“Because whoever sent me the tape also sent a threat along saying they’d release the video if I didn’t get my father to retire by Monday.”
From what I know now, I begin to consider all the reasons someone would want the senator to retire. It doesn’t add up. I’ve known the man since he and my father became law partners, which lasted a good seventeen years before Winters became a senator. He doesn’t have a corrupt bone in his body, leading me to believe someone must perceive him as a threat. But who and why remain out of my reach.
Before I can say as much, she cocks her head and asks, “Did the video sent to my father not have that message, too?”
“No, but I imagine the video wasn’t meant to get to your father. It probably was more of a warning that we are to take this threat seriously. I don’t doubt they knew it would be diverted before getting through to him.” Which only confirms the blackmailer—either by the hacker or by an investigator—knows the security I have in place for the senator. And that’s a disconcerting thought. “I’ll need time to investigate the corruption he’s told me about, to see if anyone stands out. But for now, we need to keep focused on the video.”
She pauses. Then asks, “Can you make the tape disappear?”
I want
to strangle whoever is behind this at the desperation in her eyes. “I’ll try my damnedest to erase it myself.” I finish off my coffee then rise, staring down into her stunning green beauties. “But that can’t happen here. And you can’t keep any more secrets from me, no matter how embarrassing they may be.”
“I’m not sure I have more secrets than you already know.” She glances away to her hands on her lap. “You did see the video, right?”
“Not yet.”
She cringes but recovers quickly and looks me in the eye again. “I guess I can’t talk you out of watching it?”
“I’ll only watch it if I need to.” I shove my hands in my pockets to stop her from seeing the clench of my fists. I don’t want to watch her with other men. But if it means catching the person blackmailing her, we both know I have to see it. “From now on, you need to share everything with me. No more secrets. Total transparency.” I am firm, making sure she sees my anger, letting that particular emotion bounce in the air a little bit, letting us both know and accept that slight twinge of jealousy that I know I’m going to suffer if I have to see her with other men. “But you need to tell me who the men in the video are. You can’t protect them. They might be behind this.”
She flinches. “Well, there might be a problem with that.”
“What problem?”
“I don’t know who they are.”
Chapter 5
Hadley
When we arrive at Blackwood Security headquarters a half hour later, I’m surprised by what I find. The location in the north end of the city isn’t at all what I expected. I figured Ryder would’ve picked a high-rise location or maybe even a building near one of the government offices. I totally did not expect to find an old factory, and when I read the faded word CHOCOLATE on the side of the graystone, I can only assume…“Your headquarters is in an old chocolate factory?” I glance over my shoulder at Ryder, finding his intense emerald green eyes on me.
He nods then precedes me, trotting up the rickety old stairs and stopping in front of the steel door. I notice a camera lens and fingerprint scanner, indicating to me we’ve arrived at the right place. Only Ryder would have this type of security setup. “I bought the building when I first started Blackwood. I needed something cheap at the time and this was a good deal.” He presses his finger against the scanner, and after a click the door opens. “Later, when I could move into something a little more modern, I realized I’d grown fond of this place and decided to do some renovations instead.”
He enters the building and I follow behind, not exactly sure what I’ll find, considering the outside had surprised me already. As far as I know, Blackwood Security is a multi-million-dollar company. Ryder’s done very well for himself. When the heavy door closes tightly behind me, I notice the vintage machinery sitting about. “I can see why you like it here,” I say, glancing at him. “It has character, charm even.”
Stepping into stride with me, he smiles, revealing a dimple. “You like it?”
God, that dimple weakens my knees, but really it’s all six foot two of him that warms my belly. I want to nip that chiseled jaw and explore all of his rugged features, including rubbing my hands across his dirty blond buzz cut.
Sadly, he won’t let me.
I watch him, and obviously he’s surprised that a girl like me would like a place like this—something with more character than new and modern. “Okay, so it’s a bit run-down, but…” I notice the large dirt-stained windows, barn wood floors, and industrial piping lining the ceiling. “…it’s also pretty cool.”
“It is very cool,” he says with a soft laugh, one that I’m not sure what to make of as we approach a room at the back.
I’m having fun, getting in his head and learning more about him. And maybe I want to know not only what’s going on inside his head but more about him physically, too. Like, how he feels beneath my hands, what sounds he makes when he’s being pleasured, how he looks when he’s thrusting deep…Okay, it’s probably not a bunch of maybes at all but a definite hell yes! that I want to know all of that about him.
When we enter the room, my thoughts return to the reality that Ryder is still playing impossible to get, when I hear a feminine voice say, “Hi, boss.”
“Mornin’,” Ryder responds.
He steps to the side and there’s a woman standing in front of me who’s around my age, I’m guessing. I notice she’s wearing a black T-shirt that says BLACKWOOD SECURITY across the front. Her long dark hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and her sharp amber eyes are surrounded by thick black lashes. And those eyes are currently widening as she takes a good look at me before they narrow at Ryder.
He chuckles, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Alex McCoy, please meet Hadley Winters.” He looks over his shoulder at me and gestures to her. “Hadley meet Alex.”
Ignoring her obvious surprise at Ryder bringing me here, I hold out my hand to her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”