Page 18 of Stitched Up in You
“You have lost your mind,” she mutters.
“This is happening with or without you,” I answer. Oh, yes. Frank is going down in so many ways. He fucked with the wrong woman.
“I don't know what he is, and you don’t know what he’s like, Bernie. He’s not like Vlad,” she warns.
“Then what’s he like? I honestly don’t know how I didn’t see it before, he has that whole vampire vibe to him too, but why did he kidnap you?” I ask, pushing the fridge door shut with my shoulder as I move to pour myself a drink.
Her voice cuts off as the fridge inexplicably loses power, and my jaw drops.
“Hello?” I say, listening as the refrigerator begins to chitter and beep. My brow scrunches when I see the flashing green lights show up on the fridge, notifying the user that it’s rebooting.Great.
I think back to how scared Aubrey had been that night when I drove me and Grams to come get her in the middle of an empty airfield, and how she had clung to me that night.
I thought she was just sad because her new boyfriend had broken up with her right after her engagement fell through, but if Frank kidnapped her…
A frown pulls at my brow. Come to think of it, when there was that press conference on TV, Aubrey made me promise to stop digging on Frank Stein. Oh my gosh, this must be why.
If Frank and Dracula are friends it would make sense that they're like a coven.
Outrage pours over me as I realize he took my friend and now he’s taken me. The fridge beeps again, a twinkling sound echoing through the kitchen, but I decide against calling her again. She knows not to try and come get me.
I can’t believe Frank is what broke them up the first time. What an asshole.
I rise up from the counter, hunger forgotten, and grab a can of cat food I find from the cupboard on the way out.
The more I think about what she kept from me, the madder I get, but by the time I make it back to the cyber team’s office, there are only one or two people milling about. I glance out the wall to ceiling windows and notice the night sky.
After working for Talbot for the last forty-eight hours and cracking the sequence code to find who took the shipment, I discovered the medical equipment on board was worth a fortune, which would piss off anyone.
I’m surprised I haven’t seen anything in the news about it.
Once I found where the lab equipment was, everyone acted as if they’d won the Superbowl. They're so happy to get it back. Mikael even beamed a smile before pulling his phone from his pocket, the small device rarely far from his face if the last two days are any indication.
My shoulders tensing and my stomach rolling with nausea, I lift Edgar’s cat carrier from where I sat it earlier and put it onthe desk in front of me, effectively blocking the computer screen from view.
I snap open the cage, and insert my keylogger into the USB drive almost at the same time, thankful the pop-up screen is easily blocked by the cat carrier. Anyone looking will just see a strange woman checking on her cat in a carrier, and if I pull this off, I’ll have an all-access Talbot Global keycard on my Hello Kitty necklace, including Mikael’s credentials.
“I’m going to take Edgar up to our room to eat,” I say loudly, noting only one person lifts his head to pay attention as I lift his carrier from where I sat it earlier near the desk I worked at.
Edgar has already eaten of course, and is sleeping, but who would question the new girl with her cat.
I turn back the way I came and head for the elevator, seemingly heading to my room, my gaze darting around, hoping I don’t run into anyone.
The first day I wasn’t allowed to move without Bruno and Nero up my ass. Yesterday wasn’t as bad, but I’m almost positive it’s because the big guy wasn’t here, and now, neither are Bruno and Nero. Adrenaline rolls through me like a spewing volcano, making my heartbeat thump in my chest wildly. My hands shake as the need for revenge consumes me. I stare at the elevator mirror, wishing it would hurry.
I pray whatever security guard is watching is a slow runner, because I may be in a bit of trouble with security soon. I throw up a prayer that I can get into Frank’s office before anyone notices. I can then call the asshole, andthenthe fun really begins.
All morning, I expected to see Frank, halfway hoping I would catch a glimpse of him, completely infatuated with my abductor except I very seriously doubt I have been here long enough to claim Stockholm syndrome is why.
How dare this dickwad kidnap my friend and then kidnap me. I am going to fuck him into the ground. I swallow hard and my lips pinch shut, cringing in disgust as I come aboard the emotional upheaval express.
“Come on Edgar,” I say, and pull Edgar from his carrier.
It's time Frank Stein learns what it’s like to feel small.
Since being here, I’ve been ear hustling and it's odd, but no one bitches about anything.
Every person who works here all but sings his praises. It’s clear on every worker’s face that they adore him, and they’re fully devoted to him, like the onboarding went way too hard or something.
