Page 65 of The Orc of Wall Street

I grin at her, then wave at my team. "Let's go! We've got an appointment to get to!"

CHAPTER 32

Sloane

"Awesome driving!" Tarek bellows as the car thumps up the front steps of the conference building. Or at least that's what I think he says because everything sounds like it's being raked over a washboard.

"Go!"

He doesn't have to be told twice, already flinging himself out the door before we stop. He waves his badge at the end of a lanyard as he flies by a scowling security troll who is hurrying toward us.

"Lewis!" I yell and the vampire looks back. "Fix Tarek's collar!"

He nods, gives me a thumbs up, and with vampire speed, vanishes in a streak of color.

"Ma'am, you can't park here!" The guard is pulling out a radio.

"Sorry! I'm leaving!"

I put the car in reverse and bump my way back down the stairs. I zoom into the parking garage and find an empty spot.

I run toward the building and toward the front door. The same security troll greets me at the door and waves me through.

I race upstairs, running until I hear the sound of voices. Then I skid to a stop, catching my breath before I casually turn and step into the room. To my left, Tarek is in front of a dozen rows of investors, talking and pointing to a slide from his power point.

He sees me come in, raises his eyebrows, but barely stops speaking. Only a few investors glance in my direction.

I look to the right and see Gage and Lewis watching me with glee, Gage fairly quivering with excitement. On the opposite side of the room, Craig is flabbergasted to see we’ve arrived, but can’t speak up in front of the current audience.

I walk quietly on the balls of my feet to the back and stand between them. Gage puts his long, hairy arm around both me and Lewis and pulls us quietly close. I lean my head into him in response.

"Good job on the collar," I whisper to Lewis, who gives me a knowing wink.

Tarek kills it. He not only emphasizes how new and special the technology of this device is, he also makes sure the potential investors know how much good it will do for the consumer, the mental and physical health that will result.

It's a good sell and the interest is obvious the moment he opens the floor up for questions. It's a good sign that people want to know more and are interested, and Tarek handles them all with ease and humor.

He is about to wrap up the last question when Craig jumps up. He glances at me, his eyes narrowed, but then fixes his malevolent glare on Tarek.

"If I may have your attention, please!" he bellows. "Please don't listen to this orc! He's a fraud. These are my ideas and he has stolen them from me!"

Everyone, including Tarek, stops and looks at him. Craig pauses, obviously having expected a more dramatic reaction and the puzzled silence is obviously not what he expected.

Before he can continue, everyone notices two police officers edging their way into the back of the room.

Tarek looks at me, puzzled.

"Oh, good. You’re here.” I click a few things on my phone, pushing a picture onto Tarek’s PowerPoint slideshow. A picture comes up on the screen. "Let me explain this shot. This is a photo taken by me earlier today of this naga's warehouse. You can clearly see the Jarn Enterprise logo on some of these boxes."

The officers move toward the front. Craig looks at them coming and licks his lips with his flickering tongue. He looks like he wants to bolt off the stage.

"We've had shipments go missing and prototypes never arrive. I believe the answer to where they've gone is being answered in real time at this meeting."

One of the policemen gestures for Craig to come with them. Craig gives Tarek a look of pure hatred and then turns to me.

"I'll get you," he hisses. "You think you've tricked me, but you haven't. I'll have the last laugh. I'll ..." The police make their move, slapping him in handcuffs and forcing him off the stage.

We all watch him go, ranting and shouting. Gage is at the back, holding the door for the officers, and then quietly closes it behind them with a smile to the rest of the room.

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