Hidden Threat (8 page)

Jason slammed the lid of the grill down and whirled on his brother. “Not going to happen, Matty,” he seethed.

“Excuse me?” Matthew said, his temperature beginning to rise. He took a deep breath to calm himself. They both didn’t need to lose it.

“I said, not going to happen. I will see whoever I like, whenever I like,” he ground out, advancing on his brother and getting in his face, “and neither you nor some half wit who thinks it’s fun to mess with people is going to have any say in my life!” With that, Jason spun around and stormed back into the house.

Matthew stood for several minutes trying to figure out what had happened. He’d expected some resistance from Jason, but not this; not the blow up he’d just witnessed. Jason had always been a bit of a ladies man, but nothing that ever last more than a few weeks. His brother was easily bored and moved on fairly quickly.

It was something they had in common; the difference being, Matthew rarely went to bed with any of the women he dated.

He’d clearly misjudged the situation with Lisa. His brother appeared to be much more attached to her than a simple roll in the hay. This didn’t change the situation though. It was still dangerous.

With a deep sigh, Matthew lifted the grill and flipped the hamburgers. Deciding his brother needed to cool off, he stayed outside until the meat was done cooking. Bringing the burgers into the kitchen, he laid them aside and went to find his brother.

Jason was in front of the TV watching the Jets and Giants game. His posture was too rigid to be relaxed. Matthew took a seat a few feet away from his brother.

“How long have you been seeing her?”

“About three months.” His eyes never left the screen.

Matthew had been right. Jason hadn’t dated a girl for more than a month. Ever.

Even in high school, he’d gone through women like a favorite shirt. He’d wear one out and get a new one. Hoping an apology would reopen the communication, Matthew said, “I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.” Jason didn’t respond other than to relax the set of his shoulders.

Matthew let his brother calm for a minute more before continuing the discussion.

“There’s still a danger though. You know that.”

Jason sat back and finally looked at his brother. “I know.” He sighed, raking a hand over his head. “That’s why we’ve kept it quiet.”

Matthew gave a little snort. “Kept it quiet? That’s why Cali Stanton figured it out her first week here.”

Jason grimaced. “That was…unfortunate.”

Matthew laughed. He didn’t know how else to respond. “Unfortunate? Is that what you call getting caught fooling around in the office with the boss’s assistant?”

A hard edge crept back into Jason’s voice. “Nothing happened, and you know it.”

“Do I? I’m beginning to wonder. The Jason I know changes women like they’re a pair of shoes.” He could see his brother’s defenses begin to rise again. “Obviously, this one’s different. But Jason, this is dangerous. What happens if whoever our mole is finds out, huh? What if you have to choose between her and the job?” 

Matthew sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “I want you to be happy, Jason. I do. But,” he paused before he asked, “is this really something you should be doing right now? With everything we have to deal with?” Matthew watched the emotions play out on Jason’s face before he finally answered. 

“I don’t know, man.” He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He looked his brother right in the eye. “But I won’t give her up.” 

After a minute, Matthew nodded his head and stood. “Are you hungry? The burgers are getting cold.”

The side of Jason’s mouth curled up into a smile. “Good, I’m starving.” 

***

Cali spent her Sunday afternoon enjoying what was left of the fall warmth by taking a dip in the pool. She loved to swim, and it had been forever. There really weren’t many occasions to swim in Africa, and the heated water felt wonderful on her skin.

She floated effortlessly on her back, enjoying the sun beating down on her when a sudden crash coming from only a few yards away caused her to jerk upright. Her eyes searched for the source of the noise, but didn’t find anything. Backing up against the opposite side of the pool, she held her arms out as if to protect herself from an unforeseen danger.

Just as she reached the side, she saw movement. Turning to look, she found herself staring at a big orange cat. He had what looked to be a piece of garden string in its mouth. Cali’s eyes followed the string back to the shed, the door standing open. Apparently, the gardener forgot to close it after leaving for the weekend. She’d have to talk to Jessie about that.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled herself up and out of the pool, wrapping a big towel around her waist and another around her hair. She picked up the book she’d been reading earlier, and she shuffled toward the house. Reaching for the patio door, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Holding her towel closer to her body, she quickly looked around but didn’t see anything; even the cat was gone. Convinced she was paranoid, she shook her head and went inside to grab a shower before dinner.

When Cali walked into the office on Monday morning, Lisa was already at her desk. The smile her assistant sported left Cali with no doubt as to Jason’s safe return. “Good Morning, Cali.”

“Morning. Did you have a good weekend?”

A slight blush tinted Lisa’s cheeks. “Yes, thank you.” She paused, changing her focus to some paperwork on her desk. “How was your weekend?” 

Now it was Cali that felt uncomfortable. “Good.” As she turned toward her office to make a quick retreat, she asked, “Did you have my schedule for today?” 

Glad for the change in subject for reasons of her own, Lisa answered, “Yes. Already on your desk.”

“Thanks,” Cali said as she disappeared behind her door.

Once safely inside her office, she walked to her desk and looked at her schedule.

There were only two meetings lined up for the day. First was a morning meeting with one of the board members, Nathan Reese. Cali remembered him from her teenage years. He was the board member closest to her age, but he was still pushing fifty. Nathan had taken over his father’s seat ten years ago after Jonathan Reese had suffered a stroke, leaving him in need of constant care. Nathan had always been pleasant to her, and she was looking forward to sitting down with him one-on-one today even if they did have business to discuss.

Lisa had been nice enough to compile a weekly agenda so she could prepare for things later in the week. Cali had no idea how she would do this if were not for her assistant. Everything she needed was either in front of her in a file or within easy reach on her computer.

Turning the page, a laugh escaped Cali’s lips as she noticed five menus to choose what she wanted for lunch. Apparently, Lisa didn’t expect her to eat out today.

She was probably right. Even on slow days, there were always things to do.

Since she had some time, she took a minute to make her lunch selection before reviewing the rest of her schedule. Cali’s eyes scanned the rest of her day to find out with whom her second meeting was with. All the air left her lungs as the words “Security Briefing” stared at her in bold black ink.

No. No, no, no, no, no. Not today. She couldn’t see him today. After Saturday, she couldn’t bear it.

The ride home in his car had been filled with tension. They hadn’t spoken. Not one word. When he’d dropped her off at her house, he’d unlocked the car doors and waited for her to exit. He was so still, she didn’t think he moved until she was through the front door. She had just tried to keep her eyes focused on getting inside and away from the strange energy between them. He’d appeared to be upset with her, but that didn’t make any sense. The car ride up was pleasant enough. It wasn’t until they reached the lake house that everything changed. He changed. As fast as she could, she’d unlocked her door and had closed it behind her. The bolt clicked shut, and seconds later she’d heard his car pull away.

How was she going to sit through a meeting with him? What would he say? Would he be the Matthew who had driven her up to see her father or the one who drove her back? 

The only hope she had for a reprieve was Jason. Maybe he would come with Matthew and act as a buffer.

***

At nine o’clock, Matthew picked up his phone to call Martinez. The fact that he’d forgotten to call his friend on Friday was still bothering him. He was getting sloppy, distracted, which proved his point about getting involved. And he wasn’t even involved with Cali Stanton; she was just his boss. All they had was a working relationship and that’s all they would ever have.

Matthew woke up this morning the same way he had since the day he’d met her.

It was getting ridiculous; he needed a release and soon. Jason’s style of clubbing and finding willing women to hookup for a night of fun was not his style, but he was almost to breaking point. Matthew was on edge more than he’d ever been before, and his temper was becoming a problem.

Chicago did not have a shortage of clubs with woman ready to relieve my urges for one night, but…Ugh! He was not thinking of doing this, was he? Letting his head fall back against his chair as he waited for Martinez to pick up the line, he closed his eyes. Forcing his mind to run though mathematical equations to calm himself, he began to relax.

The music on the line changed. It was a soft melody; one you would dance to and pull your lover close while breathing in the scent of her auburn hair. Matthew’s eyes popped open, and he almost threw the phone in frustration.
Why couldn’t he go one day without thinking about her?
he thought, slamming his hand down on the desk in frustration. One morning without waking up in a heated state, ready and willing to take her!

Matthew let out a frustrated sigh. He was so distracted, he hadn’t realized the music had stopped. “You okay?”

Martinez.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good,” Matthew said, running a hand over his face. “Please tell me you’ve got some news for me.”

“Well I’ve got news, but I don’t think you’re going to like it much.” This seemed to be the story of his life lately, but Martinez had his attention.

“What did you find?”

“Well, like I said, Nikki’s good, and she managed to clean the tape up quite a bit. I think maybe you should take a look at it and see if you can recognize anything.” Matthew waited.

“She couldn’t get a face; not that she didn’t try. And believe me, she’s not happy about it either.” He paused again, letting Matthew take in the information. “Man, someone tampered with the tape. You not only have a mole, but one on your security team. That is unless your security has holes in it, and knowing you, I doubt that.”

Could this get any worse? “Thanks, Martinez. I appreciate it. I’ll stop by today or tomorrow to pick up the tape.”

“Anytime. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.”

Placing the phone back in its cradle, Matthew rested his elbows in front of him on his desk and allowed his head to fall into his hands. Not only a mole within the company but one on his team—it was beginning to look like he couldn’t trust anyone.

Just before noon, Lisa popped her head into Cali’s office to ask about lunch, and Cali was glad for the distraction. Any distraction. Giving her order to her assistant, she asked if Lisa would like to join her.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in the corner of Cali’s office enjoying fresh made sandwiches from the deli across the street. Conversation was slow to start, but after a few minutes, the air of professionalism fell away, and the girl talk began. It was as if they’d been friends for years.

Lisa shared a few horror stories from college, while Cali shared some about her time in Africa. One story was about a young man she’d met just after arriving in Africa. He couldn’t have been older than sixteen, but he’d become infatuated with her, following her around at every opportunity. Although very sweet, it had become obvious after a couple of months that she would have to remove herself from the situation and had requested a transfer. The young man had been heartbroken upon her leaving and gave her a necklace he’d made out of animal bones.

That subject had lead to men in general, and Cali decided to ask about Jason. “Jason got back from his trip alright?”

At first, Lisa looked startled but then relaxed. She’d already known her boss was aware of her relationship. Why try to hide it? “Yes. He got back late Saturday night.” A quiet smile pulled at the corners of Lisa’s lips.

Cali smiled back as she finished her sandwich. “Have you been together a while?” 

Finishing her own sandwich, Lisa gathered up her trash and walked it over to the trashcan beside Cali’s desk. “Three months.” She came back to her seat and added, “So no, not too long.”

Cali didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. “Well, you look happy.” 

This time she got a full-blown smile from her assistant and the mood shifted. “I am.”

Cali watched the woman, who was quickly becoming a friend, slip into a dreamy state and longed for that herself. Her experience with men was limited to her rebellious teenage years, and she didn’t really think those males really qualified as men. Once she’d figured out what she wanted to do, she’d pretty much sworn off the opposite sex to focus on her studies. She’d dated a few, of course, but it never went further. Although Cali had felt some level of attraction to the men she’d dated over that last ten years, she’d never felt the desire to fall into bed with them. That had all change when she met Matthew Andersen, and that was probably the most baffling of all.

She was stuck in her daydream when Lisa’s voice pierced her thoughts. “So is there anyone special for you? Anyone you’re reconnecting with now that you’re back?”

Of course, Cali’s first thought was of Matthew, but she quickly pushed it aside.

“No. No, I’ve been away for so long, I don’t seem to know anyone around here anymore.” She laughed. “I spent my weekend hanging around the house doing laundry.”

“Oh. Well then you have to come out with us,” Lisa said before she could stop herself. “Oh well…I mean if you want to. We’d love for you to come. It’s just a small group of us, but there’s this club,” she was getting excited now thinking of the possibilities. “The dancing is great and the guys…” Her voice trailed off dreamily.