Page 27 of A Man of Power

As I finish reading the article, the name of the chemicals found in their system has me pausing. The component names of them as described have small alarm bells going off in the back of my head. It takes me a full minute for my tired and overwhelmed brain cells to catch up with what my eyes are seeing.

I pull up my notes and the articles I had been reading over the past week. It takes a moment to find the buried information, but it’s as I remembered it. It’s a leaked document that someone posted on a website claiming to include components of a drug. Those chemicals are in the medicine that is being produced in the lab in Geneva by Confervo. Medicine that it stopped attempting to get FDA approval on nearly ten years ago. Is it a coincidence? How can it be? I start searching the information, wondering if all medicines in this category include this combination of chemicals. It takes me a full hour, but I find not one single similar drug.

I close my laptop and call Sebastian.

The phone only rings once before he answers. “Shooting for overtime?”

I roll my eyes. It might be Saturday, but that doesn’t mean this city shuts down, hell, it never shuts down.

“There’s something I just found, and it might be nothing, but it’s strange and I wanted to debrief you.”

“Well, that’s very cryptic, care to elaborate?” I can hear people talking in the background, but as he speaks in his low gravelly voice all of that noise dissipates and all I can hear is Sebastian’s voice. I feel an ache between my legs. How can he do that with just the sound of his voice? He’s not even talking dirty. What the fuck is wrong with me? I feel like I’m under his dark spell.

As I focus on his question, I realize I feel uneasy discussing this on my phone. Perhaps it’s all the spy novels I’ve read, but this information, if there is anything there that’s a reason for concern. It’s best told in person.

“Can we meet?” I ask.

“I’m near the office. I can meet you there in two hours.”

I look at my clock. It’s nearly seven in the evening. Is he having dinner? Is he with another woman? I squeeze my eyes shut as if doing that will block out the jealously that just popped into my mind. It doesn’t matter if he’s with another woman. What we have is purely…sex.

“Yes, I can meet you there in two hours.”

“See you then.” He hangs up, and I spend the next sixty minutes in a half-hearted attempt to study before heading over to the office. I decide to rent a bicycle as the traffic isn’t bad. I make it to the office in fifteen minutes and head upstairs. I pass a handful of people on my way. The weekends are a lot less busy here. I feel slightly underdressed in my jeans and blouse.

I find our office door already unlocked and I hesitate, remembering the break-in. As I reach for the door handle, I feel warmth at my back and a breath on my ear. I jump, letting out a squeak. Strong hands grip my upper arms.

“Careful there,” Sebastian’s voice whispers against the shell of my ear, leaving my skin peppered in goose bumps.

“H-have you already been inside? It’s unlocked,” I stammer.

His hand reaches around me and grips mine, turning the doorknob. “Yes, I just had to do something. I promise you’re safe.”

And I do feel safe at the moment encased by his arms. He opens the door and presses the small of my back to guide me inside. He leads me to his office and motions for me to show him what I found. I pull my computer out of the bag I brought. Setting it down, I pull up the news story. He reads it. Then I click on an icon and the document I found pops on the screen. He leans in, his frown deepening when he gets to the part that had me frowning as well.

“The chemicals…” I trail off.

“Are the same,” he finishes.

I nod. “I looked up other similar classes of medication, but I can’t find them listed together anywhere. It could be a coincidence, but it could also be…” I stop speaking again, letting him add it up for himself.

“Have CRS run everything they can on this class of medication. I want to be sure. And don’t tell anyone why, only use your most trusted contact at CRS.”

“OK.”

I step back and find him staring at me. But he’s no longer frowning. He looks downright feral as he surveys me.

“You still not admitting to yourself that my power over you turns you on?” he says with a wicked smirk.

Asshole.

“I didn’t think so.”

Motherfucker. My legs involuntarily clench together. His gaze doesn’t move off my face, but I know he’s seen it. Stupid traitorous body.

He steps forward. “Feeling my power yet?” he asks, his body dangerously close to mine.

I straighten my back. My desire to be combative is as strong as the attraction between us. Why am I fighting this? “No,” I say, but my timid voice gives away my bluff.

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