Chapter 7 #2
“Have you seen how big he is? I can’t wait to see what his dick looks like, after I fuck him over for scaring you. You can say it, I’m the bestest friend ever,” I whisper conspiratorially, rubbing my hands together imagining Frank on his knees.
The gasp she gasps has a grin stretching across my lips, excitement stirring in my middle like a thousand butterflies.
“You have lost your mind,” she mutters.
“This is happening with or without you,” I answer. Oh, yes. Frank is going down in so many ways. He fucked with the wrong woman.
“I don't know what he is, and you don’t know what he’s like, Bernie. He’s not like Vlad,” she warns.
“Then what’s he like? I honestly don’t know how I didn’t see it before, he has that whole vampire vibe to him too, but why did he kidnap you?” I ask, pushing the fridge door shut with my shoulder as I move to pour myself a drink.
Her voice cuts off as the fridge inexplicably loses power, and my jaw drops.
“Hello?” I say, listening as the refrigerator begins to chitter and beep. My brow scrunches when I see the flashing green lights show up on the fridge, notifying the user that it’s rebooting. Great.
I think back to how scared Aubrey had been that night when I drove me and Grams to come get her in the middle of an empty airfield, and how she had clung to me that night.
I thought she was just sad because her new boyfriend had broken up with her right after her engagement fell through, but if Frank kidnapped her…
A frown pulls at my brow. Come to think of it, when there was that press conference on TV, Aubrey made me promise to stop digging on Frank Stein. Oh my gosh, this must be why.
If Frank and Dracula are friends it would make sense that they're like a coven.
Outrage pours over me as I realize he took my friend and now he’s taken me. The fridge beeps again, a twinkling sound echoing through the kitchen, but I decide against calling her again. She knows not to try and come get me.
I can’t believe Frank is what broke them up the first time. What an asshole.
I rise up from the counter, hunger forgotten, and grab a can of cat food I find from the cupboard on the way out.
The more I think about what she kept from me, the madder I get, but by the time I make it back to the cyber team’s office, there are only one or two people milling about. I glance out the wall to ceiling windows and notice the night sky.
After working for Talbot for the last forty-eight hours and cracking the sequence code to find who took the shipment, I discovered the medical equipment on board was worth a fortune, which would piss off anyone.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen anything in the news about it.
Once I found where the lab equipment was, everyone acted as if they’d won the Superbowl. They're so happy to get it back. Mikael even beamed a smile before pulling his phone from his pocket, the small device rarely far from his face if the last two days are any indication.
My shoulders tensing and my stomach rolling with nausea, I lift Edgar’s cat carrier from where I sat it earlier and put it on the desk in front of me, effectively blocking the computer screen from view.
I snap open the cage, and insert my keylogger into the USB drive almost at the same time, thankful the pop-up screen is easily blocked by the cat carrier.
Anyone looking will just see a strange woman checking on her cat in a carrier, and if I pull this off, I’ll have an all-access Talbot Global keycard on my Hello Kitty necklace, including Mikael’s credentials.
“I’m going to take Edgar up to our room to eat,” I say loudly, noting only one person lifts his head to pay attention as I lift his carrier from where I sat it earlier near the desk I worked at.
Edgar has already eaten of course, and is sleeping, but who would question the new girl with her cat.
I turn back the way I came and head for the elevator, seemingly heading to my room, my gaze darting around, hoping I don’t run into anyone.
The first day I wasn’t allowed to move without Bruno and Nero up my ass.
Yesterday wasn’t as bad, but I’m almost positive it’s because the big guy wasn’t here, and now, neither are Bruno and Nero.
Adrenaline rolls through me like a spewing volcano, making my heartbeat thump in my chest wildly.
My hands shake as the need for revenge consumes me.
I stare at the elevator mirror, wishing it would hurry.
I pray whatever security guard is watching is a slow runner, because I may be in a bit of trouble with security soon. I throw up a prayer that I can get into Frank’s office before anyone notices. I can then call the asshole, and then the fun really begins.
All morning, I expected to see Frank, halfway hoping I would catch a glimpse of him, completely infatuated with my abductor except I very seriously doubt I have been here long enough to claim Stockholm syndrome is why.
How dare this dickwad kidnap my friend and then kidnap me. I am going to fuck him into the ground. I swallow hard and my lips pinch shut, cringing in disgust as I come aboard the emotional upheaval express.
“Come on Edgar,” I say, and pull Edgar from his carrier.
It's time Frank Stein learns what it’s like to feel small.
Since being here, I’ve been ear hustling and it's odd, but no one bitches about anything.
Every person who works here all but sings his praises. It’s clear on every worker’s face that they adore him, and they’re fully devoted to him, like the onboarding went way too hard or something.
From personal experience, I know loyalty like that can’t be bought, and I was back on my way to admiring him, no matter about the kidnapping because he’s still hot and I did inadvertently fuck his company, but now?
I must have lost my mind somewhere in the middle of being taken off the street, knocked out, and forced to perform illegal activities, because I am so mad right now, I can’t see straight.
And I am not going to sit back and take this shit from him.
I’ve been continuously manipulated by men who overstep boundaries all my life, it's time for one of them to get what’s coming to them.
I don’t care how rich he is, nobody messes with my friend.
I press the button on the elevator, and get inside, ignoring how wild I look in the mirror, a wedge of anger mixing with the tears in my throat and burning my eyes.
Am I really about to do this?
An image of him scowling at me comes to mind, so different to how he is presented to the public. It’s so obviously a facade. He’s on the face of every male cover magazine in the world, but I’ll be damned if that is going to stop me.
I press the top button, sending us up to Frank Stein’s private office, gripping him tightly. No way am I leaving Edgar anywhere to get used as a bargaining chip again.
I thought this was all of my fault and worked my ass off to get back the information on that shipment, but I know Aubrey and she wouldn’t lie. If she says Frank Stein took her… no wonder she was so scared. That whole week was horrendous trying to calm her down and figure out what happened.
As soon as I get out of here, she and I are going to have a long talk.
I’d already bought stakes and holy water, ready to stab the vampire for hurting my friend, but to find out Frank had something to do with it is like a full betrayal.
My nostrils flare and Edgar tenses in my arms. I loosen my hold a bit and scratch at him idly, swaying my weight to each hip as I hurry the elevator along.
When the doors open, my pulse is hammering like a hummingbird in my veins as I step out of the elevator.
I glance around and up into the camera situated above the door.
My pulse races as I set Edgar on his feet, who seems unconcerned entirely with how I feel, and grab for my necklace, taking the keylogger to access Frank’s computer once I gain access to his office.
Each second feels like an eternity, my gaze trained on the open elevator as I wait on it to be called to a different floor, or for Frank’s goons to pop out and grab me.
If I can get inside, I can lock the doors to where no one can get in, and he will have no choice but to let me go.
And if he doesn’t, I’ll have access to every bit of his baby until he does.
Let’s see how you like being toyed with like a mouse, Mr. Stein.
I try Mikael’s login code, tsking to myself when it unlocks Frank’s office, and I make a note to tell them how shit their security is the first chance I get. I step inside and hold the door as Edgar follows, my heart pounding in my chest so loud my ears thump with the bass.
I kick at the doorstop with my foot, pushing so that anyone trying to open the door will find immediate resistance. I need only a few minutes to gain access to his security system, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
I let my eyes adjust to the darkness, noticing the large brown leather furniture in the room, and how gigantic his desk is, coming up almost to my belly button. “Gotta be custom made,” I mumble, and enter the devil’s lair.
Ignoring the way the city lights look a lot like code shining in the dark night sky, I make my way to the desk Frank lords from on high and have a seat in his chair.
The massive thing envelopes around my body like a cloud, and I do a little happy wiggle before sliding my right leg under me to get comfortable.
Everything else looks boring and mundane, an office phone, pad of paper and pen. I open and close the desk’s many drawers, but they’re all empty. My brows come together. Maybe he keeps his things in a separate office.
I tap on the keyboard and sit up long enough to insert the keylogger into his drive and lean back, grabbing for the expensive looking remote on his desk as I wonder what goodies the richest man in the world wants at his fingertips.
My brows crease into a deep frown. There aren’t any labels on the buttons. I push one at random and my forehead relaxes as music begins to pour into the room, soft and subtle. Another push and one of the glass walls turn into a TV screen. Wow.
It pays to be Frank Stein.
I turn off the TV and fire up the computer, easily getting into the Talbot system since I had the credentials memorized from earlier today, and lock the top floor.
I blow out a breath that sends my red hair moving and prop myself on the desk, tapping my tongue ring against my teeth. How hard do I want to hurt this man? And what’s enough to piss him off, but not so much I’m testing his potential murderer limits?
Edgar growls, and I turn to face him and see him attempting to get the cone off.
“Try all you want; it’s not going to come off, silly butt.
You have four more days and then it can come off,” I say, as if Edgar understands perfect English.
He turns his head to glare, and I smirk.
Half the time I could almost believe he knows exactly what I’m saying.
I set him gently on the carpeted floor again and tap my fingers softly against the desk, deciding whether I’m really about to do this or not.
Edgar meows loudly, and I take it as a sign.
“Right, fuck him,” I reply.
Elation fills me when I press the space bar, and I’m instantly bathed in blue light, the computer tossing sharp shadows behind me.
My fingers dance across the unfamiliar keyboard, and I manage to get into Talbot’s system pretty quickly.
I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised, since I memorized Mikael’s credentials yesterday when he wasn’t looking.
I might actually feel bad, except I’m almost positive everyone I’ve come across on the three floors I’ve been allowed to roam are aware I’m not here under usual circumstances.
I’m not sure they know I’ve been kidnapped, but it’s not exactly a good conversation starter either.
Like “hey, how’s it going, do you work here, or were you kidnapped like me?
” I’ll pass. I doubt Frank Stein would want that going to press, and I definitely don’t want to go to jail for computer fraud on my bingo card.
Plus, I’m also positive anyone who found out it’s my fault their boss’s goods went missing would be devastated.
These people have been working around the clock like machines, only stopping to load up on coffee for the last three days.
I’ve never seen a group of people so dedicated, or so elated about a cyber break-in either.
It’s inspiring to see an efficient team at work.
Too bad he’s a whole dick and a half that deserves every bit of pettiness I can conjure for him.
Propping myself on the large desk, I wait on the keylogger to go to work, my mouth pulling into a pout at how I may not get a chance to fuck him now.
I was going to woo him with sex and spend the next month wallowing in gigantic man-delivered orgasms, alas.
An arc of lightning flashes through the sky in the distance, startling me so bad I jump in my seat as the light punctures the darkness of the penthouse. I stare off in the distance, mesmerized by the way the light bolts and dances in the skyline. What a freaking view.
A new computer prompt pops up on the screen and I get to work. Hmm, what’s a good number to donate to my favorite pet fund? Something with more than a few zeroes should be sufficient. It’s only fair I do something worth getting kidnapped over.
A feral smile stretches across my lips. I’m sure Mr. Stein will be absolutely overjoyed at having made such a hefty contribution. Seconds later, and I shimmy in my chair with glee at the knowledge that Dickhole’s money is going to a worthy cause.
Thunder rumbles, a big, dark cloud overtaking the building as the storm sweeps across the city.
With a satisfied sigh, I lean back in the chair and wait, watching the second monitor full of video surveillance of the building.
Frank Stein should be showing up any minute.
I’ve no plans of being silent in my overtaking of his system, and several alarms start going off throughout the place, red pulsing on my screen to show me where exactly to head next.
Excitement thrums through my middle.
I haven’t had this much fun in ages.
The black leather squeaks when I set Edgar’s new lavish home on Frank’s desk. “Buckle up Edgar, things are about to get really interesting around here.”