Like a Fox (16 page)

“She’s mad you didn’t come to her before taking off.”

Maya here with me would have been a disaster. I don’t explain that; again, it can wait.

Once my dad is on the phone I explain the situation.

There is a pause and the sound of a door clicking shut before he continues, “You’re
where
?”

I repeat my location.

My dad curses, “Come home, Freya. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“I don’t care.”

“Well I do,” he demands in his rarely used ‘man of the house’ tone.

“Please Dad, I need you to look a few men up and tell me if any of them are who we need.”

“There’s no need. I will forever remember that man’s name.”

I perk up for the first time all day, hope blooming, “That’s great. Who?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you,” he sighs. “I can’t have you any more involved.”

I roll my eyes, “It’s too late for that.”

“Put Vic on,” he once again demands, in a voice I’m not used to personally hearing from him.

“No. I’m in this, Dad,” I reiterate.

“Freya, please,” my father begs, making me fold; I’ve never been one to deny my dad, so I hand the phone over.

Vic is silent as he listens to him for a few minutes while playing with my fingers that are on the wooden desk. “Hold on.” He places the phone down, pulls out his cell, and lifts my hand to give it a kiss on top before going behind one of the other doors in Vault’s office, cell phone to his ear.

Vault is still at the liquor cart, observing us the whole time. He doesn’t seem to mind Vic going behind whatever door that was. It makes me wonder how close their relationship is that he’s allowed to do this.

The room is silent except for the occasional clink of the whiskey stones when Vault takes a drink. I remain standing at the desk, unsure of what to do with myself, aware of my anxious, twisting stomach.

Vic emerges after about ten minutes, sliding his phone back into his pocket. All his focus is on Vault, “It’s who we suspected.”

Vault nods as he finishes off another tumbler, leaving the crystal on the cart as he moves to the door. He cracks it open enough to pop his head through, “Can you bring me the Stafford file?” Vault heads back to the beverage cart, “Whiskey anyone?”

“No, thank you,” Vic and I say at the same time.

Vault makes enough for a shot, pounds it back, adds some fresh whiskey stones and fills it halfway, coming back to his spot on the couch.

A minute later the door opens and in comes the female equivalent of Vault’s gorgeousness. She’s long and lean, with just the right amount of curves to show off her femininity. And by curves, I mean the most perfect ass and tits I have ever seen. Her olive skin practically glows, and she doesn’t even have makeup on that I can tell. Her dark hair is full and comes down to her waist with a soft curl at the end. I want to reach out and touch it, it looks so shiny and soft. I’ve only seen hair like hers in cheesy hair product ads.

She pauses halfway between the door and square rug, a smile creeping up her full lips, “Vicsuyan.”

Vic stands, offering her a tight smile, “Arianna, I heard you were working here now.”

She tilts her head slightly, a suggestive grin working her lips, “As I’ve learned, you are too.”

Vic nods, “I am.”

She smiles larger at him and it makes her even more gorgeous, “I’m glad to hear it. You’re one of the last trustworthy men on this planet.”

“I appreciate the compliment,” he answers with an expressionless face. It gives me some relief to see that Vic doesn’t seem fazed by her in the least. He is just as aloof and unemotional with her as he is with everyone else.

She smiles brighter, bringing the file to Vault who thanks her with a dimpled smile. I see it affect Arianna the same way it does me by the quick blink of her lashes and the way she takes a moment to stare. As I watch them so close together, I have to note that it should be illegal for two people so flawlessly beautiful to be in the same room; your eyes don’t know where to look.

“Anything else?” She professionally asks, all smiles gone.

Vault opens the file, distracted as he glances over the papers. He mumbles, “This is fine.”

The woman retreats, another smile thrown at Vic, “I’m staying here. Come visit me.”

Vic nods and I shoot him a squinty glare that reads “Don’t even think about it.”

His amused grin at my jealousy does nothing to help his case on me forgiving him.

“Is she one of your girls?” I sneer under my breath at him. I hate playing the jealous girlfriend, but she was the right kind of exotic beauty to make anyone feel insecure.

“No,” his mouth twitches, trying not to show his humor over my attitude. “We’re just old acquaintances.”

I wish I wasn’t so envious. If she had been ugly it wouldn’t be an issue. Why can’t everyone just be ugly? The world would be so much more peaceful.

“That’s it?” I ask for reassurance that someone like
that
isn’t competition.

“Honesty?”

“Of course,” I lie.

“I fucked her once.”

I curl my lip, “I’m going to kill her.”

Vic is definitely amused as he tries to hide a grin with his hand, rubbing his jaw. “Let’s not be so dramatic. If I can keep my hands off Keith and Ray, you can play nice too.”

Fair enough; not like I would have anyway. Vic just has a way of bringing the animal side out of me.

Vault passes Vic the folder, “Any information you need is in here. You need backup, you call.” He leans back into his seat, “Now, what’s your plan?”

Vic sits there rubbing his jaw, lost in thought. Vault swirls his drink in his hand, watching the amber liquid and seeming used to Vic taking his time, not at all annoyed by it.

After what feels like eternity (I’m not even trying to exaggerate), Vic straightens, removing his hand from his jaw and placing it on his bent knee. “I’ll need some Memphis84.”

Vault looks up to the ceiling for a few seconds before answering, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“What’s that?” I intrude.

I appreciate that Vic doesn’t seemed annoyed that I’m interfering and responds to me professionally, like I’m part of this. “Link’s father designed a drug that is odorless, tasteless, and gives you approximately twenty-five minutes before sudden death.”

“That sounds like the plot of a bad action movie,” I can’t help but point out. It sounds made up.

Vault grins, an irresistible dimple popping through.

Vic continues as though I hadn’t spoken, “What’s unique about this one and sets it apart from others is that it will appear as an overdose. That’s how we’ll get him. It’s a known fact with those close to our mark that he enjoys recreational narcotics. We will find a way to slip it into his drink and be gone without any suspicion.”

Vault speaks around his glass, “Very good.”

Vic opens the file, ruffling through the papers, “
You’re
going to have to get it from him.”

Vault laughs and even that’s sexy, “Probably for the best; you’re not exactly his favorite person at the moment.” He stands and goes back to his desk, pressing a button on his phone, “Tell Lincoln I need him.”

A few seconds later his intercom responds, “He says he’s busy.”

“Of course he did,” Vault grumbles before pushing the button again. “Tell him he has two minutes.”

Ten minutes later that scary Link guy returns, taking up the doorway with his broad shoulders.

“What?” His gruff voice demands.

I’m surprised Vault allows him to talk like that to him.

Vault smiles like he’s used to this behavior, “I need some Memphis84.”

Link eyes him, then the couch Vic and I are on. “Is it for him?”

“It will help us both out,” Vault discloses.

Link shakes his head, “Nope,” then turns around to leave.

I look to Vault, expecting him to stop him. He doesn’t.

“I need to have it,” Vic reiterates sternly to Vault.

Vault gives a look like he did his best, “What do you want me to do? You know how hotheaded the Lincolns can be.”

Vic curses and pulls out his phone while he stands, “I need to make a private call.” He retreats back into the same room he talked to my father in.

I can’t just sit here and not do anything. I stand up and march out of the room.

Luck is on my side because Link is just opening the door to the short hallway.

“Wait!” I shout like he’s a lot further than he is.

He turns at whatever outburst came from behind. When he sees it’s only me he scowls and turns back to leave.

I hurry to catch up, “Wait, please.”

He ignores me, his steps much larger than my own as I follow him out and all the way to the stupid-ass gold elevator.

Link arrives there faster than I do, but thankfully he has to wait for it to open.

“I need that drug, or whatever it is,” I plead.

“Not going to happen,” his gruff voice rejects.

“Why not?”

“You’re with
him
,” he informs the elevator.

I won’t lie to him but I’m not stupid enough to agree, “That’s not why I’m here. I came to save my father.”

The gold elevator pings and Link steps in, “That’s not my problem.”

Does anybody around here care about something besides themselves?

The doors begin to slide and I step in just before they close.

Link towers over me, his aggravation heating the small compartment as his glare penetrates through me, making me almost shit my pants. The only thing stopping me is the two guards behind us. Surely they won’t let him hurt me?

A guard motions to the panel, “We can’t leave until you enter your hand and code.”

I defiantly cross my arms, “I guess we’re not leaving then.” I look to Link, ready to desperately plea. “I’m not like you.” I nod at the door, indicating the office we just left, “I’m not like them. I’m just a girl who fell in love with the wrong guy.” I’m using what little information I’ve gathered about Link to hopefully win him over. I’ve never been manipulative before. It doesn’t sit quite right with me; however, I don’t feel guilty. My family is everything to me. My next words are filled with truths
and
lies, “Because of that love my father is in danger, and I’m not stopping until he’s safe.”

“Like I said,” Link glowers, “that’s not my concern. Now get out, or I’ll force you to.”

Fuck. That did
not
go how I’d hoped.

As I leave, I try not to come across as scornful as I feel, “I guess you don’t know what it feels like to be helpless to save somebody you love. Good for you.”

The elevator door closes behind me and I hang my head down in defeat. I don’t see Vic and smack right into him halfway down the hall. Instead of apologizing I slouch into him, completely crushed, “He wouldn’t give it to me.”

Vic holds me, soothingly murmuring into my ear, “Don’t worry about it, there are other ways.”

I laugh at how clueless I am to all of this, “I didn’t even know the first way.”

Vic explains like I’m not incompetent and in way over my head, “It was the easiest of our options, and the one that would be least likely to get us killed.”

Damn. That sounds like a good option.

“Don’t worry, Freya,” Vic’s voice is promise-filled. “You will come out of this alive.”

I pull back, “What about you?”

“You’re my only concern.”

I don’t like him talking like that; it puts pressure on my chest, the kind that will never go away if anything happens to him.

He leads us back to Vault’s office. BB King plays throughout the room. I take comfort in his familiar voice and I let it soothe my nerves. I also hate that Vault listens to him. I don’t want to have anything in common with this man.

Vault meets us at the door and I quit biting my tongue, tired of holding it in, “I don’t like that you would just send some girl you’ve never met to do your dirty work.”

“You gave me no other choice.”

No, I guess I didn’t. “And if I pull this off, can you promise me my father remains safe?”

Vault looks me square in the eyes, “You have my word that you and your family will be left alone.”

The only reason I’m trusting his words is that I trust Vic would never work for a man whose word was made of lies.

“You can take my jet,” Vault offers.

Of course he has a jet.

“No thank you.” I don’t want anything from this man.

I grab the file he has in his hands and yank. Vault has a strong grip on it as he forces me to listen to him, “Miss Brennan, if you pull this off you’ll be saving thousands of lives. I want you to know that. I’m not after your father for the fun of it, and I don’t make it a habit of destroying families, but for this man I will. He needs to be stopped.”