Page 55 of Black Wave

I had let my staff and security know in a meeting before the girls got to the club that there was a person of interest, a man who posed a threat to my girlfriend. I showed them the picture and made everyone aware that if, for any reason, questions or suspicions came up, or worse, if this person was near Emma, I was to be notified immediately. No call was to be taken lightly and no question considered stupid.

I was glad we had the insight to have this meeting beforehand because I received a call from someone who metthe criteria for such an occurrence. That put everyone on high alert, and we thought we had the person in our sights when the incident with the guy getting handsy with Emma happened, and then Liv passing out added to the debacle, making us lose sight of him in the crowd where he later vanished.

I sit in my office watching Emma on surveillance, surrounded by her friends, some discreet and some not-so-discreet security in the area, all watching. I doubt anything will happen now, but I won’t take any chances, and the thought of her going back out there with her friends was hard to let her do. I have the face magnified on my security monitor and a few men around me. I ask for Philip to be brought in as well. He walks in, shutting the door behind him.

“Boss, you wanted to see me?” Philip, my most trusted friend and Emma’s personal security detail, stands before my desk, looking around the cluster of men in my office. I motion for him to come around to my side of the desk so that he may get a better look at the face I will show him.

“Philip, have you seen this man?”

He takes a look, leaning in closer, and lets out a breath slowly. He nods. “Yeah, I have. I’ve seen him a couple of times. I thought it was a coincidence...” Philip trails off.

I stand from my chair abruptly and it topples over. One of my men comes in to right it.

“You thought it was a coincidence?” The anger in my voice rises steadily, as does the anger radiating throughout my body. Repeating his words slowly, I say, “A…couple…of…times?” My fists are clenched, and I try to calm my anger. “Where? When?” I pace the room, walking back and forth to give myself a purpose other than punching my most trusted security personnel—dare I say, friend.

Philip goes to sit on the couch, placing his head in his hands. Looking up at me, he rubs his hand over his face, steepling hishands together under his chin. Philip stands and begins pacing just as I had been. He stops and turns toward me. “I know I saw him in the coffee place by the hospital that Emma likes to go to. He was on his computer with headphones on. Not the AirPods, but like Beats or something like that.”

He looks away as if trying to remember more. “I noticed him…” He pauses and looks back at me. “In the hospital waiting room.” He has the decency to flinch as he continues to fear my unexpected outbursts. “He was reading a book, and I thought he was just a patient. Maybe he lived around the area. Now, I know it wasn’t, Boss. I am so sorry.”

I stand, staring at Philip with barely controlled anger overtaking my body. My nostrils are flaring as I try to unclench my fists. “Men, leave us now.”

The guys look at one another and then at Philip with a sad look—a look that says good-bye, nice knowing you.

Philip stares at me and pays no one else a second glance. Once the door closes, I go to lock it. I sit at my desk and motion for him to sit.

“So now that that show is done, I have a job for you.” I smirk at him, and he lifts his eyebrow in confusion.

“I don’t understand. When you texted me with ‘impromptu acting needed,’ I tried, but I have no idea what you are getting at. You already knew the times I spotted Julian when I told you, but somehow, you made me look incompetent, and I want to know why?”

“Oh, yes. I like the extra commentary about the Beats, not AirPods.” I wave my hand around my ear. “Very believable, by the way.”

He throws his arm out in a theatrical half-bow. “Of course, but what’s the plan? I know you have one, and for some reason, I think I am in fake trouble?” He poses this like it’s a question.

“Yes, I think there is someone giving information to Julian. He seems to know when Emma will be somewhere and about her party tonight with the girls. I will let everyone think that you will be punished and appoint someone else to be around Emma as a driver. You will still watch her, but without anyone else knowing. No one will be allowed to see you.”

He shakes his head, seeming to follow the plan. “So, are you going to kill me? Is that how everyone else will believe I am no longer around as Emma’s security detail?”

I look at him, nodding in confirmation. “Well, fake kill you, but yeah.” I let that sink in a bit

He grabs his chin, pondering the idea a bit. “Ok, so what next?”

“I will call the guys in and have them escort you to the basement. You’ll be held there, and I will let you out through the back door. I’ll need to call my computer geek to come over and help me scrub the video, in case anyone else sees it, but I’m not too happy with him these days.” I roll my eyes. Philip snorts.

He stands abruptly. “I have an idea that may work, but you must hear me out.”

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “Spit it out already. I know I’m not going to like it.”

He laughs harder. “Oh, you will hate it, but it might work, Eduardo.”

He proceeds to tell me the plan, and I abso-fucking-lutely hate it. I can’t deny it's good though, and it might just work. I make the phone call reluctantly, all while Philip gives me mock words of encouragement. I should kill him after this, if he weren’t such a good friend. He’s lucky I don’t have many friends, and I am currently not accepting any applications to fill his spot. It’s too hard to make friends at our age. The fact that we were once all friends in college surprises the hell out of me.

An hour later, Jameson is at the door, and a very suspicious Eli eyes Philip up and down with disgust. I look at Eli, and he nods, closing the door behind him. I see his retreating form on the camera outside my office and look at Jameson. He eyes me with concern and mistrust.

“Jameson, good to see you, brother. I am glad that you were able to get here so soon. Like I said earlier, it’s important.” He sits forward in his chair.

“You mentioned important and Emma’s name in the same sentence, which is why I am here so fast,” he clarifies, and it makes me furious as fuck, but I have to think about what’s more important—Emma.

My Emma,I almost growl in my possessiveness over the girl I have loved first and only.

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