“We need to see a man about a yacht.”
Chapter5
Audit Risk
Dante
The office is quiet after the chaos we caused in here last night.I pause in reception and imagine I can almost smell her citrus scent still clinging to the air.How small she felt holding on to me in that chair.
How confident she’d been that I would keep her safe.
And now she’s gone.
Finn storms toward his office.He’s a man on a mission and nothing will slow him down.He’s digging into Beth’s employment file.
My objective is her desk.I turn and head for her cubicle.Everything is neat and organized.Her company laptop isn’t here, but I still go through her drawers, looking for anything else that might give us a clue to what she might be up to.
There’s nothing personal here, which is odd, but not particularly suspicious.Nothing that would lead me to suspect her of being anything but another employee.I shake my head.She knows something.Especially since the files on the clients Tom and she worked on are missing.
“Sebastian called with the background information we requested.”Finn comes over and glances around her space.“Beth Brown’s cousin married Brett Petrov, who works in Sokolov’s business.But get this, Brown isn’t Beth’s father.She was adopted by him when he married Beth’s mother.Her original birth name was Petrov.”
“Her apartment was decked out.She wasn’t a poor, just-starting-out, new employee.”I stand and walk with Finn to the door.
“They come from money.She’s not really in society here, but she could be.”Finn shakes his head.“Whatever she’s doing, she most likely suggested the businesses to Tom.Maybe it was a favor to get in good with the boss.”
We ride the elevator down while Finn prowls like a caged lion.I lean back against the wood wall and watch the numbers.Every minute feels like we’re that much farther away from finding her.
His energy has been too high since he checked the trash cans in the park.
“Calm down.You’re giving me a migraine.”I give Finn a serious look.
The elevator doors open and Finn steps out.
“I don’t understand how you can be all calm right now.She’s ours and he took her.Until she’s back in our arms, I won’t sleep.”
I grab his shoulder to stop him.“You need to sleep and eat.Coffee will only get you so far.You’ll crash and burn if you don’t take care of yourself.That won’t help anyone, including Sara.”
He runs his hand through his hair and looks like he wants to tell me to fuck off.Or fight me, which honestly, I could use a few hits.To be punished for what I let happen on my watch.Instead, he draws in a breath and his head hangs.
“I let her down.”The words are low, as if he’s admitting defeat.
I pat him on the back.“You didn’t.She just did what she normally would have done.It’s been so quiet lately.No one has been standing watching our apartment.Nothing appeared out of the ordinary and she let her guard down for a moment.”
“If he hurts her…”
My heart clenches violently.“She’s not hurt.I’d know.”
Finn raises his green eyes.“How?”
“I’d feel it.”I can’t explain it, but I’d know.I know Sara inside and out.I’ve studied her to keep her from pushing the limits for so long that I can almost tell when she’s near.And when she’s gone, it’s like a hole has been ripped inside me.
Finn takes a breath and leads the way to the car.The driver takes off as soon as we’re inside.It’s a short drive to Beth’s and we remain quiet on the way there.Both of us lost in our thoughts.
Finn’s family has never been the greatest.They’re all cold and distant.He never wanted for anything, but he’d come to life when Mrs.Morris would ask him to do something for her like take out the trash or move a piece of furniture.When she gave us homemade cookies, he was in awe.I swear he fell half in love with Tom’s mom, but it was understandable.
Sara shines with the same light as her mother.Bright and so fucking addictive.
The car pulls over to the curb and we both get out.I’m not waiting for her to answer.I press all the buttons on the panel and someone buzzes us in.
