Page 89 of Billion-Dollar Attitudes

Carter gave a half smirk. "New business venture for you guys."

I snorted. "I could do without that kind of business venture."

He waved over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving an unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was one feeling to find a dead body meant for you. It was another to think there was any suspicion you could have been involved. I could see why, though. This issue had persisted for a long time, and there had been no evidence to link it to anyone. The killer seemed to have intimate information about all of us, so it would have only made sense to the detective that it was someone close to us. But no one in our lives could have done this, at least not anyone with the kind of intimate details that the killer seemed to possess.

Shaking the thought from my mind, I grabbed my coat. I knew that was what the killer wanted, for us to start questioning our tight-knit group. To start being suspicious and begin tearing us apart, but I wasn't going to fall for it. Those guys had been like family for far too long to think any of them would do something to hurt the others.

My focus needed to be on staying vigilant and hoping each day that it wouldn't be the day that the killer turned the knife on me.

Chapter One

Guy

Two Months Later

My phone buzzed as soon as I pulled into my sister's apartment complex. I sighed and leaned over, grabbing it. Brad, one of the guys with whom I owned the company, who worked in marketing and advertising, was calling. It wasn't unusual for him to do so, though, at that time, he was usually out with Chase picking up chicks, or at least attempting to. He was a bit more grounded than Chase, though, and took his job seriously.

"What's up, brother?"

"You're alive," he replied. "I haven't seen you in like two weeks. I was starting to think you disappeared, and no one caught on because we've been so damn busy."

I chuckled, glancing around the parking lot. "Just busy working with the new accounting team. You know how I am about the details. I'm the CFO, and if any of the departments get off on the wrong foot, then my numbers are wrong."

"Poor accounting team," he teased. "You've been doing all the accounting far longer than you should have. Now they get to deal with the guy that doesn't like to let things go and will forever micromanage them to the grave."

"Honestly, as long as they stay on their game, it will be a relief to hand over departmental accounting. Our corporate accounting is big enough on its own, even with my staff on the top floor. Maybe I can take a vacation or something. Well, when all this shit with the psycho is over."

Brad let out a long breath. "Yeah, what’s the report on that?"

I cracked my neck. "Well, according to the detective they had finally caught the guy on camera. It seems that he brought the body in through the window. I didn't even notice anyone walk by - presumably, no one else did either. He killed my driver in the car and dragged him next to the building. Climbing up, he pushed Clarence through the bathroom window and set him up on the toilet. Then, the perp thought it would be a great idea to stroll out of frame, ensuring the camera never caught his face. It's a male that matches the description of the one who tried to take Daniel's step daughter. Though the description is pretty generic, it could be a million people. But this guy had shaggy brown hair and what looked like a beard. Real creepy basement dweller vibes. Carter said he would get with the rest of you and see if you recognized him. I didn't. Maybe one of the other on our team will."

"Hey man, that's so bizarre… a lot more information than we’ve gotten before.”

I shrugged, looking up at the third-floor window where my sister lived. "Yeah, I guess. I just can't figure out how this dude moves so quickly. It's like he's in two places at once."

"Maybe he has a helper," Brad suggested.

"Maybe. Either way, I just want to catch the bastard. I'm tired of sleeping with one eye open."

"Probably puts a damper on your dating life too, not that you really had one to begin with."

I rolled my eyes and opened the car door, hopping out. "I don't need one. I get enough stories from you and Chase. I'm good. Anyway, I gotta run inside, it's my little sister's birthday, and she is expecting me to show up at her party. I'll see you at work."

"Get some hot girl's numbers," he said, half joking.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and looked over my shoulder, a habit I wasn't sure I would ever break. The guard that had been with me daily was reassigned to my house at my own request. I didn't like not having any privacy and didn't want to paint a target on my sister's back when I walked in with a guard following me.

The condo I leased for Meagan was nice but not too huge since I knew she didn't need that kind of upkeep as someone just making a go at things. She didn't want my help or a job at the company. At first, my sister figured the condo was a graduation gift for getting her college degree. In reality, I just wanted to be able to keep an eye on her, so I paid her rent each month. She wasn't like me, noticing my surroundings, being smart about where I went and what I did. She was popular and social and flew by the seat of her pants most days.

When the elevator opened to her floor, I could hear the thumping of the music. The door was cracked so I walked in, finding the place packed with people, who were all some shade of trendy or hipster. All of them were younger than me, being closer to my sister's age.. It would have made me laugh if I wasn't being thrust into that world, having a completely different life. Across the room, Meagan glanced up, smiling big. Then, she put out her arms and raced over, hugging me tightly.

"Big brother! You made it."

I handed her a gift. "You know me, I like to make an entrance."

She snorted, grabbing my hand and pulling me across the room. "Yeah, right. More like you like to sneak in the back door, say hello, and then magically disappear back to your condo on the other side of the city. But not tonight. Tonight, you will mingle, drink a beer, and chill at my place."

To our right, the kitchen door flew open. My fists tightened at my sides, and my muscles stiffened. From inside, Meagan's lifelong best friend came hurrying out. I had seen her multiple times throughout our lives, but she had been gone since high school. I knew she studied abroad, but I wasn't sure what she did. She wasn't nearly as trendy and hipster as the rest of the crowd. But that wasn't my first thought. Instead, my first thought was how fucking hot she was. She had really grown up, and I barely even recognized her.

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