Justin's POV
From the second I woke up this morning, I just knew it was going to be a bad day. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head that was telling me to stay home. I rolled out of bed after a horrible night of sleep with my back hurting and a long list of things that needed to be completed even before lunch. I stepped on Francis on the way to the bathroom, and he yelped at me, pissed. That woke Maddie up, and she wasn't very happy about it at all. We fought our way through breakfast, and I left the house already pissed.
As of now, I was riding the elevator up to the forty floors towards my office. My ears popped, and I yawned to open them again. My coffee was bubbling in my hand, providing me with some sort of relief, but not much. I took a long sip, letting it flow down my throat and warm me up.
"I hate Mondays," a man said next to me. We were the only two in the elevator at this point.
I nodded in agreement.
He got off on the thirty-third floor, and I went up seven more.
My bad day continued when I stepped out of the elevator. A twenty-something-year-old punk knocked into me. My coffee spilled on my shirt, his papers went everywhere, and he fell to the ground.
"What the...?" I grunted.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Bieber." He started to gather up his things.
I bit my lip, to stop myself from saying anything. I almost fired him on the spot. I really wanted to, but just bunched up my fist.
"Get the fuck away from me," I snarled. "Get away from me!"
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
"I don't want your fucking apologies!"
Jane came to my rescue, rushing forward, almost slipping on the tiled floors. "Mark, get your stuff and leave. Today is not the day for mistakes."
"Yes, ma'am." He scurried off.
"Has everyone gone crazy?" I started to wipe myself down and stalked towards my office.
"Justin, we have problems." Jane caught up to me.
"Tell me something I don't know."
"There was a security breach last night."
I stopped. "What?"
"Someone was on the computers after hours and it wasn't one of our people. They didn't have a security code, so they broke in."
"Did they take anything?"
"We're not sure yet. The I.T. people are searching through computers now."
I waited until I was in my office and Jane had shut the door before I cursed loudly. She just stood there for a minute, letting me vent.
"What else?" I set my briefcase down.
"Monthly staff meeting today in the conference room, you and Maddie are invited to about a dozen different events over the next month, and the new interns start today. They aren't here yet, but Mario will keep track of them. Oh, and you have a meeting with Robert Brown in a couple of hours. I didn't schedule that."
"No, I did." I pulled a hand through my hair and ripped my suit jacket off. "Get me a clean shirt."
She ran over to the large closet on the other side of my office and picked something out. "Everyone's waiting in the conference room."
"Alright, alright, I'm going." I took off my other shirt and replaced it while walking out of the office. She debriefed me on everything I had missed in the past hour since the morning started.
I slipped my arms into the sleeves when I went into a cavernous room that was set up almost like a stadium or a large class in college. It held about two hundred people and all the seats were filled with people who worked for different departments. We had this meeting anytime something major happened or once a month to just keep people informed. I had a lot of people working under me and didn't have time for separate meetings all the time.
"Hello, everyone," I said loudly, and they quieted down. I noticed some of the women in the room swoon as I finished buttoning up my shirt. I secretly smirked at that.
"As you might have heard, we had a security breach in the building last night. We're working on finding out what was taken and by whom, but I need everyone to be on the alert with your things. Don't leave company laptops or Blackberrys lying around for someone to fucking swipe them."
The meeting lasted about an hour, and I just lectured everyone on what was to be done in the next couple of weeks. Half the people in the room were older than me, but I paid all their salaries so they could shove their high powered resumes and million dollar educations up their asses.
As everyone started to file out of the conference room, I called Mario and Jane over.
"Is something wrong?" Mario asked.
"The new interns start today?"
He nodded.
"How many? Where are they from?"
Mario flipped through the papers he was Carrying. "Five of them. All seniors in college. Various places around the country, all top universities."
"Who did the interviews?" I walked out of the room, they followed.
"The people in Human Resources. You gave them specifics on what you were looking for, and they chose the best candidates. Don't you remember?" Jane asked.
"No," I replied. "Okay, I want the interns in the file room, going through stacks, familiarizing themselves with the business lingo we use around here. Mario, have them making copies of anything you need, teach them about the computer systems, and make sure they stay far away from me. I'll talk to them in about a week. Make sure to scare them a little."
"Yes, sir." He left my side.
"Jane, follow me. I want to take a walk through the cubicles."
We got into the elevator and went down three floors.
The air down here was different. It smelled like cheap, overly caffeinated coffee and stuffy paper, along with a hint of prescription drugs. Everyone needed them to stay awake and get the work done. Rows upon rows of cubicles were filled with people on phones or tapping away on their computers. Large windows showed off a nice view, but it wasn't like anyone had enough time to actually take it in. Most of them didn't see their families during the week and would work through meals. It was how my business ran.
There were various forms of "hello" as I rushed through the stacks, not making eye contact with anyone. I was on a mission. Jane struggled to keep up.
We arrived at one of the offices on the floor that belonged to a supervisor. He was an older man of about fifty but had been working here since before I bought the previous company out. He had experience and a strong work ethic. His name was simply "Bob". I hadn't ever bothered to check for a last.
He was currently on the phone, shouting until he was red at someone on the other line. He didn't notice Jane or me at first, but quickly hung up once he did.
"Mr. Bieber, what a surprise this is." He shook my hand.
"Hello, Bob." I took a seat in front of him. Jane remained standing. She looked puzzled but kept quiet. "I was wondering how the deal with Porsche is coming."
"Um, well, they aren't budging. They won't sell their exporting rights over to us. They've been using some company based out of New York for the past fifty years and want to stick with them."
"Really? Then why did they tell me different?"
"I don't understand." His brow scrunched.
"I had a rather long conversation with the plant manager in Germany. With the time difference, I was up half the night, which I particularly blame you for. My wife wasn't happy about it either." I picked up the bowel of jelly beans on his desk and started to pull out the yellow ones. I didn't eat them but just threw them out. I hated the yellow ones.
"And what did he have to say?"
"He told me that it would be perfectly fine for us to handle the exporting to the states as long as we assumed the transportation costs, which will, of course, be in the millions, but it would be worth it."
"That's impossible."
"I've had you on this since I got back and expected it to be done by now. I had to do it myself. As I tried to fall asleep at five in the morning, I wondered why you're still here."
"You're firing me, aren't you?" His face turned angry.
"Yes, I am."
"You can't fire me." He stood.
"Bob, calm down. This is just the way it has to be."
"I've worked here longer than you've been alive."
I stood up to leave. "I'll give you the rest of the day to clear out your office and two months' pay so you can find another job."
"I'm sorry," Jane whispered as we made our way out of the office.
Everyone in the cubicles seemed to know what was going on. They stared at us with open mouths as we walked down the hall.
"I will sue," he threatened.
"Then I'll put you on the list of a million other people in the world who are trying to do the same thing. I have a very strong legal team. Don't tempt me."
I walked away with him still spouting insults. I didn't care. I barely heard them.
"That was an intense way to wake up," Jane said when we were in the elevator.
"He needed to go. If he's still here in an hour, call security."
"You are one tough boss."
"Have you messed up today? Anything I need to know about?" I joked.
"Do I ever mess up?" she replied, a no-nonsense tone in her voice.
"Come to think of it, you might be in for a raise."
"Really?"
"No, I just wanted to let you know I was thinking about it. Talk to me again in three months."
The elevator doors dinged open, and I walked out. Jane stomped behind me, muttering under her breath. We went into my office.
I went through the invites and mail on my desk. "RSVP for the children's charity event, and schedule me for the Goya auction next week."
"You want to buy more art? It's not like you ever put it on display."
"That's not the point. I get it because I can. Also, tell the mayor that Maddie and I won't be attending his benefit."
"Any reason?"
"I'll be busy that night."
"With?"
I raise my eyebrow, daring her to ask another question.
She rolled her eyes. "I'll send Maddie by herself then. One of you has to show up."
I sighed, "Alright, fine. If she must. Just clear it with her first."
"Anything else you need?" Jane wrote quickly.
"When are the security guys getting here? I need to know who broke into my computers."
"I can call them up now if you'd like? They said nothing important was taken, but whoever it was spent a lot of time looking for something."
"Tell them I need a new system uploaded on all the computers and make sure everyone's stuff is checked. No one leaves this office without their laptop going through a full search."
"Yes, Justin," Jane said before closing the door.
The day went from bad to worse once I was informed of what was going on within my office. Nothing was taken from the computers, but a virus had been uploaded that was fucking everyone over. All the electronic files had to be saved and transferred while every single computer in the building had to be destroyed. The virus was too large and too powerful to stop with normal means. The best thing to do was eradicate them all.
Of course, Lydia was safe, so I didn't have to get rid of my files. They weren't sure who fucked up the security or why, but I was sure as hell going to find out soon. With everyone working without computers, it was like we were transported back to the Stone Age. I locked my door because I had no desire to listen to their complaints or problems.
"Justin, Robert Brown is here to see you." Jane's voice came through the speakerphone.
I went to unlock the door and then sat back down. "Send him in."
Robert Brown came into my office, dressed in a smart suit and an all-knowing smirk. I had decided to spare his life for a couple of months because he would become very useful soon. That didn't mean I had to like him, but I needed to be cordial at least.
"This was quite the surprise, getting the call from you."
I shook his hand. "Please, sit."
"This is where you work." He looked around. "I'm impressed."
"I didn't call you here for social chitchat."
"Of course, but I think I know why I'm here."
"The police raid on my house. I need to know everything you do about it. Who ordered it? Why? What were they looking for? Because I know for a fact that drug bust shit was completely fabricated."
"I'll tell you what I know if you tell me what your wife burned the second before they got there."
"How did you know about that?"
"They're trying to piece together the ashes as we speak. Of course, it's a lost cause. They won't ever know what was in those files."
"It was just a hit list of people I'm planning on doing away within the next couple of months." I didn't bother lying.
"Am I on that list?"
"Maybe." I shrugged. He was, though.
"Why bother getting rid of that?"
"I don't want you guys to put me away before I even have a chance to get my job done."
"Why tell me?"
"You won't tell anyone else." I answered, "Back to my question, what were the police doing in my house?"
"That's police information, Justin. I can't divulge that" he gloated.
"Brown, I won't ask you again. They came into my home, destroyed it, and terrified my wife. She made me sleep in the fucking guest room for three days." I didn't mean to say that, but it just slipped out.
He snorted.
"You think this is funny?" I snapped.
"You're whipped."
"I'm married." I countered.
"Justin, I can't talk police business."
" I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. Not to mention, my dog was kicked by one of those fucking officers. I could file so many lawsuits the department wouldn't be able to walk through the paperwork. Tell me what I need to know."
He crossed his hands in front of him. "And what will you give me?"
"This isn't about reciprocity. This is about me not putting a bullet through your head."
Brown thought about it for a minute before speaking, "Your wonderful neighbors, Victor and Victoria, left a tip. It sure as hell wasn't anonymous, and the people in the organized crime unit have been planning the raid for about a month. Since I'm not in that unit anymore, I didn't know about it until it was too late."
"Those fuckers..."
"Victoria wanted to use you to throw us off their trail and it worked," Robert said. "They've completely gone over our heads, and at this point, I'm going to need the FBI to handle them. Their gun business is too big for the local police."
"So you raid my home instead?" I grunted.
"That wasn't the intention, from what I understand, but you can't let a tip go unnoticed. Especially one that involves someone as big as you."
I tapped my chin while thinking. This might have provided some kind of predicament in the past, but my quick mind was formulating a plan.
"So, why exactly haven't you arrested them yet?" I asked. "Is it a lack of evidence? What do you need?"
"Hard files, phone calls, documents, important conversations, anything." Brown was desperate. He wasn't above begging at this point, because he knew I could get what he wanted. "We're grasping at straws here. All we've got to go on in our gut. We've tried to put people inside to search for something, but they hire in-house. No one goes into their home without them knowing who they are."
"Okay," I sat up, "I can get you what you need, but what will you give me?"
"Excuse me?" He chuckled darkly. "'Give you'? I think the fact that you're not arrested yet is enough of a reward."
"Not good enough."
Brown's eyes searched my face for any signs of wavering. I wasn't backing down on this. If he wanted information, then he would have to play by my rules.
"How exactly can you get in their circle?" he asked.
"I'm already in their circle," I answered.
"Okay, what do you want from me?" He sighed.
"What happened last week, at my house, can never happen again." I pointed at him. "I need full immunity."
"Justin, that's... impossible."
"No, it's not. You have power now, use it as I see fit."
"That's a pretty serious request."
"And one that you'll fulfill."
"How do you expect me to do that?"
"That's not my problem. This will change your career if you can take them down. I get you what you need, and you make sure I'm protected."
"What exactly does that mean?"
"If I get a speeding ticket, it goes away before I blink my eyes. If I fucking kill a man on your front porch, you turn the other way. I should never have to look over my shoulder for a policeman for the rest of my life. You're used to making deals, so this should be no different."
"I don't make deals with criminals."
"Oh, like you weren't working with Aro Volturi?"
He didn't have anything to say, and his lip went up in a silent snarl.
"If you want my help then it's going to cost you." I leaned back, letting him ponder my requests.
It didn't take him very long. "You get me in that house, and I'll give you anything you want."
"Done." I picked up the phone, and my fingers quickly dialed the number I had memorized by now.
Maddie picked up. "Justin, I was just going to call you. What color sofa do you like? I was thinking blue, but then I saw this really nice green one and I...."
"That's fine, sweetheart. Whatever you want. I can't talk long, but I was just wondering when that going away party for Carrie and Barrie is?"
"Oh, um, let me check." I heard some papers shuffle around. "Tomorrow night."
"It's at Victor and Victoria's house?"
"Yes, it is. Why?"
"I think we should go." I tapped my fingers on the table. Brown looked at me with shock on his face. He was probably asking how this was so easy on my part. This scenario had never crossed his mind.
"Justin, are you feeling alright?" Maddie asked, slight worry in her voice.
"I'm fine. I just think it would be nice to send them off."
She recognized that there was something more. "I'm coming to your office for lunch. We'll talk then so you can tell me why, but I'll RSVP now."
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"I have to go. Robert Brown is staring me in the face."
"He's what? Why are you meeting with that jackass? Put him on the phone..."
"See you for lunch, Maddie." I hung up before she got angrier.
"That was quick."
"Just call me in a week and you'll have everything you need to put them away for a very long time."
Brown left my office still slightly suspicious about what my plan was, but he didn't need to be worried. I just needed a solid guarantee from him that my ass would be safe from the fucking cops. By the time lunch rolled around, I was more frustrated.
One of the Mangicavallos called me...twice. I wasn't sure which one. I didn't pick up. They were kissing my ass now that I had dirt on them. They wanted their son elected into office and since I had the power to make that happen, they were at my will. Everyone in my circle was questioning how the hell I was able to control such a powerful family. I let them all speculate.
"Justin, we're here," Maddie announce, pushing the door open. Francis trotted in and ran right towards me.
"Well, what a surprise." I lifted him up. "What are you doing here?"
"He had a doctor's appointment." Maddie sat down. "A checkup and he's fine."
"Stop it." I held Francis away from me so he wouldn't lick my face.
"So, what's been going on around here?" she asked.
"A lot of shit."
"I'm going to need a little more than that, Justin."
I told Maddie about my day, purposefully leaving out my conversation with Brown. I knew that was the root of her question. She seemed particularly enthused with who had been trying to hack into my systems.
"That sounds awful." She shook her head.
"You have no idea." I ran my hands through my hair.
There was a knock on my door. Jane didn't wait for an answer before entering. "Amanda Daniels is on the phone."
"I don't want to talk to her," I growled.
"She says it's urgent."
"I don't care. She can go fuck herself with a ballpoint pen."
"Do you want me to tell her that?"
"You can tell her that once she gets the dick out of her ass, we can talk business, but until then, I don't want to hear from her."
"Oh my." Maddie only seemed slightly shocked by my words.
"I didn't mean to talk like that," I told her. "I'm just stressed."
"I'll make something up." Jane left the room.
"Who is Amanda Daniels?" Maddie asked.
"She's trying to buy a share of the corporation."
"And you won't let her?"
"No, I don't care for her. Didn't care for her father, either. They're old oil money, no business savvy. She's a massive bitch."
Jane reentered. "Um, so, she didn't take no for an answer. She's on her way up."
"What?" I stood so quickly my chair fell over, and Francis toppled off of my lap. "Maddie, we're leaving."
"You're running away from this Amanda Daniels woman?"
"No, I'm saving myself from getting arrested for murder." I helped Maddie up from her chair and snapped the leash on Francis. "Jane, make sure she knows she's not welcome."
"I really don't like being mean, Justin." She followed us out of the door. "Can't you just talk to her yourself?"
"No, I'll end up killing her, and then it'll cost a fortune getting blood out of the carpet. Handle it." The elevator doors shut, leaving Jane out in the cold.
Maddie hit the button to the fifteenth floor. "We can go to lunch here."
"We have a cafeteria?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, and it's actually really nice. Mario and I eat there sometimes."
"You have lunch with my secretary?" I was getting more confused and angrier.
"Only on the occasions when you shoo me away because you're too busy. And you don't really give him time to eat. It's best if he doesn't fall over and die. You wouldn't want that on your conscience."
"My conscience has no idea what you're talking about."
The elevator stopped and Maddie took my hand, leading me down the hall. Francis trotted alongside us, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, as he walked. Everyone we passed seemed scared of me, but I don't recall knowing any of them.
"Where are we going?" I asked, not noticing anything on this floor. I didn't think I had ever been here before. The cream-colored walls and carpet seemed calming enough, although, I don't remember picking the décor.
"I told you, the cafeteria. It's a nice place. Everyone who works in this building goes there. They have great food. You've never been?"
"No."
The cafeteria was rather large and resembled more of a nice restaurant. It had nice chairs and tables, along with large windows so that you could see the city. There were a sandwich line and a salad bar and a section for hot foods. Since the lunch hour was upon us, the place was packed.
Everyone quieted down when we entered. Some had their mouths hanging open, blatantly surprised. Others whispered to each other and pointed.
"What are they doing?" I said to Maddie.
"I think you've shocked them into silence. You're like a demigod to them. You sign all their paychecks, but I don't any of them have ever seen you. Say something nice."
I just stood there.
"We'll have to work on that." Maddie pulled me towards the food.
We loaded up on everything, and it seemed like people were starting to unthaw after a couple of minutes, but it was evident that they were indeed scared. I knew I was a dick, but I hadn't even met any of them. They could at least give me a chance.
Maddie and I sat down in one of the booths by the window. Francis sat next to me, waging his tail for food. I couldn't help myself and gave him some turkey from my sandwich.
"So, do you want to tell me what Robert Brown was doing in your office?" Maddie asked, trying to remain nonchalant about the whole thing.
"We had a meeting."
"About?"
"About... a lot of things. Most specifically about how I can stay out of trouble."
"Perfect, and what did he have to say?"
"I just need to give him some information and in exchange, I get immunity."
"Immunity?"
"I haven't worked out the details, but basically, I can do whatever I want."
"Well, that's not what I wanted to hear, but what exactly are you giving him?"
"They want to put Victor and Victoria away for a while. I have the power to do that."
She took a bite of her sandwich, waiting for me to continue.
"I need to just do what I do best."
"Snoop around for illegal information," she added.
"Of course. And who is better at that than we are?"
"We?"
"Well, I can't just waltz around their house. You, on the other hand, can get away with a few more things than me."
"So you want me to scour their computer?"
"I'll handle the computer. You just plant the bugs."
"Bugs..." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "This isn't some CIA operation."
"No, it's a Justin Bieber operation. I just need to visit my tech guy before tomorrow night."
"Where exactly should I plant these bugs?"
"You're smart and I taught you well. Where do you think you should plant them?" I leaned back in the booth.
"I'm not getting involved in this, so the answer doesn't matter."
"Maddie, you know you can't resist." I chuckled.
She bit her lip. "I don't like taking advantage of our neighbors."
"Weren't you the one spying on them? You would love nothing more than to put those bastards away. Probably more so than me or Robert."
"Maybe." She shrugged. I could tell that she wanted in on this. "The first bug goes in the bathroom."
"Bathroom?"
"Just think about all the intimate conversations we have in there. We talk about everything while we take showers or brush our teeth. I'm sure they do the same. Another one goes to the office, and then in the kitchen. That should be enough to catch a glimpse of their talks."
"You're so devious. I like it."
She giggled. "You've made me this way."
The next night, I was standing in front of the mirror in our bathroom, a towel around my waist, preparing for this horrible dinner party. I hadn't seen or heard from Carrie or Barrie since the last gathering. I wasn't planning on apologizing for anything I said, but in order to get my job done tonight, I would have to make nice.
I had the bugs situated neatly in the side pocket of my jacket, and Maddie was well versed in the plan tonight. It wasn't anything overly confusing; just get what we needed, and then act as nothing had ever happened. I could put on a smile for one night.
As I fixed my hair, I wondered just how much this might help me later on in the future. Robert Brown would surely get his information and if he held up his end of the deal, I would be set for life. He had the influence to make things happen and I was going to take full advantage of that. We weren't friends by any means, but we understood the balance of power. We were caged adversaries with no way to get away from each other. He needed me just as much as I needed him. I hated that.
"Wow. Just go like that and Victoria might have a heart attack." Maddie waltzed into the bathroom, already dressed. She wore a flowing purple dress with short sleeves and stopped at her knees. Her hair was full and curled.
"I wouldn't want her to die at her own party," I chuckled.
"I wouldn't mind." Maddie undid the towel from my waist, and it fell to the floor. She seemed unfazed and uncaring as she stood in front of the mirror, putting on small amounts of makeup.
"Mrs. Bieber, that was highly inappropriate. I would love nothing more than to drag you into the bed and fuck you until you can't move, but we're already late." I bit my lip and dug my fingers into the marble countertop so that I would stay still.
"Justin, don't tease me."
She was having entirely too much fun. Maddie had this incredible ability to hide her attraction when she wanted. She had always been able to and wouldn't tell me how. It was as if I was just a normal friend and not her extremely hot husband. It made me feel inadequate a lot of the time, but then she'd jump my bones and make me forget all about it.
"Maddie, you're going to drive me crazy." I stomped into the closet, ripping my suit from the hanger.
I could hear her laughter in the other room, clearly enjoying my painful hard-on. It was difficult to even put on my boxers since I was trying to pitch a fucking tent.
I was finally dressed to my satisfaction half an hour later. My gray suit was pressed and incredibly handsome if I did say so myself.
"Which tie?" I asked Maddie, holding up two options. I didn't really care, as long as I looked nice, but she seemed to take small joy in picking out small details of my ensemble.
She finished putting on her heels and then inspected them both. "I like red. What about you?"
"I like red too." I flipped my collar up, putting it on.
"Are you just saying that because you're agreeing with me?"
"You'll never know." I kissed her, finished putting on my tie, and then ran a hand through my hair one final hair.
"You look perfectly pretty." Maddie took my hand. "And we're late because of your primping."
"Do you remember everything we talked about?"
"Yes, Justin. We've been over it all a thousand times." Maddie rolled her eyes, pulling me into the kitchen where Katy Nana was feeding Jaxon a nice helping of Shepherd's Pie.
"Oh, my. You two look absolutely lovely." She clapped her hands.
"Thank you, Katy Nana," Maddie said. "We'll be gone for a couple of hours, but should be back soon."
"Don't exert yourself too much. We wouldn't want you and the babies all tired out."
Maddie was still kind of mad at me for bringing back Katy Nana without telling her, but she was slowly warming up. It was impossible to dislike Katy Nana. She was a saint among sinners.
William was waiting outside with a car, but I waved him off when Maddie insisted we walk.
"It's right down the street, Justin," she said.
"I don't care. You're in heels and you'll fall, break your neck, and I'll be rushing to the hospital... again," I complained, puffing on a cigarette.
"Why are you smoking? Those things are unhealthy."
"You're in a snippy mood tonight."
"I'm anxious and I'm hungry. I feel like I'm a whale." She pouted.
"You're not that big."
"But you admit I am big?"
"No, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying..."
She stopped me, "I know what you meant. I don't want to hear it. Plus, these babies are kicking like soccer players."
"Really?" I had yet to feel them kick. They just wouldn't do it when I felt around Maddie's stomach. Everyone else had. Not me.
"Let's just get this over with so I can go home and sleep. Please be nice."
"I can put on a smile for a couple of hours."
I stomped on my cigarette outside of Victor and Victoria's house. I rang the doorbell. It didn't take long at all for a butler to open the door and usher us in.
The house was packed with people. Keegan and Bridget were in a corner, talking to a couple of folks from around the neighborhood. My brother acknowledged me with a head nod from across the room. I didn't see Olivia or Finn, but that didn't surprise me much. Olivia refused to play nice with Victoria. I liked her philosophy, but unfortunately, I had a job to do.
We mingled. I kept Maddie's hand in mine so that I wouldn't punch anyone. I smiled and laughed and joked around, making myself normal. Everyone was enamored with Maddie's pregnancy and demanded updates. Even the men who had children wanted to inform me about everything child related. I hadn't even thought about baby proofing the house, or car seats, or cribs, or anything like that. I figured we had time, but the months were passing quickly.
Carrie and Barrie were the guests of honor. When I talked to Carrie, she acted like our last interaction never happened. She giggled and hugged me tightly.
When I finally got a chance to speak with Keegan, I was exhausted.
"You doing okay?" he asked me, clapping my shoulder.
"I'm fine. This is actually a nice party. No one's annoying."
"Free booze. Of course, it's nice." He leaned against the bar. "Have you..." He looked at me pointedly.
"Not yet. Maddie said she was done, though."
"Sneaky girl." Keegan grinned. "Oh, did I tell you Dad called?"
I sputtered on the gin I was drinking. "He what? When?"
"He called. Last night, but we got cut off after five seconds, and I couldn't call him back."
"Did he say anything? Where are they? When are they coming back?"
"I don't know any of those answers. Finn said the number was from New Zealand, but I don't know why the hell they would be there. The last time he called, they were in Cambodia."
"He's called before?"
"A couple of times, but I've never actually spoken to him. I'm beginning to think that he doesn't really want to talk to us."
"He can stay away for all I care."
"Justin, let it go. You and Dad will never get along. Just leave it at that."
"I hate that man with a passion." I gripped the bar with my hands to steady myself.
"I don't think he knows about Maddie and the babies yet. That's going to be a family reunion I would pay good money to see." He took a drag from his beer and sauntered off.
Maddie slunk up next to me. "I'm going to keep Victor and Victoria busy for the next half hour. The main computer is upstairs in the office. Don't worry about anything."
I kissed her gently before ascending up the stairs.
The office was easy enough to find. The décor was boring and horrible plain, but that made sense because Victor and Victoria didn't really live in this house. They came and went as they pleased, so it wasn't like anything in this place was personal.
The computer was impressive. Not as extraordinary as Lydia, but impressive nonetheless. I turned it on and waited for the thing to boot up. A password screen appeared. Just for the fun of it, I tried out a few letter and number combinations. None of them worked, so I plugged in the small zip-drive I had brought with me. My I.T. guys were the best. They could create anything. If I said 'I want something that will break the password of any computer, they would hand me what I need that day. So here I sat, waiting for the code to decipher. It was actually quite boring. I kept my ears opened for steps in the hallway or any form of movement.
Once I had broken into the computer, it didn't take me long to find the folder where all their files were kept. More than likely, they would be encoded and written in a way that made them impossible to read, but that wasn't my problem. I just had to hand everything over. The police usually had people experienced enough to handle the rest.
I searched through a few things and saw a few names I recognized. Nothing jumped out at me as being anything incriminating, though. While the files downloaded, I felt around under the desk. I found the small dot-like bug that Maddie had placed in the far corner of the desk. You would probably only be able to find it if you looked for it.
The downloading took a rather long time because there was so much. After it was all done, I unplugged my machinery and turned off the computer. All in all, it was a rather uneventful procedure, and I left the office with no one being the wiser.
I went downstairs and easily reentered back into the party, wrapping my arm around Maddie's waist. She was involved in what seemed like a very heated conversation about the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding.
"How was it?" she asked when we got a chance alone.
"Fine." I shrugged. "All is well."
"Good." She hugged me tightly.
That night, after the party, Robert came to the house, and I gave him everything I had. He told us that the bugs were working fine and could be heard clear as a bell. Our jobs were done.
It was an unusually chilly and dewy morning a week later. In my robe and silk slippers, I strode out to the end of the driveway. Francis followed me, jogging along and peeing when necessary.
I picked up the paper and sipped my steaming cup of coffee. I took longer than normal, just idling on the side of the road. All too soon, I heard the familiar wail of sirens coming from the distance. I waited and a row of cars suddenly turned the corner, speeding down the road.
"They're certainly on a mission this morning," I said to Francis.
There were six cop cars. They screeched to a halt in front of Victor and Victoria's house. Robert, dressed in a heavy looking bulletproof vest, lead the charge to the door. He banged and shouted for someone to open it.
"I almost feel bad for watching," I snickered and watched the police flood the house.
"We really should feel bad." Maddie was suddenly behind me.
"What are you doing up so early?"
"Do you think anyone can sleep with these alarms going off?" She hugged her robe closer to her body.
I looked around the neighborhood, and it seemed like everyone was out to see what was going on.
Ten minutes later, Victoria was brought out in handcuffs. She was screaming to be let go and flailing around like a fish out of water. It was quite a scene.
More police brought out cases of guns along with Victor. He glared at me from down the street and had a death stare that could peel paint off of walls. I waved.
"Justin, stop antagonizing him." Maddie nudged me. "He looks mad."
"Well, thanks to your womanly intuition, we won't have to be dealing with them for quite some time. Seems as if you were right all along."
"I knew I was. I told you, remember?" We started to walk back up the driveway. "Remember when I told you?"
"Yes, Maddie, I remember," I chuckled. "And I will never doubt you again."
"Next time, you listen to what I say."
"We'll run everyone out of town, but that's been the plan all along, hasn't it?"
"This is why we have no friends." Maddie opened the door.
I stared down at Maddie seriously, making sure she knew I meant what I was getting ready to say.
"We don't need friends."
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