Page 20 of Ache
“I’ve been fucking hacked.” She yanks her cell phone out to call the bank as I look over all the charges. Most of them are for high-dollar medical equipment.How was that not a red flag?
“Hello, yes.” Everly stands up and paces my office as she animatedly explains her predicament to the agent on the other end of the phone. I watch her intently, feeling completely helpless but highly invested. I love watching her. That probably sounds creepy, but I do. I love to investigate all her little facial expressions, and her hand gestures, and her tempting body movements. It’s all research. I commit them all to memory, with full intention of using the recon down the line to my advantage. Use it to draw out what she likes. What she loves. What she craves. I’m going to possess her like no other man before and no other man again. She won’t even see it coming. That’s my plan. Take her by storm. It could be detrimental for both of us, but I threw all my fucks right out the window — or should I say, over the balcony — the night of the party. The night she tookmeby storm. Payback’s a bitch and oh, so sweet all at the same time.
“What does a legal secretary need three-thousand dollars’ worth of medical equipment for? And shipping it to Guatemala?” she asks exasperated. That does sound bad.
I open my emails and comb through the new ones as Everly gives her bank a piece of her mind. It’s adorable.
“Yes.” She pinches the bridge of her nose under her glasses. “Yes, thank you.” She heaves with a sigh of relief. “How long?” Her eyes pop open. “Up to three weeks?” She turns pale. “Okay. Okay.” She glances at me, a myriad of emotions playing on her pretty face. “Thank you.” She hangs up, continuing to stand in the middle of the room.
“Good news first?” I ask.
“They identified the purchases as fraud and are going to take care of it.”
“And the bad news?”
“It can take up three weeks to reverse the credit.” Everly chews on her bottom lip. It’s a shiny pink from her lip gloss.
“And that’s bad because . . .?”
“It’s bad because I basically live off my credit card. I use it to pay for everything, and then pay it all off twice a month.”
“When we get paid.”
She nods, confirming morosely.
“I have zero cash flow until this is fixed.” Worry is overtaking her voice. It’s crackling like a snowy TV.
“I can always float you,” I offer delicately. “Until this all gets resolved.”
“No,” Everly objects immediately. Prideful woman.
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll figure it out. I always do.” The last part she mutters under breath, but I hear it. I hear everything, especially when it comes to Everly.
“Well, I’m here . . .” My email updates, and the ‘From’ address catches my attention. I click the message open and read it in a rush. My heart rate accelerates, and a high of triumph cycles through my system.
“Yes!” I shoot out of my chair, startling the hell out Everly.
“Jesus, what?”
“They want to fucking settle. They caved.” I pretend to shoot a basket.Swish. “Nothin’ but net,” I exclaim boastfully.
“Seriously?” Everly tries her best to be excited, but I know her financial problems are freaking her out. I think fast.
“You know what this means, right?”
“We don’t have to go to the courthouse?”
“Well, yes that. But also” — my eyes widen with excitement — “we get to celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” she questions.
“Yup. Champagne, fancy dinner.”And, if I’m lucky, breakfast, too.
“Alec . . .” Everly begins to protest.
“Don’t even try to talk your way out of it, Miss Paige. You worked as hard as me on this case. You deserve the recognition. And I won’t take no for an answer.” I throw that last part in there domineeringly. I want her to get the message. For the next few days, she belongs to me, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make her cave. To give in to me. To become all mine.
