Page 16 of His to Claim

I snatched up my things, shoving the drive into a secret compartment I’d created in my purse. Chuckling, I slid my brand new cell phone into my purse as well, pressing down my skirt before heading out of the coffee shop. Montenegro’s corporate headquarters was only two blocks away and while I walked, I did everything I could to plant a smile on my face, even whistling as I walked back into the office.

“Vanessa, Mr. Montenegro has been waiting for you in his office.” The receptionist lifted her eyebrows, her face pinched as she nodded toward his posh surroundings located at the end of the very long corridor. The rumor mill had likely run amok. There were two reasons anyone was called into his office, one having to do with holding court with soon to be clients.

The other was for firing wayward employees.

Sighing, I headed for my basic broom closet, dropping my purse and laptop, gazing at the pile of work on my desk as well as the single plant I’d neglected for far too long. There was no way he could have found out I’d copied files, unless he had a sophisticated program on the network checking for possible hackers. I knew enough about firewalls and software that I’d been cautious, checking for a solid week before attempting to copy a single file.

Now I was questioning everything I’d done, realizing my eagerness could have made me careless. Mr. Montenegro had no patience, including with his own family, so he certainly wouldn’t like being made to wait for a disobedient employee.

I held my head high as I moved down the hallway, acknowledging two of the other employees, their surprised expressions giving me a round of shivers. I tapped on his door, expecting a gruff voice barking at the interruption.

When he opened the door himself, he was actually wearing a smile. “Come in, Vanessa. I’ve been looking forward to talking with you.”

“Yes… sir.” What the hell was he up to?

He chuckled as he closed the door, moving directly toward his desk. Instead of sitting down behind the massive mahogany piece, he stood in front of the triple window, staring down at all the little people on the street.

A full minute ticked by. While I tried not to be nervous, the lump in my throat remained. I dared glance around his office, looking for anything that might be useful. A picture with family and friends. Another set of files. There were no outward signs he even had another life.

“Do you like working here, Vanessa?” he asked in a husky and even tone.

The question only partially startled me. “Very much, Mr. Montenegro. I enjoy what I do.”

He shot a look over his shoulder, shaking his head. “You’ve worked for me for a little over three months now. I think you’ve earned the right to call me by my first name.”

“Thank you, Mr., I mean, Chris. I appreciate that.” Where the hell was this going?

He shifted until he faced me, taking a deep breath as he leaned over his desk. “I’m glad to hear you enjoy working with the team. That’s vital.”

I wasn’t certain if I was supposed to ask him a question at this point, but I remained quiet.

“I’ve paid attention to the work you’ve been doing. You’re organized, fastidious, and more efficient than three other employees combined. You also have no personal life from what I can tell.” Turning toward me, he grinned and shook his head in a chastising manner. “You’ll need to work on that. Balance is truly everything.”

I was more confused than ever but managed to smile. “I agree.”

“Well, I know you have work to do so allow me to cut to the heart of it, as they say.” He moved around his desk, sitting on the edge. “I value people I can trust. In my world, I need to be able to rely on good people, those who respect what I’m attempting to achieve within my organization. You have certain attributes that I honestly couldn’t find elsewhere.”

From the day I’d met Chris, I’d known he was a formidable man. He was impeccable in his dress, never anything but a crisp white shirt and a dark suit. The power tie he wore was always colorful, normally accenting his lavender eyes. While he was extremely attractive, considered one of the sexiest catches in the entire city of Denver, he was rarely seen with a woman on his arm.

At least so the tabloids had said.

Right now, he made my skin crawl. The fucker was playing some kind of game with me. Was he questioning my loyalty or attempting to get me into bed? Neither one would ever happen, but I could play along with ease.

“I agree with you, Chris. In order to value your work, you must trust in those around you. Anything less is unacceptable.” I said the words with more conviction than I believed in the moment.

His eyes lit up, his chest rising and falling as if excited. “Excellent. We do see eye to eye. To that end, I believe you’re in the wrong position within our company.”

I wasn’t entirely certain what he was getting at. Swallowing, I tilted my head even higher. “I’m not following you.”

“It’s simple, Vanessa. I’d like to offer you a position as vice president of the company.” I could swear the grin on his face was laced with evil.

What in the hell was going on? I resisted reacting in any manner, although a cold shiver had already trickled down my spine. I had the distinct feeling what he was offering was hush money.

Created from the blood of others.

“I don’t know what to say,” I finally managed, struggling to act as if I was really touched by the gesture instead of being sickened by the offer.

“As you might imagine, the position comes with all the perks. Three times your current salary, an expense account, and of course stock options. The usual.” He seemed bored with his own offer.

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