A Matter of Trust: London Calling Book One (23 page)

Aidan baldly stated the facts. “And money. Loads and loads of money. I suspect that’s what you were seeing this morning.”

Desperate, she said, “No. Let’s go through my reports. It’s an error. It must be.”

“DEVON,” he bellowed.
 

She started, unused to Aidan raising his voice.
 

He leaned in again, watching the door to make sure no one came. “Devon,” he said in a quieter tone, “
the money is GONE.”

She sat, dazed, while he proceeded to clear space for them to work. He was speaking rapidly, telling her they would start with the corrupted accounts and work backward from there.
 

She looked up, confused.
 

“What are we doing, exactly? Aidan, what are we looking for?”

His face was grim. “For the leak. Someone leaked information, and we need to find out who it was.”
 

Devon felt lightheaded. Standing, she went over to his small office refrigerator and took out a bottled water. Taking a long drink, she swallowed and sat back down.

Aidan waited, impatiently. “Okay, power up. We need to get cracking; it’s only a matter of time before someone else figures it out.”

“But that’s okay, right? As long as someone does, and quickly?” At his face, she faltered. “No one else realizes the money has been stolen?
Are you the only one?
”

He sighed, drumming his fingers. “For now. Listen, the worst thing that could happen is if someone discovers the theft and calls the police. Knowing Bennett, and his ethics, he might well do it. If that happens, we may as well declare ourselves incompetent and forfeit the business.
The public mustn’t know
.”
 

“I’m not sure it can be prevented,” she cried. “Even finding out who leaked the information, how can we not report what’s happened?”

“Finding the person responsible is only the first step. We must get the money
back.
I’m hoping we find something, anything, that creates an opportunity. If we hurry, we’ll have the benefit of surprise.”

“You think it’s an inside job.” Her tone was flat, conveying her horror.
 

“I do. Now power on, and bring your files up.”

She busied herself, mind racing with the implications of what she’d heard. Aidan didn’t want to involve the authorities, if possible. Relief had her eyes watering before she blinked them clear. An old reflex, but she didn’t want the police anywhere near this. A sickness was unraveling in her belly, knowing this was the work of a hacker. A genius with inside knowledge.

Devon knew someone exactly like that.
 

Dominic Martin
.

***

Devon and Aidan worked through the long evening, poring over reports. Aidan’s
fiancée
, Jane, came and went, bringing sandwiches and coffees. She never asked what was happening, just kissed Aidan softly on the cheek before leaving again.
 

Finally, he heaved a deep breath, pushing himself back from the desk as he stretched.
 

Devon looked up, eyes bleary. “Did you find something?”

He ignored her, rotating his neck while he looked up at the ceiling. Long moments passed. Then, “Yes.”

“
And
?”
 

“Only a handful of people had access to the kind of data that was accessed and stolen, particularly one aspect of it.” He pointed to a report lying on the desk, circling one column with his index finger. “This gave it away, as it required a high level of security.”

“Okay.” She was impatient. “Who?”

“The only people with access to this particular information are Bennett, Natalie, myself, and…” he paused.
 

“
Yes
?”

“You. Normally, you wouldn’t have, but Bennett must have granted it when you started touring sites with him. Your ID is linked to the pass security.”

Devon breathed deep, silent and waiting. The next minutes were critical.
 

She knew she had nothing to do with this mess, but wasn’t sure if he would believe her.

“Do you have anything you want to say, Devon?”

She eyed him straight, never flinching. “Is there something in particular you
need
for me to say, Aidan?” She found herself stressing his name, as if to emphasize their friendship.

“No.” He laid his hands on the work table, palm up. His eyes cleared, then his brow smoothed out from where it had been drawn down for hours. “I know I’m not wrong about you.” He never broke eye contact. “I trust you.”

She laid her hands on his, palm to palm. Letting her breath out, she admitted to herself how much his friendship mattered. Especially now.
 

“Thank you.”

She squeezed, then pulled her hands free.
 

“I need some time. I have to look into something.” She saw his hesitation, and pressed further. “I just need a little time, and a little space.”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. After a long moment, he seemed to come to a decision. “I’ll stall as long as I can.”

She stood, gathering her things. As she started to collect her laptop, she hesitated, shooting him a questioning look. Would his trust extend to allowing her to remove all they’d worked on that evening?
 

At his reassurance, she packed it back into the tote bag.
 

She turned to go. Looking back over her shoulder, she gave a small nod.
 

Then she disappeared out the door.

***

Natalie looked down at the text, gripping her phone with excitement as she re-read the words.

On my way.
 

Don’t say anything.
 

Meet me at the airport.
 

I’ll explain then.
 

Not the most romantic of missives, but she’d take it. It was the content that mattered.

Dominic was on his way back, returning to her. This time, she was determined not to play it so safely. She’d missed him in the weeks since he left, terribly, but never so much as the past few days amid all the strain at work and with Bennett. She’d worked unending hours at Bennett’s side, scrambling to provide information as fast as he called for it.
 

She still didn’t know all the details herself. Bennett had flatly refused all requests to tell her exactly what was going on. Maybe, in fairness, he still wasn’t sure.

She’d never seen him so obsessed with privacy. They worked in a world where it was necessary, even critical, for complete discretion. But they’d always spoken freely with each other, knowing trust was absolute.

He probably told Devon.

She dismissed the unworthy thought as soon as it formed. Bennett was her past. She was happy now, more than she’d thought possible. Even though her feelings for Dominic had proven to be complicated, she was pleased. He was smart, sexy, and fun. This time around, she’d share her appreciation for him more openly.
 

She looked up to see the subject of her thoughts walking toward her. He was focused, but seemed to be missing her among the crowd meeting loved ones from the flight. She watched as he looked around, searching.

She walked up to him, unseen. “Hey stranger,” she murmured the words near his ear, still unnoticed.
 

Dom swung his head sharply around. “Hey,” his tone oddly hesitant, “what are you doing here?”

He must be jet lagged. She chuckled, holding up her phone with his text message. “I’m here to pick you up. Like you asked, silly.” She reached up to kiss him, feeling the brush of his stubble against her face.
 

There was a pause, and then he pressed his lips to hers. After too short a time, he pulled back, looking away. Hurt flashed through her, making her take a step backwards.

She studied him. His eyes were red-rimmed with fatigue. She raised a hand to his face, sensing a vulnerability previously unseen.
 

“You’re tired. Let me help you.” She spoke softly, leading him away.
 

He was back. That was all that mattered.

***

Dominic allowed Natalie to guide him out of the airport.
 

He scrubbed his face, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to clear them of the dragging fatigue from too many days with too little sleep.
 

He recalled sending his text message earlier, as he stood in security at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. He’d been brief, and utterly vague, on purpose. No matter how hard the next hours promised to be, he would face them head-on. With the culmination of his plans, a reckoning awaited.
 

And he’d meet what was coming face to face.

The timing of his next steps was critical. The information he’d withheld needed to be shared, and at the right moment, or careers could be lost. He refused to think about the emotions of everyone involved.

He could, and would, carry out the final actions as planned. Dominic never left a job unfinished.

But he’d made an unforgivable error.
 

As he watched the feminine sway of Natalie’s hips walking in front of him, he cursed himself viciously.
 

He’d mistakenly sent the text to Natalie instead of Devon.

***

Bennett carefully hung up the phone. He pressed his knuckles to his forehead, trying to contain the fury bubbling up, but it spilled over as he slammed a clenched fist on his desk. Rage engulfed him as he brought it down again and again, bruising the flesh. A wounded roar escaped, and he spun his chair to look out over London in a wary attempt to find peace.
 

He closed his eyes, but all he saw was Devon and her lying eyes. They’d laughed and loved, and all the while she’d planned to steal everything she could from him. He vaulted from the chair, pacing. He’d been worried about her innocence when she was little more than a thieving criminal.
 

She was worse. She’d used him up, bartering with her body to get to the big payday. And he’d fallen for it, every single bit.

Like a fool, he’d anticipated being with her again after the many last, lost days. He hadn’t even questioned her silence for the past several hours. No calls. No texts. And now he knew why.

He cursed her while unconsciously rubbing the ache around his heart.
 

He was damned if she would ruin him.

He grabbed his coat. It was time for a reunion.

***

Devon packed haphazardly. She needed the first available flight to the States in order to find Dominic as quickly as possible. She knew her suspicions were correct. With a sinking heart, she’d listened as all her calls went to voicemail. Neither of their fathers picked up either. Right now, she couldn’t stop to absorb the full meaning of that. There would be time enough on the flight.
 

She prayed she could stop what Dominic had begun.
 

Already, it might be too late. The amount of money involved was criminal. Dom would go to jail. Her breath hitched as she jammed her case closed, tangling her clothing in the clasp. After another attempt, she finally clamped it shut and turned, dragging it behind her.

Bennett stood in the doorway.

She cleared her throat, but said nothing. His face was like thunder, and she unconsciously took a step backward.
 

“Going somewhere?” He snarled the words.

She remained silent, afraid for the first time.
 

He stepped further into the room and Devon braced herself from taking another step back. He approached, raising a hand. She inwardly berated herself when she minutely flinched.
 

Black humor curved his lips into a terrible smile. His eyes were dark as pitch.

“Let me help you with that bag.”

He jerked it out of her hands. Alarmed, she stared as he opened it, roughly casting aside the contents. He looked up at her, murderously angry.
 

“Where is it?”

Frightened, bewildered, she blanked. “What?”

“
The MONEY. Goddamn you, where is the money?
”

Whether it was an overload of stress, or pure terror, Devon erupted into hysterical laughter. Could he possibly think
she
had it?

Her mouth snapped shut as Bennett took her shoulders and started shaking her so hard her head jerked back.

Genuinely scared, and angry because of it, she slapped him across the face.
 

He dropped his hands, walking backwards from her while still staring, intent and furious. Stunned, Devon watched as the imprint of her hand on his cheek whitened, then turned a dull red.

They faced each other, opponents across the room, both breathing hard.
 

When it became too much, Devon sat, exhausted. “I don’t have the money. My God, if I did, it would hardly fit in a suitcase.” One last hiccup of laughter escaped before she swallowed it down in the face of his lethal glare.
 

She winced as he strolled over and ran a hand over her hair in a soft caress. With one finger, he tilted her chin up so she would meet his eyes.

“I thought you were beautiful,” he began.

His words were the beginning of every ending she ever feared.

“But you are the ugliest thing a woman can be, Devon. You used your body… and this face,” he tapped her cheek, “for the sole purpose of obtaining what you wanted.” He pushed her face away with a careless flick. “
Money
. So crass, selling yourself like that. You know what that makes you, don’t you?”

Devon froze, betraying nothing. While his words stabbed at her, she wrapped her arms around her middle to hold off the pain. His accusations flayed the skin from her bones, leaving her as a raw mass of screaming nerves.
 

But she showed none of this. Determined, she relied on the lessons and ways of her past to get her through the present.
 

She stiffened her back. Rather than answer him, she asked a question of her own. “So was I only a body… a face,” she tapped her own cheek this time, “to
you
, Bennett?”