paulo. He's about to go work on a case there. We can send you on the private jet and in disguise so nobody knows where you are.”
Disguises, safe houses, private planes—it was all happening too fast. “I have a show in Paris in a month,” I added. “I can’t just go to Houston for an unknown amount of time. Not only do I need to head back to Paris, but I also need to paint three more pieces.”
Antonio's expression hardened. “The show won't happen if you're dead,” he said sharply.
“I know my hotel room was torn apart and they took my passport, but can I at get my stuff?” I asked, picturing the wreckage. "I have nothing to wear with me.”
Antonio stood. "Key card." I dug to the bottom of my purse and wrapped my fingers around the white and red card, and placed it in Antonio’s open hand. He flipped it over and tapped the name across the front. "This will make things easier. You're staying at one of my family's hotels.” Without another word, he left the room.
Kat squeezed my hand. "Don't stress. We'll figure this out. Zayla's been wanting to talk to you. I’ll send her in and go brief Paolo. It won’t take long for Antonio to retrieve your things. The pilot already has the jet ready to leave at three.” She poured me another glass of vodka before she strode out of the room.
The alcohol from earlier still coursed through my veins. I pushed the chair away from the glass conference table and strode to the large windows overlooking downtown Fort Lauderdale. The people below looked like small ants rushing home more than likely to their family. With Devon gone, I had no family left that I knew of. When I was older, I asked Devon who my father was, and he’d told me that it was a sperm donation. The donor’s names were never imputed.
Part of me wondered if that was true. If the experiment worked, they would want to account for all aspects. Maybe it was time I did a DNA test to see if I had any living relatives.
The conference room door hitting the wall startled me and I let out an unlady like squeak.
"Sorry! I didn’t mean to push the door that hard," Zayla admitted, now dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt.
"It's fine," I said, forcing my heart to stop beating so hard. "I was just watching the people below."
Zayla dropped a folder onto the conference room table before she strode over to me. She picked at her nail for a second, neither of us knowing what to say. Her cheeks turned light pink. “About earlier, what you saw.”
I held up my hand. “I am so sorry. You have nothing to explain, I should never have walked into the office. Let’s just pretend this is our first-time meeting.”
Zayla’s shoulders relaxed and she held out her hand. “I’m Zayla Solace daughter to Nathan Solace.”
I ignored her outstretched hand and pulled her into a hug. We both squeezed each other, neither of us saying a word. After a couple of minutes, we pulled back. “It’s so nice to meet you. Your father would send me letters when I was younger and then they just stopped.”
"Probably stopped when he was killed," she sighed. “Let’s sit. I think I remember going with dad to D.C. once and we played on a swing set in the park while our parents talked. Not sure if you have heard about my podcast?”
“Yes. Kat and Antonio also filled me in with what they have found. All of this is over, that’s what they think. From what I understood they didn’t see any research.”
Zayla nodded, “You’re correct, but the reports from when the mafia would follow my father when he came to D.C. to see your mom is what they are going off. Not sure who, but someone years ago must have talked. Is Antonio planning to put you in a safe house? It seems like their go to.”
“No. They are sending me to Houston with a bodyguard.”
“Oh, that must be Paolo," she said. "He saved my life in New York. His brother's a detective in Houston. I overheard Asher and CJ talking about a new mission. They must think it is safer for you outside of Fort Lauderdale.”
The problem was the answers I needed were in Fort Lauderdale. Antonio had told me that his team would investigate Benson and Sawyer. They would give a report to Paolo to let me know what information they find or if they need anything else from me.
“I’m not sure anywhere is safe for me,” I sighed.
Zayla grabbed a silver pen from the table and scribbled her phone number on a scrap piece of paper. "Call me if you need anything, even to talk. Believe me, I know what it is like to be told to go into hiding. When you’ve been independent it is hard to listen to these men. They tend to be very demanding and persuasive. And most importantly if Paolo pisses you off and you decide to run, call me first. I will probably try to talk you out of it … if I can’t Kat and I will fly to get you."
Kat walked back into the room as Zayla was finishing her words, and a smile spread across her face. “Are we already planning our mission to help Sonali escape Paolo? Oh, I knew I liked you. Zayla is correct if Paolo makes you angry. Call me or her. We will be there to help you.” Kat paused for a second. “I do have some bad news your hotel room was cleaned out. Everything's gone. CJ's checking the hotel cameras. Sasha, Paolo’ sister-in-law is arranging clothes for you in Houston. You have about thirty minutes before you have to be on the plane. Zayla, take her to the locker room. She can shower and change into one of the workout uniforms that we have and grab one of the blonde wigs from the storage closet.”
“What about my laptop?” I asked, panic rising.
“CJ was able to pull your computer information down from the cloud and will have a spare laptop ready for you and will remotely wipe your other one. Here is your phone back,” Kat said as she handed it to me.
“Thank you, Kat.”
Kat stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. She looked so tiny, but her squeeze took the breath out of me. “Don’t do anything stupid without calling me. I will always have your back even if it pisses Antonio off …Well I would be even more willing when it makes my husband mad. I must keep him on his toes.”
“Not sure why you both think I am going to run. I did come to you guys for help,” I pointed out.
Zayla shrugged, “It’s how most of the love stories go around here.”
“Wait love stories?” I asked completely confused.
The twinkle in Kat’s eyes had me worried. “Bodyguards protecting damsels’ in distress always end up with a love story.”
I really think Kat might watch or read too many love story movies or romance books. I wasn’t looking to fall in love since that led to heart ache. Now, a good round of sweaty sex was something I would be open to doing instead. “I am heading back to Paris in no less than thirty days. Sorry to break it to you, but there will be no love story.”
“Right. If you say so,” Zayla said. “Let’s get you ready. You want to follow me to the gym.”
I didn’t really have a choice. The person who stole all my stuff took all my options away. The only things I had were my purse and phone. I was stuck in the United States.