Lucky Charm (17 page)

It was the sound of voices in the outer office that frustrated her. Someone was still here even though she’d made it absolutely clear that everyone needed to be off-line. Until everything was silent, she didn’t dare start the install. She wished fervently but silently that they would all go home. Even their software technician had left, once he was sure she knew what she was doing – the one drawback of southern gentlemen was that in their estimation sweet young thangs like her shouldn’t know such technical stuff. With a sigh of resignation, she considered getting something to drink from the vending machines on the ground floor while waiting for whoever was out there to finish. Usually she didn’t do that until the installation started. It pretty much ran on its own at that point.

She stepped out of the computer room.

The tableau before her stopped her for all of the second it took to register what she was seeing and then she kept walking as if she every right to be there.

After all, she did.

Jeremy Mayfield, the office manager, stood by the elevators. She’d met him first thing that morning. He was a big man. So was Tony Garza, one of the team leaders, now standing with his back to her. They’d been introduced that afternoon at the scheduling meeting. Another man was with them, one she hadn’t met yet.

Standing in their midst was a familiar blond head with brilliant green eyes.

Matt.

Even wearing a suit and tie she recognized him instantly.

What the hell was he doing here
? she wondered.
Why did he keep popping up everywhere? What was going on?

The suit looked good on him, he looked like a prosperous executive. A very attractive, very sexy executive. The man was a chameleon, adapting to whatever he wore, wherever he was, although the jeans and t-shirt had somehow seemed more natural to him.

Just the sight of him made her heart beat a little faster and sent a wave of warmth through her. It was vaguely unsettling. She was startled to find she was glad to see him and happier still that he was all right. For the moment.

“Maybe there’s something I can do to help you,” Jeremy Mayfield was saying.

The words were simple, polite, but the tone was anything but. Especially ground out in a low almost threatening voice.

Shaking his head, Matt stepped sideways, trying to reach the elevators. “No, thank you, I’ve had my questions answered.”

The other men shifted to block his exit.

The tension between the four men was obvious. Ariel frowned a little. It looked as if Matt was trying to leave while Jeremy, Tony and the other man were just as plainly trying to prevent him. They’d put themselves between him and the elevator. Why? Everyone else was gone but her.

Something was very wrong. That was strange enough, but there was something about their attitude, about the way they stood and their air of expectancy, as if they waited for something or someone.

Matt’s shoulders were set, his body tight, as if prepared for a fight.

She kept walking toward them as if nothing unusual was happening. In the next moment they all suddenly became aware of her.

Both Jeremy and Tony looked suddenly startled and surprised, suddenly reminded of her presence in the office. It was clear they’d forgotten she was here. It wasn’t the first time something like it had happened to her. She was usually tucked out of sight in the computer room. Out of sight, out of mind.

Whatever was going on, it was clear Matt wanted out. All right, she would get him out. The simplest way possible, through the front doors. It wouldn’t do for them to think that she knew him, though. That would raise uncomfortable questions.

Blithely, she continued on her way, going past the men to punch the down button on the elevator. All of them were suddenly silent, staring at her with various expressions on their faces. Jeremy, Tony and the other man were clearly caught off guard. Matt had gone even more tense, trying to conceal his alarm.

The elevator doors slid open.

“Hey, Jeremy, Tony. Is anyone else going down?” she asked, looking from one to the other innocently and expectantly as she stepped into the empty elevator. Only at the last moment did she look at Matt, keeping her expression bland.

Stunned, Matt just stared at her, trying not to show he recognized her. Not in front of these men.

Ariel.

It was her, no doubt about it. Those black-lashed blue eyes and that firm rosy mouth were unmistakable.

She wore a loose, pretty, casual dress that flowed over her curves, a pattern of dark blue flowers on a pale blue background that made her blue eyes seem radiant in the fluorescent lighting. She was as lovely as he remembered. The last image he had of her from that morning, kneeling on the bed, popped back into his mind.

What was she doing here
? He’d thought she was in Florida.

It seemed he didn’t need to find her, instead somehow she’d found him.

The opportunity she offered, though, was too good to refuse. A chance to escape. Matt had no doubt the three men were stalling to keep him on this floor long enough for security to arrive.

At that moment the other elevator activated. He could hear it rise, although he couldn’t see the indicators. It was a long way up, there were a lot of floors between the ground and Marathon’s floor but even so there wasn’t much time.

If the pattern held, there would be three big bruisers, plus Mayfield, the man Ariel called Tony, and this other man. Three against one would be bad enough, although none of these looked fit enough to hold against him for long, but once security arrived it would be a different matter. Six against one wasn’t good odds even for him.

This time Matt had decided to try that more direct approach.

He’d made an appointment like any other client, using a fictitious name Darrin and the company had set up for him. He’d been talking to one of the financial advisors, spinning him a tale of looking for investments to keep the man occupied until it got close to closing time. He’d hoped to duck into an empty office, a storage closet, office restroom or something, hoping they’d think he’d gone, forgotten in the confusion as everyone went home. Then Mayfield had walked by and Matt had seen a glimmer in his eye, a shift in the set of his shoulders, and instinct told him his cover was blown. Somehow Mayfield recognized him, there had been that unmistakable flicker of recognition in his eyes as he passed.

Matt had done his homework, he’d known going in who the major players in this office were. He knew who Mayfield was and knew that if something was going on, as regional manager Mayfield was high enough to possibly be in the know. As soon as he saw the man step into his office and immediately pick up the phone, Matt knew it was time to go.

Making an excuse to the advisor, Matt had tried to leave quietly, unobtrusively, but had found the other man – Tony – standing guard at the elevator. Somehow he’d missed the signal between them while he’d been making his excuses to the salesman. Then Mayfield and the other man joined them. Between them they’d blocked his path out, putting themselves between him and the exits, asking questions he’d already answered. The only way past them was by force, which would draw attention he didn’t want.

It was obvious they didn’t really want to go up against him but they would if pushed to it, just long enough for security to arrive.

There was a remote chance they’d already called the cops. He could be charged with trespassing. It wasn’t likely but it was possible. That would be awkward and uncomfortable. He had the sense from the lack of security cameras and the quiet way they went about things, that they didn’t want that kind of attention any more than he did. Especially since he couldn’t tell the cops what he was doing here, not without some kind of proof.

And that was the one thing he didn’t have. All he had was a phone call in the dead of night, and a friend dead in the morning.

Darrin would bail him out but undoubtedly Marathon would seek an injunction against them both, barring them from coming within a hundred yards of the place.

In the case of the security guards, remembering Bill and then his own experience with the stun gun from his last run in with them, this time it might be permanent. He couldn’t risk letting it get that far, he could have taken these men out but he hadn’t wanted to do that unless he’d had no other choice.

Either way the effect would be the same, putting him out of action. Now he had another option thanks to Ariel.

Once again, she was helping him escape.

Matt stepped into the elevator as Ariel pushed the button for the lowest floor.

The doors closed in front of them.

He saw no sign of a camera and none that one was concealed. He looked for all the tell-tales, knowing them well. Nothing. There was no surveillance here either, as there hadn’t been in any of the others. Marathon kept its secrets close. They didn’t want even their visitors recorded. Who was it they were afraid that someone would see?

Matt looked at Ariel. She was so close he could feel the warmth of her body. Not that he needed that, every nerve in his body seemed attuned to her. It already responded to her nearness.

Memories flashed through his mind, a distraction he didn’t need.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded, using anger to keep those thoughts at bay.

Clearly taken aback, she answered just as sharply, “I’m working. What are you doing here?” Then she waved a hand impatiently. “No, on second thought I don’t know and I don’t want to know but whatever it is could cost me my job.”

Worry ate at him as well. That she’d rescued him the last time might have put her under scrutiny. Had it? Maybe, maybe not. None of the men had reacted to her with more than surprise. This time, though? Would someone notice the coincidence? Would it send up red flags? He still didn’t know what Bill had found that had gotten him into trouble but Matt did know what the result had been. What about Ariel? What if she stumbled over the same thing?

“Ariel, you have to leave, you can’t stay here,” he said, worriedly.

The sudden shift from anger to concern was confusing, disturbing.

Ariel thought of the scene she’d interrupted upstairs.

It certainly seemed as if they had been trying to keep him there, whether he really wanted to or not. He, on the other hand, had obviously wanted to leave without making a scene. Unless he had to. The tension in his body had indicated he’d been prepared to do that, if necessary. From the way they’d stood, she wasn’t sure what they would have done if he’d tried.

What had they been waiting for?

Confused, worried for him, she looked up into his ruggedly handsome face and laid a hand on his arm. His presence alone did alarming things to her heartbeat, to her body, things that both exhilarated and frightened her. She felt warm all over, flushed. As hard as she tried to keep the memories out of her mind, they peeked out, sending warm curls of desire swirling through her belly despite the circumstances.

“Matthew, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”

The warmth of her hand on his arm seemed to soak through his shirt. Watching the floor numbers decrease, Matt shook his head.

“There isn’t time to explain. Ariel, you can’t stay here.”

They would wonder, maybe question.

Frustrated and visibly bewildered, she looked up at him.

“I have to, this is my job, this is what I do. It’s how I make my living. It’s all I have, Matthew. I can’t just leave, they’re expecting me,” she said. “They have no reason to suspect me of anything except riding in an elevator. Unlike you, I’m supposed to be here.”

He considered it. She’d shown no sign of recognition of him and her apparent lack of concern hadn’t given her away, either. If she did return, they might suspect something was going on but if she didn’t they’d be certain of it. He couldn’t be sure whether she was or wasn’t in danger.

There was Bill. What had he done that had given him away? Matt still didn’t know and not knowing what had happened to Bill, Ariel’s presence here worried him. She was alone and vulnerable if they did suspect something. In any case, he couldn’t force her to leave, however much a part of him wanted to. He wanted to get her out of this place to somewhere safe.

He didn’t like it but he had no choice and, if it hadn’t been for her, he wouldn’t have gotten out himself so easily. While he still wasn’t entirely in the clear, he had a much better chance now than he’d had moments before. He sighed and resigned himself to leaving her here, however much he didn’t like it.