Chapter 11
True
I don’t know what possessed me to offer to work in their offices today but the words were out of my mouth before I realized they had even formed. I know Joshua doesn’t trust me and the other brothers probably don’t either, but I would never intentionally do anything to hurt any of them. I know I hurt Atlas last night when I didn’t claim him in front of his family but I just froze and I know once I tell him the truth about who I am he is not going to want to have anything to do with me, so I am being selfish and withholding a truth he needs to know. I look over at Atlas as we get ready to leave to go to the other house so I can change clothes, and go to the office.
Atlas shows me around the office and a quick review of the computer system Jabarri designed for the office that keeps track of everything from appointments, to house schedules and deliveries. He shows me how to operate the phone and how to transfer any pressing emergencies to each brother’s phone, and before I know it I’m alone. The day goes by faster than I thought it would and before we know it the day is over.
I end up filling in the rest of the week and Atlas and I avoid the relationship conversation like the plague. I enjoy working in the office, it’s my first real job and it makes me consider getting a job or a degree once this whole situation is over. I have money, but I want to discover what I am good at, what I am passionate about besides guns, knives, bombs, fighting, and killing. I learned those things out of necessity.
As I think about this I open a browser and begin researching community colleges, I didn’t do great in high school, I graduated by the skin of my teeth. Not because I am dumb only because no one really cared if I went to school or not, when I graduated no one came to the graduation ceremony, I’m not sure they even knew about it.
I’m so deep in concentration I did not notice someone walked into the office, I have just about chewed my thumbnail off as I look at all the different programs the community college provides, it’s overwhelming. I jump and almost fall ass over teakettle when the stranger clears his throat. I finally get my racing heart under control and look to find the owner of that noise. I look into a pair of crystal clear blue eyes. They are so clear they are almost colorless, it’s disconcerting. He has on an obviously custom designer suit and there is not a hair out of place. His chiseled features all come together to form a stunningly beautiful man. He puts me in the mind of an elf off L.O.T.R., and every hair on my body is standing at attention, I feel like someone dropped a barrel of ants all over me. My palm begins to itch for a gun as I stand and take an involuntary step back. I look around quickly to assess my routes of escape and calculate my only chance is out of the back door.
“I’m sorry to startle you,” he says with a snake oil smile on his perfect face. “I'm interested in possibly building a new home and I have heard Gideon Brothers are the best in this entire state. I take a deep breath and retake my seat, I have been around killers my whole life and this guy is definitely a killer and he’s damn sure not here for a fucking house. The question is, is he here because of me or because of the brothers? I have a couple of concealed weapons on me but that will cause me to get closer to him than I’d like so I take stock of the items on my desk. I have a letter opener, scissors, various pens, pencils, a stapler and a laptop. If push comes to shove, I’ll whoop his ass like I’m a staples worker, and run for my life. He gives me another creepy ass smile that sends my hackles all the way up and moves closer to me. His dead eyes look me over and I have to clench my jaw to refrain from honest to god gagging, I pick up the letter opener and begin flipping through my fingers as he begins to ask me questions.
“Is it possible to meet with the eight brothers, if they are available?” The fuck? I think, who asks some shit like that, and even though you can find out on the internet that there are eight brothers who own the company most people do not know. I reach up to feel the twin hair pin blades I have in my hair. Today will be the last day I do not have a gun on me.
“Unfortunately no, normally they do not meet all together,” I tell him.
“What about Atlas? Is he available?”
Oh hell no! This shit is too close for comfort, but I school my features to give nothing away as I tell him,“I’m sorry the owners are out on-site today but I can make an appointment for you if you’d like.”
“No that won’t be necessary,'' he says.'' I’ll stop back in later this week.
“I will tell them you stopped by and to be expecting you sometime this week Mr…..?”
“Talen Wolf,” he says
Bullshit I think, “OK Mr. Wolf I’ll definitely let them know.
“Thank you?” he prompts
“Veronica,” I say without thought. He repeats the name as if he’s trying out the taste and weight of it on his tongue, then he smirks as if he’s letting me know he knows that isn’t my name any more than Talen Wolf is his. I give him a saccharine sweet smile and hold his gaze dead on until he turns and walks out of the office. I do not bother to go to the door to see what he is driving since there are surveillance cameras all over the property in the surrounding area. I have to tell Atlas what happened today, I cannot let that man come back in here with the brothers in the dark. Telling Atlas what took place is also going to force my hand in telling him who I am and why he found me in Victor’s house but I was only fooling myself into thinking I was going to be able to continue avoiding it. Thank goodness it’s Friday at least Jasmine will be back on Monday so they won’t be in a bind when Atlas puts my ass out after learning the truth. How the hell did they find out about Atlas and the company to begin with? Atlas and I have been going out more and even took a quick one day trip to Texas to deal with some of the organizations he is involved with. I was surprised when we walked into a Domestic Violence shelter and learned that Atlas was the biggest financial supporter. I was nervous about going back to Texas even though we didn’t even go to my hometown but apparently I shouldn't have gone back to Texas period.
Just as the day is about over I get a call from Atlas telling me to close down early, there was an accident at the site and one of the workers had to be rushed to the hospital. I shut down the computers, but not before I save today’s footage to the external hard drive and send a digital copy to my email address. Inputting the security code in the computer that will arm the alarm in 90 seconds, I grab my bag and the keys to Atlas’s car that he’s letting me use and walk out the door. I double-check the door is locked, hit the unlock on the fob, and get in the car feeling like I’m being watched. Once again I do not give outward appearances that I am aware of someone watching me and start the car and head towards the hospital. Just like I expected there is a car making the same turns I am making. I take a route that Atlas took me on one day as he took me to see the subdivision they are working on. I speed up a little, take a turn and pull over. I hurry up and pop the hood and wait on the passenger side crouching down to be unseen. A few seconds later he pulls up behind my car, probably thinking he got lucky, he gets out of the car and walks up to the front of my car but he doesn’t see me. Turning on his heels he heads back to his car, as soon as he gets in and starts the car. I come up from behind the car and take a hairpin knife out and stab him in the side of his neck. He grabs his neck to try to stench the flow of blood. He grabs the door handle to try to get out but before he can move again I’ve stabbed him two more times.
“How did you find me?” I ask.
“I wasn’t sure it was you, someone said they thought they saw you but he wasn’t sure”he gurgles out. “So we waited in town to see if we would spot you again.”
“Did you tell anyone?
“No I wanted to confirm it was you, Victor would kill me if I was wrong” he says slowly, his words slurring as he loses more blood than he can afford.
He barely has any fight left in him and I carefully reach in the car and grab his phone. I put his thumbprint on the screen to open it. I search his phone, take pictures of his screens with my phone. Using his shirt I wipe my prints off and toss it back on the passenger seat. I go back to my car, put the hood down, and move it from in front of Talen’s car. By the time I get to Talen’s car he’s just about dead. I reach in and put his foot on the gas and use his hand to put the car in gear. I push down and the car takes off and runs into a tree. I go back to my car and head to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, I learned that one of the guys suffered a broken arm, and a few other ones sustained injuries as the materials came loose and fell on the guys working on that section of the house. Atlas and the other brothers are pissed, this is a new supplier, the supplies they sent to be used were a cheaper version than the materials they were shown when the brothers decided to use them. I’m glad I am not the owner of that company because they are out for blood, if the owner has a company after this I’d be shocked. They have already contacted their lawyer and sent the records of the contract to her. The brothers make sure they keep impeccable records so I do not know how this guy thinks he is going to weasel out of this. The brothers make sure their team is ok and have taken the responsibility of paying all hospital bills and any other bills that arise for their workers. They have arranged after-hospital care for the ones that need it and will continue to provide pay for as long as they are out due to their injuries. No wonder they keep employees until they retire, even though I have never had a real job. The reaction of the hospital staff and the worker’s families let me know this is not a normal thing for a company to do.
It’s late by the time we make it back to the compound. After the first day I filled in at the office and it was clear I would be filling in for the rest of the week Atlas to me by the house to grab some clothes and essentials to stay at the compound, but I miss our house. We grabbed dinner on the way and everyone went to their perspective sections of the house to wash, unwind and eat. Atlas and I have just finished eating when there is a knock at the door.
“Come in!” Atlas bellows.
The door opens and Savvy walks in, scrunches up her face “what crawled in your ass and died? McPissy”
“I’m sorry, it’s been a long ass day.” What’s up sis?”
“Actually, I wanted to know if True felt like going shopping with me tomorrow for a few things for my readers for the book fair I am attending next week”