Project: Killer (Project Series Book 1) (2 page)

maggie—the present

“Maggie.” I could
hear my name being called from across the room, but I still failed to acknowledge the voice saying it. Either that or I didn’t care to acknowledge it. I would go with the latter of the two.

“Maggie, open your fucking ears. I need that paperwork on my desk ASAP!” The voice yelled again, their footsteps growing closer until they stopped in front of my desk. Oh, I knew that voice. It belonged to my boss’s son. The same son who had caused me great pain in my younger years. He hadn’t changed—not one bit, unless you considered growing into a bigger dickwad than he previously was. He was still a fucking bully, a piece of shit asshole who felt like he controlled everything—including me.

“Okay,” I finally said, hoping my one-word response would get him to leave my desk. To say I hated my job was a fucking understatement. A huge one at that. I more than hated it. If it weren’t a means of income, or a way to answers I desperately wanted, I would’ve cut ties with the place years ago. I couldn’t though. I needed the money, and I wanted answers almost more than I wanted my next breath.

I never wanted to work for PGI Corp, but they were one of the biggest growing companies in our town, and they were offering jobs to anyone willing to work. Plus, I had an inspiration for coming into this shit hole every day. I had a memory, a piece of my heart that forced me to work here.

Someone long ago told me they didn’t need saving, and since that day, I told myself I would do whatever I could to come up with a cure. That person motivated me to push my efforts so no one would have to go through death and loss ever again.

“Okay? That’s all you’re going to fucking say?” Roger was the only one who could actually get away with swearing in the office. He said
fuck
like it was going out of style. His vocabulary included more swear words than it did regular words.

“Yes, okay. As in, I will have the papers to you as soon as I can get online.” My voice was monotone as it always was. I would never give him the satisfaction of knowing every word that came from his mouth made me want to barf into the nearest trash can.

“Good, because I have something else for you to do when you bring the papers in.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me as he leaned over my desk and into my personal space.
Remember why you’re doing this, Maggie. Remember.
I had to repeat this to myself every day, at least three times daily. It was the only thing that stopped me from running for the hills, from running out of this place and never turning the fuck around.

“Great,” I whispered to myself, turning on my computer as he walked away. I watched the screen light up as my thoughts drifted to my family and everything they had done for me. My parents had paid for my college tuition. I was more than grateful since they didn’t have much. My father held a good job, but the way the world was nowadays made going to college almost impossible. Only the richest or smartest people were accepted into schools. The fact I was wasting a degree in Pharmaceutical Studies by working for someone like Roger didn’t sit well with them. They wanted to see me do something with my life. Working a desk job wasn’t bettering the community or my own life.

As my computer booted up, I watched Kandace a couple of desks down from me flirting with one of the new hires. I smiled sincerely at her ballsy attitude. She had balls—hell, I think she had bigger balls than most of the men who worked in this place.

Her eyes met mine as I watched her work her moves. She was a natural flirt, a social butterfly most would say. She batted her eyelashes and flashed him a smile before stepping away from his desk and sashaying her way over to me.

“You’re still taking orders from that asshat in a suit…” Kandace giggled softly, leaning her ass against my desk.

“If you mean the asshat who’s my boss, then yes, of course, I’m listening to him.” I typed my password into the computer and waited for my email to load.

“A couple of people from the office and I are headed into the city tonight. We’re going to hit up one of those new clubs on the strip,” she added innocently. I knew where she was going with this. She had been bitching more than usual about my lack of being a wing woman. The thing was—I just wasn’t feeling it. Dating wasn’t my thing and sitting at a bar drinking away my sorrows wasn’t either.

I would much rather be at home in my sweats, reading a book, and drinking a glass of wine… “I know what you’re getting at, Kandace, and the answer is the same as it was last week.” She frowned, a pout showing on her face.

“You always say that. You always say you would rather have your nose stuck in a book, but since you never go out, how would you know what is fun and what isn’t?” She was questioning me, attempting to find a flaw in my excuse. Anything to get me to leave the confines of my home.

“Very funny, Kandace, but I know your methods of persuasion, and since I don’t swing that way, it’s not going to work...” Her pout turned into a cheesy smile.

“Well, I tried. Doesn’t matter anyway. You’re coming out tonight even if I have to come to your house and get you myself.” She glared at me, and it was in that glare I knew she was serious.

Fuck.
She wasn’t kidding. She would come and get me. I pondered on the actual thought of going out for a moment as I skimmed the emails in my inbox.

“We’ll see, Kandace. There isn’t any guarantee though.”

“There is always a guarantee with Kandace. I’ll see you at eight, whore.” Then she was up and walking back to her own desk, and I was staring at an email that had just popped into my inbox from Roger.

I printed off the documents he wanted
ASAP
and headed to the printer to pick them up before swinging by his office. On my walk to the printer, my mind drifted to Roger and the company I was working for. It was obvious Roger would turn into his father one day. Roger’s father was a filthy rich man, hell-bent on owning everyone and everything in this town. I knew the kind of person Roger was, and honestly, I couldn’t see such a mean and evil person running a company that went out of their way to find cures for cancer. It was a complete and utter contradiction. His family, running and owning a company that cared for others loved ones was just against everything I knew of Roger.

I pushed all the horrible thoughts to the back of my mind as I focused in on Roger’s door. I stared at it blankly for a moment before knocking on it softly and waiting for him to say come in.

You never walked into Roger’s office unannounced. I remember the last assistant he had ended up being fired and escorted out on the spot. He was very secretive about his work. Whatever went on in his office was his business and his business alone.

“Come in.” His voice was deep, and as I pushed the door open and walked into the room, I could see the entire city before me. He had the best view in the building. One that looked out into the robust city. I focused on the view, knowing very well that his eyes were glued to my every movement. I could feel his gaze penetrating every orifice of my body.

“I see you’re doing much better at following orders today.” He smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. It was as fake as Tammy’s tits in Office C. Who was Tammy, you ask? Oh, his most recent fuck. The newest intern in the building, and the most open about her friends with benefits relationship with Roger.

“Here’s your paperwork you asked for.” I dismissed his comment, not wanting to engage in a ridiculous conversation about something I could care less about. Instead, I turned on my heels to leave, only to be stopped when I heard his throat clear behind me. I wanted to turn around and lash out, to make him understand what he said to me meant nothing.

“Maggie…” Every time he said my name, it caused my stomach to revolt. He was just as sinister now as he was in high school.

“Yes,” I said between clenched teeth, my face turned away from him. I hadn’t ever truly hated anyone in my entire life, but Roger was the exception. If he were dying in a burning building, I would sit and watch. Maybe even bring stuff to make s’mores.  

“We all know why you took a job here. It’s not as if you actually care for the company, but more so what it can do for you.” I took a deep breath, the room seemingly growing smaller as air filled my lungs only to be released like a deflated balloon a moment later.
Breathe. Deep breaths.

“That…” Was that true? I had never admitted to such a thing. Sweat formed on my palms. I hated feeling as if I were trapped without an escape route.

“Don’t even say it’s not true when we both know it is. You took this job for that fucking crippled kid.”

Crippled kid… Don’t make him eat his words. Kill him with kindness.

“He had a name.” I forced the words from my mouth. I didn’t want to talk about
him
. His death wasn’t fair to anyone, not his family, not to me, or to him.

“Whatever, his name doesn’t matter. Not anymore at least. What does is the fact you took a job working for me, yet it seems as if you would much rather not be here most days.” I could hear his footsteps across the marble flooring, my heart beat rising with every step.  

“I love my job…” I lied, trying not to stutter over my words. I hated my job, but I hated Roger and what he reminded me of more.
Hurt. Pain.

A deep robust laugh filled the room. “That is the biggest fucking lie I have ever heard.” His hot breath was on the back of my neck. I should’ve turned around. I should’ve told him to leave me alone.

“Fine. I’m here for him, and one day, I will be on the team that helps find a cure for the cancer he had. He wasn’t just crippled, Roger. He was sick. He was dying.” I smarted off, openly admitting my faults as I turned around to face him not realizing how close he truly was to me. I took a wobbly step back wanting to separate us, my legs feeling like jelly.

Roger’s hand reached out and gripped my chin hard, pulling my face into his. There was a sick fire in his eyes, one that said he would hurt me if he had to. Men like him weren’t afraid of someone like me getting in their way.

“You think you have everyone fooled, that no one will discover you for what you really are.” He was seething.

What was he talking about? I hadn’t ever tried to dissect what Roger had to say only because he was wrong most, if not all, of the time. His motives were always to protect his empire or to make others suffer. He was out to benefit no one but himself.

“I have no one fooled,” I gritted out, the hold he had on my jaw growing tighter. I winced as his fingers dug deeper into my skin. His face leaned into mine as his eyes lingered on my lips before rising to my own. He wanted to kiss me. I knew it. I felt it in his stare and in his touch. He wanted me, but he knew he could never have me. No one could because I was taken. Even with him no longer here, he still lived and breathed in me… in my heart, and I would not betray him with his enemy.  

“You’re right… You have no one fooled simply because they can see through your ulterior motives. Watch your back, Maggie. You might find more than just a knife in it.”

He released me, shoving me away from him. His threat lingering in my mind long after I had got my footing and walked out of his office. Rubbing at my jaw, I attempted not to draw attention to myself. That would only make it worse.

Instead, I went to my desk and kept myself busy, looking at various articles about Diesel’s cancer. He had a rare brain tumor, stage four at the time of his death. It was inoperable, meaning there was nothing they could do to save him. They had given him months to live, which turned into years. Many said it was a miracle he had held on for as long as he did. I felt there was always something else lingering under the surface. A hidden reasoning or an answer.

My fingers pounded on the keys for hours, doing my research as I did every day. This wasn’t my job, though. I was to shuffle papers in and out of Roger’s office. I was basically his assistant without the title or pay raise. My plan was to get into the labs and out of the office. There was nothing here for me and having been here for six months, I hadn’t discovered much of anything. PGI’s database was locked down tighter than Fort Knox. Codes were needed for just about everything, and I wasn’t so desperate for answers that I would sleep with someone or lie and cheat to get them. I had to do this the right way.

“Maggie,” Kandace said in a motherly tone. I looked up from my keyboard and gave her a look that said I was working and to go away.

“Kandace.”

“I saw you come out of Roger’s office earlier. Is everything okay?” Kandace had always been concerned with my relationship with Roger. He bullied me in school, and just when I thought I would be able to get away from him, here I was working under him.

“Yeah, just the typical shit that he puts me through. I can never just go into his office and give him his daily spreadsheets.” I kept my voice hushed. There were office rats all around us. People who would turn around and tell him anything and everything that took place out on the floor. They thought it would gain them more money or freedom. Some did it just because they could.

“You were rubbing at your face when you came out. Don’t lie to me and tell me it’s nothing, Maggie. If he’s fucking with you again, then I will find out and do something about it.”

I smiled to myself. God, how I had been blessed with such a great friend. Someone who would kick any and everyone’s ass if I asked her to do it.