Loverboy (The Company #2) - Sarina Bowen Page 0,88
it.” And then I grabbed that damn phone and shoved it into my pocket.
I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Posy. On our way out, I felt her anger radiating in my direction, as hot as the sun.
It’s well deserved, that’s for sure. But I don’t have time to worry about it right now. Because I’ve finally found The Plumber. And I’ve frog-marched her onto the sidewalk and into a taxicab, all while pretending to chat her up. As I walk her toward the cab, past the NYPD’s cameras, and whoever else is watching the pie shop, I smile the smile of a dude who’s out on a hot date with a younger woman.
“Where are you taking me?” she asks after I give the taxi a destination a few blocks away.
“To my office,” I say, clasping her wrist in a tight hold, just so she doesn’t get any ideas. “And if you try to make a run for it, you won’t get far. My guys are following us right now.”
I have so many questions. Who is Teagan, anyway? And who spoofed her phone to make it appear on the WiFi connection as a Windows device?
But I don’t ask anything of my hostage, who’s trembling visibly as the cab pulls over. I pay him, and then tell Teagan to get into the black Company sedan that Duff has just pulled to a stop behind us.
“Who are you?” she whispers as she slides onto the leather seat behind Duff. The locks click into place, which means Teagan’s door won’t open now. Duff is no fool, and our cars are the shit.
“I’m the world’s best barista,” I mumble as I tap my watch and leave Max an encrypted voicemail. “Bringing you a treat at the office, lover! Your favorite donuts. See you in five minutes.”
“Nice one,” Duff says from behind the wheel.
“Thanks,” I say, but my mood is pretty sour. How the hell did I not figure this out earlier? Although—to be fair—I’ve looked over Teagan’s shoulder dozens of times only to see Instagram on her phone.
“I want a lawyer,” she says.
“Well, I’m not a cop.”
“Who are you, then?”
“Good question. It really depends on whether you’re guilty of killing hackers. I might be the guy who quietly saves your butt. Or the guy who hands you over to the police. It depends on what you have to say, and if you’re smart enough to say it.”
“I’m not guilty of anything. But I can’t talk to you, or someone could die.” Her eyes fill with tears, and I feel instantly terrible. I’m not a fan of intimidating women. But I’ve just done exactly that.
Teagan—if that’s her real name—owes us nothing. She brought a lot of shit to Posy’s door, which wasn’t nice. But it’s possible that she’s just a pawn in someone else’s evil game. She sure as hell doesn’t look menacing.
Duff steers the car into the rear entrance of The Company headquarters, and the garage door is quickly shut behind us.
“Where are we?” she squeaks, pressing her body into the corner of her side of the seat.
“This is my office building,” I say calmly. “Nobody is going to hurt you. But you’re right—people could die because of what you know. But if you tell us, we can sort it out. Now come upstairs.” Duff unlocks the back doors, and I climb out, taking care not to touch Teagan when she also leaves the car. It’s not like she can escape. There are two men at the exterior doors. “Would you follow me, please? We have an interview room just down that hallway and up a flight of stairs.” I point to a glass door.
Biting her lip, Teagan follows me. Duff is bringing up the rear, but he hangs back, giving her space. I press my palm to the security panel and open the door.
Scout is already waiting on the other side. “Hello there. Do you mind if I pat you down for weapons?” she asks Teagan.
“Uh, no?” Teagan says, looking terrified. “I don’t have anything but my phone and my wallet.”
Scout—who’s two inches shorter than Teagan but deadlier than a bag of rattlesnakes—quickly pats her down. “Thank you for that. Come right this way.”
The next hour is very illuminating. From the look of fear on Teagan’s face, it’s easy to see that our donut maker is in way over her head.
But once Max and Scout sit her down around the conference table with two bags of chips, a selection of