Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ELENA
“Are you sure?” I asked Elliot, who was on speaker. My fingers flew across the keyboard, searching. “Okay, I’ve got the address.”
“Don’t do anything irrational or reckless.”
“You know me.” I smiled over the phone. “Very rational and guarded.”
“For certain things. Sometimes you get too excited about a story and your brain forgets how to function properly.”
“Like how your brain shuts off when you see a stunning man?”
“That’s different.”
“Semantics, my friend. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. This story means too much to me.” I grabbed my purse from the couch. “How did you get the info?”
“Mrs. Benedict—one of my favorite clients—called me for an urgent coloring with two of her friends. She just bought a house in Martha’s Vineyard. Anyway, the women started talking about some guy selling affordable life insurance. The company doesn’t require a physical exam or blood work. Not only that, he’s helping them invest in digital currency. You know, stuff like bitcoin.”
“Sounds too good to be true.”
“That’s what I said. But these women have financial advisors guiding them. I’m not too worried about them. Personally, I’d wait to see how everything plays out before putting my life savings into them.”
For the past few months, I’d been investigating the deaths of Emmanuel Lopez and his two friends, Bryson Cruz and Mary Chen. They were dedicated church members who often volunteered with my mom at Wild Roots. They were hardworking minorities whose deaths had been ruled as suicide. Bryson had jumped from the top floor of his apartment, and Mary had overdosed on sleeping pills, leaving a cryptic note to her family. Their deaths appeared suspicious to me. I’d met Bryson and Mary before, and they didn’t seem depressed. My mom was shocked because she didn’t see it either.
“You always get the juicy details. Thanks for letting me know.”
“What are best friends for? The insurance guy invited them to his office. When I told them I know someone who’s interested in buying life insurance, they gave me an address. Thought it might help you.”
“You’re the best. Thanks.”
“Anytime. I know you love to play detective. Like I said, just be careful.”
“I thought you were attending a party with Jake?”
“The party is going on all night. We can be a bit late. Besides, she’s one of my favorite clients.”
“Thanks again!”
Curiosity was my weakness. This was the case I’d been working on for Uncover the Truth. It could be dangerous, but if I didn’t reveal the truth, who would? I didn’t play by the rules at work. Therefore, I wasn’t a star reporter who got invited to all the fancy parties. I didn’t twist things to suit someone’s needs or leave out part of the truth because my superiors feared the backlash from those who supported the news station. Leaving details out was distorting the story.
I slid into my car and turned the key. The engine choked and stalled.
Patting the steering wheel, I spoke to it as though it could understand me. “Please be strong for another year until I can afford to fix you up. Please. You’ve been so good to me. Don’t let me down now when I need you the most, okay?” I turned the key again. The engine hiccupped once and roared to life. “Yes! I love you!”
I pulled into a parking spot on the street in front of a coffee shop, got out, and walked toward Apex Insurance and Financial Investments. Something about that name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d heard it. The business was closed, but the dry-cleaning place next door was still open. I entered and walked up to the counter to an old woman with her silver hair twisted into a bun.
Smiling, she pushed up her glasses. “Hello. Are you here to pick up something?”
Her warm greeting reminded me of my grandmother with sharp eyes that had seen too much of the world.
“Sorry, no. I’m actually here for Apex Insurance, but it’s closed.” I gestured to her neighbor. “Maybe you can help me. My mom’s friend referred her to Samuel Donatello. But I’m wary about life insurance companies, so I’m trying to gather info before she purchases it. Do you know anything about Mr. Donatello or his business?”
She pushed a pad of paper to the side and considered me with warm eyes. “Your mom’s lucky to have you. There are so many scams out there these days.”
I nodded. “I want to protect her.”
The woman’s eyes hardened. “If I were you, I’d stay away from Samuel and his business. He tried selling me life insurance too. When I told him I already have a policy, he kept pushing, saying he’d give me a great discount. I didn’t like his aggressiveness or the creepy way he looked at women. Last week I called the cops because he was being aggressive toward a woman in front of my shop. She was crying, calling him a fraud, saying her husband didn’t commit suicide. She threatened to tell everyone about his fraudulent company.”
Hope sparked in me. “Do you know her name?”
“Sorry, I don’t. I only saw her that day.”
When a customer entered, I thanked her and headed back to Apex Insurance. The hours on the door said they were open till five in the evening. I was only a few minutes late. Who was the woman? How could I reach her?
I still had a lot to do for Musepaper, so I headed back home. As I drove, my mind wandered. There was definitely a life insurance scam going on. And it involved several companies. Apex Insurance and Financial Investments was the fifth name I’d encountered. How many more were involved?
A pop sounded and a metal noise scraped against the road.
“Shit.” I pulled over, got out, and my heart sank at the flat tire. I crouched to see a part of my muffler—or whatever that metal pipe was—hanging on for dear life. “No, not now.” I stood up, glanced around at the unfamiliar area.
The house in front of me was hosting a party. Groups of people hung out on the porch and on the lawn. A couple was making out under a tree.
Two men met my eyes, glanced at each other, smiled, tossed a beer can into the trash can, and walked over to me. The guy with the narrow face wore a Bryant University T-shirt, while the bearded guy had on a University of Rhode Island T-shirt.
“Hey, beautiful.” Narrow Face raked a creepy gaze down my body.
“Need help?” Bearded Guy touched my shoulder.
I swatted his hand away. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
“We like feisty girls, don’t we, Brandon?” Narrow Face laughed, stepping closer to me. I could smell the alcohol on them.
“Looks like you’ve got a flat, baby. I can give you a ride home.”
Laughing, Brandon pumped his hips. “All night long!”
Fear twisted in me. Their glassy eyes told me they didn’t have any functioning brain cells left. That meant trouble, and I didn’t have time for trouble.
Stay calm. Keep your distance.
“No thanks. I’ve got it.” I dug into my purse for my phone, wanting to call the police.
Narrow Face yanked my phone away. “Let us help you.”
“Oww!” Brandon held a hand to his head. A rock thudded beside his foot. “What the fuck?” He glanced at the red spot on his hand. “I’m fucking bleeding!”
While Narrow Face was distracted, I grabbed my phone back. He reached for it again, but I backed away. Something smacked into his forehead. Another rock dropped to the ground. Several more rocks pelted him in the face, knocking out a tooth. Then it was Brandon’s turn for the rock attack.
I stepped away from them, not wanting to get in the crossfire. Who was whipping rocks at them? Sirens wailed, and a police car pulled up. Someone had called the cops.
The spiky-haired officer exited his car and approached me, glancing at the two men with hands covering their faces. “You okay, miss?”
“Yeah. I have a flat tire.”
He called in a tow truck for me, got my version of what had happened, and walked over to the drunken guys to speak with them.
A door slammed, and I looked across the street to see Orion heading toward me with a worried expression. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
Immediately the fear I’d felt subsided.
“I got a flat.” I gestured to my car.
“You shouldn’t be driving that thing,” he said in a tone that sounded like a reprimand.
I wasn’t in the mood for this. “That thing is my only mode of transportation.”
He didn’t know about my financial situation. I didn’t have loads of money to toss around like him. His frustration with me from this morning hadn’t faded at all.
I was supposed to work with him on Monday. Was this foreshadowing what I could expect? Daily frustration? Just because he was my boss didn’t mean he could talk down to me. No one had that right.
He walked over to the police officer and glared at the two men. An ambulance arrived, and two EMTs examined the men. Orion spoke to the police officer and pointed up the street. Then a series of police cars rushed past us, heading somewhere. I saw the Channel 5 and Channel 7 News vans following close behind.
What was happening? I could ask my coworker who was on the late shift tonight.
Orion typed something on his phone, nodded to the officer, and walked back to me.
I had so many questions for him, but all I could focus on was the intense gray eyes boring into me. The power he had over me was unbelievable. I was so attracted to this man and didn’t know what to do about it. It was ridiculous that I couldn’t control myself even in this terrifying moment. I was just harassed by two men, and some freak was whipping rocks at them. But none of that mattered when Orion was present.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I could almost feel my ovaries jiggle when he stood near me.
Questions sparked in his eyes, but all he said was, “I’ll give you a ride home.”
Though his voice was calm, I could feel the energy thrumming between us. Maybe it was just me feeling this one-way attraction. But I wondered if he was the slightest bit attracted to me.
He’s a handsome, rich man, Elena. You’re out of his orbit.
“You don’t have to. I can call an Uber.”
“You are NOT calling an Uber,” he said and brushed a hand over my cheek.
The unexpected contact made me jerk. Tingles cascaded down my body and pooled in my uterus. Yup, I felt it twitch. Scenarios regarding a twitchy uterus would be a great topic for Random Riddles.
He skimmed a finger down my cheek, and my lips parted with a soft gasp. His eyes darted to my lips. I bit my bottom lip to prevent any other embarrassing sounds from escaping.
Was that a slight smirk on his face?
“As my employee,” he said, moving his hand away from my face, “I can drive you home. I need you safe so you can start working next week.”
Calling an Uber would cost me money, and I didn’t want to know how much it would cost to get a new tire and the metal piece replaced. I knew about the old tires, but I had hoped they would last until winter when I could afford new ones. I had to recalculate my budget yet again.
“Okay. Thanks.” I buckled myself in his SUV and watched as more people from the home poured out to see their injured friends.
“Where do you live?” Orion asked, driving off.
Like my car, my home needed an update. Nerves squirmed in me. The only people who had been to my home were my mom, my ex, and Elliot. My ex only stayed twice and decided he preferred to hang out at his place. His family had money, and he preferred the luxurious lifestyle, which was why he had moved on to someone who could afford the same.
“So what were you doing here today?” he asked.
I looked over at him, studying his profile. So gorgeous. “If I tell you, then you’ll have to tell me why you were in the area too.”