Yarina? No. She had the ability to manipulate numbers but had left too wide a trail to follow back to her. Though it looked like there were definitely expenditures in her department that weren’t on the up-and-up, the diversion of funds and resources were more direct. Yarina’s apparent infraction was unrelated. Atticus would get Dimitri on it so that they could eliminate Yarina as the culprit. The money spent in Yarina’s department was going somewhere, buying actual products, albeit products that weren’t needed by the company.
But the money diverted from the pension restoration fund had disappeared. Someone was siphoning off money, and it was Atticus’s job to find out who it was.
Speaking of eliminating a culprit. “Ms. Rodgers, come in here please.”
Victoria entered the office, pad of paper in hand, ready for his instructions. She sat down and gazed at him expectantly.
He handed her the completed kidnapping scene and the consent form. “Please review this. If you have any questions—”
She smiled. “You wrote it.”
As she read the scenario, he studied her. She had lost weight and color. He didn’t like it.
“There’s no time or place on here,” she said.
“No.” He liked the way her smile faded. There was a mixture of anxiety and arousal that made him lean closer to her and whisper in her ear to intimidate her more. “When I take you, it will be quick and quiet. You won’t even have a chance to cry out.”
Her swallow was audible, and her breath made a sound like a sob. “I’ll have to be on my guard, then.”
Slowly, he stepped away. “It won’t help.”
* * * *
Rita’s was busy, and Tori scanned the tables for her friends. Nell was already there, so Tori threaded through the lunch crowd to her table. “Sorry I’m late.” Tori slid into one of the chairs. “That bastard Paulus kept me past one.”
“He’s still a bastard?” Nell asked with a slight smile.
Tori glanced at Nell. Could she see something? Tori tried hard to hide how much Finch had come to mean to her, even when he drove her crazy.
Each day started out the same. She arrived late, and Finch bent her over his desk to spank the hell out of her. Then Tori would have to run to the bathroom and get herself off. Finch had never broken his rule again and only spanked her through her clothes, though Tori had often fought the desire to beg him to strip her again and, this time, fuck her.
She didn’t cave in. She also didn’t call off the impending kidnapping. The anticipation was killing her. Worst of all, he didn’t mention it again, and she couldn’t bring it up. He hadn’t said a word when she’d handed him her consent and her additions.
She wasn’t ready to admit that he had started to become essential to her well-being. “He’s an asshole.”
“Who is?” Gina seemed tired.
Tori realized it had been weeks since she’d spoken to Gina. Wrapped up in her mom’s situation and ConFed’s money mystery, she hadn’t had much time. And where Nell glowed with contentment, Gina seemed anxious and worried.
“Tori is complaining about Atticus again.”
Nell’s attention wasn’t on Tori though. Both of them were focused on Gina. Tori didn’t get it. Of the three of them, Gina was the only one who didn’t have a new boss. She and Reena had always worked well together, and Tori had always suspected they were closer than colleagues. Just before the Vegas trip, though, Gina seemed to distance herself from Reena.
It had been Reena who’d partnered up with Gina at the erotic expo and had given Tori one of the most beautiful examples of public play she’d ever seen. What had happened?
Gina seemed to realize that Tori was about to start digging. “Poor Atticus,” Gina said and shook her head. “He’s so hot, though. I don’t think he’ll find it tough to replace you.”
That was the last thing Tori wanted to hear, probably because it was true. “Shut up.”
Then Gina changed the subject. “What about you, Nell? How is working for the mysterious Mark Conners?”
“I like him.” Nell’s face was flooded with color, and Tori spotted it immediately. There was definitely something there.
Tori couldn’t help but smile. “She’s holding out on us.”
Nell cleared her throat. “At least he’s not laying everyone off.”
Gina gave her a puzzled look. “No, but he’s definitely pissing people off enough that they’ll quit.”
“What do you mean?” Nell cocked her head to the side.
“He slashed the software development budget,” Tori said. “Every single purchase order goes through Atticus now. You should have seen Yarina. She was furious.” She shuddered. “That woman scares me.”
Gina smirked. “She should. The woman’s vocabulary is extensive. I know. She ripped into Reena too.”
“Does she know Mark is the one who cut her budget?” Nell seemed worried, her forehead wrinkled in a frown.
“She knows now,” Gina said. “Reena told her this morning.”
Tori watched Nell. It was pretty clear that Nell was concerned her new boss might be threatened in some way. Time for some fishing. “Tell us the truth, Nell. Does Mark kiss as good as he looks?”
“Tori!” Nell protested, but her face flooded with color.
Tori exchanged a mischievous glance with Gina. “That’s not an answer.”
Tori grinned as Nell pursed her lips together.
Then Nell sighed. It was a dreamy, contented sigh that spoke volumes. “He kisses
better
than he looks.”
Gina smiled. “I’ll bet he does.” She brushed her dark hair from her face. “You know, when he was at the play party, he didn’t touch any of the submissives there, and I asked—” Gina stopped and clenched her jaw for a moment. “I wondered why. I was told he had already sized up his next play partner, and he wasn’t there to cruise.” She reached out and touched Nell’s hand. “I’m pretty sure he was interested in you then.”
Nell’s lips curved into a smile. “He said something like that. I sort of put the kibosh on his plan to…convince me to sign that fraternization clause when I made my declaration in Vegas.”
She laughed, and Tori’s heart tightened. Nell sounded so happy, so in love. Tori was envious.
“You signed it? The declaration?”
Nell nodded. “All those nights I spent online, fantasizing, dreaming about this kind of thing pale in comparison to the real thing.”
“You’re in love with him,” Tori stated.
Nell met her gaze. “I am. I’m terrified. But right now I’m enjoying what we have and not worrying about tomorrow.” She glanced at her phone, and her eyes widened. “Oh no. I have to go. I promised Mark I’d be back early.”
Tori watched her friend hurry out of the restaurant. She turned to Gina. “Alone at last. Now you can tell me what happened in Vegas.”
For the first time since Tori had known her, Gina’s face was blank. “Nothing happened. I wanted to drive back, not fly.”
Tori studied her. She and Gina had always been friends but not close. Oh, they’d had intimate conversations about sex and BDSM, but Tori realized she didn’t know Gina as well as she knew Nell. “Ever since you and Reena—”
“I’m not discussing her,” Gina snapped. “I don’t want to talk about Vegas. Besides, you haven’t told me anything. It’s pretty clear that your trips to the bathroom to get off are more than just taking the edge off.”
Tori wanted the floor to swallow her. Gina had heard her? How could she explain that Finch got her so hot and horny she had to find relief? “You’re spying on me?”
“You weren’t being very quiet,” Gina snapped.
“Why the hell were you coming upstairs anyway?” Tori tried to divert Gina away from the real subject. She was surprised to see Gina look uncomfortable for a moment.
“I take my breaks up there. Your floor has the better bathroom.” Gina cleared her throat, and all the hostility between them seemed to dissipate. “What’s going on that drives you into the executive bathroom to get yourself off?”
Well, she couldn’t reveal her reasons without explaining why she couldn’t get her rocks off at home. “I can’t explain it. I’m sorry, Gina,” she said. She was sorry. Sorry she’d stuck her nose in.
Gina put her face in her hands. “No. I’m sorry.” For a moment, she was quiet. And then, she dropped her hands and spoke slowly. “I can only say this. Everything I thought I understood about myself and about- about-” Her nostrils flared, and her voice broke. “I can’t tell you anything right now. I’m confused, and I need some time to think.”
“Yeah. I get that. I have no idea what I’m doing right now, so I’m not in any position to question you.” Tori put her arm around Gina. “Just tell me that I made you fucking hot when you heard me.”
A laugh exploded from Gina, and she tugged on Tori’s hair. “You did. Bitch.”
“That’s me. First class.” She picked up the check. “Let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
They were at the front counter when Reena entered the restaurant. “Gina? I need to talk to you. Now.”
Tori raised her eyebrows, and Gina glared at Reena. “I’m busy.”
That made Tori’s eyebrows raise higher. If what Gina said about Reena was true, then the shitty tone from the hardcore submissive was going to piss the Mistress right off.
“This is important.” Reena’s face was unreadable. The woman was tall, statuesque, and always perfectly put together. She had ice-blue eyes and blonde hair. But it was Reena’s hands that fascinated Tori. Something about the strength in them, the way they gracefully took charge of a telephone receiver or a memo, made Tori’s stomach flop. There was power in the woman’s gaze, and she exuded authority without being bossy or strident.
None of that seemed to work on Gina. “I’m not on the clock. You can wait until I get back.”
That was rude by anyone’s standard, Mistress, boss, or human being. Tori stared at Gina, so she missed the moment that Reena, the always cool never flustered Reena Barrett, lost her mind.
Reena gripped Gina’s arm and yanked her toward the front door. “I said now. If you want to be angry with me, fine. But this is about Nell, so I thought you might want to know.” As suddenly as she’d grabbed Gina, she dropped her hold. “Really, though, I suppose whatever bullshit you resent me for is far more important than your friendship with Nell. Pardon me all over the place.”
Tori stared at Reena. In the years she’d known the woman, Reena had been cool, collected, and serenely untouchable. Tori knew the relationship between Reena and Gina was fraught with conflict, and not just because their names paired together seemed to be part of a bad limerick.
As Gina lowered her voice and listened, Tori stayed out of earshot. If this was something she was supposed to know, Gina would tell her. The two women spoke in low tones, and suddenly, Gina raised her voice. “I don’t believe you.”
Without another word, Gina stormed out of the restaurant. Before Reena could give chase, Tori stepped in front of her. “Leave it alone, Reena.”
The woman turned that stony stare directly at Tori.
She couldn’t help it. She dropped her gaze to the floor.
“You know what I am,” Reena snapped.
“Yes.” Tori almost added
Mistress
, but it seemed to be unspoken, hanging in the air between them.
For a moment, Tori thought Reena was going to verbally blast her. Instead, after a tense moment, the woman sighed. “Nell is going to need a friend, Tori. Can you do that?”
“I already do. Why?” She asked the question but kept her attention on the floor, so when Reena gripped her chin and made her look up, she was startled.
“Because I think shit is going to hit the fan. Soon.” Reena dropped her hand and strode out the door.
Tori blinked and headed for her car.
She was back from lunch late, and even with everything that happened at Rita’s, she anticipated another spanking from Finch. As she hurried through the lobby of the office building, she cursed herself for not keeping track of the time.
Riding up the elevator, she thought about Nell. Her friend was clearly happy with her boss, Mark Conners. But the warning Reena had given her and Gina’s reaction to whatever the woman had told her seemed to mean something bad was going to happen.
Tori checked the wall clock as she practically sprinted to her desk. Only three minutes late. Three wasn’t so bad.
But Finch didn’t seem to want to spank her for the infraction. His face was tight, bleak, as if he’d been severely disappointed.
She stopped short and stared at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Come in here.”
Mystified, Tori followed him into his office. He wasn’t stern like he often was when he disciplined her for her lateness. He was cool and professional.
“What do you know about Pete Dawson?” Finch’s voice was cold.
“The reporter from the
L.A. Times?
Not much. Reena contacts him for publicity and interviews. Why?” Bewildered, Tori tried to figure out what Finch’s expression meant.
“I have meetings this afternoon. Hold my calls.” Without another word, the man picked up his briefcase and walked past her.
What the fuck was going on?
She went down the hall to Nell’s office. Somehow, this had to be about why Nell was going to need a friend. Tori was sure of it. As Tori came down the hall, she heard a door slam and the door to the stairwell open and close. As she rounded the corner, she noted that Nell’s desk was empty.
The last person she expected to see was Jerry Arnold. And to see the software manager with a smile on his face was even more surprising. She studied the man while his attention was on the door to the stairwell. He wasn’t very tall, not very imposing, but he was handsome in a compact sort of way. Compared to Finch, Jerry was less than mediocre.
When Jerry spotted her, his smile widened. She never liked it when he grinned. He resembled a shark. And like most sharks, his bite was way worse than his bark. “Well, if it isn’t Victoria.”
She tried not to react. Everyone knew that Finch was the only one who called her that. Jerry was trying to needle her again. “What are you doing here, Jerry?”
“I came to finalize my transfer to San Francisco and arrived to see the fireworks.” His eyes narrowed on Tori’s face. “I’ll bet you knew about Mark Conners’s past.”
“What past?” She was baffled.
Jerry cackled. “His father was an Internet entrepreneur. Stole millions from his investors.” He held out a newspaper.