When I got back to LennoxCo, I took Pepper inside with me, and we rode the elevator to the executive floor. I got a few strange looks, but not many—CEOs were luckily blessed with being able to get away with almost everything.
In my office, I set a bowl of water and treats down for Pepper. Then I picked up the phone and called Seb.
“I need you in my office right now,” I said sharply.
“Man, I’m not doing any more work right now,” Seb replied. I could hear him swallow over the phone. “I told you, I’m done with that.”
“It’s not about that, asshole, it’s helping me with something else.”
Seb hung up. Five minutes later, he waltzed into my room as though he had a standing invitation.
“What do you need?” Seb flopped down on the black leather couch. Pepper immediately walked over to him and put her big blocky head in his lap. “What’s this, Lennox? A dog? You got a fucking dog?”
“She’s not mine. I’m just taking care of her for a friend right now.”
Seb frowned. He pushed Pepper away and leaned back against the couch. “So, what do you need?”
I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. The lack of sleep and concussion was starting to catch up with me, and I felt achy and sick, like I needed to sleep for hours. “I need help finding Audrey,” I admitted.
“The secretary?” Seb frowned. “I thought that’s why you needed those statements, so you could go to the cops, and they’d take care of it.”
“I handed everything over, but I don’t think it’s going to get taken care of before next week.” Just saying the words aloud made me feel sick and anxious. “The cop, O’Brian, said that it takes a while to process things. And he couldn’t even fucking guarantee me immunity.”
“Shit,” Seb said. He leaned forward, spreading his muscular legs and resting his elbows on the inside of his thighs. “So, what now?”
I shrugged. “I have to find her. And I don’t have much time. I tried looking earlier…” I trailed off, looking at Pepper. She was lying on the floor with her snout covered with her front paws. “But that didn’t help. I couldn’t find her, Seb. I have no idea where that bastard took her.”
Seb shook his head. “Man, just let the cops handle this. You don’t want any more trouble, and neither do I.”
“She’s important to me, Seb,” I snapped. Once I said the words, I realized that they’d been true for a long time. I just hadn’t been willing to acknowledge it until now. “And if I don’t find her, I’m worried that he’s going to kill her or hurt her or do something terrible.”
Seb stared at me. “And you didn’t tell the cops about this?”
I shook my head. “Dude, no, I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t want to implicate her in anything.”
“What could she possibly have done?” Seb laughed. “She’s your secretary, it’s not like she tried to take this guy down or some shit.”
“No, but she scanned through all of our old correspondence, and even though that bastard wrote it in code, I have a feeling she probably figured out some of what he meant.”
“Okay. So where do you want to look?”
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, trying to think of every nook and cranny Hodges would frequent. “There’s the shoe store downtown, his store. That would be a good place to start. There’s a warehouse attached. I bet she’s probably there.”
“Think about what you’re doing,” Seb urged. “You need to remember that this shit is dangerous, and it’s not like you can just go in there with that dumb mutt and find Audrey. Do you have protection? Do you know how many stooges this guy has hired?”
I shook my head. “No, but I have to try. I have to find her, Seb. I can’t fail. I can’t let him win. Not this time. He ruined me once before, and I won’t let him do it again.” And I won’t let him hurt her, I thought, clenching my fists in frustration. No way, no how.
Seb stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. “Alright, then I’m in.” He grinned at me, and I felt a rush of affection for him, my partner in crime.
“It’s funny,” I said as I stood up and clipped the leash to Pepper’s collar. “We used to party together and cover for each other.”
Seb laughed and punched me in the shoulder. “Remember when you told my girlfriend that I’d gone home sick when I really went home with those strippers?”
I rolled my eyes. “Hard to forget,” I muttered. “We used to be such assholes.”
“Used to be?” Seb stared at me. “Have you completely pussed out? What happened to you, Lennox? You used to be a real man.”
“Life happened,” I replied darkly. “Somewhere along the line, I think my priorities started to change. Now all I care about is my company. I don’t give a shit about partying or fucking strippers anymore.” And Audrey, my mind chimed in, but I didn’t dare say it in front of Seb. She’s important. She’s very, very important.
“You totally pussed out,” Seb repeated. We walked to the elevator bank, Pepper straining at the leash. “I remember you used to be knee-deep in pussy and booze by the time five in the afternoon rolled around. What happened to that guy?” Seb grinned at me, but I didn’t return the smile. “You used to be fun.”
“And then some psycho kidnapped my secretary and ruined my business,” I countered. “And I decided maybe I didn’t give a shit about being crazy anymore.”
“You’re missing out,” Seb said with a grin. “I tell you, you’re gonna miss that life someday. You’re not old yet, man. You’re what, twenty-nine? Thirty? That’s way too young to think about settling down.”
We got into the elevator, and I pressed the button for the first floor. A feeling of dread and anxiety was washing over me, and I realized there was nothing I could do about it. In a way, I felt ashamed. I felt ashamed of myself for acting exactly like Seb for most of my life and not caring what other people thought of me.
Ever since I’d been a kid, hell, ever since Cindy, I’d never let anyone walk all over me again. I’d always thought that I’d done the right thing, the strong thing, the manly thing. But now I was starting to realize that I’d barely done anything at all. I’d been a cad and an asshole to almost every woman I’d ever met. Thinking of all the women I’d fucked and dumped made me want to cringe. I couldn’t believe that I’d ever thought it acceptable to be so damn callous.
“I’ve changed, Seb. And I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the way I was before.”
Seb grinned again, still unaware of everything rushing around in my head. “You’ll regret it.” He winked. “Just trust me on that.”
I don’t think I will, I thought. I think I just got the wake-up call of a lifetime.