Dalton
“Tell him to see me; it’s important.” I hear Ben’s voice booming through the lobby of my office, and I roll my eyes. I’m not interested in the tough guy, big brother, thing right now. I’m in the middle of grilling every single person who came in contact with that lease. Lawyers usually know better. They’ve all signed airtight non-disclosure documents, and no matter how much those bastards paid them to leak that document, it shouldn’t have been worth it. I will crush whoever did it.
“I’m not leaving. Tell him Penny needs his help.”
At that I roll my chair back from my desk and shoot to my feet. I’ve been laser-beam focused on crushing the mole in my office. That mission has smothered any other room for nonessential thoughts.
“Ben, for hell’s sake, get in here.” I open my door so wide the knob slams into the wall.
“You didn’t answer my calls,” he barks as he charges into my office, and I close the door behind him. If this is going to come to blows, I’d prefer not to have an audience.
“I’m busy. I have someone in my office to demolish.”
“It’s important.”
“This is important. It’s step one to fixing this shitfest.”
“You don’t have a mole, so if you are spending your time trying to beat the truth out of your legal team you can stop. You were hacked. The same shell company that bought Penny’s apartment owns the IP address that hacked your server.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I hacked your server and followed the trail they left. I was able to see the documents in their original form, including notes indicating your motive.”
“My motive?” I don’t like any part of this. I’d love to tell Ben to keep his fucking prying techie fingers out of my business, but information is power at this point.
“I found your meeting notes. You asked them to shore up the lease and make sure it didn’t leave Penny or Kylie vulnerable. You were trying to protect her.”
“Which doesn’t fucking matter right now, does it?” I ask, but Ben doesn’t waver. “I fucked up.”
“You need to call Penny. I thought she knew about the lease, and she didn’t. She was pissed.”
Shit. I thought I’d have more time to fix it before telling her. “So you ran your mouth about something you knew nothing about and guilt brought you here? Weak.”
“No,” Ben grinds his teeth together as though he’s trying to teach an ape sign language and it’s not sticking. “She was so upset. I saw her talking to Randy. Then she started crying and bolted out of the building.”
My blood boils at the thought of Randy exploiting Penny’s broken heart. My fists tighten at the idea that he might even consider touching her. “Did you call her?”
“I’ve been trying,” Ben says, looking relieved that I finally seem to be catching on. “She’s not answering. You need to call your buddy Randy and find her. Right now she thinks you betrayed her in the worst possible way. She thinks she’s all but lost the apartment for Kylie.”
I dial his number but I can tell by the abbreviated rings he’s sending me straight to voicemail. I queue up a text message and can hardly type through my blinding anger.
Pick up the phone.
I get no response. Nothing.
Randy, you don’t want to fuck with me. This is not a game.
“He’s not answering either.” I’m pacing my office as a ball of fire hits me in the gut. How the fuck did I get myself into this mess, and how do I get Penny out of it? “Her friend Millie might be able to get in touch with her.”
“She said she was on a delivery or something,” Ben explains. “What did Randy say to her? Where would she go?”
“Maybe her father’s place.” I pull up Ziggy’s number and dial, but the line has been disconnected. Considering how bad things were for his business, it doesn’t surprise me that the phone company has shut him down for non-payment. “I’m going to her dad’s. I’m sure that’s where she went.”
“I’m coming,” Ben says, and I give the kid credit. He seems pretty damn determined.
“Whatever,” I groan. “I just want to find her.”
“I’ll show her the proof I found that you didn’t steal her lease with the intention of using it against her.”
“Don’t,” I grind out. “I’m not looking for redemption. I need to know she’s all right. That’s all.”
We drive in complete silence and well over the speed limit the entire way to Ziggy’s office.
My phone rings with an unfamiliar number, and I pick it up.
“Dalton,” a man’s voice bellows. “What the hell is going on over there?”
“Who is this?”
“Robert Cannington, and my phone is blowing up with people telling me you’ve gone off the rails. I don’t do business with unstable men.”
“Unstable?”
“You’re on a campaign to keep some woman in an apartment in the Bachelor Tower. Do you know how many of my clients and associates live there? You’re on the wrong side of this fight.”
“Then you should tell them I haven’t yet begun to fight.”
“You realize that’s business suicide? Frankly, you need to get your priorities sorted before I’ll move forward on any kind of deal. You need to back off.”
“I don’t work for you. The deal we made is mutually beneficial and has nothing to do with Bachelor Tower. But tell your friends to watch their backs because this is far from over.”
“You’re insane,” Cannington barks before disconnecting the line.
“That didn’t sound good,” Ben remarks as we pull up to Ziggy’s building.
“I don’t give a shit about that right now.” I’m out of the car and jogging up the gravel walkway before Ben even opens his door. “Penny,” I call through the rickety windows, but I’m met with only silence. The building is dark. Shit. Where is she?
“There’s a sign on the door,” Ben explains. “This business is closed permanently. Please direct all inquiries to Ziggy Fuller. It’s got a cell phone number on here.”
I dial the number, occasionally looking into the darkened windows just hoping for a sign of Penny. “Voicemail.”
“Leave him one.”
“Ziggy, this is Dalton Croft. I’m trying to get in touch with Penny. If you see her, please have her call me.” I hesitate as I read the sign on the door again. “I see you’ve closed the business. I’m sorry to hear that.” I disconnect the line abruptly, not accustomed to offering that kind of sympathy for something that doesn’t directly affect me.
“Heartfelt,” Ben quips, and I shoot him a nasty look.
“Where is she?”
“Maybe Millie is back from her delivery? You know where their apartment is? I’m sure they weren’t put out on the street already.”
Ben is being helpful, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to punch him. If he had kept his mouth shut, I could have squashed the problem without upsetting Penny.
I fire off a couple of threatening messages to Randy before we hop back in the car. “This is a fucking mess.”
“It is,” Ben agrees with a sigh. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I snap. “I’m no one’s hero. I just don’t want to see Penny get hurt.”
“You could—”
“You know what you could do? You could shut the fuck up.”
“I’d be more offended if I didn’t feel so bad for you,” Ben says, raising his brows up and eyeing me. “You’re in love with her.”
What the fuck?
Oh, shit.