Saving Each Other (BWWM Romance) (31 page)

“Damn right.”

“Okay. Now say it's just $10. Would you notice it then?”

“Probably not.”

“So if it kept coming up short by say $6, it wouldn’t be a big deal, right? Say it happened every couple of months. You wouldn’t think anything of it, right? It would be just a miscalculation?”

“Well yeah.”

“Okay. Say it wasn’t a miscalculation but rather someone going in and taking the amount at the same precise time every couple months. Would you notice it?”

“No.”

“Right. Now say this person did it to everyone within a large company that held, I don’t know, thousands of clients. These clients were all very wealthy organizations that, like this person, had large quantities in their accounts.”

“That would be a lot of transactions.”

“And a lot of money. Now add that up for years. Just figure 2000 companies a day at $6 a day.”

“Say around $12,000 dollars a day which will be $4,380,000 a year.”

“Yep.” I began nodding my head at him. He knew what I was getting at. “Now multiply that by 9 years or so. Maybe even more. This person could have been doing this since the company started.”

“Shit. But that just seems like a lot of work. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know people will do it. But how can they keep track of  all of that?”

“Easy. It’s a virus.”

“A virus?”

“Yes. It’s a virus of some kind that they planted in the system. That has allowed the funds to be released from certain accounts and deposited into other accounts at a certain point in time. Like a schedule so to speak.”

“Wow! This bastard’s smart.”

“Yes, but this bastard also has to have access to the database in order to install and upload the virus. It has to be someone at the home base as well so that it will generate to all of the other locations throughout the world. Or else they would only be able to steal from a certain branch. The home base location in Los Angeles has access to the accounts in all of the other offices, right?”

“Yes.” I watched as a pained and far off look crossed over his face.

“You know who it is don’t you?”

“I have my suspicions. Not a word of this to anyone. Not even Earl. I don’t know who is in on this. I'm going to find a tech expert and pay him to find this virus and end it.”

“Well don’t you think you should involve the police or something? This is embezzlement.”

“They are already in on the plan. They know what’s going on and I have a detective that I speak with about what's going on every day. He will be the one to get me some tech savvy kid. You're magnificent.” He leaned over and kissed me just then. We heard the yell right before the door opened. He straightened away from me like he was on fire.

“David, you here?”

I turned to see a petite blonde walk into the room. She was the perfect little Barbie doll type and she smiled at him as she held out her hands. He quickly grabbed her to hug her and kiss her on the cheek. I watched as an expression of love and gentleness crossed his features. He looked down and I watched his hand reach out to caress her stomach. That was when I saw it. The small bump that extended from her middle. They apparently knew each other and knew each other well. He also cared for her as I could see in his eyes. My blood began to burn with anger. He was just kissing me and then his pregnant girlfriend or wife walks in and I’m forgotten.  And he has his pregnant woman right in front of me. It was too much. I couldn’t even think straight at this point as I grabbed my bag and murmured something about going to lunch. That’s when the woman turned to me.

“Oh you must be Trina. David here has told me so much about you.”

I looked up to see the grin on David’s face. He slid his arm around her waist. I’m sure at this point that he didn’t tell her everything about me or else I wouldn’t be standing so happily next to him. I looked up at him with a smirk. “I’m sorry. He hasn’t mentioned you at all. I'm afraid I don’t even know your name.”

“Oh I am Stephanie. You know, the one that he keeps talking to on the phone.”

“Oh. I see.” I looked from him to her and then back again. “Well it was nice to meet you but I really must be getting to lunch so that I can get back to work. You know. All work and no play.”

“That is hard to believe with this one around. He does nothing but play most of the time. Isn’t that right, David?”

His hands went into the air as he tried to plead the fifth. “I don’t know what you're talking about. I'm an angel. Really?”

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing right to his face. “Hardly. You are as close to an angel as a bat is.”

The soft laughter came from Stephanie and soon she was trying to double over with little snorts that came from her nose. It really was cute.

“Oh you must come with us to lunch. Come on. David is buying and I have a mind to pick something expensive.”

“Oh no I can’t. I wouldn’t want to intrude. The two of you enjoy your lunch together.” I couldn’t help but glance at him. Slowly I turned around and started to make my way to the door.

“David Smith, you didn’t. Yes, you did.” I tried to step from the door but was stopped at her next words. “Stop right there. You're not allowed to leave this room yet. I think there has been a huge misunderstanding here. Come on back in here.”

I turned to make my way back towards her. I looked like I was about to hit someone or skin them alive. “Is something going on here? You know between the two of you?” she asked.

Chapter 8

I instantly felt myself become alarmed. “Why would you think that?”

“I can see it.”

My mouth dropped open as I looked at her. Was she actually condoning me and him being together? What in the hell was wrong with her? I looked from her outrageous look to his guilty one. What in the hell was going on? I was about to ask that very same question when she answered for me.

“You see, regardless of what you thought or presumed, I am not his wife or girlfriend. And in no way am I carrying his child. I would rather shoot myself than tie myself down to this rascal. No ma’am, it is his brother Mike that has my heart. Now and forever and it is his child in my womb. David Smith I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Uh huh.”

“Hey, I’m standing right here you know.”

“Yes I know. You're a rake and scoundrel and would sink yourself between any pair of female thighs that is willing. I pity the woman that ends up with you as a husband. My dear, watch this one and mark my words. Guard your heart while you are with him. He is my brother-in-law and I love him with all my heart. I wish only the best for him but I have seen many hearts broken over him and his ways.”

“I thank you, Stephanie, really I do but there is nothing between the two of us. Not now and not ever.”

“I wish that were so for your sake, but I venture to say that's not the truth. I can tell by the look you two give each other.”

“What do you mean?”

I watched as she made her way to me and then laid a dainty little hand on my shoulder. “I know there is something going on because you give each other the same looks I shared with his brother before our first time.” The next words were whispered so that only I could hear. “I've heard he is phenomenal. Enjoy yourself. Men do it all the time. Why can’t we? But remember my words of warning. It is easy to fall for the Smith men. It is not so easy to walk away or watch them walk away. He will tear your heart out without even knowing it. Guard it wisely and well.” She walked from the room with her head held high again. I looked over to see David looking at me with the same guilty expression on his face.

“You did that on purpose.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You damn well know what I mean. I mean how you made me think she was your wife.”

“I can't take responsibility for what you presume. Those are your thoughts, not my own.”

“Oh you know what, who cares. Like I told her, I don’t want anything to do with you in that way. Let some other woman deal with you.” I stomped from the room, intent on finding a place for a salad. As I tried to storm past him, I felt his hand reach out to circle my wrist and then I was in his arms. I felt my body relax against his in natural harmony and I placed my hands on his chest.

“We both know that's a lie and before the end of this, we will see how far you will run from me after I make you mine. You will be mine, Trina, eventually and sometimes the wait is worth the prize. I believe that this is one of those times. I may take little kisses here and there but I will eventually have all of you.” His lips crushed down on mine hard. It was like he was trying to punish us both. We wanted it and we shouldn’t. I felt my hands grip the front of his shirt in the balls of my fists as I began kissing him back just as passionately as he kissed me. He suddenly broke it off and tore his lips from my own. Turning he stomped over to his desk. “Go get lunch and be back in 30 minutes.”

I returned 45 minutes later to a room full of people. I had deliberately been late just because he had given me a damn time limit. What was I, for Pete’s sake, a fifteen-year-old teenager who daddy was trying to control? There were about 5 people in the small office. Earl and David stood at his desk, funny how I called it his desk although it was really my own, there were also three other people in the room with them. The door had been shut but I thought maybe he had left as I opened it and walked into the office only to come to a stop at the sight.

“Ah Ms. Jefferson. Please come in.” In front of me was a man that seemed to be in his sixties. He had one of those old men mustaches that curled on the ends and looked to be almost reaching his eye. He had dark hair or what was left of his hair. On the top was a huge bald spot that shone under the fluorescent lighting of the office.

“Hello. And you are?”

“Detective Josh Roberts at your service. But please just call me Josh.”

“Okay, hello Josh.”

“Hello, Trina. May I call you Trina?”

“Yes. What's going on here?”

“Well thanks to your discovery we have put together a team. This team will conduct the investigation into the embezzlement. I do not need to tell you how dangerous this is. Okay, this is Howard, our computer expert. He will be doing all the work on the virus. This is Simon. I will be his back up. I will need you and David to continue with what you have been doing. We need to track exactly how much is being stolen and who they are taking it from. I need you to look back on the first years of the company first though. I wouldn’t expect anything to come about for the first two years so I want you two to start on year three. The technology that Howard has can pull everything from the new system but it won’t be able to track anything from your old system. That’s what the two of you will be looking into. I need you to work hard. It is going to be some long days and nights for the two of you coming up. I apologize ahead of time but there are only a few people that we can trust right now. There could be a mole in here considering it was an inside job. In order for this to work, you must act as if you are together as a couple. Which means you will need to go out of town with him to the other locations. Just so it looks official. If you don’t, people will begin to get suspicious of why the two of you are spending so much time together and it could get back to the person who is responsible for all of this.”

“Hold on a minute. What? So what you are saying is this will no longer be my job but my life as well?” I felt the blood make its way to my head. Everything was spinning suddenly. Making my way to my desk I quickly sat down and placed my head in my hands. Looking up I saw their faces staring at me. They looked like they didn’t understand what my problem was. Were they crazy? I realized that they were when they continued to sit there and stare.

“Look, I know that this is a lot. Really I do but we are saving thousands of jobs, Trina. Just think of what you could be doing by just spending time with me.”

I looked at David as he spoke. There was no smugness, only tenderness in his eyes as he looked at me. I suddenly realized that he knew. He knew that we would need to work together and he had deliberately made me think Stephanie was carrying his child. He knew about everything from the beginning.

“That’s the problem though. I don’t want to spend another minute with you.”

“Can you give us a couple minutes please?” He continued to look at me as the rest of the people in the room began to file out into the hallway. “Look. I know you don’t like me or rather the attraction you have to me. I don’t care. We had this talk before. I have thousands of people to think about and thousands of mouths that will go hungry if this company goes under. Do you want to be the reason they all lose their jobs, not to mention you losing your own? I know you love your job and you are good at it. Damn good, just as many other people are in this company. From my highest executives to the cleaning lady that vacuums the office floors, everyone is my responsibility. I am asking you to play along. Not for my sake or yours but for theirs.”