24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Settledin at the lake house, it’s obvious that the four of us living together will take some getting used to. It’s a necessity, however, so I will just have to deal with it for now. It’s already been such a long day that I decide Sophia and I will not go into the office at all. It would be a wasted trip for the small amount of time that we would actually be there.
“Tucker will drive you to work tomorrow,” Shadow informs us. “One of my guys thinks he has hit some solid leads, so I’m joining him tomorrow to gather more information. Apparently, one of his informants needs more motivation to talk and I’ll be glad to oblige him.”
“That’s great news,” I reply. “Maybe this will all be over soon.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. This guy is a low-level informant, but every little bit helps and brings us one step closer to the truth,” Shadow replies.
We are all beyond tired, stressed, and frazzled after whoever this bastard is tried to kill every one of us this morning. Food preparation is just too much to ask of us at this point, so I call the local pizza place and have several large pizzas delivered. The poor kid just trying to earn a few bucks was scared to death by Tucker and Shadow’s inquisition and inspection of every box before they would accept the food.
After our stomachs are full and we’ve all crashed from the emotional and physical drain of the day, I announce that Sophia and I are going to bed. This time, it’s really to sleep since we have to get up even earlier in the morning to get to work. The executive condos would have been much more convenient for work, but they would also be much too convenient for whoever is doing all this. The DPS executive perk package is well known and I’m not inviting any psychopaths to dinner tonight.
Sophia and I settle into bed and I pull her close to me. Nuzzling into her hair, I whisper softly to her, “Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again. You are far too important to me, love.”
“I won’t, Dom,” she whispers back, “unlessyou’rein danger. I’m not making any promises if that’s the case.”
“Sophia,” I warn in hushed tones.
“Dom,” her tone warns back.
* * *
We’re backin the swing of things at work today. It’s already past lunchtime and I haven’t stopped since I walked in the door this morning. Everything that wasn’t handled yesterday has piled on top of what must be finalized today, so I’m working double time to get through all the documents and emails that require my final signoff.
When my stomach growls, I decide it’s time to grab Sophia and have lunch together. As I approach her office, I see her on the phone. Her gestures are very animated and it’s clear she’s giving someone an earful. Just before I start to open her door, Shadow and Tucker approach me.
“We need to talk, Mr. Powers,” Shadow says in a very serious tone. “In private.”
“Sure, let’s go in my office,” I say as I turn and walk back down the hall to my office. As I pass Dana, I instruct her to hold all my calls and keep anyone from interrupting us. This can only mean that Shadow has been successful in getting the information he needed to start unraveling what the hell has been going on.
Shadow and Tucker follow me into my office and both men take a seat in front of my desk. As I sit, I draw in a deep breath and say, “Let’s have it. You must have something pretty good to tell me.”
Tucker’s eyes cut to Shadow but he doesn’t return the look. Shadow is in all business mode and there’s no hint of the jokester that I know him to be in the man sitting across from me. The pit of my stomach drops and I instantly sense that whatever he is about to tell me will change my life.
“Do you know a Harrison Dictman?” Shadow asks.
“Yes, I know him. Why? You thinkhe’sbehind this?” I ask disbelievingly. Harrison is a dick, but I’ve never pegged him for someone who would be smart enough to pull all this off.
“Does he have any grudges against you?” Shadow asks, ignoring my question.
“Yes, he hates me and the feeling is mutual. He thinks I’m the cause of his sister’s death,” I state flatly.
“Areyou the cause?” Shadow asks.
“No,” I don’t elaborate.
“He has a serious vendetta against you, Mr. Powers. He’s been trying to recruit some real low-life thugs to manhandle you. The most concerning thing I’ve found about this Harrison Dictman, however, is that he has very strong ties to Sophia,” Shadow drops an atomic bomb on me.
“What the fuck do you mean, ‘strong ties to Sophia,’ Shadow? Spell it out,” I growl.
“Did Sophia tell you she had previously been trained as a sub?” Shadow asks.
“Yes, she told me. Wait a fucking minute, you’re not saying thatHarrisonwas her Sir, are you?” My blood pressure is about to make my head pop off my shoulders.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Shadow replies, still in his business tone. “I’ve pulled all her phone records. Every Sunday night, without fail, Sophia and Harrison have had lengthy conversations. The only exception is this past Sunday night, when you almost died in a house fire.”
