Chapter Eight
Ash alternated between staring at her computer monitor and watching the conference room door. What the heck had she been thinking?
Thinking?
She snorted to herself. She hadn’t been doing that at all, and that was exactly why she’d gotten herself into such a compromising situation.
She’d never so much as had a boyfriend her entire life and there she was, with her tongue down a stranger’s throat and her legs wrapped around his waist like some common tramp. She wasn’t that type of woman. That kind of behavior had been her mother’s MO, not hers. She’d seen exactly where being easy had gotten her mother—on drugs, a string of good-for-nothing men running in and out of her life, and eventually being strangled in an alley.
I know better than this.
She had to find a way to get Hunter alone, before the others arrived. But this time, instead of pawing at him, she would talk to him and tell him that they needed to keep their distance and ask him not to say anything to Clarissa. Then she would beg Andras the same thing. Begging usually wasn’t her thing—the Vampires saw it as a weakness—but if it would stop her from being punished again, Ash wasn’t opposed to a little groveling.
While she waited for Hunter she would at least do a semblance of her job. She read the next name on her list, Erzsebet Arany.
Ash pulled up Erzsebet’s employee ID on the entrance and exit logs for the building. She compared what time Erzsebet came in and left for the evening to the work hours of the others in her department—nothing out of the ordinary there. Erzsebet didn’t come in hours before everyone else and didn’t stay much later, either, which would’ve been red flags and dead giveaways that an employee was doing something they didn’t want anyone else to see.
Next, she cross referenced Erzsebet’s computer log-in with the IP address of her work computer. Each time Erzsebet logged in, it was from her assigned terminal and not someone else’s—another giveaway that someone was not being honest was by accessing someone else’s computer. So far, so good.
Ash then moved to Erzsebet’s personal bank accounts, and that was where she stopped, stared at the screen and dropped her mouth open. Erzsebet had two million dollars sitting in her money market account and fifteen million in her checking account. The other employees that she’d cleared so far each had a few million dollars in their personal accounts. That kind of money wasn’t hard to amass for paranormals, who lived longer than humans, but seventeen million? That was a lot.
Ash took a screenshot of the information and copied the picture into another file. She would have Francisco check out the money trail of Erzsebet’s wealth when he got in. Finding out if her money came from stocks and bonds would be easy enough and if there was an explainable reason for the money, then she would be cleared and Ash would move on to the next name. Ash then brought up Erzsebet’s bank account again. This time, her checking account showed five thousand dollars in it.
What the hell?
Ash went to Erzsebet’s account history. No, she hadn’t been wrong. There it was, plain as day. Over the past eight months Erzsebet had been receiving wire transfers of millions of dollars a week, only for it to be immediately wired to another account minutes later.
Ash printed off the statements.
She couldn’t say for sure that Erzsebet was the embezzler, but the signs sure pointed in that direction.
When Clarissa arrived, Erzsebet would hand over all the information she’d found. Clarissa and the others would take it from there. They would no doubt research the account the money had come from and find that it was from Dark Wolf Enterprises. Then they would research the account that Erzsebet was sending the stolen money to. And from doing this job for years, Ash could guess that it was going to an off-shore bank account.
Now the only question that remained was if Hunter had a hand in this, too.
The telephone rang, pulling her from her thoughts.
She picked up the receiver. “Hello, Ash speaking.”
“Hello, Ash. Andras here.”
Her heart dropped. Embarrassment filled her. “Hello, Andras. Please let me apologize for earlier.” Ash squirmed in her seat. “I don’t know what happened, but I can assure you that it will never happen again,” she rushed out.
He took a deep breath. “It’s not your fault. When a wolf has his sights set on someone, there’s not much that can be done about it.”
“Are you saying that he made me act that way?”
Ash wasn’t aware that the Shifters had the ability of compulsion—she thought that trait was reserved for the Vampires. The Vampires could enthrall their victims by getting into their heads and giving them suggestive thoughts or visions. Ash had been on the receiving end of that trick more than she could guess. Many times, she hadn’t even known that it was happening to her.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Hunter wouldn’t make you do anything that you didn’t want to do. What I’m saying is that our wolves can be very persuasive. Wolves are only aware of their carnal desires—food, protection and sex. They don’t understand the delicacies of proper behavior and norms. It’s up to the man to keep the wolf in check in regards to that. But if the man himself is struggling, well…”
Ash had not a clue what he was talking about. Shifters were a new breed of paranormals to her altogether.
She cleared her throat. “Thank you for explaining this to me. But what I would appreciate now is discretion. I am asking that you keep what transpired between me and Hunter a secret. If Clarissa found out…”
“I doubt your employers would have a need to know. It in no way affects your job.”
Ash wanted to drop to her knees and thank the Lord above. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have any new developments yet?”
She had, but first she had to tell Clarissa what she’d found. But telling a lie to someone who might sense it would cause trouble. “I have today’s sealed report. I’ll bring it by your office.”
“Thank you. Your team has made a lot of progress so far. Five bogus bank accounts were found and shut down.”
“Clarissa and the others are the best at what they do. If anyone can help you it is them.”
“Very good. I look forward to see what they found. I’ll send someone—other than Hunter—to escort you.” He disconnected the line.
She had just enough time to retrieve the sealed manila envelope from her bag when there was a knock on the door.
“Are you ready?” a woman’s voice asked.
She glanced up to see Erzsebet, smiling at her. “Y-yes, I’m ready.”
When Ash walked over to her, Erzsebet held out her hand. “I don’t believe that we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Erzsebet. Nice to officially meet you.”
* * * *
Andras was right. Hunter couldn’t jeopardize this working relationship with the Vampires. If Andras thought the Vampires could find out who the embezzler was and save the company, then Hunter needed to keep his relationship with Ash purely professional.
If he knew that, then why was he actively seeking her out?
He’d gone to the conference room to talk to her privately before the Vampires arrived, only to find that she wasn’t there. When he’d asked around he was told that Erzsebet had taken her to meet with Andras. That alone should’ve made him plant his butt in a seat and wait for her to return. But instead he found himself on a direct path to Andras’ office. He bumped into Ash as she turned a corner.
Ash stared up at him with wide eyes.
“Erzsebet, I can take it from here,” he said.
“Andras told me to make sure that she reached the conference room safely,” Erzsebet said.
Hunter peered at Erzsebet and gave her a cool look. “I said, I have it from here.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s time for you to go home, anyway. The building needs to be cleared in five minutes.”
“I don’t mind walking back with Hunter,” Ash said. “I think we have to finish a conversation.”
Erzsebet rolled her eyes. “Whatever. If you’re with her, then I guess that means you won’t be following me around town like a crazed stalker.”
“I’ll stop following you when you tell me where you’re always running off to.”
Erzsebet shifted to lean on one leg. “You want me to check in with you like a pup now?”
“Erzsebet, that’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
She gave her head a shake. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Or me, it seems.”
She glared at him. “Not long ago, I wanted nothing more than to have spent all my time with you. You, however, didn’t want my company. Don’t get upset with me just because I found…”
Hunter waited with baited breath to hear what she had to say.
“A hobby,” she continued.
“Dammit, Ezie. I’m trying to be a good big brother here.”
She thrust her arms to her sides and balled her hands. “Then leave me alone and give me some space!”
He reached out to pull her near, but she stepped away from his grasp with a shake of her head.
“I’ll explain everything later, Hunter. Just not right now.”
She turned and left and Hunter had no choice but to watch her retreating back. Where was the kind and loving sister he was used to seeing?
“Why are you following her?” Ash asked.
He hadn’t intended to get into a heated exchange with Erzsebet in front of Ash. He would’ve preferred to talk to her in private, but now Erzsebet wasn’t taking his calls and whenever he came by her desk she was too busy to talk.
“I know it might sound crazy to you, but Erzsebet is my responsibility. I promised our parents that I would take care of her.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m just trying to get back into her life, but I think I’m going about it the wrong way. She’s alienating herself from me and I don’t know why.”
“How long has she been…?”
“Elusive?” Hunter watched as Erzsebet turned the corner and out of his sight. “Some months.”
Hunter could practically see the wheels turning in Ash’s head.
“Do you have any idea why she would act differently? Money problems or anything like that?” Ash asked.
Hunter narrowed his eyes. “I see what you’re getting at and you can forget it. She doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on with the company. Honestly, I think she’s pulling away from me because she has a new boyfriend.”
Ash tsked and frowned. “A new boyfriend could definitely make someone act or do something differently or make someone act out of character. Believe me, in my line of business, I’ve seen that happen a lot.”
“That wouldn’t happen with Erzsebet.”
She looked up at him. “But you just said—”
“I know, she’s changed somewhat. But a new boyfriend wouldn’t make her steal from the very Pack that saved us. She just wouldn’t do that.”
“I’ve seen sons and daughters steal from a beloved parent. So excuse me if I sound jaded on the subject.”
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, sweetheart. Whoever is embezzling from us is also working a Vampire. Ezie has a Vampire phobia.”
“But she might not even know that she’s working with one.”
“We’re not human. We can spot a Vampire easily, and believe me, Ezie wouldn’t get close enough to one to let them work their powers on her.”
“I hope I’m wrong,” Ash muttered.
Hunter stepped closer to her. “Spill it. What do you know that I don’t?” he asked in a low voice.
Ash shifted her eyes, making sure no one was around them. “I shouldn’t say anything. Not before I talk to Clarissa.”
He growled. “Tell me what you know.”
She jumped slightly. “I think Erzsebet has been stealing millions of dollars from the company and it’s been going on for almost a year.”
Hunter shook his head, not believing what he’d just heard. “That can’t be true. This company is her everything. She’s been here since the beginning. She would never steal from it.”
Ash extended a hand as if she was going to rub his arm but then pulled away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything, and I don’t know why I just did. When I tell Clarissa what I found, she’ll be able to verify it.”
Hunter shook his head. “No, you can’t tell her. Not yet.”
“I have to. It’s my job.”
“It has to be a mistake. We’re wolves. We can’t hide anything from our Alpha, not for long anyway. If what you said is true, then Andras would’ve known about it immediately. She can’t be involved in this—not the lies, deceit and definitely not with Vampires involved. Someone is setting her up. Give me some time to investigate.”
Ash chewed on her bottom lip. “I-I don’t know.”
“Please, Ash. This can’t taint her reputation. If she’s compromised in any way, Andras will ban her from the Pack. As a female wolf, Erzsebet would never be able to survive on her own.” She would most likely die of loneliness. Lone males fared better without a Pack than females did.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
They walked back to the conference room in silence. When they entered Clarissa and the others were already there.
“You’re early,” Hunter said.
“Yes, sorry for the inconvenience. We wanted to begin right away so we can finish our job,” Clarissa said in that high-pitched voice that grated on Hunter’s nerves.
Ash put her head down and walked over to her seat and slid into it without making a sound.
“Asha?” Clarissa called. “Do you have any new developments today?”
Hunter’s heart slammed against his rib cage.
Ash looked up at Clarissa, her face impassive. “No, Clarissa. Not yet.”