Basement Level 5: Never Scared (18 page)

There was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” she called.

Erik stepped into the room with Janine right behind him. “Thanks for agreeing to meet,” he said.

He took a seat at her desk chair. Alexa noted the bags under his eyes. He looked tired and must have been under enormous stress. “I really could use your help,” he said, motioning Janine to the seat next to him.

“
What’s up?” Alexa asked.

“
Steve is crazy,” Erik claimed. “And for some reason, I think you know more about him then you’re letting on.”

“
What makes you think I know anything about Steve?” Alexa said, crossing her arms across her chest.

“
I think you and your family are into some shady business. Steve has slipped up on many occasions and admitted your family has a beef with his. I already know Steve’s father has some shady dealings. I have known that for as long as I’ve known Steve.”

She sighed. “What makes you think Steve is crazy? And what does this have to do with Janine.” She eyed the girl, sitting on the other side of the room.

Janine used to be a friend of hers. Over the past month, though, Janine had made it a point to be seen with Erik as if they were a couple. Janine was also running around the school spreading rumors about her.

“
Alexa,” Janine said, twirling her thumb around the strap of her purse. “I know we haven’t been cool. And I know you’ve heard some things, but there is a reason for everything. I really need your help.”

Alexa was curious now. “Why? Aren’t you and Erik together? Why do you need my help?”

Erik touched Janine’s leg. “We’re not together,” he insisted. “The only reason we’re being seen together is to protect Janine. Steve’s brother has been harassing her. He’s threatened her plenty of times. He only backed off once she told him we were together. I’m not sure how long that will last. They’re both on some kind of power trip. They’ve been hinting that their Dad is on to something big that will give them power in the streets. Steve has also made it very clear that he doesn’t care who he has to step on to get it.”

Alexa glanced at over at Dro, who was silently watching Erik. “I have to ask you why you think we can help?” she asked.

Erik swept his hand through the air as he scanned the room. “Look around you. Your family has power. It’s the same power that Steve and his family want. I just figured your family could help us. I can’t have imagined that you care about me, Alexa. All the years we’ve known each other and confided in each other, you couldn’t have been pretending the whole time.”

She averted her eyes from his, letting her guilt soak her to the bone.

“
What do you want Erik?” Dro asked finally. “So far, you’re just talking in circles. Tell me what you want. What is it?”

“
I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect myself and Janine.” Erik cleared his throat. “If that means bringing you information on Steve and his family so you can make them disappear, I’ll do it. I’m just tired of living like this.”

Alexa shook her head. “You’re not getting involved in this.”

“
Is that why you broke up with me?” Erik asked. “You don’t want me involved?”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “Erik, what you’re asking is just too dangerous. You don’t know anything about Steve and his family, or the lengths they will go to get what they want. You need to stay far away from this.”

“
I always knew you cared about me,” Erik uttered. “Now, I know for certain Dro’s threat had more to do with you than him. You staged the whole scene at the bar. He did it because you told him to. I had a feeling.”

“
Is that why you clown on her every time you see her in public?” Dro asked.

Erik’s eyes narrowed. “I did that because I was hurt, and I wanted to make it convincing. Deep down, I knew she cared about me.”

Alexa elbowed Dro in the side, hoping it would stop him from saying something. “I’m tired of this shit,” Dro said, standing to his feet. “What do you need from us, Erik, because I don’t have time for this? I don’t want to hear about your feelings for Alexa. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t even matter. You came to us because you said you needed help. So what do you want us to do?”

Alexa covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
Jealous much?
Dro couldn’t stand Erik, which was rather funny to her. “He’s right, Erik. There’s no sense in rehashing the past.”

“
But if that’s the reason why you broke up with me—” Erik began.

“
Erik.” She sliced her hand in the air. “It doesn’t matter. I do care about you. I broke it off with you because I didn’t want you to get hurt. And not just from Steve. I was hurting you in other ways. I guess what it all boils down to is I just couldn’t give you what you wanted or needed.”

Erik lifted his chin. “Well, I want to help. I told you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“
Whatever.” Dro rolled his eyes. “What you want is Alexa. I told you that day in the bar to let it go.”

“
I know that she’s with you,” Erik responded. “You have made it perfectly clear. I still want to help with the Steve situation.”

“
What is it that you think you can do to help us?” Dro challenged.

Alexa thought it was time for her to step in. “What he means is—”

“
I meant what I said. What do you think you can do to help?” Dro leaned against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest. “Who are you? Do you have some secret that you think would be interesting to us? Are you privy to some business dealings that we can use to our advantage? Are you willing to walk into Steve’s house and kill him? What do you think you can do to help?”

“
I don’t have any of those things,” Erik confessed. “And I’m not a killer.”

“
So, what can you do to help us?” Dro repeated. “This is bull shit. I’m tired of repeating myself to you. For some reason, you just don’t get it. We don’t need you to help us do shit. You bring something to the table, other than stupidity, and we can talk. If you don’t have anything to bring to the table, what are you doing here? You asked to meet with us because you said you needed our help. Now you want to help us? Can you pick one and stick with it?”

Erik twisted his hat in his hands. He jumped up abruptly and stalked toward Dro. Alexa hopped off the bed and stepped between them.

Janine touched Erik’s arm. “Erik, calm down.”

“
Janine is right,” Alexa said. She placed a hand against Erik’s chest. “You need to calm down.” She could feel his heart pumping fast beneath her palm.
Dro will eat him alive.

Dro massaged Alexa’s shoulders. He was egging Erik on, in an already tense situation. The vein in Erik’s temple throbbed.

“
Baby,” Dro whispered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. “You don’t need to stand between us. Erik is not stupid.”

Erik blew out a deep breath and finally took his seat again. Dro remained standing.

Alexa turned to Dro. “Can you please stop? This isn’t helping.”

“
I told you this was a waste of time,” he said to Alexa.

She kissed him on the chin. “Just sit down, baby.” Only he didn’t sit down like she suggested. He leaned against the dresser again.

Alexa rolled her eyes. Turning to Erik, she said, “Tomorrow, you need to stage a public breakup with Janine. Then, Janine, you’re going to pretend to be kicking it with Kendrick. That way, you’ll be protected. Erik, it’s time for us to step out on the town together.”

“
Like hell,” Dro growled. “There’s no way you’re going anywhere with him.”

She spun around to face Dro. “Listen—”

“
No, I’m not going to listen,” Dro argued. “I don’t have a problem with Kendrick hanging with Janine for protection, but Erik doesn’t need protection from you. I’ll put someone else on him. For now, Erik, you need to keep a low profile. Stay away from Steve. If he’s as crazy as you say, he won’t think twice about using you to get what he wants. And that means you better stay the hell away from Alexa. Tell me what you know about Steve and his family and I’ll let you know what’s going to happen from here.”

Alexa smirked as Dro barked more orders. Paying close to attention to Dro over the years had finally paid off. She’d known he would react that way. At least she’d accomplished her goal and gotten Erik some protection.

***

November 5, 2011, Martinez Offices
:

Alexa watched through the two-way glass and waited for Naomi to arrive. Kendrick and Lei planned on questioning her and were seated inside the meeting room. Dro stood beside her, stoic and unreadable. When they had arrived at the office earlier in the day, Lei and Kendrick cleared the top floor while Dro holed up in his office putting out fires. It was important that no one knew what they were doing in the office. They didn’t want anyone else to see them bringing Naomi in.

A memo had been sent out by “Chase,” asking Naomi to meet with him regarding a top secret security matter. All meeting rooms were equipped with cameras. Some had observation glass such as the one she was looking through. When Naomi arrived, she was greeted by Kendrick and Lei, instead of Chase.

Alexa gasped when Naomi entered the room. She was familiar—too familiar. She was none other than Janine, her high school friend.

Dro let out of gruff curse under his breath.

Kendrick rose from his seat abruptly, tipping his chair on its back. “What the hell are you doing? And why the hell did you change your name?”

Lei had walked up behind Janine while Kendrick was talking. “Sit,” he ordered, motioning to a chair. “You have some explaining to do.”

Janine complied with his request.

“
Answer the question, Janine.” Kendrick’s tone was even. “What the hell is wrong with this picture?”

Janine crossed her legs and smoothed her skirt. “I changed my name four years ago, right after college. Naomi is my middle name.”

“
Do you know why you’re here?” Kendrick asked.

She lowered her head. “I’m not sure. Chase sent me a memo asking to meet about an important security matter.”

“
Why hide who you are?” Lei asked from his position behind her. He held up a folder. “I looked at your employment application. You conveniently forgot to disclose any former names.”

Janine peered at Lei. “I just wanted to put that side of me to rest. I’m not the same person I was back then.”

Kendrick arched a brow. “You look the same to me. The fact that you hid your identity from us when you were hired raises all sorts of flags.”

Janine spread her hands flat on the conference room table and tapped the wood with her thumbs.

“
We did a check on you,” Lei said, taking the seat directly across from her. “You’re married to Adam, Erik’s brother.”

Janine nodded.

“
You didn’t think that was important to tell us either?” Lei asked.

“
We just got married last year,” she confessed. “It was after I started working here. He reminded me so much of Erik. He pursued me.”

Alexa, from her vantage point, clenched her teeth. Janine was hired under a new name and had been working for Martinez for at least a year. Something wasn’t right about this. Janine seemed innocent and scared enough in a room with Kendrick and Lei breathing down her neck, but Alexa knew it was a front.

Out of the corner of her eye, she observed Dro talking heatedly over the phone. He slammed the phone down and sent it flying against the wall. It shattered on impact.

He stomped to the door and jerked it open. “Let’s go,” he growled.

“
Why?” Alexa asked. “I want to hear this.”

“
We’re going in there. Let’s go.” He moved to her side and grabbed her hand, yanking her out of the room with him.

He barreled into the conference room. Alexa stumbled in behind him. He advanced on Janine, not stopping until he had lifted her out of her seat and slammed her back against the nearest wall. He snaked a hand around her neck. “Stop playing games. What the hell are you doing working for me? And who are you really working for?”

“
What’s going on Dro?” Lei asked, frowning.

Alexa watched Dro and grew concerned about the choke hold he had on Janine. No matter what was going on in his life, he made an effort to never manhandle any woman. Enrique often hit Dro’s mother when he had fits of rage, and Dro vowed never to be anything like Enrique.

Dro didn’t take his eyes or his choke hold off of Janine. “Lei, get Pop on the phone.”

Alexa’s heart pumped fast. “Dro, what’s going on?” She placed a hand against her chest. “Why does Lei have to call Pop?”

Dro glanced at Alexa then back at Janine. “I know who hired you. I know who let you get past my security checks. The problem is I don’t know who you’re working for. And I want to know now.”

All the color drained from Janine’s face. Alexa guessed the choke hold was getting to be too much for her.

Janine gasped, trying to catch her breath. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about Dro,” she sputtered.

“
Janine, don’t play with me,” Dro sneered.

“
Well,” Kendrick said. “I suggest you let go of her a minute before she’s dead and can’t tell us anything.”