Baiting Trouble (Sinful Business Book 2) Page 12

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it. And please, call me Brad, Katherine.”

  “Brad,” Delilah let each consonant and vowel linger on her lips seductively. “I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate your spending your time with me like this.”

  A gleam of self-satisfaction flashed in his eyes. Apparently even a man as handsome as Brad Weiss wasn’t immune to flattery. “I just hope you won’t change your mind after you hear the task I have in store for you.”

  “Oh, I’d never, not in a million years. I’m a hard worker and I’d do anything for this company and for you.” She lowered her eyelashes for dramatic effect.

  “Good. Since you’re going to be spending lots of time at the plant doing your study, I’d like you to keep close to the consultants.”

  “You mean the gentlemen from McKeenly?”

  “And ladies, whatever the case may be.” He winked. “You know, Katherine, our new CEO was gung-ho on hiring these guys. He thinks they’re the best thing since sliced bread and that they’re going to have all these wonderful ideas about how to revolutionize our company. Well, just between you and me, I think we’re already pretty revolutionary. And I just want to make sure that those consultants don’t rip us off with their flashy advice.”

  Delilah nodded. “McKeenly is known for its steep fees.”

  “You see my drift.”

  “Perfectly. But Mr. Wei—, excuse me, Brad,” she corrected herself under Weiss’s studying eye, “what if I won’t be able to get access to their records? I am, after all, just an intern. Why should McKeenly talk to me?”

  “Don’t you worry about that, Katherine. You just ask your questions and they’ll have to give you answers. And if McKeenly tries to give you any trouble, you just come and see me about it, all right?”

  “All right.” Delilah nodded. Her head was spinning from what she’d just learned. Brad Weiss didn’t trust consultants retained by the CEO—talk about company politics! And he’d chosen her, Delilah, to be his spy. She couldn’t wait to tell Ally. This might be just the information they were looking for. “I’ll get on this right away, sir.”

  “Brad.” He smiled at her.

  “Sorry, Brad.”

  “And Katherine?

  “Yes?”

  “I’d appreciate it if you could keep this matter between us. I wouldn’t want anyone at the company to get the wrong impression. These consultants are like weasels—they’ve got their way into every hole.”

  “Of course. I understand perfectly. I’ll be reporting all my findings to you directly.”

  “Excellent. I’m looking forward to it.” Weiss leaned back in his chair and twirled his thumbs, a picture of self-satisfaction. “That is,” he added hastily, “I hope you won’t find anything problematic to report.”

  “That is exactly my hope too, Brad.” Delilah rose from her seat and slowly took her leave, making sure to add just the right amount of sway to her hips.

  Dizzy with a mixture of excitement and exhilaration, Delilah sat down behind her desk and took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe how cool and collected she’d been while talking with Weiss just now. Inside she’d been nervous like a schoolgirl, terrified of being discovered. There was also another component to her nervousness that she didn’t want to admit. Brad Weiss was a very attractive man. She’d flirted with him, slipping into her usual manner, pure sophistication on the outside while shaking like a leaf on the inside. She could tell that he liked her too—she could sense it. It almost felt like a date. Only it wasn’t. It was a job and she was determined to be good at it. This was her first serious assignment, her chance—possibly her only chance—to prove that she was worth her salt. From what Delilah had learned, Marion wasn’t a fan of second chances. Screw this up and the only task she’d ever be trusted with again would be to pick out sexy dresses and lacy undergarments and give seduction tips to other agents. No, thank you. Brad Weiss sure got her blood pumping, but he wasn’t worth the risk. She had to be focused on the job. She could sense that there were reasons much more complex than his personal attraction to her that had prompted Brad Weiss to summon her into his office and delegate to her the rather bizarre task of spying after McKeenly. And she determined to find out what those reasons were.

  “Lunch?” Ally asked, eyeing her meaningfully.

  Delilah nearly jumped up in her chair, stunned out of her reverie. She eyed her watch. It was noon already. “Yeah, sure.”

  Fifteen minutes later they were seated in a diner slightly off the beaten path—to the extent that such a thing was possible in a town like Newport.

  After they’d placed their orders, two salads, Ally eyed her with anticipation. “So how did it go with Weiss?”

  “Interesting.” Delilah sipped her iced tea.

  “Interesting? That’s all you got for me?”

  Delilah twirled her straw. Normally she was in Ally’s place, asking her for the details and now she enjoyed the suspense. But she knew not to push it too much. “He asked me to spy on McKeenly.”

  “The consultants?”

  “Yep.”

  “He just said it like that, ‘spy on McKeenly for me’?”

  “He didn’t say it openly like that, but he hinted that he wants me to be his eyes and ears. And he doesn’t want me to tell anyone about it.”

  “What about me? Did he really think you wouldn’t tell me?”

  “I think so. He’s very charismatic. He’s used to getting his own way.”

  “But you’d never do that, right? You’d tell me everything.”

  Delilah waved her hand in dismissal. “Of course I would. We’re partners. For all I know Weiss is a suspect.”

  “A very charismatic suspect.”

  Delilah cocked an eyebrow. “Are we back to that? I’ll have you know I’m immune to his charisma. It was merely an observation.”

  ***

  Jake Morrissey was about to leave for the day. It was seven-thirty p.m. and the Orion office building was nearly empty by now. Jake and the rest of McKeenly’s team had been issued office space at Orion for the duration of their project there. It sure had been quick thinking on Marion’s part to insert Jake into McKeenly. This whole “capacity and maintenance assessment” that McKeenly was doing for Orion just didn’t smell right to him. He wondered about the agency’s contact at McKeenly—it had to be someone in the senior executive ranks to get Jake in so quickly. It’d be interesting to know who it was, but Jake would probably never find out. That information was above his clearance rank and he knew better than to ask Marion. It was just idle curiosity on his part, which was something that Marion didn’t look too kindly upon. Neither did she look kindly upon procrastination, never mind that Marion had her own definition of tardiness, which often didn’t jive with reality. His boss was probably burning the midnight oil at her office this very moment, her fingers drumming impatiently on her desk as she waited for Jake’s report. His boss would just have to wait a few more days. Jake had an inkling he was close to uncovering something important, but he didn’t have enough information yet and he didn’t want to get Marion’s hopes up until he had concrete proof. Of course, in all honesty it wasn’t the only reason for his stalling. He figured once he had concrete evidence to report, Marion would be too absorbed by his findings to question him about Ally, and that was precisely what he was aiming for. A part of him wished giving up Ally would have been as easy as he’d thought, but it just wasn’t the case. He’d given up a lot for this job, almost losing himself in the process, and he was done with sacrifices. He was going to give this assignment his all, but if push came to shove, he now had his priorities straight. And if Marion didn’t like that, she was free to hire his replacement. Jake turned off his computer, grabbed his briefcase, and locked the office door behind him.

  A quick elevator ride later he was outside. He was about to enter the parking lot when something, or to be more exact, someone caught his attention. A female silhouette, or at least he thought it was one, exiting from the
plant facility. The motion had been so fleeting that it had barely registered in Jake’s mind. Jake stood back behind the parking lot gate and waited. It was quite a distance to the path leading from the plant and Jake wondered if his eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on him. Still, there was no harm in checking this out.

  Several minutes later he saw a female silhouette approaching the parking lot. She was walking down a different a path, the one leading from the office building, but Jake had no doubt that it was the same woman he’d seen earlier. Now that he’d gotten a better look, he knew exactly who it was: Irene Zong, the stunning beauty who also happened to be a McKeenly employee. His observation of Irene’s looks was nothing more than a professional assessment. Jake wasn’t interested in her in that way, not in the least, but he had to admit a woman looking like Irene Zong was the last person he’d expected to see as Orion’s team leader at McKeenly. Irene was a managing director, and from the brief background work Jake had done on her, her credentials were impressive. But something didn’t fit the picture and the fact that he spotted her slinking around Orion’s plant at night had set off Jake’s radar.

  Jake waited for Irene to enter the parking lot and head over to her car. She lingered by her car door, jiggling its lock. Jake had followed her quietly and was about to ask her if she needed help. He only managed a squeak before she spun around and jammed her iron hand into his throat, followed by a blindingly painful blow to his shin. Before he could gather his bearings, another hit to his back sent him toppling down to his knees.

  “Stand back!” Irene said in an icy cool voice. “I’ve got a Taser aimed at your neck.”

  “It’s Jeff, Jeff Olson,” Jake croaked the alias he’d been using for his job at McKeenly. “I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

  “Jeff! Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Irene bent over him, her face twisted in concern.

  Jake groaned, struggling to get to his feet.

  “Here, let me give you a hand.” She offered her arm. “Go on, lean on me. I’m stronger than I look.”

  “I figured as much.” Jake didn’t think twice about accepting Irene’s offer. Her shoulder felt like solid steel under his arm.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe we should get you an ambulance.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Jake assured her. “I just need to catch my breath.” He propped himself against her car, taking several cautious breaths to make sure nothing was broken. He was no wimp, but then Irene didn’t hit like a girl and it’d been a while since Jake had been in hand-to-hand combat.

  “You must work out a lot,” he observed after he was finally able to breathe. Jake hadn’t met too many energy consultants who looked like Irene, not to mention energy consultants who also specialized in martial arts. He was determined to find a way to get closer to her, even if it meant acquiring a few bruises along the way.

  She nodded. “I’ve been training in Wushu since I was six. I thought you were some sick rapist or burglar.”

  “I’m sorry I scared you. I’d merely meant to ask if you needed any help with your car, but a capable lady like yourself wouldn’t need any help from me. Apologies again for disturbing you.”

  “Actually, I do need help. I’m embarrassed to say that I locked my keys inside my car.”

  “I thought you were going to say that you’re also an expert locksmith. Finally, an opportunity to demonstrate some chivalry.”

  She chuckled. “Tease me all you want. If it helps you restore your sense of manliness, I’m all for it.”

  He grinned. At least the woman had a sense of humor. “I feel much better now. Are you a member of AAA?”

  “I guess I dropped the ball on that one. I forgot to renew my membership.”

  He tsked. “A martial arts expert doesn’t have an AAA membership? I thought you guys were all about discipline.”

  “No one is perfect.”

  “Would you like a ride then? I can have a locksmith come and open your car for you tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s awfully kind of you, especially after the way I attacked you earlier.”

  “It wasn’t an attack. It was self-defense. I shouldn’t have sneaked up on you like that. I take full responsibility for it.”

  “You’re very generous. A ride would be lovely. I have an eight a.m. meeting tomorrow morning and I’m exhausted.”

  “My chariot is at your disposal,” Jake quipped. “I’m parked right over there.” He started to move and was stunned to find himself limping—his shin hurt like crazy.

  “Sorry about that. Here, lean on me. I have an herbal ointment at home that works magic on bruises. My martial arts Wushu makes it himself. I’ll give you some to help with the pain.”

  “It’s really no trouble,” Jake assured her, almost tripping. Irene’s steely hand was there in time to steady him.

  “You might want to give me your car keys. I don’t think I trust you pressing the gas pedal with that foot,” she said.

  ***

  Ally pressed her back against the gate, scarcely believing her eyes when she saw Jake walking down the parking lot with Irene Zong in tow. “In tow” was a very loose statement. He was hugging her, or leaning on her was more likely. Ally felt her face grow hot. Was this the reason Jake had wanted to break it off with her? Masquerading it as some selfless act of doing what’s right, while in reality he simply wanted to see other women—Irene Zong being the woman in question? Ally had known that Jake was no Boy Scout when she got involved with him. He was handsome, charming, and no matter how corny it sounded, simply irresistible. He’d had his share of women, and to say that Ally hadn’t been threatened by his past would be a lie. But she also knew, or at least had known until this very moment, that they had shared something special between them. A feeling that went far beyond physical attraction and great sex, or did it? She felt herself welling up with anger. Just this morning she’d left Jake’s hotel room feeling giddy with her love for him. She’d been so confident that they would find a way to be together despite this wretched assignment. And now all of that confidence evaporated in one fell swoop. She wondered if Marion knew about what Jake was up to, that he was out there possibly sabotaging their mission by giving in to his primal urges. But then another thought crossed her mind. Perhaps this was part of the job. Maybe this was the true reason Marion had sent Jake on the job in the first place. Maybe that was why she told Jake to break it off with Ally. Maybe Marion needed the old Jake to complete the job and Ally was standing in the way. Well, as far as Ally was concerned, Marion and the agency could all go to hell.

  Ally waited for Irene and Jake to get into the car. She was surprised to see that Irene got into the driver’s seat. Usually Jake didn’t like anyone else driving his car, even if it was a rental. Just as the two of them were about to drive off, Ally crept into the parking lot and got into her car. Keeping a careful distance, she followed Jake’s car.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning Ally walked through the doors of Orion’s corporate headquarters at five a.m. sharp. She had purposely worn soft-soled shoes, but even so, she could hear the light tapping of her footsteps in the empty hallways. Except for the security guards, there didn’t seem to be another soul in the building, which was exactly what she was after. If anyone asked her what she was doing in the office this early, she had a story lined up—she couldn’t sleep and decided to get some work done. Just in case, she stopped by her desk first and logged into her computer—that way there’d be a trail. Her next stop was the executive floor, where the McKeenly consultants had been issued temporary offices.

  The executive floor was just as empty as the rest of the building. Ally quickly reached the cluster of the offices that had been designated for McKeenly’s use. She was about to do something very bad and irresponsible. Using agency equipment to wire Irene Zong’s office to find out what was going on between the skank and Jake didn’t exactly make Ally look like a stellar agent, but she had to have the truth. Yes, jealousy was indeed a green-eyed monster. Besid
es, there were legitimate reasons for wiring Irene’s office. At least it was what Ally told herself because admitting the truth was just too embarrassing, not to mention unprofessional. McKeenly had designated Irene as the leader of the Orion project. If there was any foul play going on at McKeenly, Irene would lead them to it. And there was also another possibility which Ally refused to admit, but had to consider anyway. What if Jake had switched sides? Agents with stellar records had been known to turn rogue and Irene Zong looked like a very persuasive kind of woman.

  The door to Irene Zong’s office was locked, but this was small challenge, as Ally was armed with a set of the agency’s master key tools. She quickly opened the lock and got inside the office. In her pocket she had a small, less than an inch long rectangular device that would record everything that was transpiring in Irene Zong’s office. Rather than planting the device underneath Irene’s chair or desk, Ally quickly planted the device underneath one of visitors’ armchairs. The reception quality would not be affected, but this way Irene would be less likely to spot the bug. Ally quickly planted the bug underneath the chair, locked the office door, and took the stairs back to her desk.

  The entire operation had taken Ally less than twenty minutes, and now that she was back at her desk she wondered how she was going to make it through the day. It wasn’t even six a.m. yet and already she was starting to feel exhausted. She had hardly gotten any sleep last night, tossing and turning and thinking about Jake. Could it be that he was cheating on her with Irene Zong? That stuck-up, cold witch, Ally thought, her fists clenching. All right, Irene Zong was a stunning-looking witch—Ally would give her that—but the woman was still a witch: cold and calculating and downright evil-looking.

  ***

  Feeling like a complete buffoon, Jake Morrissey knocked tentatively on Irene Zong’s office. In his other hand he held a tray with coffee and doughnuts from the coffee shop next to the office. He couldn’t believe what an idiot he’d been last night. Even as a rookie he’d never made that many mistakes in one sitting. To top it all off, he ended up spending the night at Irene’s house, which was downright embarrassing. He hoped no one at the agency would get wind of this. The situation could’ve turned out to be very dangerous. Thank goodness that he didn’t have any items on him that could’ve given away his true identity. At least he still had the presence of mind to remember that. Jake shook his head, wondering if he was losing his touch or maybe he was just getting old. Deep down he knew what the real answer was—he was distracted, plain and simple. Knowing that Ally was working on the same project and was in the same building made him worry about her safety constantly. He’d worked on an assignment with Ally before, but back then they weren’t together yet. He’d been in love with her already, but he’d been able to fool himself into thinking that his feelings for her were nothing more than concern of a protective mentor feeling responsible for his charge. Now he had no such cop-out. He was certainly in no position to be Ally’s mentor, or anyone’s mentor for that matter. So far, he’d broken every single rule in the book by first getting involved with Ally, and then caving in to her and agreeing not to break off their relationship despite the danger that it might pose to them both. He’d sworn to himself to do anything it took to protect Ally, but so far he was only messing things up, subjecting them both to potential danger.