Chapter 9 #2
“If he had, he’d be dead. She broke his nose and then possibly took away his ability to father children,” I smirked as I added to the conversation.
“Wish I’d been there. If she contacts you or you run into her again, I want to know. When I promised Haris I’d look out for you, it covered protecting you from Dallia’s craziness,” Johann growled.
His quick defense of my woman made me like him more. Johann was quickly becoming a friend to me. The revelation about Danae’s mom had us all talking for a while, until Danae asked to change the topic.
Hours later, after we’d consumed food a couple of times, swam in the pool, had numerous conversations, and watched another incredible fireworks display, Johann and I bundled Danae up and took her home.
She drifted off as soon as the truck began moving.
He and I whispered about this and that. The evening ended on a calm note.
???
I teamed up with Gio today. We were conducting an on-site inspection of a new customer’s facility. The Dark Patriots not only worked with the government. We took on plenty of private sector clients. The company helped with a variety of security and safety matters.
This particular one had a data breach. The boss and upper management were convinced it couldn’t be an internal person.
They were adamant that their current security measures, both physical and electronic, wouldn’t let anyone access information they shouldn’t have.
We were here to prove them wrong, although we hoped we couldn’t find any openings.
Gio was a security specialist with the Dark Patriots.
He and I would be going over this place from top to bottom.
On the remote side of the system, Makayla, our computer expert known for getting into systems deemed impenetrable, was working on it from the network side. I liked working with both of them.
The initial meeting was in the CEO’s office with his chief financial officer, chief operations officer, chief technology officer, and chief information officer—the CFO, COO, CTO, and CIO, respectively.
None of them acted happy to see us. I held my tongue, but it was hard for me.
They reached out to us, but now acted like we were trespassing.
After twenty minutes of them stonewalling, I gave up being mute.
“Listen, you called us in, not the other way. We’re here to help you pinpoint where your breaches occurred and fix them so that, when we leave, you don’t face the risk of another breach.
But the only way we can make that happen is if you’re totally honest and forthright with us.
No holding things back,” I bluntly told them.
“We understand that you’re embarrassed and upset. But don't view us as outsiders here, judging you. We’re partners here to help you,” Gio tacked on.
I sat there and let Gio talk to them longer.
Clearly, I wasn’t as sympathetic or empathetic as my partner.
More than once, the bosses muttered among themselves.
Eventually, however, they gave up the delaying tactics.
When that occurred, we were in business.
Gio and I asked numerous questions and took notes.
This wouldn’t be a one-day-and-done assignment.
We’d likely still be here next week. Luckily, the business in question was in Norfolk, about twenty miles from Hampton.
Finally, we stood up. I followed Gio’s lead and shook Jonathan Dell, the CEO’s hand.
“Our people will be informed that you are to have free run of the building. They’ll provide anything you ask for. If someone doesn’t, please speak to Monte or Thomas.”
Dell gestured first to his CTO, then to his CIO. Monte Sparks and Thomas Lucky were cut from the same cloth as their CEO. I wasn’t overly impressed with any of them, but since I didn’t work here, it was a moot point. As long as they cooperated fully and transparently, we’d get along fine.
We murmured our appreciation, then watched all the bigwigs walk away. As soon as they were out of sight, noting no one was nearby, Gio sighed. His body relaxed as he muttered.
“Christ, I’d rather go to the proctologist daily than have to put up with that bunch of tight-asses daily for months or years. I thought there for a minute you were about to blow,” he observed.
“I was edging that way. Thanks for saving me. Let’s go to the office they gave us and go over the blueprints to see if we want to adjust our starting point or order,” I suggested.
Two minutes later, we were behind the closed door of the spare office loaned to us for this assignment.
Spread out on the desk were the blueprints we’d gotten back at our office yesterday from Makayla.
We’d spent yesterday going over it and laying out a preliminary attack plan based on the data we had.
After speaking with the five of them for over an hour, we had enough information to make the necessary changes.
Time was ticking, so after a quick conference with Makayla on the line, we got to work.
As we methodically made our way around the building and spoke to various people, we were the center of attention.
That was typically the case in a situation like this.
The stares, the whispers, and the hesitancy were all nothing new.
However, hearing and seeing it here made my gut tighten.
I had that feeling I got right before something significant was revealed, or shit went to hell, and the mission became life-or-death.
Why I felt that here, I had no clue. I did share it with Gio and Makayla.
All of us promised to be extra alert. We knew from experience never to ignore feelings of this type.
To do so was a good way to end up hurt or dead.
The last time I experienced it was when I went in to find and bring out Justin.
The hours flew by. Copious notes were taken. Calls and messages went back and forth between Gio, me, and Makayla. When six o’clock arrived, he and I were more than ready to call it a night and go home.
Throughout the day, I’d sent a few messages to Danae to check in on her.
She claimed she was good. Work was steady for her.
I asked her if Holly and Julie maintained their distance.
She replied yes. Her fear that they’d escalate after the chastisement they received from their boss the prior week hadn’t occurred. They were standoffish at best.
Our drive back home was long because we were in rush-hour traffic.
I had driven. Thankfully, I’d picked Gio up at his place this morning, and there was no need to go to the office and backtrack.
It was a few minutes after seven o’clock when I pulled into my garage.
I wasted no time getting from the garage to inside the condo.
When I opened the door to the small mud/laundry room, I heard heavy metal music playing and the smell of bacon cooking.
I made straight for the kitchen. Once I greeted her, I’d change. I needed a kiss first.
“Danae, I’m home,” I called out so I wouldn’t startle her.
Her back was to me, and she was staring down at a skillet. I assumed it was where the bacon smell came from. She whipped around.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I told her as I got close enough to wrap her in my arms.
She came to me and buried her face in my chest rather than kissing me. I held her until she moved away. When she did, that’s when I tilted her chin up with my finger.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Her face was flushed, and her eyes upset.
“Kiss me,” she demanded.
I gave her what we both wanted. There was an edge to hers, not that I minded. When we finally parted our mouths, I let her step back to the stove to turn the bacon. As she did, I posed my request.
“Tell me what has upset you, Divine One.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be alright. Let me finish cooking this bacon. Tonight is a simple dinner. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and homemade potato soup. I hope that’s okay.”
“You know I’ll eat anything you make. It sounds delicious. Can I do anything?”
She shook her head.
“Okay, spill.” I put demand behind my words this time. She sighed.
“I got a call on my way home from work. I wasn't expecting it, and when I saw who was calling, I should’ve let it go to voicemail, but I was stupid. I answered. It was my mother.”
She paused, so I interjected. “What the hell did she want?”
“She started out telling me how I embarrassed her in the store when I assaulted her personal bodyguard. According to her, she’d never been that mortified in her life.
She demanded that I not only apologize to her but also to him.
I told her no such thing would happen. And if she planned to hold her breath until I did, I’d get started on her funeral arrangements.
As you can guess, she didn’t appreciate it. ”
I snorted. “Yeah, I bet she didn’t. What else did she say?”
“She said that I had no right to hurt Lex, that’s his name. And that she needed to meet with me. That was the whole reason she approached me in the first place. I asked about what, but she refused to talk about it over the phone. She’s demanding I come to her house for dinner Friday night.”
“You told her no,” I stated.
Danae gave me a beseeching look. “I did, but then she pulled her ace out of the hole. God, I hate her and how she knows exactly how to manipulate me to get me to do what she wants. I told her no. But then she said that if I come, she’ll give me some of Dad’s personal belongings.
She refuses to say what she has. If I don’t, she’ll have them thrown away. ”
“Do you believe she truly has anything of his stuff?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But, Heath, I have to go.
I can’t risk that she does, and they get thrown away.
When Dad died, Mom boxed up his belongings.
When she married Huston, she got rid of a bunch of things without telling us.
When Haris and I found out, we were pissed.
We asked if she had anything else of his.
She doled items out, but we never knew if we got them all.
She uses it to control me, but I can’t let her destroy anything that is left of him. ”
Tears made her eyes glisten. I pulled her back into my arms. I rocked her from side to side.
“Danae, baby, I get it. But I don’t want you in that house alone with them. They could do God knows what to you.”
“I knew you’d say that, so I told her I’d be there. But I said nothing about bringing a guest. She needs to be reminded that she doesn’t control everything or everyone. I hate to do it to you, but would you be my date to enter the den of the wicked bitch of the east?”
Despite the levity of the situation, I threw back my head and laughed. She joined me. When we were done laughing, I answered her.
“I would love to meet the bitch. What time? And what should I wear? And how many guns should I bring?”