Page 62 of Crushed
“All in favor?”
“Yay,” the room resounded.
“All opposed?”
Silence echoed through the room. This meeting was merely a formality.
“Congratulations,” one of the board members said. We shook hands. “Welcome to TSP.”
As part of my signing bonus, I would receive the majority shares of the company, thus making me the new owner. But my plan was far from over. There were still loose ends to take care of.
But first, I needed to investigate Scarlett.
I clicked on the surveillance footage from my security staff’s car. Scarlett was at a coffee shop in Sage City. She was sitting with someone, though their profile was obstructed from view.
As an assassin from the Silent Network Consulting, did she know that she was being followed?
Next, I headed to the Dahlia District. I texted Teagen:Meet me in the restaurant.Bring Iris.
Sure thing, Boss, she replied.
The Dahlia District had a gourmet restaurant built into the design. It worked both as part of the club, and separately from it, and was therefore open at regular meal hours, when the club itself wasn’t open. By the time I got there, Teagen and Iris were already seated at one of the tables, drinking water and eating artisan bread with dipping oil and herbs.
“You could have ordered without me,” I said.
Teagen shrugged. “Something tells me this isn’t a ‘sit and chat’ kind of meeting.” She nodded towards Iris. “I know you mean business when you ask for Iris.”
Iris raised an eyebrow. “Happy to help however I can.”
“What can you tell me about Scarlett?” I asked.
The two of them looked at each other, exchanging eye contact and words without speaking, then turned back to me. They had taken Scarlett under their wings when she first arrived.
“What do you want to know?” Teagen asked.
“Whatever you’re willing to share.”
Iris tilted her head. “You like her, don’t you?”
You don’t fucking say. It wasn’t every day that I called the two of them out of the Greenhouse to interview them about a server.
“She’s a little strange,” Iris offered. “She needs to work on her fire dancing skills.”
“Why is she here?” I asked, emphasizing the final word.
“Everyone has some sort of past,” Teagen offered. Teagen was an example of that; her father had sold her to Dahlia. “Probably has some debt she’s trying to get rid of, like the rest of us.”
It was more than that. “Do you know anything about her connection to SNC?”
“SN-what?” Teagen asked, tilting her head.
“I don’t know anything about what you’re asking about, but Dahlia might have—” Iris started, then locked eyes with Teagen. Teagen nodded, and Iris continued, “—mentionedsomething. About her friend.”
“Her friend?”
“Some chick that used to work here back in the early years. I guess Dahlia told her friend that Scarlett could work here.”
New information, yes, but it didn’t help me. “Did Scarlett say anything about me?”
Teagen shook her head. Iris’s round eyes widened. “You do like her, then.”
A simple crush didn’t cover it, but this exchange hadn’t proved anything, besides how obviously infatuated I was with Scarlett. If it was that obvious to them, I hoped that Scarlett knew it too, even if it wouldn’t save me.
“Thanks for your help,” I said, standing. “Charge your meals to my account.” And I left.
