Beck And Call (20 page)

didn’t break it. Fury at what Mark had probably done

to Serena boiled through him, along with the glaring

betrayal of his young cousin.

“What did you do to Serena?” Keith repeated. Had

he heard correctly?
Mark
had hurt Serena?
His
Serena?

Sweet Jesus! This was why she’d said her safe word! He

struggled to think, to breathe. “Where were you? What

did you do? When was this?”

“Hey, when a man buys a woman dinner, he doesn’t

deserve the brush-off she gave me!” Mark smirked. “She

didn’t understand that. She kept saying it wasn’t right,

workplace and everything...yada, yada, yada, so I

explained it to her.” He shrugged. “Some women have

to have that lesson whipped into them.” He scowled.

“The bitch scratched my face! So I smacked her across

the—”

“Keith!” Paul shouted, barely catching Keith as he

lunged across the desk. “Shit, Mark! When they passed

out brains, what the hell were you doing? Playing tag

on the playground? Are you completely clueless?” He

struggled to hold Keith. “Get the hell out of here!”

“No!” Keith raged, pulling away from Paul. His

finger savagely jabbed at the intercom. “Allen, I need

you in here.”

The door opened and the broad-shouldered man

appeared.

“Yes, sir?”

“How far back does the security camera footage go?”

One dark brow went up, but that was the only

reaction.

“Since 9-11, boss.”

“Have someone pull up security near Mark’s office

for April two years ago,” Keith told him, ignoring Paul’s

startled glance. “After hours. They’re looking for

Serena going into and out of his office.”

“You got it,” Allen nodded, raising his radio to pass

on the directions. “All six of them are on it.”

Keith looked at Paul.

“Any legal issues?”

“Only if you touch him.”

“You can be such a downer, you know that?”

Allen was keeping an eye on Mark.

“Why haven’t you been able to keep an assistant for

more than a few months since Serena? And why are

they all blond with light eyes like her?”

“Because they can’t do their jobs. As for their looks,”

he shrugged. “I’m just a guy enjoying the view.” He

smirked. “And some of them had nice mountains and

valleys if you get…”

Paul grabbed hold of Keith’s arm again.

“Dammit, will you listen to me?” he hissed in his

ear. “You can’t touch the sonuvabitch! You got that?

Let Allen toss his ass out… “

“He hurt Serena,” growled Keith.

“Yeah, I got that. Now calm down until we get

proof.”

“And then I can rip his head off?” Keith suggested,

forcing his muscles to relax.

“Not quite,” Paul drawled. “Never knew you had

this violent streak in you. At least around non-

relatives.”

“Thought I’d try something new.”

Paul groaned and glanced at Allen.

“Any idea how long it could take them?”

“My team will be quick and thorough,” Allen

assured him.

“Is it standard procedure to keep security logs like

that?” Paul wondered, keeping one eye on Keith.

“We’re in a target-rich environment,” Allen replied.

“Kidnappers, terrorists, pissed off employees,” he

finished with a pointed look.

“Rent-a-cop,” Mark glared.

“Not hardly,” Keith replied with a short laugh.

“Allen was Special Ops and has a black belt in two

disciplines. If you want to take him on, be my guest. I’ll

go ahead and call the paramedics. Or maybe just the

ME to collect your dead ass.”

Allen gave Mark a tight smile.

“Everyone in this building likes Serena. If you hurt

her, I’m going to need my entire team to get you out

alive. And to be honest with you, asshole,” Allen leaned

forward and dropped his voice. “I’m not sure if they’ll

fight too hard to protect you.”

Sneering, Mark gave them a derisive look.

“You aren’t men. You’re a bunch of pussies who

don’t—”

“Real men don’t treat women the way you do,

scumbag,” the security chief told him. The radio in

Allen’s hand squawked. “Yeah?” he asked, pushing a

button. “Andrea, you’re on speaker. What ya got?”

“I have Serena going into Mark’s office at seven,” a

woman’s voice replied. “A delivery of food ten minutes

later. Just after eight, Serena comes running out the

door.” Obscenities filled the air. “Oh, shit! Boss, her

turtleneck is ripped down the front and he’s coming

after her with his belt.”

“Save that to a separate file. Make two copies for the

police,” Keith ordered as Paul’s hands tightened on his

arms. “And tell the cops we have another one for them.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Pussies,” Mark snarled as Allen stepped toward

him.

Keith struggled to control his anger.

“Get this sonuvabitch out of my office. Same thing

as the rest. Mark, you’re fired. And if I see you near

Penny, God alone can help you.”

“Oh, shit,” breathed Allen. “I forgot this P.O.S. was

engaged to your cousin. No wonder you’re pissed. Let’s

get you out of here, asshole,” he grabbed Mark’s shirt.

Allen quickly pulled the man out of the office. Keith

fell into his chair in frustration and despair.

“You need Serena here,” Paul said quietly. “The

police are going to want her side of the story.”

Nodding, Keith just stared at a spot on the wall.

Taking the initiative, Paul pulled out his cell phone.

“Claire, it’s Paul. Serena is needed back in the

office. Would you be able to contact her? It’s an

emergency.” He nodded. “Thank you.”

“She’s doing it?” Keith whispered.

“Yes, although I think she nearly hung up on me.”

Paul lips thinned. “It’s a personal matter.”

“Want to talk about it?” Keith muttered. “It seems

as if nearly everyone else’s personal life has been

discussed.”

“Not now, thanks. Unless you want to talk about

yours?” Paul gave him a studied look. “Your reaction

was a bit much for a CEO finding out someone might

have assaulted his assistant. You and your family are

not what most would call close, not even Penny. You

only suffer their presence for public appearances like

your grandmother’s balls. So what’s the real reason?”

Keith just looked at him. Paul shrugged and shook his

head. “Hey, if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. You can

probably guess my situation with Claire.”

Relenting, Keith nodded and briefly explained the

weekend. Paul’s eyes widened.

“You better hope she falls in line with this or you’re

screwed. And not in a good way. Especially after

everything that’s gone down so far.”

“Yeah, I know,” Keith muttered. But he hadn’t

known! Serena had been attacked just down the hall

and he hadn’t known. Keith frowned, trying to

remember recent conversations. There’d been several

opportunities, he realized. “Dear God,” he breathed.

“That’s why she wanted me to tell Penny about how

Mark treated her and Claire.”

“What about Claire?” Paul leaned forward, his voice

sharp. “What has Mark done to Claire? She’s never said

anything to me!”

“His attitude toward her, Serena, and apparently

other women. Serena wanted me to talk to Penny about

it.” Keith worked his jaw and clenched his fingers into

fists. “If I’d only pushed a little, asked the right

questions, she might have told me what had happened.”

“Any hints over the weekend?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, eyes haunted. “Tom left a

strap in my playroom a few months ago. She saw it,

assuming I meant to use it, and said her safe word.”

“Oh, shit,” Paul inhaled sharply.

“Yeah,” Keith nodded. “Dammit! If I’d pushed…”

Keith’s phone rang.

“Private line,” he murmured. “It’s probably Penny.”

With obvious reluctance he picked up the receiver, but

smiled when he recognized the voice. “Serena. I know,

but things came up. I don’t know if you want to bring

Debbie back, but I need you back as soon as possible.

Thank you.” He hung up and looked at Paul. “One

stroke of good luck. They just finished lunch around the

corner. Debbie’s getting a cab back to the brownstone

and Serena’s on her way here now.’

“This could be very hard for her,” Paul said

cautiously. “I don’t know how much about her personal

life you know, but she’s been through a hard time the

last few years.”

“I know about her grandfather’s failing health and

death this past summer,” Keith replied carefully. “I

think she said something about an ex-boyfriend a

couple years ago.” He nodded slightly. “I don’t know

that much about her personal life and I understand her

preference to keep certain things private. We all have

our little secrets.” He met Paul’s gaze in understanding.

“However, this directly affects the company.”

“And your cousin?” Paul added.

“Oh, shit!” Keith grimaced. “I really don’t want to

think about that right now. Penny thinks Mark hung

the fucking moon! How the hell am I supposed to

explain this to her? Not to mention that I’ve no fucking

way of explaining how all this could have been going on

under my nose and I didn’t have a clue!” He stood and

paced over to the window. “I think I have learned more

in one week about my employees than I have the past

twelve years! It’s fucking nuts! There has to be a reason

for all of it. Someone is behind all this.”

Paul frowned. “Are you thinking conspiracy?”

“Hester said it. She came from one of my father’s

companies to make sure I ran mine the way a

MacLauren should,” he said quietly, finally giving

voice to his thoughts. “Duncan and Mark also came

over from my father’s company.”

“You’re thinking sabotage,” Paul murmured. “But

why?”

“No idea,” he admitted. “Unless you want to count

envy—I made something of myself without their help.

Or anger that I didn’t fall flat on my face and come

running back with my tail tucked between my legs.”

“As if,” snorted the lawyer who had been with Keith

from the beginning.

“I feel as if I’ve got to start allover again,” Keith

muttered. “I’m going to have to weed out anyone who

came over from ML and…”

“Take it easy,” Paul cautioned. “Not all of them are

assholes. Some of them genuinely prefer working for

you than for your father and brothers. MacLauren

Limited has had a high turnover rate the past ten

years.”

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Keith sighed.

A man and woman entered.

“Mr. MacLauren,” the man asked. At Keith’s nod,

leather wallets were opened and badges displayed.

“Detectives Sanders and Erickson. Have you called

your assistant?”

“Yes. She’s on her way in. I’m sorry, Detective. This

entire thing has gone way beyond what I…” he shook

his head. “Mondays need to be banished, don’t they?”

“In many ways,” the man nodded. “Personally, I’d

prefer if assholes like we’ve dealt with today were put

away on a remote island.”

“However,” the woman added, glancing at her

partner, “we have to get both sides and let the courts

decide.”

“I understand,” Keith nodded. “Do you see a lot of

this?”

“A lot of harassment?” the man questioned. Keith

nodded. “More than I’d like. We don’t see too many

people at your level taking action the way you have.”

He gave Keith a wondering look. “It’s both refreshing

and disturbing.”

“Disturbing? How?”

“If more CEOs did what you did, Erickson and I

would be out of a job all too soon.” Sanders grimaced.

“Maybe this will start something,” Keith murmured.

“No woman should go through what they did. I can’t

believe it went on so long without me having a clue.” He

clenched his jaw. “If Serena, my assistant, hadn’t

brought Debbie in, then I’ve no idea how long they’d

have gotten away with it. I just…,” he shook his head.

“There’s no excuse. This is my company. I should have

seen…,” he exhaled and shook his head again. “I should

have seen
something.
Something that…”

“Mr. MacLauren, your actions right now, what

you’re doing,” Erickson leaned forward. “Are more

important than you realize. I’ll be honest with you,” she

smiled slightly. “My younger brother has talked about

your company and how innovative you are. But to be