Catching Avery Read online

“You sonofabitch!” I started banging my fists on his back.

  He slapped my ass. Hard. “Shut it woman.”

  Julian had the presence of mind to hand us each our bags, which kept us from being able to beat on them without having all our crap fall out of our purses. Well played jackass…well played.

  And that was how we ended our first night at Xavier’s, being carted out of VIP by our bosses. But once we were outside and I got a whiff of fresh air, shit got serious. “Nicholas?”

  He completely ignored me. “Okay, I’ll take this one home, you guys got those two?”

  This one?

  The jerk.

  “Nicholas?” I tried again.

  He let out a deep sigh like he was already bored with my right to free will. I could picture him rolling his eyes. “What is it now, Imp?”

  “If you don’t put me down right this second, I’m going to throw up all over your five hundred dollar shirt.” Because, clearly, I hadn’t embarrassed myself enough tonight with this man.

  Nicolas put me down so fast; I lost my footing and almost fell. Thank God he was quick enough to keep that from happening. “Take a deep breath.” He bent his knees to level himself with my face. “Are you okay, baby?”

  I should not enjoy hearing him call me ‘baby’ so much, but I did. “Yeah.” And all of the sudden, I felt so tired. “I’ll call a cab to get us home. We’ll be fine.”

  He laughed. “Not a chance. Julian is taking Isabella home, Chase is seeing to Quinn and I’m making sure you get home safe and peanut butterless.” The fucker kissed me on top of my head.

  I smacked his arms off me and made my way to Q and Iz. Julian had set Izzy down and now stood behind her with his arms around her waist. Quinn was still being held captive over Chase’s shoulder, though. “You guys okay with the curfew arrangements?”

  Isabella just smiled and nodded, but it’s not like we didn’t all see that coming. I walked around Chase and ducked my head to get a look at Quinn. She looked murderous. “You cool, Q?”

  “The only reason I’m letting him take me home is so that I can lure him into my apartment and cut him up into tiny pieces. I may be calling you later tonight to bring over some more trash bags,” she growled.

  “No problem, I got you. Just make sure you drain his body of as much blood as possible before you start cutting him up. Less blood splatter that way.” I kissed her cheek.

  I heard Chase utter ‘what the fuck’ as I made my way back to Nicholas. “Okay, Boss….take me home.”

  Chapter 7

  Envy: Because both my eyes work, and them sonsofbitches are hot!

  Avery~

  It was Monday morning and I could hear Chopin’s Funeral March playing in my head as I walked in the building of SMA. The hangover I woke up with on Saturday morning wasn’t as bad as it should’ve been. The humiliation though, that was spot on. The level of embarrassment I was feeling was going to need serious therapy to overcome. The only bright spot that morning was had Quinn made good on her threat to chop Chase into little pieces, well then I’d only have to live with my humiliation two-folds instead of three. It wasn’t until she called me later that day that I found out Chase was still alive and kicking.

  Bummer.

  I had found out quickly during Q’s phone call that, while she didn’t murder Chase, she didn’t sleep with him either. He turned out to be a perfect gentleman and after making sure she got into her apartment safely, he set her up with some aspirin and water and gave her a very chaste kiss good night. It threw me for a loop, because it was exactly the same thing Nicholas had done. I guess for all their Neanderthal ways, they drew the line at taking advantage of drunk, sex deprived women.

  Lucky us.

  So, I spent all day Saturday nursing my hangover and being lazy and Sunday I did my bi-monthly girl cleaning. Girl cleaning was when I scrubbed showers and toilets and cleaned base boards and all that jazz. Most people detailed cleaned once a month, I did it every two weeks because I had neat and clean issues. Or just issues…whatever.

  Isabella had made her rounds on Sunday, checking on Quinn and me, to make sure we were okay. After I assured her that she didn’t have to place me on suicide watch, she confessed to going home with Julian. And because we were those girls and our secrets were clad iron safe with each other, she went on to tell me he was unlike anyone she had ever come across. She didn’t go into details, but I heard her message loud and clear. I was envious. Julian Moretti looked like he had more than enough skills to put it down and I bet his aggression was all natural, no roleplaying required. The only problem was it wasn’t Julian who made me breathless. It was that prick, Nicholas Savage.

  I made my way across the lobby, along with fifty other people, ready to report for work. I looked around for Quinn, but I couldn’t find her in the massive throng of people. Maybe she got here earlier and was already at her desk.

  I cattled myself into the elevator with about seven other employees, feeling like I was on my way to face the executioner, and it sucked. But the actual elevator ride wasn’t that bad since the number was actually a blessing; we could cram a good ten people in one of these puppies, if we tried. I rode the elevator up to the fourth floor all the while listening to people make some talk about their weekends when all I wanted to do was forget mine.

  We finally made it to our floor, and as we filed out, one of my co-workers, Angela, asked me that dreaded question. “How was your weekend, Avery?”

  “Boring and uneventful, but thanks for asking.” I was so paranoid that I didn’t even return her question. I just ran to my cubicle like the coward I was.

  After I got to my desk and locked my purse away, I turned on my computer. I stared at it for a full two minutes before opening my email. What if there was an email from Nicholas? Or any of them? I felt so unsure and I was surprised I wasn’t having a full on panic attack.

  “Hey?”

  I screamed and jumped about a foot off my chair. “What the fuck, Q?” I whispered yelled at her.

  She had the grace to wince. “Sorry, Ace.” She walked into my cubicle and started whispering like we were discussion plans to rob a bank. “Look, I was giving this situation some serious thought last night and I think it’ll be okay.”

  I matched her whispering. “Oh really? That’s easy for you to say, Q. You weren’t the one who broadcasted her sexual fantasy to all three of her bosses!”

  Her face was full of sympathy. “I know, I know…but hear me out. We’ve been working at SMA for years and we have never set eyes on Chase or Nick here in the building. And how many times have we actually seen Julian? Once, maybe twice?” She had a point. We worked mostly with Mr. Spillner. Hell, it was even a rarity that we would run into Mr. James.

  I ran my hands down my face. Make-up be damned. “I suppose so.”

  She leaned in closer to me. “Plus I think now that we’re not all stupid off alcohol, they probably want to forget Friday night just as much as we do.”

  I was starting to realize how arrogant it was of me to think that Nicholas Savage actually spent his weekend hung up on a random female who worked in his finance department. I had to laugh. “You’re right as always, Q.”

  She smiled. “It’ll be okay, Avery. You’ll see.” She kissed me on the top of my head and sauntered off back to her desk.

  I clicked on my email and just as Quinn predicted, there were no emails from Nicholas, Chase or Julian. I really was placing more importance on myself than what was actually reality. For all I knew, they could have all gotten together again on Saturday and kidnapped another trio of unsuspecting females, and this time, with successful results. After all, Iz and Julian had been just a one night stand, so there wasn’t anything preventing him from getting laid again the next night. At least, I think he was just a one night stand. I’d have to ask Izzy about that.

  The rest of the morning went by without a hitch. Even Mr. Spillner was making himself scarce. As far as Mondays went, this wasn’t a bad one and before I knew it, it
was lunchtime.

  I went to go track Quinn down to see what her lunch plans were and found her typing furiously at her desk. “Hey, nut job, what’s the haps for lunch?”

  She growled. She actually growled. “I’m eating at my desk today. Mr. Douche Canoe came to me an hour ago saying he wanted all Millhouse investment margins for the last six months by no later than one today.”

  I sighed. What an asshole. “Okay, I’ll run out and get lunch, bring it back to you. We can divvy up what you have left.”

  “I love you,” she professed, without looking up at me.

  “I know you do,” and this time I’m the one who kissed her on her head before I headed out to grab us some lunch.

  After I picked up a couple of sandwiches from Aunt Stella’s Café around the block and delivered Quinn her food, I got to work on April and March and Q went to work on February and January, since she was already done with December and November. It wasn’t like I didn’t have my own work to do, but we’ve all been where Quinn was and gathering six months’ worth of any kind of financial data was tasking. There was nothing on my agenda that couldn’t wait until this afternoon to finish up. I only prayed Spillner didn’t ruin our teamwork by bringing us anymore of his bullshit.

  I had just finished placing my half of the research on Quinn’s desk when I heard that wrist cutting inducing voice. “Ladies.”

  I inwardly cringed and prayed that it was only inwardly and I was able to mask the loathing I had for this man from my face. I turned to face him. “Mr. Spillner.”

  Quinn rose from her seat, sure that he was here for the reports. “Mr. Spillner.” She turned at the waist to pick up the reports. “I have all the margin data for Millhouse you requested earlier-”

  He stopped her by waving her comment away. “Forget Millhouse. That’s not important right now.”

  I wanted to bash his head in with a stapler. We just worked our asses off and ate lunch at our desks, and suddenly, Millhouse is not important right now? I’m surprise Quinn wasn’t holding him down stuffing those damn reports down his throat.

  “I would like to see the both of you in my office. Now.” He walked off leaving us staring in his wake.

  “I can’t go to his office, Avery,” Quinn announced. “If I do, and there is any semblance of privacy, I am going to stab him full of whatever pens or pencils are on his desk.” She took a deep breath. “What a fucking asshole, Ace!”

  “Trust me, I know. But what real choice do we have?” I leaned in closer to her to make sure no one else could hear this next part. “I mean, if getting fired was an option, then I would have preferred to get fired over sleeping with Nicholas rather than defying Spillner.”

  “Yeah, jumping Chase would have been way more fun and a much more theatrical exit from this place.” She ran her hand down her body, smoothing out her outfit. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  I let her lead, simply because she was more badass than I was. We walked down the cubicle isle that lead to Mr. Spillner’s office. He had left the door open, but we didn’t cross the threshold until he gave us permission. It was one of those petty, little shows of authority he like to display. His office wasn’t anything special. The only thing that didn’t make it an outright shoebox was a small window on the outside left wall that allowed you to see the sights behind the SMA building.

  “Come in, ladies, and shut the door.” He was seated at his desk when we arrived, but he stood up and walked around as I shut the door behind me.

  He sat perched on the edge of his desk, and as he folded his arms, my work world came crashing down around me. “Can either of you tell me why Julian Moretti wants a meeting with you two this afternoon at three?”

  It took everything I had to keep standing on my feet. Especially since, being the snatch napkin that he was, he didn’t offer either of us a seat. Thank God for Q. I had to remember to buy her dinner later this week. Or diamonds.

  She shook her head at Mr. Spillner. “No, sir. I can’t think of any reason Mr. Moretti would want to speak with us. Are you certain there isn’t a mix up of some sort?”

  Diamonds…she definitely deserved diamonds.

  “Oh, believe me. There is no mix up. Mr. James was very specific and very sure of his request.” Spillner looked pissed.

  “Well, I don’t know what to say. I’m as blindsided by this as you are, sir.”

  He cocked his head to give me his attention next. “What about you, Ms. Ellis? Do you have any idea why you would be summoned by Mr. Moretti?”

  My mouth felt like the Sahara. I answered honestly, though. I really had no idea why Julian wanted to meet with us. “N...no, Mr. Spillner. I have no idea.”

  He eyed us both, probably trying to figure out if we were lying or not. But the genuine looks of shock on our faces probably helped to convince him that we really were clueless. “Fine, I believe you. However, I want an immediate report back after your meeting. I want to know what he wants with the two of you and why he’s not following the chain of command and including me.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him why he doesn’t ask Julian himself, since he’s all powerful and whatnot, but I wisely kept my mouth shut. However, if we were being fired at three, you best believe I’d be reporting right back to Douche Canoe and letting loose everything I’ve been wanting to say to him for the past three years.

  Using his hands to shoo us away, he dismissed us.

  Quinn and I walked back to her cubicle quiet as church mice. After she plopped herself down in her chair, she looked up at me. “Maybe he just wants to ask us about Iz?”

  I wanted to hold on to the hope in her voice and blanket myself with it. “You think?”

  She dropped her head onto her desk with a resounding thud. “No, Ace. No, I don’t think.”

  Nicholas~

  As I sat in Julian’s office waiting for the girls to arrive, I knew they were probably losing their rabid ass minds, wondering why they were being summoned to talk with him. We had made them believe the request was to meet with Julian alone because I couldn’t count on the fact that Avery might not feign a sickness and leave work if she knew she was meeting with all three of us.

  Julian was sitting behind his desk, looking every bit the boss that he was, and I was sure the sight was probably going to intimidate them. Well, maybe not Quinn.

  Julian’s office was cold and very showroom ready. His décor was a blend of glass and chrome. The desk and sitting furniture was black and the only splash of color in the place was a PixieCold Svenja Jokicke hanging on the wall behind his desk. My office was made up of whiskey wood finish furniture and a matching settee couch and chairs set. I had a couple of large potted plants that I thought warmed up the place, but that’s about it. And Chase’s office had pretty much the same layout as mine, but he had put up personal touches on his bookshelves and had a couple of Oakland Raider autographed pictures hanging up on his walls.

  Chase was sitting down, leaning back in one of the matching cushioned chairs that sat in front of Julian’s desk, with his right ankle resting across his left knee. “You know, they probably think you’re calling them up here to fire them.”

  I stood up from the couch and made my way to the bar. I needed a drink before seeing Avery again. Lord knows I was going to need it. It’s a corporate Monday morning and while I should have spent all morning going over weekend reports and projections, I actually spent it restraining myself from calling Avery up to my office so I could attack her.

  I was so fucked.

  “Probably, but there’s no guarantee they would have shown up had they known they were meeting with all three of us,” I replied for Julian “No offense, Chase, but Quinn is unpredictable and I have no doubt whatever she does or wherever she goes, the other two are not far behind.” I debated drinking the scotch right out of the bottle. “Loyalty runs deep with those three.”

  Julian leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers together across his waist. “I think you guys aren’t giving them
enough credit. Everyone has slight multiple personalities. There’s the work you, where you’re, hopefully, professional and restrained. There’s the home you, where you’re more relaxed and inhibited. There’s the dating you, where you put your best foot forward and then there’s the friend you, where you’re more carefree and unguarded.” He shrugged his shoulders. “They were being their friend-selves Friday night. I bet today, they’re their professional selves.”

  I took a drink of McClelland I poured. “And if they aren’t?”

  Julian threw his head back and laughed. “Then that’s all you guys. I told you to stay away from them.”

  Chase placed both his feet on the floor and with his elbows on his knees, leaned forward. “And if we had listened to you, Isabella would have been under someone else Friday night. I think we deserve flowers for that.” Chase looked back at me. “Don’t you agree?”

  I shrugged my right shoulder. “At least a Thank You card.”

  Before Julian could response, his phone buzzed. It was his assistant, Felicia, on speaker phone “Mr. Moretti, Ms. Erikson and Ms. Ellis are here to see you.”

  “Thank you, Felicia. Would you please send them in and no interruptions during this meeting, please.”

  “Of course, Mr. Moretti,” and the phone went silent. Felicia was old school and refused to call Julian by his first name even though she’s been with him for eight years already.

  I stayed in the corner by the bar because I wanted a glimpse of her before her face became clouded with disappointed when she saw I was here as well. This woman had me all tied up in knots. Her quirkiness was so captivating on Friday night, but I just didn’t know if it was because she was drunk or if that was truly just her personality.

  Putting her to bed, untouched, was one of the hardest things I had ever done and that was saying something considering how I grew up. But no matter how mad my dick was at me, I’d never take advantage of a woman in that state. So after putting her to bed, I went home and took a very cold shower while I stroked my dick to images of her reckless, dangerous and hot as fuck fantasy. And because I was learning all new kinds of things about myself, I jacked off all weekend to different versions of her fantasy, being the new masochist that I apparently was now.