Page 23 of Bossy Trouble

He glanced around at the people streaming past us. “We should probably go somewhere more private to talk about this.” Then, he pointed. “A coffee shop is around the corner. We can talk there.”

He looked back at me expectantly. I hesitated.

I didn’t know this man and couldn’t read his intention well. He might just be a lunatic seeking to get me alone for whatever reason.

Then again, how would a lunatic know all this information? How would he know who I was, that I was here to see Donovan, or even that Donovan stole my company?

Maybe he was someone Donovan worked with who felt sympathetic to my cause. Or someone who he’d also screwed over. Either way, the man didn’t sound like he was crazy, and if there was even a one percent chance that what he was saying was true, then I needed to hear it.

I needed information before I faced Donovan again. To level the playing field.

“Alright,” I said, following him to the coffee shop. The man didn’t talk as we walked, although that might be because he was nearly two paces in front of me at all times. He was significantly taller than I was and didn’t do the polite thing of matching his steps to mine. I wasn’t even sure he realized how far back I was until he got to the coffee shop door and opened it before standing aside and waiting for me.

And then he stood there, watching as I practically jogged the last few steps so that he wouldn’t be waiting for long.

The coffee shop wasn’t crowded at this time of day, and we got a table in the corner.

Once we sat, the man went down to business.

“My name is Alexander Lupin,” he began. “I’m an old associate of Dresden’s, although we don’t work together anymore.”

“Why not?” I asked, but he shook his head.

“That has nothing to do with the story,” he continued. “Or the fact that Dresden is most likely running something illegal on the side with his business. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but he’s been making some inquiries lately that lead me to believe either his company is not making as much money as he’s quoting to his shareholders or he’s planning on laundering it.”

“I don’t understand.” I was trying to, but all the business jargon was confusing.

Alexander sighed. “Essentially, according to my investigations, Dresden has approached some very high rollers who have nothing to do with his expertise. He’s also shielding key information about his stocks and investors. Dresden is bad news. But he’s pretty good at covering his track, so I need someone who can get close enough to him to find out what exactly it is that he’s doing.”

I nodded after he went quiet, but he didn’t say anything else. His eyes were still on me in an intense way.

Then I got it.

“Wait, you mean me?’

“Yes. I know the two of you have been friends for a while.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re friends exactly,” I corrected, then frowned. “Wait, how do you know that?”

“You’ve known each other for a decade and, at some point, had a relationship. Isn’t that right?”

Heat spread to my cheeks at the look on his face. “You seem to know a lot about him for someone who you don’t like.”

His jaw tightened. He didn’t like that statement. “I make it a point to know things, especially about my enemies. The bottom line is I need someone who can get close without him suspecting and help me get the last piece of evidence I need to incriminate him. I think you’re the best person for the job, and it is in your best interest to do it too. Because you best believe me when I say that if Dresden goes down, he will take your company down with him.”

My heart lurched. My company was everything I worked for.

“In return for your help, I can also help you get your company back,” he added, dragging my attention back to him. “It’s only a simple matter of buying the shares, and I have some spare funds lying around.”

“How do I know you’re not just trying to trick me?”

He pulled out his phone, clicked a few buttons, and then handed it to me. “This is the balance on one of my accounts.”

I took it cautiously and glanced down. When I saw the amount, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I’d never seen that many zeroes in my life.

“I don’t know if I can do what you want me to, though,” I said as I handed him his phone. “I mean, I’m not exactly good at this spy stuff."

All this espionage sounded like a lot, and I didn’t think I could fool a man like Donovan. I would be stupid to try.

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