Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hawk pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic.
The day had gone by at such a painfully slow pace, Hawk thought the clock was turning backward.
Watching Alex and not seeing her smile, not one hint of what they shared.
It cut like no knife ever had.
“I had an interesting conversation with Floyd today,” Alex said from the passenger seat.
“Oh?”
“He said that Ashraf Bakshai was disappointed that I didn’t go to his little party in Dubai.”
The mention of the man’s name had Hawk gripping the steering wheel hard. “What party in Dubai?”
“I told you about the invitation.”
“I would have remembered that detail.”
Alex looked straight forward. “If I didn’t, I meant to. Anyway, when Bakshai came to the office, he invited me to Dubai.”
Hawk could only imagine what would have been waiting for her if she had gone. The guy was a sleaze.
“Floyd said the son told him about Daddy’s hurt ego. The whole conversation felt off.”
“You think?” Hawk asked sarcastically.
“I did what you suggested.”
Hawk looked over. “What was that?”
“I watched Floyd’s body language. Asked questions so fast, he didn’t have time to think of his answers. Most of which I’m sure were lies. I told Floyd that I had no intention of taking Ashraf up on any invitations. Floyd was adamant that I try and keep in good standing with the man.”
“Why?”
“Exactly what I asked. ‘Why is this important to you?’ He went on about how my father kept in contact with him. They’re influential people, yadda, yadda.
I blew Floyd off. I told him I had no desire to deal with people who had to go through my VP to voice their feelings about my lack of appearance.
Floyd looked like he wanted to throw up. ”
“Did these people call him?”
“I think so. Floyd told me he was playing golf with Nasser. On a corporate country club membership. Which I can easily check to see if Floyd was lying. I’d bet a hundred bucks he wasn’t anywhere near a golf course last week.”
Hawk tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, not happy with where this was going.
“I told Floyd that I had no intention of seeing the Bakshais again. And then suggested Floyd tell them that ... or not, it was up to him.”
Hawk couldn’t help but think Alex was poking a sleeping bear.
Alex twisted in her seat and looked directly at him.
“Then Floyd asked why.”
Hawk glanced at her. “What did you say?”
“I said, ‘I think you know.’” Alex grinned.
“Fuck.”
“And Floyd looked like he’d seen a ghost. All the color washed out of his face.”
“God dammit, Alex. I should have been in that room.”
“He wouldn’t have brought any of this up if you were.” She turned back to staring out the windshield.
“These are dangerous people. Ashraf wants to get you alone.”
“I see that.”
“Don’t let him.”
Alex turned her head his way. “Of course not.”
“What does Floyd think you know?” Hawk asked.
“I have no idea. But there is something.”
Hawk wanted to be mad at her for talking about these people without him there to witness it.
Then there was the other part of him. The part that put a smile on his face.
“Floyd is scared of these people,” Hawk said. “Why? And was your father afraid, too?”
“It’s hard to picture, but maybe. Piper might be able to shed light on that.”
Hawk smiled. “Well played, Alex. You caught him in a lie you can prove. Determined that Floyd is afraid of this guy and determined there is some kind of secret being kept.”
“Do you think this has anything to do with the money? The bomb threat? The fake passports?”
Hawk pulled onto the freeway. “The fact we have so many choices of what Bakshai could be behind is disturbing.”
“I can’t help but think everything is linked,” Alex said.
“Feels that way.”
They were quiet for a few moments.
“Everyone in the office is asking about you. I told Dee that I’ve been threatened, and that’s why you’re there. I didn’t mention the Play-Doh bomb connection.”
“The bomb threat is far enough back that the office staff probably won’t put two and two together. Eventually, my presence will go unnoticed.”
“Like the Secret Service?”
For a moment, Alex’s playful tone made Hawk forget about their discourse. “Without the sunglasses,” he said with a smirk.
“Well, we know more today than we did yesterday,” she said with a small smile.
“And have five more questions.”
Alex released a long-suffering sigh as she rubbed her temples.
“Headache?”
She lowered her hands to her lap. “I’m fine.”
Two words that were the kiss of death.
Chase stood beside Jack Morrison, his now stepbrother, with a drink in his hand and a smile on his face.
Together, they looked over the hundreds of guests filling the reception. Chase held a whiskey. Jack had a beer.
“My dad is talking about retiring,” Jack told him. “Said he’s done what needed to be done and that it’s my turn.”
Chase glanced over. “How do you feel about that?”
“The truth?”
“Yeah.”
“Overwhelmed. I know the business. Know he’ll be there for questions. But to be the boss?” Jack shook his head. “Makes me completely responsible for a whole lot of people.”
Chase brought the liquor to his lips. “People on the outside think it’s all jets and mansions. It’s not.”
“No.”
“You’re more equipped to take over the company than we were. Your employees are lucky,” he said.
“You and Alex have adapted.”
Chase didn’t want to bring business into the wedding, but since Jack had opened the door, he might as well walk through it.
Chase nodded away from the crowd. “There’s something I should tell you.”
Once they were far enough away from being overheard, Chase gave Jack the short version of their concerns. “In addition to the contents of the safes, this Ashraf Bakshai guy is borderline stalking Alex. And Floyd seems to have a stake in Alex and Bakshai becoming chummy.”
“If it’s business, why Alex? Why not talk to you?”
Chase shook his head. “I think we both know the answer to that question. Alex was one of the only women at his ‘executives and their mistresses’ party. Men like Bakshai are used to women falling in line.” Just saying those words put acid in the back of Chase’s throat.
“Women and your VP Floyd Gatlin.”
“Alex set Floyd straight. Should Bakshai not take kindly to that, our guess is we haven’t heard the last of him.”
“I can do some digging.”
Chase smiled. “I hate to ask.”
Jack just stared. “We’re family. You have a problem? I have a problem.”
“I’d appreciate it. Hawk is searching through his police and investigator angle.”
“Good, good. About Hawk ... he and Alex?” Jack left his question open-ended.
“You saw that?”
“Saw it? I felt it. It’s like when I’ve done something to upset Jessie and she tries to ignore me,” Jack said. “And that kind of tension is only tolerated when two people are passionate about other things.”
“Trust me. We’re all aware. Something happened in Colorado that neither of them are talking about.”
Jack patted Chase on the back. “That’s the funny thing about love. You can’t stay mad forever.”
Chase turned back toward the guests that mingled several yards away.
Hawk stood on one side of the room.
Alex on the other.
Was this love? Certainly attraction.
Anything short of love on either of their parts, and Hawk would likely have pushed off his bodyguard duty to a colleague, and Alex would have fired him. Instead they continued to tolerate each other.
“Interesting perspective,” Chase mused.