Our strategy to take down Calder McKnight couldn't have been planned any better. One way or another when we left here today his reputation would be ruined and his company would be under investigation. We would gather so much public sympathy for Kai that she would be free to leave him now, no consequences.
**********
Her eyes narrowed at him with so much malice that I'm surprised he hadn't spontaneously combusted into flames.
"This man is a liar and a thief", she storms over to us waving a file that had previously been tucked under her arms.
My eyebrows furrow into mock confusion before I stared back at Calder.
"Calder who is this and what is she talking about?". I said 'outraged'.
Please, this was too funny.
Calder's eyes narrowed at the file in her hands before his gaze flicked to hers, he doesn't even acknowledge my question.
His word are short and measured as he asks her, "Where. Did you. Get. That".
Simple. Conner hacked your computer.
I didn't say that though.
She flips him off dismissively before turning back to me.
"You should know the kind of person you are about to enter into business with. This man has been illegally using his company to launder money for criminals, unless you want to get caught up in a lawsuit for fraud and-".
"That's enough Kai", Calder snaps as he grips unto her upper arm roughly, silencing her immediately, his eyes then turn back to me and I can see how much he's trying to hide his anger.
"These are all lies", he grabs the files from her hands and turns to face me, "you know me Raymond. This woman is a wicked and conniving witch. Hard to believe she's my fiancée".
At that my eyebrows skyrocketed in surprise.
Of course I was totally acting though since I knew all this beforehand.
On cue my ringtone blasts through the room and I hurriedly pull my phone from my pocket.
Pretending as if it was the president himself calling me, I excused myself to take the call while telling Calder to put his woman on a leash.
He seemed rather satisfied that I wasn't fazed by what this woman had said about him and his unethical business practices.
"Take care of whatever this is", I had said referring to the situation "and keep your woman on a leash". Then I disappeared through a nearby door and answered the call.
"Did it work?" I whispered to Alana with the phone pushed up against my ear.
"Not yet, the cameras are all set up and functional into the room with them we just need his confession and then we have him".
Alana and Conner were back in the car seeing the whole situation in the previous room I was in unfolding on their laptop from the hidden cameras we placed all over the room".
"Holy shit!", Alana spits out of nowhere, she must've seen something upon the cameras.
"What happened?", I whispered. I couldn't hear anything from where I was.
Alana was hesitant. "He hit her ".
I didn't realize I was heading back out there with folded fists ready to pound that bastard's face in until Alana shouted at me to wait.
"Don't go out there yet", she says reluctantly, "or else all of this would have been for nothing. This is the only way to get her away from that man once and for all ".
I gritted my teeth and refrained from banging my head against the wall. I knew Alana was right but that didn't make it any easier to restrain myself.
Flashes of last night replayed in my mind as I thought of Calder laying a hand on Kai.
Wayne's scream echoed as I ran into the building. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was confused at first since the building had seemed empty when we just got here. I was at the underground parking lot in under two minutes and what I found made my heart constrict and a range of emotions ran through me all at once.
Pain, fright, murderous rage.
Wayne was practically unconscious. His face was beaten up. He was being held up by a tall guy while the other one was punching him mercilessly. I heard the crack of a rib before I took off in their direction.
"Get the fvck away from him", my words were menacing and filled with rage. The second they saw me they let go of him and the shorter one slipped something into his pocket before he and the other one took off.
I ran over to Wayne. He was barely even alive and coughing up blood. I felt the fury coursing through my veins. I wanted to go after the guys who had done this to him and kill them both with my bare hands but I knew if I didn't get him some help immediately then he wouldn't survive.
His chest was heaving rapidly so I hadn't expected him to speak and even though his words were sputtered out with coughs and uneven breaths, to me, they were as clear as day.
"They took it", he had said.
My eyes immediately went to the trunk of the car which was wide open but the package was still inside and perfectly intact it took a few seconds before what Wayne had said dawned on me. I could feel my face pale and I felt as if all the life was drained out of me.
If they had taken 'It' then we were both already dead.
"Blake! Blake! You have to get in there. Now!", Alana's screaming voice brought me out of my haze and I quickly shoved the phone back into my pocket and ran back in there.
Calder had her body pressed up against the wall and his hand was pulled back as if he was about to hit her again.
Before I even knew what was happening my hand gripped his and I was throwing him backward unto the floor.
"Come on Calder", my voice was playful but I was feeling anything but, "we don't hit girls".
Though Kai's hand was still holding her cheek, she shot him a wicked smirk before she bolted for the door and soon only Calder and I stayed behind as he got up to his feet.
"My dad just called I have to go", I said again not allowing him a chance to speak and then I too was out the door.
Conner had the car pulled up at the curb and I quickly got in as we drove off.
Alana was in the passenger seat and I realized that Kai was sitting into the backseat with me as well.
"That was a success", Conner smiled from the driver's seat, "we have everything that happened in there on video. Once we leak it on the internet, the media will have a field day with it. It's safe to say that Calder McKnight is ruined. This calls for a celebration, what do you guys say?".
I didn't say anything. No one seemed to notice. I was tuning them all out while they all began to celebrate.
I couldn't stop thinking about Wayne now and what had happened to him. Seeing what almost happened back in there with Kai triggered all that again.
My phone began to ring and I took it out of my pocket but once I saw Zadia's name on the caller ID I just couldn't answer it. I knew what I had to do right then.
I was already in trouble with Dexter Winter but now that they stole the one thing Wayne and I swore to protect.
This went so far beyond a threat to stay in a fake engagement. Through that was rather inconvenient. I could've handled that much.
Up until now, I had had a backup plan and now that was gone and I was screwed, Dexter probably knows about it already and if he didn't he would find out soon enough.
I knew I couldn't stay here any longer. He would find me no doubt. When he finds out what I've done then I'm dead.
I had to go.
Straightening my back in the car I declined the call from Zadia and then, I said, " Stop the car".