"Did you think I would not find you?" The girl grinned as she twisted the blade in the man's shoulder. "You can try and hide all you want."
The man winced. "You can try and get the information out of me all you want. But nothing is going to change. You're finished." He gave a glare. He didn't know if she could see it over the darkness of the room. When he had awoken the sun was shining through the windows. Leave it to these bastards to actually torture in a building with windows. But now it was dark- that meant a whole day of it. He was sore everywhere. The man with her had disappeared- but had been strong, he still felt his punches.
"Finished. Me?" She gave a harsh laugh. "I think it is the other way around." With a grin she shoved her other hand-holding another knife in his heart. His eyes widened before he gave one last shudder and fell limp. She pulled both blades out and look to her side. "Throw the body out. He's not needed anymore. And clean these. Bloody knifes are disgusting." She threw her bloody weapons on the ground.
A man walked out of the shadows. "As you wish."
"I do wish. But, Kyle, I told you, such formalities are annoying." She gave him an impish grin before she sauntered out of the dark room, her long blonde hair swishing behind her.
The man sighed and turned back to the body. "Time to join the others."
Jonathan Mckinna stared out the large windows as he observed the booming city below. He sighed. Everyone was always on the fast track. Tokyo was always bustling with people running around to get to their jobs or lunch, or home to rest and sleep- only to start the same thing over. And over. Repetition annoyed him, was there really no desire to change the schedule around? But then again- they knew nothing different. There was a knock on his office door. He cocked his head as he answered.
"Come in."
The door opened to show his friend and business partner Kenneth. Although Jonathan was no small man, Kenneth still towered over with his almost 6 foot 4 height. All of it corded muscle- Kenneth liked the gym as much as Jonathan liked to have sex.
"How was the gym?" He questioned dryly. Kenneth was only late for their little meeting they had every morning if he went to the gym.
"How was the bar?" Kenneth shot back. He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he plopped down into a seat. "Listen. Another went missing last night. They're starting to speed up their business.
Jonathan frowned. "That's not like Ruby at all- she likes to take things slow. It's one thing we have always had in our favor. Put Joey on this. He'll find something out. For right now we still need to stay on the down low." He moved and sat down at his desk. "Now- the finances of the Harpers- what have we figured out so far?"
"Roger Harper is spending a lot of time at the bar. Seems he either likes expensive drinks or has a little someone on the side- someone not cheap."
Jonathan sighed. "Why haven't these men learned that to have something on the side discretion is everything? When your wife is into buying jewelry every week you need to have the money to keep her happy." He stared at the phone. "I'll Mrs. Harper back and tell her there's no problem with the money other then there is none to spend."
"Gonna console her?" Kenneth raised an eyebrow.
Jonathan grinned. "If that's needed. I know how to take care of my finances, I can afford to pay for coffee."
"Did you look into the Trevor case?" Kenneth pulled out his iphone to check his e-mail.
"Not yet. Last night was a little too hazy to worry about work. It's the first thing on my plate after were done. And I call the Harpers."
"Good. I have nothing else to report really. Did Nathan call you?"
"Yes. About Lisa's birthday party right?"
Kenneth nodded. "It's amazing how since his son was born that boy remembers dates like a soldier."
Jonathan laughed. Before Aaron, Nathan could barely even remember his own birthday. Somehow having a child made Nathan remember dates and even have even time to plan things. "Alright. Then to work it is."
Kenneth stood. "I'll catch you later then."
_
Kenneth knew something went wrong when a two women entered the floor. One was obviously distressed; while the other was holding her friend. The distressed one looked like a younger version of Robert Harper- he assumed his daughter. But he did not recognize the other. They stopped in front of him.
"You- do you know this Jonathan Mckenna?" the friend spoke. Her black eyes were flashing, her voice low and cold.
"Yes. But he has a conference call. Can I be of help?"
"Do you have duct tape to cover his blabber mouth?"
"No, but as his business partner I can do much worse."
A hint of a smile played at her lips.
"Can we do this privately, Rihanna?" The distressed girl spoke quietly her voice sounding cracked and strained.
"Come into my office." Kenneth lead them the way to his spacious office. Just across the hall from Jonathan. He could see the girl called Rihanna glance at Jonathan's office and thought she might even make her way over there. But at least she had turned and marched into his.
He motioned to the two seats in from of his desk, which stood in the middle of the rectangular office. He made his way and sat down behind it. "Now, what is the issue at hand?"
"Your stupid…" Rihanna was cut off by a hand on her arm. She looked at her friend.
"My name is Amelia Harper and today as you may well know, Mr. McKenna called my mother to inform her of my father's so called liaisons. It was too much for her to bare and she broke down. Rihanna and I arrived to see her kicking the box away from under her feet and….and…." Amelia broke down and stared at her lap. Shaking.
"We just got back from the institution." Rihanna took over. "Now. Your partner is responsible for my poor friend having to deal with seeing her mother break down and we want some action taking for such unfeeling route."
"I'm sure Jonathan told Mrs. Harper in the kindest way he could. But we cannot control how someone reacts over the situation." Kenneth spoke quietly.
"All…all I want to know that is there absolute truth that what he says is true?" Amelia spoke up but did not remove her eyes from her lap.
"All Jonathan did was inform your mother that the lack of money was because of your father. If she pushed for information then he would have told her that the suspicion of infidelity was a large…"
"Dude! You need to see these chicks. That dude was nailing some hot chicks!" Kenneth was interrupted as Jonathan barged into the office.
"Jonathan." He hissed.
Jonathan turned around him. Two girls were sitting in the chairs. One girl was shaking and staring at her lap- obviously crying. The other glaring at him and if looks could kill he would be dead.
"Hello." He kept his voice level although he had a sneaking suspicion that the crying girl was Harper's daughter- with whom he held the 10 pictures of all the woman he paid to see.
"You are Jonathan McKenna?" the furious girl gritted out.
He grinned. He cursed silently to himself. Although angry, this girl was breath taking. Her black hair was cropped short in an angled bob which framed her face and make his eyes continue to the spot where they touched her face. At her lips, red and plump that looked kissable even though she was angry. Her dress clung in all the right spots and brought out the red on her lips.
"You think this is funny? Telling people that there is a chance that people could be cheating on them and then to top it off wave the pictures in their faces?" She growled the last part out she was so angry. This boy had no shame. Just like her father.
"All I did was tell the woman that no one held her account or stole her money. She asked questions and I answered such is my duty. She is joint with her husband she has all the right to know where the money was going." He defended himself. Where did this girl have the right to talk to him such- when he was only doing his job.
"Rihanna, would you please think before you come stomping into the situation?"
A new voice entered the conversation and all heads turned to the open door of the office. A girl with long blonde hair was leaning against the door frame. She moved in and closed the door which Jonathan realized he had left open.
"No need for an audience don't you think?" She looked at him. Her voice was warm. "Jonathan McKenna, correct? I recognize you from the paper. Melanie Lauren." She held her hand out.
Lauren? He took her hand as he took a large swallow. Daughter of Albert Lauren, niece to Ralph Lauren, this girl was famous. And she knew these other two girls? The Harpers were wealthy but looked almost poor to the amount of money she had access to.
"I'm sorry about Rihanna. She hasn't done anything bad correct? Or Amelia?"
"No. None of them has." Jonathan ignored Rihanna's heated glare. "I was just telling them that I hired a PI to look into things I couldn't to make sure that what I told my suspicions were of was actually true. Unfortunately they were and Amelia, we have evidence that this has been going on for quite some time and there are evidently ten different women maybe more." He looked at the quiet girl who was now holding his gaze.
"Thank you, Mr. McKenna. That was all I was wondering." Amelia stood. Her voice strangely calm. "Let's go, Rihanna. Thanks for coming Melanie."
"You really cannot expect to just let him off the hook like that, Amelia?" Rihanna turned to her friend and stood as well.
"He was just doing his job. Mom was the one who acted. I cannot tell him anything." Amelia turned to Kenneth who was also standing. "Thank you for your help and allowing us to use your office." And she moved toward the door just as quietly as she had come in.
Rihanna huffed and with one last glare at Jonathan, who grinned back, followed her friend out the door.
"Sorry about her." Melanie gave a smile before she too turned and left the room shutting it behind her.
"Man!" Kenneth was glancing through the photos.
"What?" Jonathan shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and turned to his friend.
"It's Ruby." Kenneth put the picture down. Sure enough, smiling with her red hair pulled back in a messy bun and wearing practically nothing was Ruby.
CHAPTER 2:
Jonathan shut off his light as he closed his office door behind him. Kenneth made his way over from his office.
Kenneth yawned. "Dude. We work too long today." He glanced at his watch. Midnight. Since seeing the picture of Ruby and their "lovely" guests both of them had had a hard time finishing their work. Along with the insane late hour all of the other workers had gone home. The building was dark and silent- but Kenneth liked it better that way. He normally came in around 5 or 6 before everyone else.
"I know." Jonathan groaned. "We don't even have time to talk to Joey and Nathan about what we found today. We'll have to leave tomorrow early to do so."
Kenneth nodded. "About today- I'm sorry. I didn't think that it could get so messy with the Harpers and everything."
"Man. Don't worry." Jonathan started moving down the long hallway to the elevators. Kenneth followed. "Amelia emailed me afterwards apologizing and I have a meeting with her tomorrow to start with splitting finances. With her mother in the hospital she has to pick up the pieces."
"Is her dad coming?"
"He is before her. She doesn't want to see him right now. And I can't blame her. What a mess. Luckily my dad just ran off with a girl…" He grinned masking the pain that still struck his heart when he thought of it. He hated himself for it, though; he was 8 when his dad left. Almost 20 years later he should be over it. The man had no part of his life.
"Don't downplay your emotions. You have never been good at it." Kenneth replied dryly.
"You mean that you, the master of emotion hiding, can see it. Everyone else can't." Jonathan and Kenneth had arrived at the elevators. Right now both cursing the huge building, they just both wanted to get home. Kenneth pushed the button and the doors opened. They got in. "Tomorrow let's postpone the meeting till 8 tomorrow. We both can come in a bit late. I emailed my office manager to take care of the early morning needs. Robert Harper is in at 9 and Amelia in at 10."
Kenneth nodded. "You off to party then?"
"Today? Yes. I need to go and blow off steam. Booze and women will help." He grinned. "You?"
"Bed. You know my schedule, I'm up at 5 most mornings. I grew up and became a real man and take a full 8 hours of sleep."
Jonathan sighed. They always had this discussion. "When I find the right girl then I'll settle down. Till now it's the high life for me!"
Kenneth shook his head and the elevator stopped and opened. Waving good bye they both turned in opposite directions to their cars.
The red haired woman sauntered through the building. The men had taken forever to leave and once the security cameras were taken down she had full reign. Heading the elevators she pushed the button for the 17th floor. Leave it to them to work on the top floor in such a tall building. Didn't they realize they were screwed if anything compromised it? She grinned to herself. Screaming people leaving burning buildings were hilarious. Maybe once they were done they should destroy this one…
"Melanie." She spoke in surprise once she made it to the top floor. "I didn't see you."
"I snuck in earlier. I took care of the security guard and cameras." Melanie was pulling her long blonde hair into a bun.
"You worried about hair stuff?" Ruby herself had put on a cap over all her hair.
"Nah. I was here in the day remember? Made sure to come by to "check on my poor upset friend". She grinned. "They won't think anything of it."
"Where's his office then?" Ruby asked. "Oh high and mighty Melanie?"
"I'll go through Jonathan's- it's over on the right. Kenneth's is on the left, you do his."
"Oh…I wondered if he has any special items." Ruby smirked. "I have a thing for tall, handsome men."
"Just figure out what they got and you need to change your picture with the look a-like." Melanie didn't pay attention to Ruby and her sexual drive she always had. "I took care of the PI for you."
"Oh. You stole all my fun!" Ruby's eye's narrowed. "I wanted to punish his sorry little ass for daring to take a picture of me."
"I know. But we couldn't have him finding anything else out." Melanie began to move toward the door. "You can take the next one."
"You're too kind."
On that note each girl went to their office to search. An hour later with a picture change and some e-mails printed out and changed- and everything put back into its place they left. Melanie stopping by the cameras to change them back to normal.
"Amelia." She met her friend outside the door. "Tomorrow make sure to see that they are normal acting. There should be no problem. I'm worried that they recognized her picture and will be suspicious because of the change."
"You got it. Once this is all done- we can kill my father right?" Opposite from the woman that had entered the office in the day; Amelia had a hard glint in her eye.
Melanie laughed. "You think I would deprive you of that? Never. Call Rihanna. Let's go clubbing tonight."
Jonathan had changed to a t-shirt and pants before going to club: La Danse. Walking through the crowed place he found the bar. "One beer." He had to yell over the loudness of the music which played all types of rave music. On the dance floor danced couples, groups of people, or single girls. He visually searched for some girl to scream his name before his eyes locked on the most beautiful girl. Her long black hair reached to her butt where her mini skirt ended. She was swinging to the beat and he swore she must be Spanish because of her hip control. His eyes went up from long shapely legs with long black boots to a curved waist and perfect chest to her face and he almost fell off his seat.
It was the damn angry girl from his office…R….R…Rihanna.
"Hey."
He turned to his side.
Another beautiful girl stood beside him. In a orange mini dress she stood out with both the color and the way it clung to her body. He was surprised she could even move. Her bright blue eyes were dancing. "Jonathan correct?"
He cleared his thoughts about Rihanna. "Melanie."
"You alone? No business partner or friend?" She looked around.
"Yeah. Blowing off some steam. Busy day at the office today. A beer or two and I'll be on my way."
"And no dancing?" She cocked her head. "You could come and dance with me, Rihanna and Amelia. Taking her mind off everything from today as well." She grinned. "I'll even pay for a shot or two. Beer is not going to do much to help de stress."
"True." He took a sip of his beer. "But I do have to work tomorrow and need to be clear focused."
She laughed. It reminded him of a flute. "Something tells me a shot or two is not going to hurt. Unless of course you're a terrible light weight." With that she took the shot handed to her and chugged it down in one gulp. She turned and smiled at him. "Vodka, my favorite. You want?" She held out one to him.
"What the hell."
Six shots later for both she finally convinced him to go out on the dance floor. Rihanna and Amelia were dancing together towards the side. Jonathan could tell that both were thoroughly drunk.
"You took forever with the shots!" Rihanna turned as she spoke, her voice slurring. "Oh. And you brought Mr. Big Man with you. Isn't clubbing like beneath you or something?"
"Maybe." He grinned. "But I like things underneath me."
"On do you?" She cocked her head and came closer. "Like to be in a charge hey? Well so do I - so I like things on top."
He shivered as her warm breath hit his ears. "A power struggle is always delightful at work." He could play her game. The music started to fade away as they began to dance. She was laughing now and he couldn't help but join. Her smell and the drinks were getting to his head. Melanie was dancing with some random man and behind Amelia it looked like there was a flash of red in a form of long hair. A smirk on a gorgeous face, blue eyes glinting. But once he blinked there was no one. And then Rihanna pushed her body onto his as the music kicked up again and all thoughts flew from his head.