Playing in SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 9) (14 page)

“I wanted to tell you
when we first got here, but you told me you didn’t want to talk
about Mom, and then I chickened out.”

“What is it, Jeanne?”

“Mom’s the one who
paid for the kidnappers. It was her money, not yours that I used.”

I close my eyes and
mentally count to ten before I speak again. “Your mother set this
whole thing up? The kidnapping attempts, and moving back in?”

“Yes. She promised me
it’d be different this time. She said she loved me, and missed you.
I thought she meant it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, baby. I’m
sorry, too. She knows just what to say in order to get what she wants
from most people. I wish you’d come to me.”

I hear her start to
cry, and then Audrey’s on the phone. “Don’t punish her any
more, okay? She knows she messed up, but she did it because she loves
you and Misha.”

“I know. I’m not
going to do anything to her. Misha, on the other hand, needs to pay.”

“Stella’s already
calling the designers she knows, and the fashion editors. Misha won’t
get any work.”

“Damn. I’m glad I’m
not on your bad side. I’m not, am I?”

“At the moment, no.”

“Okay, good.” I
look around and make sure no kids are near me for this next part. “I
would like to be naughty, though. Think you’d like to come by for
dinner and a sleepover?”

“I think I can fit
you into my schedule. I need to talk to you about something anyway.”

“Good or bad?”

“I think it’s
good.”

“Then I can’t
wait.”

“Do you want to pick
up Jeanne, or should I just bring her with me?”

“If you could bring
her, that would be great. I’ve still got a couple hours of work
here.”

“Sure. I have a
little more work to get done here, too.”

“You should have her
help you. Not with anything electronic, of course. But she can do
whatever grunt work you can find for her.”

“I think she’s had
a hard enough day. I’ll take her to the cafeteria for a snack, and
then she can hang out with Alex. She might have something she needs
help with.”

“I would like it if
she did. Jeanne needs to be useful. It’ll be good for her. And
thank you for taking care of her. I know you’ll always look out for
my child.”

“I will.”

I have an extra spring
in my step as I head back onto the stage. “Let’s take on the next
scene everyone.”

Audrey

“Ready to go, kiddo?”
I ask Jeanne as I walk into the lobby where she’s been helping
Alex.

“Yeah. I just have
one more envelope to stuff.”

“She’s been a big
help today, Aud,” Alex tells me.

“It was kind of
boring, but fun, too.”

“I’m guessing that
the fun part was when Alex let you play some games on her e-reader.”

“Shit,” Alex says.

“It’s fine. You’re
not her parent, and that’s the story we’re sticking to if Blake
finds out.”

“Agreed.”

“I won’t tell,”
Jeanne says, handing her finished work to Alex.

“No worries.”

“Can I come back
tomorrow?”

“Don’t you have
tutoring?”

“Yeah, but I’d
rather be here. There are those big empty rooms off the cafeteria.
Couldn’t I have lessons in there with my tutors?”

“Well, you’d have
to get permission from Matt since he runs this place, and then you’d
have to ask your dad.”

“I thought Reina was
in charge.”

“Of the Foundation,
and the Society, yes. Matt is in charge of Corrigan & Co., the
business, though.”

“He came and helped
me when he should’ve been running his company. He probably hates
me.”

“Nah. My
brother-in-law may act tough, but he’s a softy,” Alex tells her.

“You’re married to
Matt’s brother?”

“I am.”

“Why are you a
secretary?”

“Because I love it
here, and I’m not qualified to be a Society Girl, even if there was
an opening.”

“Don’t sell
yourself short, Alex.”

“I’m not. Just
being honest.”

“She’s a lot more
than a secretary to us. We’d fall apart without her. I mean,
seriously, have you ever tried to work that phone system? It’s a
beast.”

“I love how you all
go out and fight the baddest of the bad guys, yet are scared of my
phones.”

“We all have our
weaknesses,” I tell her with a shrug. She laughs and waves goodbye
as she answers a call.

“Can we go see Matt
now? Or maybe he’s too busy.”

“We can go up to his
floor, and check. He’s always busy, but not as much as you’d
imagine. He hires good people, and delegates whatever he can. He
likes to make sure they all have a chance to prove themselves.”

“I still don’t
understand why Alex would work as a secretary. Couldn’t Matt give
her a better job if she needed one?”

“She doesn’t
need
a job.”

“Oh, because she’s
married to a Corrigan, right?”

“No. She was a
Griffin first. Well, actually her mother was a Griffin, and her
father had even more money than they do. When her parents died, it
all went to her.”

“Wow. I guess I might
still work if I was rich. It’d be boring to just sit around. I
still don’t get why she’s a secretary,” she says as we get off
of the elevator.

“Someone who’s
related to a Society mentor has to fill that job, and she’s more
than just a secretary. She holds a lot of responsibility for keeping
the balance between our public image, and our private reality. We all
consider her to be at least our equal.”

“I didn’t mean to
sound like I thought she wasn’t important. My dad says every job is
important.”

“Your dad is right.
Here we are,” I tell her, stopping outside of Matt’s office. “Are
you ready to plead your case?”

“No.”

“Great, let’s go on
in.”

“I said no. We can
just forget this.”

“Forget what?” Matt
asks, walking up behind us in the hall.

“Jeanne would like to
ask you for a favor.”

“You put my
friends—and my wife—in danger, and you want a favor from me?”

“I thought you and
Alex said he was a softy.”

“Seriously, Aud? I
was Special Forces, and you’re telling people I’m soft?”

“Calm down, Commando.
I only told her that so she wouldn’t be intimidated by you.”

“What’s the favor,
kid?”

She bites her lip, but
when I nudge her and nod, she squares her shoulders and looks him in
the eye. “I would like to be tutored here. In one of the rooms off
the cafeteria.”

“You want to turn one
of my employee rooms into a classroom?”

“I wouldn’t change
anything, or move anything. We’ll just bring books and stuff in,
and then take them out when we leave.”

“What are you going
to trade me for the rent?”

“My dad will pay
you.”

“No. I don’t need
money, and you’re the one asking me, not your dad.”

“I only have computer
skills, and I’m not allowed to use any technology right now.”

“I have Ainsley and
her team for anything technological. Do you know how to clean?”

She scrunches up her
nose. “Yes.”

“Good. You’ll help
with clean-up after the lunch rush in the cafeteria.”

“Don’t you have
people to do that?”

“Yes. Everyone who
works in this building. We all take at least one shift per month.”

“You clean up the
cafeteria?”

“I do. I’m not
better than anyone in this building. From the small amount of time I
spent with your dad, I’m pretty sure he has the same attitude.
Which leads me to believe that
your
attitude has been influenced by your mother. It won’t fly here, and
this is going to be your only warning.”

“You’re right about
my dad, and I won’t be a problem. I promise. I’ll clean every
day, and treat everyone with respect.”

“Good. You don’t
need to take yourself out of the room every night. The rooms are
never all being used at once. You can set yours up however you want,
and keep it that way.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.
Just remember to always use your super brain for good from now on.”

“We have to ask her
dad, and then if he says yes, I’ll help her get settled tomorrow.”

“He’ll say yes,”
Matt says with a smirk.

“How do you know?”
Jeanne asks him.

“He won’t want to
say no to you, and that word will never come out of his mouth for
Audrey.”

I roll my eyes and hug
him. Jeanne formally shakes his hand, which amuses him to no end, and
then we say our goodbyes. Once we’re in the car, I let her pick the
music, and we head home. Or at least we try to.

About a mile from the
building, the same cars are behind, and next to us. Vegas is a city
of traffic, so they could just be people going the same way we are.
Could be, but they aren’t. For one thing, they’re keeping pace
with me, speeding up or slowing down when I do. And then there’s
their tinted windows, which are darker than normal. I activate my
distress signal, and keep driving.

“We’re being
followed, Jeanne. I’ve already sent out my distress signal, so my
friends will be on their way. If we are forced to pull over, I need
you to do exactly as I say.”

“I didn’t do this.
I swear.”

“I believe you. Right
now we don’t know if they’re after me or you. Just listen to me,
okay?”

“Okay.”

The car on my left
suddenly swerves towards me, forcing me to the right, and down a less
busy street. The other cars surround us, and I tell Jeanne to hold on
as I try to crash through one. It doesn’t budge, letting me know
that they’re probably all reinforced. I can’t try them all
without completely destroying my car, and leaving us at their mercy.
At least my comm unit and camera came online when I sent out my call
for help.

“
Jake and Isa are
almost there, Aud. Matt’s coming from the office, too. Jade and
Nate were out to dinner a couple miles away, so they’ll be there
soon. Everyone else is further out, but we’re all coming. Just hang
tight.”

“Working on it,
Ainsley.”

“They have guns,
Audrey,” Jeanne says.

“I see them. The car
has bullet proof glass.”

It holds as the men
surround us and empty their clips. I relay that there are twelve of
them, and try to keep calm. Isa, Jake, and Matt should be here within
minutes. My calm disappears when one of them takes a rocket launcher
out of his car. The glass can probably withstand it, but I can’t
risk Jeanne—or my baby. We’re vulnerable outside of the car, but
it could turn into a deathtrap if we stay inside.

“Jeanne, we’re
going to have to get out of this car.”

“No shit.”

“I need you to be
next to me, so climb onto the center console and get ready to exit
right after me from the driver’s side, okay?”

“Are you going to
fight them all?” she asks, her eyes going wide.

“I’m going to try
and not fight any of them. I just need to bide us some time until my
friends get here,” I tell her, holding up my hands to show the
rocket launcher dude that I’m surrendering. Or pretending to, at
least.

“Why? You kick ass.”

I sigh, and then tell
her the truth. “Your dad should be the first one to know, but I
found out today that I’m pregnant.”

“Seriously. You and
my dad are having a baby? That’s gross, but cool, too.”

“I’m going to do
everything I can to protect you, Jeanne. If they attack, I
will
fight. But I won’t initiate anything.”

“I get it. Are we
getting out now? He looks impatient.”

“Yes. Just stay
behind me.”

I open the door and
step out slowly. Jeanne gets out behind me, and I position myself
fully in front of her. “What do you want?”

“The girl. She’s
coming with us.”

“You can’t have
her.”

“There are twelve of
us and one of you.”

“I know, it’s
really unfair to you isn’t it?”

“Lady, we can do this
easy, or we can take you down hard.”

“It’s not going to
be easy.” Where are my friends?

“We’re not going to
be easy on you once we each take a turn. We might go easy if you let
us have her.”

“Not a chance in
Hell. Of either of those things happening.”

“Take them both,”
he says; the men start to move towards us.

I prepare to fight, but
Jeanne has other ideas. “Take me,” she says running in front of
me. I grab for her, but she pulls away, and looks me in the eye.
“I’ll go with you as long as you don’t hurt her. Please don’t
hurt her.”

“Jeanne, no.”

“It’s your lucky
day, lady. Our boss is listening in, and he says we can’t touch
you. Take the girl.”

“No,” I say moving
towards them, even if Jeanne doesn’t want me to. I can’t let them
take her, even if she’s doing it to protect my baby. I want this
baby, but I can’t let them take her in order to protect it. Jeanne
has to come first right now.

“Yes,” the man
says, raising a gun at me as I raise mine at him.

“You’re not taking
her as long as I’m standing.”

I hear the cars screech
to a stop behind me, and I know that my friends are here. The men
around me drop like flies as they’re taken down before they can
even get their guns ready. Then it’s just me, Jeanne, and the guy
standing in front of me with the gun. I see his eyes go back and
forth as Matt, Isa, and Jake flank us. He pushes Jeanne towards us
and runs for the nearest car. Matt is on him before he gets the door
open, and there’s not much fight as he knocks the bastard out in
seconds.

“Maybe you should’ve
been in the ring with Nate,” I tell him with a smirk.

“Nah. He can have the
ring, and I’ll take the streets.”

“The streets belong
to Aiden,” Isa reminds him.

“And I have the
Corrigan building,” Jake says.