Page 8 of Bulletproof Baby
What feels like an eternity is a matter of seconds before the intruder runs toward me. I pull the trigger and they dodge to the left, throwing their right shoulder low and into my body. I'm forced to stumble back as they barrel over me, stumbling and getting their footing quickly. The metal of the open gate clangs into the night when they bolt through it. They're a few yards away before they hop on a motorcycle. I never saw the bike under the darkness of the scaffolding. It's too late to do anything as they ride off into the night.
Bright red taillights accompanying the monstrous roar of the motorcycle's engine taunt me. I head back onto the site, looking around to make sure no one else is lingering. The office is a mess, but empty. I close the door behind me before heading back to the car.
Lia is still on the phone, frustration gripping her as she hangs up. She growls and stomps her foot.
"Ma called me back before I got a hold of the cops. She told me not to bother with NYPD. Are you okay? Was that you shooting at someone?" she asks. It's an odd decision not to have the police show up, but anyone paying Saul hush money doesn't want the police anywhere near them.
"Yeah. The fucker ran toward me. Either he's got some combat training, or he's a nutcase. Let me help you lock this place back up." I tell her, ushering her back toward the car, but she stops me.
"I can't just leave. I need to see what they were looking for or if they took anything." Lia pushes past me to head into the trailer. "Put that thing away, please."
I slide my gun into the back of my waistband and follow her inside the office. She flicks on the lights. Those hazel brown eyes of hers are wide with concern, searching every surface of the room.
It's in minor disarray, with the file drawers open and papers falling over the edge. Some scatter onto the floor while others are spread across the desk. Lia flips through them aimlessly. Undoubtedly puzzled over why someone would break in to ransack documents.
"Where's the security system?" I ask her.
Lia shrugs and shakes her head. "Budget cuts. It's hard to keep a security guard on staff at all hours of day and night when we have to pay Caputo who-knows-how-much every week."
"What does he have on you guys that forces you to pay him weekly?"
Lia dodges the question as she shuffles through papers on her desk. "Don't worry about it, Val. I was told that the money you so generously bid on me is enough to get him off our backs."
"Do you have whatever dirt he's holding over your family's head? I know blackmail, and there are only a few ways to make it stop. Killing Caputo is a great option, in my opinion. However, the blowback of killing a don isn't worth the trouble. The next best option is exposing whatever secrets he's holding."
"That's never going to happen," she states firmly, rifling through the keys on her keychain as she dips down to unlock a drawer in the desk. "The cash box is still here. The drawer wasn't even tampered with."
"You leave cash in here?" I ask her. Red flags about the safety of this building site flash like neon lights on the Vegas strip.
"No. Friday was a bit of a shake-up in our normal routine. Some of the guys cash their checks with us on payday. Whatever's left is sent to the bank. It looks like my parents took any cash that was here with them. But why break into the trailer? There's nothing in this office worth stealing."
"You don't know that because you're not the thief. There's a ton of stuff, materials and tools that can be sold for cash. Someone rifling through this office is most likely looking for information. The kind of information they're looking for depends on who's behind the theft. Do you keep any documents at home, Lia?" I ask her.
"Sometimes. There are always contracts, permits, vendors, invoices…there is always work to do. And since we don't have a safe on the premises, I typically bring the important stuff home. My parents also have an office at their place where they keep employee records."
"I don't think it's safe for you to go home, Lia. I think—" I pause, knowing she's a distraction but not wanting her to be anywhere else except with me. "I think you should stay with me. My company deals with security. Let me?—"
"I'm going to stop you right there, Val. Thanks but you've already done too much for me and my family. I need to get back to the real world. Remember, you don't have time to be obsessed with me. I don't want to owe you anything more."
"Lia, I already told you that what I paid for at that auction was your time. Time you gave to me generously. This is for your safety. You don't owe me anything. It's the least I can do. What if Saul's behind this burglary out of bitterness from losing the auction? He's a different kind of animal when he doesn't get what he wants."
"How about we compromise? I'll stay at my parents' house until we're certain that Saul is done with my family. I'm sure once Saul finds out my virginity is gone, he won't be interested in me. My parents can pay him off tomorrow with the funds from the auction and that should be the end of this."
She's being optimistic at best and delusional at worst. Still, Lia's decision not to stay with me is a stark reminder of why I don't get into relationships. Just like my mother, they always choose someone else over me. That's fine in this case. As much as I want to be with Lia again, she doesn't belong to me. If she believes she's safer with the people who persuaded her to auction off her time to Saul Caputo, then so be it.
Instead of trying to convince her otherwise, I help her lock up the trailer and the site. Lia allows me to drive her to her parents' home, where she lets herself inside with a brief wave over her shoulder to me. I watch her disappear behind the front door and when a light turns on; I decide it's safe enough for me to leave.
It nags at me for the rest of the night, causing me to toss and turn until my alarm goes off the next morning. My workout session sucks and my ride into the office feels even worse. I can't stop thinking about Lia as I walk into Barten Security headquarters. However, just because her pussy is on my brain, it doesn't mean my job can wait.
Armande Laurentis, my best friend and vice president, is standing in the lobby waiting for me. He's about the same height as me. His hair's black and wavy, where mine is light brown. The smile on his face is far too chipper for me. I hope it's good news about the company we run versus anything that happened to him over the weekend.
"How was the auction?" He asks with a wide grin. There's a lightness in his green eyes that contrasts the hardness of the stubble growing along his chin.
"Eventful. I need something though. Keep it off the books." I tell him, knowing that I can trust Armande with anything. We've been friends since grade school and there's very few people I trust more.
"Is this family business or family business?" His voice is low as we board the elevator with other employees. I want to believe that they don't know who we are, but the respectful silence and dodgy glances in our direction say otherwise.
I don't say anything until we reach the inside of my office on the twentieth floor. Armande closes the door behind us and crosses the room to sit in front of my desk. The view of Midtown Manhattan is phenomenal, but there's a huge interactive map of the world along the wall that holds my attention most days.