Chapter 7
Quentin
Two minutes until I called Julia Russell to offer her the job.
Two minutes to second-guess a decision I'd already made.
Stone had laid two folders on my desk that morning. Background checks, complete and thorough.
Julia Russell. Lori Johnson.
"Can't say there's anything wrong with either," Stone had said. "But you should go with Lori."
"Why?"
"Because you want to hire Julia for the wrong reasons."
He wasn't wrong. But he also wasn't right.
"I'll be working closely with my assistant for long hours," I'd told him. "There has to be chemistry or I'll get annoyed. Annoyed people make mistakes."
"Chemistry." Stone had given me a look. "That what we're calling it now?"
"Professional chemistry."
"Sure. And I'm the Pope."
But he'd also admitted he couldn't give me a concrete reason NOT to hire Julia. Her background was clean. References checked out. Experience solid.
The only red flag was my attraction to her.
Which wasn't actually a red flag in the business sense. Just a personal complication.
I could handle personal complications.
Two p.m.
I called.
She answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Julia, it's Quentin Vanetti."
"Mr. Vanetti." Her voice warmed. "Right on time."
"I try to be punctual. Do you have a few minutes?"
"I have as long as you need."
Something about the way she said it made my pulse quicken.
Professional. Keep it professional.
"I'll get straight to the point. I'd like to offer you the executive assistant position at Vitality Ventures."
Silence. Then: "Really?"
"You sound surprised."
"I—no. I mean, I'm thrilled. Thank you." A pause. "I won't let you down."
"I know you won't." And I did know. Whatever else Julia Russell might be, she was capable. Intelligent. Driven. "When can you start?"
"Whenever you need me."
Dangerous phrasing.
"Monday work for you?" I asked.
"Monday's perfect."
"Good. Barbara will be here for one more week to train you, then she's off to Maui. Think you can learn everything in that time frame?"
"I'm a fast learner."
I smiled despite myself. "I remember. The horse story was very... educational."
"Was that a test?"
"Everything's a test, Julia. You should know that by now."
"Then I hope I passed."
"You did. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Another pause. Comfortable. The kind that happens when two people are smiling at each other even though they can't see it.
"There is one thing," I said.
"What's that?"
"Stone will need you to come in Friday for a polygraph. Standard procedure for this level of access."
The silence this time was different. Heavier.
"A polygraph," she repeated.
"Problem?"
"No. Of course not. Friday works."
But something in her voice had shifted. Careful. Controlled.
"Julia?"
"Yes?"
"You're not worried about the polygraph, are you?"
"Should I be?"
"Only if you've been lying to me."
"I haven't lied to you, Quentin."
The way she said my name did things to my composure.
"Good," I managed. "Then we'll see you Friday at 10 am for the polygraph. And Monday morning, 8 a.m. sharp, for your first day."
"I'll be there."
"Looking forward to it."
"Me too."
We said goodbye. I hung up.
Sat there for a moment, grinning like an idiot.
I'd hired her. She'd start Monday. One week of training with Barbara, then she'd be mine.
My assistant, I corrected. She'd be my assistant.
A knock at my door frame interrupted my thoughts. Stone stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"She said yes," I told him.
"I figured." Stone stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "We need to talk."
The good feeling evaporated.
"About Julia?"
"About the situation." Stone moved to the window, checking the street below out of habit. "Big Sal Russo's murder is still unsolved. The family's got to be looking for answers. Looking for revenge."
"You think I'm a target."
"I think you’re Carlo Russo's business rival. And I think if the Russos decide you're guilty, they're not going to wait for a trial." He turned to face me. "They'll send someone."
"You think they already have." I kept my voice level.
Stone's silence was answer enough.
"Julia," I said.
"She's from New York. She's got the skills. She showed up right after Big Sal died." Stone ticked off points on his fingers. "The timing is too perfect."
"Or she's exactly who she says she is—someone who moved here for a fresh start."
"In what world does a qualified executive assistant with New York experience randomly decide to move to Salt Lake City and work for a guy she's never heard of?" Stone's sharp voice echoed his frustration.
“She told us about her breakup… or did you forget? In light of that, it makes perfect sense. You’re being paranoid.”
His lips thinned. “If you’ll recall, my paranoia has saved your life more than once.”
He was right. "So, what do you want me to do? Rescind the job offer?"
"No. Keep her close. If she is a threat, better to know where she is and what she's doing.
" Stone pulled out his phone. "But we increase security immediately.
I'm putting someone on your residence. Forrest will monitor her communications.
And we run deep background—the kind that goes beyond official records. "
"You already ran background."
"I ran standard background. Now we dig deeper. Friends, family, financial records, travel history. If there's a connection to the Russos, I'll find it."
I nodded slowly. "What else?"
"You stay away from her outside of work. No dinners, no drinks, no personal involvement of any kind."
Too late for that. The memory of her eyes, her smile, the way she'd challenged me during the interview—I was already involved. But Stone didn't need to know that.
"Agreed," I lied.
"I'm serious, Quentin. If she's here to take you out, getting close to her is exactly what she wants. Don't make it easy."
"I won't."
Stone studied me for a long moment. "You're attracted to her."
"She's an attractive woman. I'm not blind."
"That's not what I meant." His voice softened slightly. "I've known you a long time. I've seen you around attractive women. This is different. You're interested. Really interested."
"It doesn't matter."
"It does if it clouds your judgment."
"My judgment is fine." I stood, needing to move, to do something with the restless energy coursing through me. "I hired her because she's qualified. Because Barbara vouched for her skills. Because we need someone who can handle the workload."
"And because you want to see her every day."
I didn't answer. Couldn't.
"Just be careful," Stone said, his tone mild. "Please. For once in your life, be careful."
"I'm always careful."
"No, you're always calculating. There's a difference." He headed for the door, then paused. "I'm going to reach out to some contacts in New York. See what I can learn about the Russo family's current state. If they're planning something, someone will know."
"Keep it quiet. I don't want Carlo Russo thinking I'm investigating him."
"Carlo Russo should be worried about what you're thinking." Stone's smile was cold. "You're the one with the new employee who might be his assassin."
After he left, I stood at the window, looking down at the street below.
Somewhere in this city, Julia Russell—or whoever she really was—was going about her day. Packing, maybe. Preparing to start her new life. Her new job.
With me.
Was Stone right? Was she here to kill me?
Or was I so starved for something real, something beyond the constant calculations and strategic moves, that I was willing to risk everything for a woman I barely knew?
My intercom buzzed.
"Mr. Vanetti, Forrest is here to see you."
"Send him in."
Forrest entered, laptop under his arm, expression troubled. "Stone asked me to run enhanced security protocols. Deep background checks. Communication monitoring."
"On Julia Russell."
"On Julia Russell." He set his laptop on my desk, opened it. "I'll need access to her personnel file. Social security number, references, everything we have."
"You'll have it." I paused. "Forrest? What do you think? Gut instinct."
He considered the question. "I think Stone's right to be cautious. The timing is suspicious. But I also think..." He trailed off.
"What?"
"I think if someone wanted you dead, you'd be dead already.
Whoever this woman is, if she's a professional, she's had access to your schedule, your routines, your vulnerabilities.
She interviewed with you alone. She'll be working in your office.
If killing you was the goal, she wouldn't need the job to do it. "
"So what's she after?"
"Information, maybe. Proof of something. Access to your business operations." Forrest's fingers flew over his keyboard. "Or maybe she really is just a qualified assistant who needed a job."
"You don't believe that."
"No," he admitted. "But I'm a cynic. Comes with the territory."
He left with a promise to have preliminary results by end of day.
I returned to the window.
Friday, Julia would come in for her polygraph. Stone would ask her questions, Forrest would monitor her responses, and I would watch, wondering if I was hiring an assistant or inviting a killer into my life.
The smart play was to walk away. Rescind the offer. Tell her I'd changed my mind.
But I'd never been good at the smart play when something interesting was on the table.
And Julia Russell was like a breath of fresh air.
Even if she might be the death of me.
Especially then.
My phone buzzed. Text from Stone: Reid Bauer is in town. Has intel from NY. Meeting him at Tiki Tabu 8 p.m. You should be there.
I texted back: I'll be there.
Reid Bauer. I hadn't seen him in years, but if Stone was bringing him in, the situation was serious. Reid had connections throughout the East Coast—the kind of connections that knew things before they happened.
If the Russos were making a move, Reid would know about it.
I glanced at the clock. Five hours until the meeting.
Five hours to wonder what I was walking into.