5. Lexi
5
Lexi
“ P eter wants me to take you straight to his office,” the driver who picked me up this morning says.
Last night was a blur. Lena offered whiskey to help, but I refused—I needed all my wits about me. The unfinished puzzle on the table, usually my go-to sleep remedy, had little appeal. My mind craved stillness. Every detail of last night’s conversation played on repeat, waiting to be deciphered when I had more information.
I kept peeping out the window to check if Gabriel’s team was there, but then I decided to trust them. Lena and I were both exhausted from the car ordeal. She unwound with music and a nightcap while I crashed into bed immediately.
The other big surprise hit me when I got home—a microphone nestled on my dress zipper like a tiny mechanical spider. Anyone in the crowd, or Gabriel’s team, could’ve planted it. I showed it to Lena and told her to keep quiet, but she could’ve already let something slip while we were in her car.
Finding the bug on my dress was infuriating. I probably would’ve ripped it to shreds if it were not for the car chase. But Lena stopped me, snapped a picture, and dove headfirst into Google. It was a short-range microphone with GPS—the kind that requires close proximity for eavesdropping. The culprit was clear, since Gabriel’s team was the only one near me. I’ll return this little gift to its sender as soon as Peter tells me where to find Mr. Gabriel Ross—if he doesn’t find me first.
Peter’s driver has been picking me up every morning since the threats started. They’re not exactly death threats, but they’re menacing enough to keep me on edge. The messages—boldly printed on A4 sheets—were chillingly direct: “ Leave this city, or you’ll regret it ,” “ Stop digging where you don’t belong ,” “ Disappear, or we’ll make you disappear ,” and the more concise, “ Stay the fuck out .”
The worst part? I don’t know what I’m supposed to stay out of. Something I did recently, maybe as part of my investigation, has struck a nerve, but whose?
Peter is more concerned than I am, especially since the letters got sent to his company’s offices. His jaw tightens every time he talks about it, promising to sort this out. But until then, I feel like I’m walking on a knife’s edge, not knowing who’s watching or when they’ll strike. All I know is that someone powerful wants me gone, and they’re getting desperate.
“Lexi, you’re not supposed to leave without me. Peter’s orders,” the driver says as he pulls over in the underground parking of Grain Inc., the company run by Peter Maier.
A polished sports car I’ve never seen before sits smugly in a visitor spot. It doesn’t look like the one that hit me and Dad, but it’s sleek and chiseled. I’ve learned a lot about sports cars since I started my investigation to find the culprit who ruined my life and caused Dad so much pain.
I quickly check my lips on the phone’s camera. Thank God for lipstick! It helps camouflage the scar most of the time. Unfortunately, some people in the office have noticed it, especially after I drink water or coffee. I have a go-to excuse, the bike accident story, which usually works .
We take the elevator up to the seventh floor, where Peter’s office is. It’s almost nine, but I can barely keep my eyes open. Usually, I’d go to my office on the fifth and bury my nose in my computer, surrounded by my Excel tables, graphs, and databases. Numbers are my thing, and I thought I’d make a career out of them. I was a math student when the tragedy happened. Now, I’m just another cog in the corporate machine, a bookkeeper pushing paper in finance. Few people know my secret, but creepy letters keep coming, threats to shut me down before I find out something I shouldn’t. That’s all I know for now.
“Hey, Lexi,” Peter’s assistant Susanah greets me, and I detect a hint of urgency in her voice. “They’re waiting for you. Peter asked that you join them in the small meeting room next to his office.”
They’re waiting for me? Peter probably wants to talk about last night. Did Lucas come, too? He hasn’t called yet, but he’s not a morning person anyway, and he’s probably super hungover still. I wonder how much he remembers about last night. I look at her before entering the meeting room and point to my lips. “Does it look okay?”
Susanah scans me, her eyes narrowing for a beat. “You’re fine. It’s all covered. Go in, and good luck.”
I inhale deeply, trying to steady my racing heart. Gabriel. Will I see him today? The mere thought sends a surge of anticipation coursing through me. I close my eyes for a second and conjure his image. Those amazing dark brown eyes with flecks of chocolate and caramel. And how sexy he looked in his tux, with his dark, shiny hair.
If anyone heard that, they’d think I’ve fallen for him. And that’s not something I can afford right now. Snap out of it, Lexi.
I open the door and walk into the conference room, where a wave of deep, masculine laughter washes over me. It’s not Peter. It’s Gabriel, just as I remember him. And he’s alone, talking on his phone, pacing around the room .
“Let me call you back, okay? I need to go to a meeting now. Thanks.” He hangs up and slips the phone into the pocket of his elegant navy jacket.
I forgot how tall he was. With an impeccably tailored jacket that hugs his muscles like a second skin, an expensive watch flashing on his wrist, full lips on a strong jawline, and stubble adding a touch of sexy roughness, the whole combo is ridiculously good-looking.
“I think I have the wrong room. I’m looking for Peter. Do you know where he is?” How is this man constantly on my tail? He already knows way too much about me, thanks to that damn mic and whatever else Peter spilled. While I know nothing about him. Except that he enjoys bossing people around. And yet, my body can’t resist his touch, even though he’s a stranger. A handsome stranger, but still…
“Please come in,” he replies. “You’re in the right room. We need to talk. Peter will join us in a minute.”
“What’s going on? Do you want to give me a lecture about last night? Is that why you’re here?” I say dryly, feeling a wall go up around me.
“And good morning to you, too. How did you sleep? You didn’t text me.”
The thought of me in bed, texting Gabriel, makes my cheeks flush hot.
“How did I sleep? It was fine. I felt safe, so thanks for sending Dean and the other guys.”
He attempts a smirk and a nod. What’s that supposed to mean? Is that arrogance I see? Mocking a woman that’s pissed at him is not a great idea. And I haven’t even told him why I’m so angry yet . I reach into my bag and pull out the tiny microphone.
“This belongs to you, right?” The mic lands on the table with a soft thud. I nudge it closer to him and press on before he can speak. “Why should I bother texting when you and Dean already knew my every move?”
He lifts the microphone, a flicker of amusement crossing his face as our eyes lock, then adds without hesitation, “An improv; we needed to adapt to circumstances.”
“But I didn’t adapt, and you had no right to invade my privacy without telling me.”
“There wasn’t any time.”
“The hell there wasn’t. You circled me like a hawk the entire night. You could’ve said something, like, I don’t know… Hey Lexi, we put a bug in for your safety. I freaked out when I found it. Anyone at the event could’ve planted it. Are there more?”
“I’m not sure, but I can check,” he says calmly, a smirk playing on his lips. The table in the middle has been our buffer zone. Fuming internally, I’ve kept it together so far, but couldn’t help but throw my bag on a chair when I took out the microphone earlier.
“What are you doing? Stay right there. I can hear you just fine from over here.” I panic, seeing him walking toward me.
“That may be. But how do you want me to search for bugs without touching you?”
If he says touch one more time, I won’t be able to stay mad at him. I saw what his presence could do to me.
I regroup quickly. “By the way, when did you plant it?” Throwing questions back seems to be the best way to keep him on the other side of the room.
“It was Dominic. When he, um… when you two talked.”
“You mean when he gave me that hug, right? You guys must’ve had a good laugh.”
“We never make fun of clients.”
“What clients? Who are we ? And why are you in my life right now? ”
As I say that, Peter walks in. “Lexi, I’m the one who called him. We need his help,” he says, walking up to the table with a grim expression and tossing the threatening letters I received, along with their envelopes.
“Gabriel, this is what we’re dealing with for now.”
Gabriel spreads the letters on the table as Peter walks past me and sits in the chair closest to the window. He gestures for me to have a seat as well. I clench my fists, resisting the urge to sit. It’s just a stupid feeling that standing will give me more control over this chaotic situation.
Peter is used to being listened to. He’s probably about sixty. He’s the type of person you can’t help but respect, but what I’ve always liked about him is his fairness. I’m uneasy around him, but something draws me in, even though I suspect his family has some skeletons in their closet.
Since I moved from his factory in my hometown to work at the company headquarters here in the port city, I’ve steered clear of confronting him. We’ve been working closely over the last few months on the secret project he brought me in for. That gave me access to a lot of confidential documents. I was making good progress until the letters started coming in, and Peter panicked. And now, of course, he’s forcing Gabriel into my life.
“Please sit down, Lexi, and let’s tell Gabriel the whole thing. You two know each other, right? From last night.”
The letters clatter to the table as Gabriel snaps his head up, locking eyes with me for a mere heartbeat. He shoots up from his chair, skirting the table swiftly, and comes to a halt two feet from me. The scent of his spicy citrus cologne hits me, and my heart goes wild again.
“Hi, I’m Gabriel Ross. We haven’t had a formal introduction. ”
Peter nods, motioning for me to introduce myself, too. A forced smile plasters my face as I extend a hand, shoving down the memory of Gabriel’s intrusive introduction from last night. He snatches it with one hand, the other snaking around my waist, pulling me against him. Surprised, I stumble slightly toward him. I feel his kiss land softly on my cheek, and the sensation of his nose grazing my hair sends a shiver of pleasure through my body.
It suddenly dawns on me I spent more time than usual choosing my outfit this morning. Black slacks and a cute, sheer pink top with long sleeves cinched at the wrist. Lena said this was one of the most head-turning outfits we’ve ever put together, combining my clothes and hers. The idea was to wear this around Lucas as part of my plan. A plan that never included Gabriel, who’s now checking me out from head to toe.
“Hi,” I whisper and sit down, scooting away from him. “We’ve already met. Through Dominic.”
“I hear you two had quite a night. Sorry about the inconvenience with Lucas. He hasn’t come in yet, but I’ll have a word with him,” Peter says apologetically.
The inconvenience is Gabriel. He’s the one meddling in my business with Lucas. But this is not the time or place to talk about it. Gabriel kicks back in a chair, sitting across from Peter and me. We’re looking right at each other. I can’t escape his piercing gaze, and I get uncomfortable.
He’s just a speed bump; I need to remember that. If I focus, I can get past him. But how on earth can I ignore him when I can’t stop thinking about how strikingly handsome he is? My eyes wander down his broad shoulders to his trim waist, admiring his perfect posture. And, of course, the perfect combo of jeans and a casually unbuttoned white shirt under the elegant navy jacket .
My gaze glides back up to his face, where my eyes meet his, staring back at me. I hate how much I’m drawn to his confidence and how naturally in charge he looks. He oozes strength through every pore, making me both safe and frustrated at the same time.
Gabriel ignores Peter’s apology about Lucas and keeps looking at me, his hand on the table like he wants to reach out. The threat letters stand between us.
“Are you okay? How did you sleep?” The little microphone has vanished from the table, and I’m sure it’s in one of his pockets. He’s hiding it from Peter. Oh, I see, Mr. Ross. You want to keep your invasion of my life between us. If he heard me say anything to Lena, he’s very good at hiding it, at least from Peter. I’ll find out later what he knows and what he’s up to.
“I got some sleep. Or at least, I tried to.”
“You didn’t text me as I asked.” What’s this obsession he has with texting him?
“I thought your guys were filling you in.” I won’t say anything about the microphone planted on my dress, not in front of Peter.
“Look, I just wanted to know how you were. It’s difficult, this stuff you’re going through. You’ll listen to me from now on when I ask you something, won’t you?”
I turn red again, this time around my neck and my cleavage . Shit . I hope it doesn’t show. I glance at Peter, and he nods. Okay then. I can play, too.
“Thanks for the help with Dean and the guys, by the way. I barely noticed them. Were they around this morning, too?”
“Yeah, they tailed you until you got here. It’s their job not to be seen. And from here on, I’m taking over.”
“Taking over what?” I lock eyes again with Peter, who gets up and comes over to my chair, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder .
“Look, Lexi, Gabriel is a highly skilled personal and corporate security expert. We’ve been business partners for some time. He’s the one who oversees security across all my businesses, including the shipping and cargo storage operations. He manages well over three hundred people, and that’s just the public side of his business.”
“And what about the not-so-public side?” I can’t help but ask. He sounds both impressive and intimidating. This man could solve my problem overnight. Not only the threats I’m getting but also the other, bigger problem, the one that brought me to this city, working for the Maiers: finding the car that hit me and my dad and then vanished into the night, leaving us bleeding to death on the road. But Gabriel belongs to this world; he is one of them. And that’s what makes it all very complicated.
“Is that beast parked outside yours?”
My question catches them off guard, and they go silent for a moment. Gabriel finally answers. “The car, you mean? Yes. Why do you ask?”
“You’re into sports cars, huh? Do you like to drive fast and all that?” I stare him in the eye. Besides a brief glimmer of surprise, he doesn’t flinch.
“Yes, sports cars are an old passion of mine. But I rarely drive them. I have enough adrenaline in my life, anyway. The car outside belongs to Dominic. I need to return it to him later. He left it at the Casino last night. He had some drinks and didn’t want to drive, so we took care of it.”
“But you’ve had your fair share of sports cars, right? Do you get a thrill from pushing the limits on an empty road? Empty road, foot on the gas—you know the feeling.”
“Yeah, I’ve done that too. Not anymore, though. How is this relevant to our conversation? ”
“I don’t get it either, Lexi,” Peter adds. “I know you’re a little nervous about this whole situation, but Gabriel won’t be driving fast when he’s with you. You’ll be safe.”
“What do you mean when he’s with me?”
“I thought you understood by now. I asked Gabriel to stay with you 24/7 until we figure out who’s behind the letters.”
My eyes widen as the news sinks in, and a wave of frustration washes over me, unsettling me to the core. What the hell am I going to do with this man in my life?