Sergey: Love Me Harder (9 page)

“Are you saying I was embezzling from the company?”

“I’m asking why you had a credit card in your name. I’m not suggesting you were doing something illegal.”

Vance placed his hand on his head. He began to hit himself as he chanted, “Think. Think. Think.”

Lorali got up and caught his hand, stopping him from hitting his head. “Some memories aren’t worth remembering. Sometimes the old you dies when something traumatic happens. What matters now is the new you.”

She sat back down, hoping that Sergey didn’t conduct his business by torturing those who had been traumatized.

“I can’t remember.” Vance said looking up.

“All is ok.” Aran spoke. “We feel somewhat responsible for you being hurt here. Although I can’t offer you the same job, I’ve one I think you may be interested in. We’re experimenting with a new position. We’re getting an overwhelming amount of request for jobs that are more private in nature. We’re looking for someone to vet them and present us with the ones whose skills align with our needs.”

Vance looked up, the helpless look on his face gone as real interest shone there.

“You would consider me?”

“You’re my first choice.”

“Thank you Mr. Dare. Thank you all.” He turned to Lorali. “Thank you Lorali. I’ll remember your kindness. May I leave now?”

“Yes. You can start tomorrow. Report to Niko. He’ll get you situated.”

Vance turned and left. He looked better than when he’d come in.

Sergey opened his mouth. Aran held up his hand and listened. He waited until he was sure Vance was no longer in the outer room.

“The humans say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The created who’s after us will use him again. He won’t let a human go until he has destroyed them. If he’s underfoot, we can keep a better eye on him. Also, if Vance is salvageable, he truly is perfect for the job.”

Chapter Fourteen

Lorali left Sergey when he began to talk to both Aran and Niko about some changes he wanted to propose. She’d decided to walk around and get a feel for what was happening.

She started with Sergey’s secretary, under the guise of know your competition. Um wait, know your alien male’s secretary, not the competition. Yeah right, the woman was beautiful. She would keep an eye on her just in case.

The secretary was a little more casual today with a nice pair of slacks and a top.

“Hi.” Lorali stopped in front of her desk. “I’m Lorali. We haven’t had a chance to get acquainted. I’ll be working security for Sergey and the company.”

“Hi, I’m Jill. If I can help, please let me know.”

“Have you worked her long?” Lorali said.

“Not long. About eighteen months.” Jill replied.

“Is it a good place to work?”

Jill looked both ways before lowering her voice. “It used to be great to work here. Recently some strange things have happened. Several of our employees have gone missing and the cops were here about two months ago investigating a crime scene.”

“How did the employees take this?” Lorali asked.

“No one was sure what to do. Several people talked about quitting, but no one in the business pays as well as they do. Everyone has benefits, even the part-timers. That’s almost unheard of. They take care of us very well. Most, if not all, of the employees stayed, but most are scared.”

“The unknown is scary, especially if you feel like you’re being targeted. How do you feel?”

Jill shrugged with a hopeless sort of look before smiling. “I need this job. I have a son.”

“I get it. I needed a job too and Sergey offered me one. Have the employees taken any precautions?”

“What kind of precautions?” Jill asked with interest.

“Carpooling, leaving in groups, not working late alone.”

“No, not that I know of.”

“Jill, is there someone you can make arrangements with to at least arrive and leave at the same time in order to make you both feel safer?”

“Yes.”

“Call her and make those arrangement. It was nice talking to you. I’ll be around.” Lorali walked off as Jill picked up her phone.

She really needed more information on what had happened here. She headed in Rena’s and Dee’s direction.

She stopped at the main security desk. “Hi Brian. I was wondering if you could direct me to Rena or Dee.” She hoped she didn’t need their last names.

“Rena shares an office with Mr. Dare, sorry Aran Dare. Dee has her own office in accounting. She’s now the administrator of that department.”

“How do I get to accounting?”

She left after having received her instructions. Her sixth sense was going off again, but she couldn’t pinpoint it this time. She passed a secretary as she entered the accounting suite. She introduced herself.

The secretary’s name was Cheryl. She seemed friendly enough. Lorali walked in to find several desks with men and women working hard. When she asked about Dee, they pointed her to an open door.

Lorali knocked on the door before walking in. Dee was sitting behind a desk, looking like she was being followed by a mound of paper.

“Lorali, you came to rescue me. Why is it we’re in the digital age and yet we’re still overwhelmed by paper?” She swept her hand over her desk.

“Paper was never my strong suit. Maybe that’s why I joined the army.”

“At the rate I’m going, I may have to join up to stay safe from the paper monsters who haunt my dreams. Which branch do you recommend?” Dee asked.

“I recommend you stick with civilian life.”

Dee laughed. “I think you’re right. What’s up?”

Lorali walked in and took a seat on the lone chair. This room was also filled with several loveseats. It seemed aliens had a thing for them.

“I was hoping to get some more information on what has happened around here. The employees seem a little scared.”

“I think we’re all a little scared. Why don’t we take a break? My favorite coffee shop, SB, isn’t too far from here. Besides good coffee, they have the best donuts, croissants and various other foods.”

“Sounds good I had something earlier, but I dumped it, because it wasn’t that great.”

“Don’t tell me that Sergey took you to some drive thru place thinking you would be happy with the offerings.”

Lorali shook her head, trying not to smile at the look of horror on Dee’s face. “He did.”

“Poor Lorali. Dee to the rescue. Let me call Rena. She won’t talk to me for at least a day, if I leave her out.”

“You’ve known her for a while? ‘

“Best friends for what feels like forever.”

“Rena, Lorali and I are going to SB for breakfast. You coming?”

“Got it. Meet you out front.” She hung up the phone. “I knew she would want to go. I need to call Niko. Don’t want him going all alpha on me.”

Dee picked up the receiver a second time. “Niko.” Her voice had lowered, sounding sensual to Lorali’s ear. “Lorali, Rena and I are going to SB. Want me to bring you something back?” She gave a husky laugh. “Bad boy. You’ll have to wait until tonight for that.”

Dee looked up to see Lorali staring at her. “I wouldn’t give him up for the world.”

Lorali nodded her head. She followed Dee out into the lobby. Rena was standing at the door, talking to Phil.

She waved as they came closer. “Whose car are we taking?”

Lorali pulled the keys out of her pocket. “Mine?”

They all laughed. “Good times. It reminds me of our mall trip.” Dee said.

Lorali and Rena groaned. “We aren’t going to the mall, Dee and that’s final,” Lorali said.

“Spoilsport.”

They walked out, saying goodbye to Phil. Lorali stopped and looked around. Not seeing anything, she kept walking.

“Are you alright?” Dee asked, looking around also.

“Probably nothing.” Lorali shrugged.

“Tell us anyway.” Rena said, taking the time to make the same sweep.

“You ever get a sense of danger? The hair on the back of your neck raising? Your spine itching like someone is watching you? Something just triggered that response. Just being paranoid I guess.”

Rena looked at Dee. “We don’t believe in paranoia.”

They got into the car. No one said anything as Dee gave her directions to the coffee shop.

They walked into SB. It was a quaint place with overstuffed chairs strewn around and several tables to one side. The morning rush was over, leaving a few people still lingering. They ordered and found a comfortable place to sit.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Lorali said.

“It’s hard to know where it started. I thought it was my fault to begin with. Now we think that whoever was targeting Dare Security, conveniently added me to the pot.” Rena spoke up still trying to make sense of everything.

“Don’t forget me. I think I may have been added for S&G.” Dee added.

“Let me start from the beginning.” Rena’s eyes took on a faraway look as she began retelling her story.

***

“You might as well forget it. As long as she’s with them, you’ll never get close to her.”

“She shouldn’t be alive to get close to them.” He looked at the younger man. If the job had been done correctly the first time, none of them would be worrying now.

“Maybe we can make a phone call.”

He was surrounded by idiots, but he already knew that.

“What will you say? That we have been tracking a subject of an experiment that should’ve died. Please have her turned over to us so we can terminate her. She isn’t useful any longer.”

“No.” The other man said with disgust. “That phone call will get us locked up. I thought we might call the animal that started this whole mess. It is obvious he plans to kill them all. Why would he balk at killing one more? This way it is done and we won’t be connected to it.”

He was going to have to reevaluate the man in the front seat. He was smarter than he’d initially given him credit for.

He hated dealing with that created. He was a cold, methodical killer who enjoyed his work. He’d seen some of his kills. He wanted him off of his planet before he decided that all of humanity should be wiped out.

“Call him.”

Chapter Fifteen

The longer they lingered in the coffee shop the more acute Lorali’s sixth sense became until she finally decided they needed to leave. She’d listened to the whole story from the perspective of both Rena and Dee.

“What do you think?” Dee asked, as the climbed back into the Mustang.

“If I say we’re screwed, will it piss you off?”

“Nah, welcome to our world.”

“Thanks, Rena. Does that come with a mint on the pillow and a wakeup call?”

“Well, if you’re sweet to Sergey I’m sure he’ll provide you something to suck on as well as morning wakeup calls.”

“Dee, you hussy.” Rena tried to sound outraged on Lorali’s behalf. It might have worked if she wasn’t choking on her laughter.

“Rena?”

“I feel it too Dee. Lorali…”

“Already on it.”

Some sense of self-preservation had kicked in, making Lorali break the speed limit while Rena and Dee looked to see if they were being followed. It was the gun metal gray car that slid behind them that made Lorali’s breath hitch.

She turned the car to the left, going over a strip of pavement, causing other cars to careen wildly as she headed in the opposite direction. Two shots rang out. Both missed them.

“Everyone ok?” Lorali called out.

“Fine.” Dee chimed in

“Fine.” Rena’s voice came out not quite as strong or steady as before.

“Are you sure?” Dee asked.

“Yes. It’s what happens when I’m squashed in the back of a car. I get shotgun next time.” Rena’s voice was shaky.

“Lorali, we’ll never hear the end of this now. I swear when I get my hands on that created, I’m going to kill him.”

“That wasn’t the created.”

Dee turned to look at Lorali. “What makes you say that?”

“That was military. I’d stake my meager bank account on it. Two shooters, both carrying small caliber guns. I think it is safe to say that they were both after me.”

“The special thing about guns is that bullets have no names. Are we close to the office?”

“Rena?”

“I just need Aran. I’ll be ok, Dee.”

“We’re almost there.” Lorali said her voice sounding strained.

Dee took her seat belt off and turned around to see blood seeping from Rena’s shirt.

“You’re hit!” Dee’s said raising her voice.

“I not the only one.” Rena pointed to Lorali.

Lorali was bleeding. Her hand was beginning to spasm on the wheel. Dee grabbed the wheel and began talking to keep both of them conscious. Not knowing what else to do Dee aimed the car for a utility pole to bring it to a stop. Sergey never looked at the car as he and the others yanked the doors open.

“You’re never leaving my side again.” Aran roared as he got Rena out of the car.

Dee wanted to help, but she was barely breathing in the tight hold Niko had on her.

Sergey held Lorali in his arms. He followed Aran into the building and down the stairs to the makeshift emergency room they had set up. Nicolas was already there waiting with gloves on.

After checking both of their wounds, he went to Rena, stating hers were the more serious ones.

“It has come to my attention that mates are highly damageable. I’d like to suggest that any mated male keep his female partner with him at all times.” Nicolas rambled on as he worked on Rena.

Dee was standing close to Lorali. Niko’s arms were still wrapped around her as he listened to Nicolas like he was reading from the Holy Grail.

“That.” Dee lowered her voice in a whisper for Lorali to hear. “Is the voice of a male who has yet to mate.”

“I heard that, Dee.”

She blew him a kiss. “No reason to say it if you can’t hear it.”

“I do believe I’ll pass up the whole mating thing.” He mumbled as he ran a hand held tool over Rena.

“Rena?” He stopped to look at her before checking his results a second time. “Is there something we should know?”

“No, not a thing. You have more than one patient. Did you forget?”

Nicolas moved over to Lorali. “That’s a nasty wound in your shoulder.”

“Some nasty men gave it to me.”

“How are you feeling?” Nicolas asked as he examined her shoulder, the pain killer he gave her having set in.