“Okay. Then what?” Derek asked.
“We can make it look like electrical work at your office and renovations here at your home. But in your office, cameras will be set up. Same with your home. You need stuff inside here. In intimate areas to catch whoever the hell this is. But we need to make it look like this is typical stuff going on. That’s how we catch whoever’s doing this.”
“You're holding back. What is it?” he asked.
“You’re not gonna like it.”
“What?” he asked.
“If anyone on your security team is in on this, even one of them, they’ll spoil this. They’ll stick their nose in what’s going on at your home, and it’ll all be blown to shreds. We need to fire your security team.”
I saw anger pooling in his eyes, but I knew I was appealing to the rational part of him. I knew he would see it my way if I explained things to him and walked him through my train of thought instead of simply ordering him around. For a man who was being hunted, explanations were everything.
Especially since he didn’t know why he was being hunted in the first place.
“Okay. But I’m worried about this leaking out. You know, a disgruntled employee or something. Griggs and Deacon were the ones who enticed me to hire your company in the first place,” Derek said.
“Then throw some money at them to shut them up. By the size of this place, you’ve got plenty of it,” I said.
“Hush money usually works.”
“Then use what you have at your disposal.”
“Funny you should say that.”
I groaned as my head fell back. I knew I was going to walk into a trap of his eventually.
“I don’t run. I never have, and I never will. But I agree that I do need to get away. Sever ties from all of this. I have a business trip coming up that will take me to Las Vegas. I was going to take Jacob ... shit.”
“What?” I asked.
“I have to call Jacob. I have to make sure he’s okay.”
“Walk me through your plan, and then you’re free to go for your night. You know, as long as I’m around,” I said.
“Business trip to Vegas. I was going to take Jacob, but I’ll take you as my girlfriend instead.”
“Girlfriend?” I asked in fake shock. “Why not your PA?”
“I might have told Jacob you were my girlfriend when he started picking apart our story about you being my new personal assistant.”
“Well, if you’ve already told someone and laid the groundwork for it, we can’t really wiggle out of that.”
“And we’ve got the kissing down if we need it,” he said.
“Don’t worry. We won’t.”
I got up from the bed as his eyes lingered on my body.
“The trip to Vegas is approved, but I comb through everything. I’ll set up the stuff with your office and your home, but I dig into everyone you are to come into contact with. From the airline to the people working at the hotel we’ll be staying at.”
“I have my own private jet with its own personal staff,” he said.
“Figures. That’ll make my job easier. I want the staff logs.”
“They’re vetted by—”
“Let’s get one thing straight. If you don’t want to run, that’s your business. But I’m running this show. I’m saving your life. You give me what I want, and I have the tools to fix this shit. But if you don’t give me what I want, you end up dead. And that’s on you, not me. Hand over the logs so I can do my own research or bleed out. The choice is yours.”
My eyes hooked with him as fear crossed his features. I wasn’t playing around with this asshole anymore. I was tired of doing this little dance. He either listened to me or he was dead. That much was certain by tonight. He was still trying to flex whatever muscle he had over me, and it wasn’t going to work.
I wasn’t going to deal with it any longer.
“I’ll get you their files,” Derek said.
“Good. You’re dismissed for the night.”
Chapter 7
Derek
I COULD TELL SAM WASN’T happy about pretending to be my girlfriend. Her quip about our kissing showed me that, but I didn’t see the big deal. She looked great in the dress and walked the part just fine. She could obviously do her job in her heels, so it wasn’t like she would be at a disadvantage. I’d wine and dine her. Treat her like I would all my other girlfriends. She was getting more money out of this deal than anyone else would have.