Risky Business Read online

  I’m wondering if Jax getting out tonight is the best idea. The twins have come uncomfortably close to getting into it twice before, but this time — with all that’s happened and everyone on edge — it seems almost guaranteed that this will be the day punches finally get thrown. “Or… perhaps he spends the night there to cool down,” I suggest.

  Jude grunts. “Might be best for all of us. I’d like to kick his ass for adding to this goddamn mess.”

  “Trigg said they were in pursuit of Brandt’s car,” I remind him.

  Jude draws a long breath in through his nose and tips his head to the ceiling like he’s asking the heavens for patience. “Right. Yep. But Trigg didn’t wind up in jail, did he?”

  “We don’t know the whole story,” I counter. It’s been a long time since Jax did something unwarranted.

  His skyward glare intensifies for a moment, but then his lips twitch, and that conviction falters. “I’ll make a decision after I go down there to see him.”

  “Okay, next order of business. The SEC—”

  “Fuck those guys,” Jude growls. “They should have called a regulatory halt on the stock. But they let us go down the goddamn toilet bowl until the market closed. Fuck them. Fuck all of them.”

  I know he needs to get his steam out, but the day has taken its toll on me, too. It’s taking every clenched muscle in my body to restrain the urge to kick chairs and throw shit, myself. I’ve never had things spin out of control so fast in all my life. I’m trying my hardest to keep it together for the employees, but Jude’s testosterone fueled rantings are eating away at my composure.

  Pausing to draw in a calming breath first, I share the latest with Jude. “They’ve announced they’ll be suspending trading on our security while these investigations are cleared up.”

  “Well, how fucking nice. Where the fuck were they earlier, huh?” Jude’s volume is rising, and his whole body is tensed as he bellows, pointing at me like I’m the guilty party.

  That’s it. I can’t take it anymore. I step into his space, even though Jude broadens his body to accept the challenge as soon as I move forward. I raise my own finger to his chest. “You need to reign in your shit right now. I cannot be the only one to hold it together, understood? Now, are you our goddamn leader, or are you a fucking pussy who can’t handle the mission?”

  He towers over me, his arms bowed as though he’s seconds away from reaching out to snap me in half. But I can see it in his eyes — I’ve finally gotten through. We need Major Jude Turner, not a man-sized child throwing a continuous angry tantrum.

  “Fuck!” he spits, but he turns away from me, standing down from our confrontation, and I know the expletive isn’t just another comment on the day’s affairs. He’s pissed at himself but finally pulling his shit together.

  Jude whips off his suit coat and throws it on to his desk. “Okay, so what else? We got the signal, Blue Jay, but has anyone actually spoken with Emma?”

  “Not yet, but Desmond probably has her locked down.”

  He nods. “And if I know him, he’s asked her to hold off from contacting us in the middle of this shitstorm. No doubt, they’ve seen what’s happening, since it’s all over the news.”

  “No doubt,” I echo.

  “I’d still like to talk to her. Just to hear with my own ears that she’s okay.” He lets out a big sigh and closes his eyes. “But we need to make an announcement.”

  “Yes, we do,” I concur. As much as I want to talk to Emma, too, we have an office full of employees looking for guidance, reassurance. “Everyone out there is waiting on us to say something. I don’t think a single person has gone home, even though it’s an hour past close of business.”

  Jude straightens, a calmness returning to his expression as he slides back into the role he knows so well. “Right. Let’s do this. Gather everyone into the main foyer.”

  7

  Emma

  I hate that nothing seems wrong.

  It makes me feel slightly crazy, to be in the midst of this madness, thrust into a maze of wicked games, yet the world is carrying on as if everything’s fine.

  The Eighth Street Park is as alive and cheerful as ever. I locate the designated bench — a spot not far from where Trigg and I stopped to stretch last week when we decided to drive out here for a change of pace during our morning runs. I remove my phone from my back pocket before sitting down and bring up my contacts list. Desmond had insisted I wait until we reached the park to try to call the guys again. BHC expects me to be at the park, so if they’re able to trace my location from the guys’ end somehow, it wouldn’t matter. The anticipation of hearing the guys’ voices has made the wait tolerable, but just barely.

  I tap my thumb over Jude’s name and hold the phone to my ear. Desmond is studiously pretending not to pay me any attention as he sits several benches down, perusing a tablet.

  Jude picks up on the second ring. “Emma! Are you safe?”

  That’s my man. Right to the point. My body sags with relief at the sound of his voice, and I have to sniff back tears. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  “Tell me who you’re with.” His voice is tense.

  The corner of my mouth twitches into a smile. Desmond told me this would be Jude’s question, and I’m tempted to pull his leg for a minute, but it’s not the right time. Not today.

  “I’m with Mr. Blue. Everything’s okay, really.”

  He expels a heavy breath, and his tone melts into a river of emotions. I can hear his voice nearly breaking as he replies, “Thank God. It’s so good to hear your voice. We got the text, but I was still worried. We all were.”

  “You really did hire the best,” I assure him. Knowing who to look for now, my eyes scan the park, picking up several more members of the security team going about seemingly daily affairs. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m in good hands.”

  “Good fucking luck getting me not to worry,” he says. “I can’t stop thinking about you. We’re going to get out of this mess, I promise.”

  The strain in his voice pulls at my heart. I close my eyes for a second, imagining him here with me. I want nothing more than to slide my hands around his back and have him wrap his arms around me and press me against his chest. “How are you guys holding up? I’ve been watching the news.”

  There’s a short grunt before Jude responds, “We’re handling it. It’s a bit of a clusterfuck right now, but we’re wading through it. We’ll figure this shit out.”

  I can’t help but laugh through the tears lingering in my eyes. “As articulate as ever, Mr. Turner.”

  He chuckles for a second as well, and it sounds like music to my ears. “What can I say? My charm classes are really paying off.”

  I hear Daniel’s voice in the background, his tone all business. “Oh! Tell Daniel I say hi and that I miss him. Tell all the guys, please? I tried to call Jax earlier, but he didn’t answer. I figured he was tied up — I’m sure you’ve all been swamped today. Just let them know, okay?”

  He hesitates long enough that my stomach stirs with unease. “I will. You stay safe, understand me? I know you probably hate being holed up like that, but it won’t be long. I have guys sweeping the apartment building right now, but they’re going to cover every inch from the ground floor up, so it’s going to take some time.”

  “What about things at the office? I just can’t even imagine the mess you’re dealing with.”

  “We’re managing. Just hang tight. Desmond will bring you home as soon as we give him the all clear.”

  I want to tell him that I’m taking care of things. That this will all be over soon. I want to tell him about everything — my crazy trip through the city and masquerading as a celebrity and about the phone call from Jeremy and this meeting. It all wants to spill out of me so badly that I have to bite into my lip. I need to be strong. He has enough to deal with.

  Daniel calls for him on the other end of the line, and I know I need to let Jude go so he can continue running mission control. I swallow ba
ck the long, sordid story of my day and say the most reassuring words I can.

  “I’m okay right now,” I promise. “And I know this will all get worked out soon.”

  “It will,” Jude agrees. “We’ll make sure of it.”

  I choke on my attempt to get out a goodbye as tears spring to my eyes and a lump lodges in my throat. I’m not ready to let go yet. I want to tell him I love him. Just in case. But I don’t want to worry him. Jude and I have expressed our feelings in a thousand different ways, but never in words. He would know something is off.

  “I’ll see you soon?” I manage to say.

  “Yes.” He says confidently, then his voice falters. “And Emma, I… I want you to know…” The line goes silent for a moment before Jude’s voice comes back, quieter this time. “I can’t wait to see you. Stay safe.”

  The call ends, and all I’m left with is a list of my contacts. I stare at the names of the guys, wishing I – and they – had time to talk longer. I switch to my main screen to check the time and sit bolt upright in surprise. It seemed like such a short phone call, but somehow, I stayed on longer than I’d expected. BHC should be here any second. I look up, wiping away the moisture at the corners of my eyes as I search the walking paths for — ah, yes — Jackass.

  A shudder runs through me as I narrow in on the man I once believed I loved, who is now the revulsion of my life. Any warmth I was infused with during my conversation with Jude drains out of me as Jeremy approaches.

  He’s not alone, as expected. He’s got a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and he’s walking next to a woman I met early on, back when I thought BHC was still just another impressive offer on the table. Although I can’t hear them yet, Jackass is chatting rapidly, and she appears to be completely ignoring him. The woman has an icy demeanor as she strides forward, her face the picture of disinterest.

  My stomach does an unpleasant flip-flop, and I try not to fidget as they veer off the main path and aim toward the little circle of concrete bench I’m perched on. The woman stops several feet away and crosses her arms as though she’s already bored. She says nothing, her eyes sweeping over me coolly, not a hint of kindness in her expression. But Jeremy comes right up to me, sets the bag down at his feet, and flops onto the park bench, an arm around the back and a lopsided smirk on his face like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  I start the conversation. “Hello, asshole.”

  Jeremy’s smile is condescending. “Hi, Emma. Miss me?”

  “I’d have to care about you to miss you. So, fuck no.”

  “Well, I sure have missed you,” he says, that damned smirk on his face. He taps a finger to his temple. “Especially that mind of yours.”

  “I bet,” I say bitterly, and a million insults run through my mind about how he has to steal other people’s accomplishments, but his eyes are running across my body, and I stiffen to hold in a shiver of disgust.

  “Although, you know, I remember the rest of you was pretty nice, too,” he says, leering at me.

  I swallow back the bile in my throat and ignore his comment. “It doesn’t surprise me that you’ve latched onto a company like BHC.”

  “Actually, honey, they recruited me.” He adjusts his tie and smiles like I’m supposed to be impressed.

  “I guess they wanted all the bad apples in one basket.”

  Jeremy opens his mouth to respond, but the Ice Queen steps forward and cuts him off. “I assume you’re ready to cooperate?”

  “Yes.” My answer is swift, and it makes Jeremy cock his head like a spaniel.

  He smirks with a shrug. “What? All the fight gone? I’m a little disappointed, Emma. I expected more piss and vinegar from you.”

  I fixate all my anger on him. “The only reason I’m meeting with you is to end this. You can have the damn code. Just leave us alone. Call it off — all of it.”

  A smile forms on Ice Queen’s lips, and it’s just as cold as her eyes. “That’s a sweet notion. But I don’t think you understand the position you’re in. You have no bargaining chips left. None. We want the code, and you will give it to us.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.” I dig into my pocket and remove a thick hair tie with a decorative metal clasp. “You’ve made it very clear you have no ethics. I don’t want any part of this anymore. Just take it and go.”

  Ice Queen’s smile widens with the first glimmer of actual emotion I’ve seen. She leans forward, peering at the hair tie as I hold it out to her. She examines it closely then lets out an amused laugh as she straightens up. “That is one of the more clever disguises I’ve seen for a microcard, I’ll give you that. But don’t embarrass yourself. Put it away.”

  I withdraw my hand, confused. Perhaps she doesn’t want to be seen accepting anything from me in a public setting, even something as innocuous as a hair accessory. “Fine, I’ll put it here on the bench for you. Or drop it on the ground as I go, or send it by carrier pigeon, I don’t care, whatever. It’s yours, just leave us alone.”

  “Ah, Emma,” she says. “I do appreciate your eagerness. But your cooperation is a little tardy, unfortunately.”

  My mouth goes dry, and my stomach twists. The security team was right. They aren’t going to make this easy.

  The Ice Queen continues, taking charge of the conversation. “Your indecision has strung this out long enough that your program has unfortunately become quite a hot topic in the tech world. If you’d accepted our offer even a few weeks ago, all of this could have gone away, but I’m afraid it’s no longer as simple as all that, my dear girl.”

  I cross my arms over my chest, doing my best to project more strength than I feel. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to sit tight and finish the program. Your... close proximity with Pentabyte has also become well known. Of course, few companies realize just how cozy you’ve become with their competition, but it’s widely assumed you’ll be selling to them.”

  As she talks, my mind is trying to race ahead, to figure out where she’s going with this. I shift my eyes to glance at Jeremy. The glee in his expression gives me chills.

  “We’ll have to undo the damage you’ve caused with your little games,” he tells me.

  My games? It takes everything I have not to ball my hands up into fists and scream the words at him. Instead, I turn back to the Ice Queen, because at least her expression is cold and impersonal.

  “You’ve created a problem for us with your ties to Pentabyte,” she informs me. “We can no longer just accept your program without raising suspicions. Instead, it will need to appear that we’ve acquired your software through more traditional means.”

  I bark out a bite of surprised laughter. “That’s rich. You’re suddenly concerned about your public image? For real? You’re worried about looking like the shady company you are?”

  Her expression hardens as she responds, even and cold. “No one gives two fucks about a home being burglarized, or an identity being stolen, or a few hundred dollars missing from a bank account. It happens all the time. It’s petty. It’s not even news. And it’s certainly not linked to us. Do you really believe we’re so careless as to have any association with such affairs? As far as our clients and the industry is concerned, BHC is a sterling example of a socially conscious company.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I grimace to get the words out. “You’re a guiding beacon of pristine white light.”

  The Ice Queen ignores my jab, her gaze lifting to watch the passerby’s in the park as if she’s already bored of this conversation. “We’ll see how things progress in the next few weeks. Our public relations team will begin working on press releases and media teasers. The wooing of Miss Emma Collins—” she waves her hand as though announcing me to the world, “—the next brainchild of BHC Incorporated.”

  I grit my teeth, hating every word coming out of her mouth. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Just stop all this. The stock crash, the SEC, the IRS. All of it.”

  “Emma, be serious,” the Ice Queen purrs, �
�even if BHC were to have engaged in such devious tactics, you know how government agencies are. Slow. Archaic. It takes practically an eternity for them to change course.”

  I glare at her, the anger inside me threatening to boil over.

  “Besides,” she continues, “it’s just so very convenient to have the board of Pentabyte crippled right now. It would make perfect sense that their star recruit abandons them at a time like this, now wouldn’t it?”

  Fury burns in my chest at the suggestion of having me publicly denounce Pentabyte, to humiliate and abandon my men. No fucking way. “They’re off-limits, do you understand? I’ll do whatever you want, just leave them out of it.”

  Jeremy lets loose a loud chuckle. “You are so adorable.” He turns to the Ice Queen. “Didn’t I tell you she was cute? All righteous indignation and moral outrage.”

  “You excel at constantly reminding me of how much I hate you,” I snarl.

  He gives me an arrogant smile. “There’s a fine line between love and hate, Emma.” He leans toward me. “Tell me, what’s it like, sleeping with the entire board of Pentabyte? Is it just one big sloppy pile? Or do they, like, take turns? You know, one has Friday night, another gets to tap that ass on Saturday, and so on?”

  My nose flares with rage. I really want to smash my fist into his face. I want to make him bleed. If I can’t do it literally, then I’ll hit him where it really hurts — his ego and his manhood. I punch back with words, picking the one thing Jeremy always begged for in bed, but rarely got from me.

  “Actually, it’s mostly round-the-clock blow jobs. That’s why the code isn’t finished,” I shrug nonchalantly. “I’m just too busy sucking cock. And, you know, after dealing with your pencil dick, I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally have a really big cock in my mouth. One after another. It’s just so good, mmm.” I lick my lips and make a dreamy expression. “I can’t wait to get down on my knees as soon as they walk in the door — anything to please them.”