The Storm

The next day started out pretty normal, all things considered. I got to the office feeling wiped out after another night of bad sleep. My mind kept going back to Victor’s files. At this point it was becoming my hourly bread. Sloppy paperwork doesn’t necessarily mean fraud. Maybe it was something he overlooked. But how was I supposed to overlook it as an accountant? It’s literally my job to notice such things.

Laura was already at the office when I walked in. I handed her a coffee before going into my own office. I sat down at my desk and started working on the pile of files that Laura put there before I arrived. I caught myself thinking about Cass too, wondering how long it would take this time around. A month maybe? Or perhaps this time would be for good. My chest clenched at the possibility.

The rest of the day dragged on without anything major happening. I had no meetings and spent the day reviewing invoices and making notes on anything that looked off. My paranoia had me doing it for every client file now. Nothing seemed obvious, but that nagging feeling still wouldn’t leave me. By late afternoon most of the team started packing to leave for the day.

Laura slightly pushed my door open but didn’t walk in. The pencil skirt she had on all day was now replaced by blue jeans. “You heading home soon?” she asked.

“Yeah, soon,” I said.

She gave me that look. “Sophia, don’t stay too late again. Go home.”

“I will. Promise.”

“See why I always tell you you need a man to go home and cook for.” She giggled before closing the door behind her.

She was a nut case. One by one the others started leaving until it was just me. I reopened Victor’s files. I wasn’t even hunting for anything anymore. I just wanted to settle that itch in my brain that something wasn’t adding up. Maybe I was wasting my time. Maybe I just needed to let it go. I just needed to get a life. Outside the windows it had gotten darker. The city lights were on. I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone for the time. It was later than I meant to stay. I shut the programs on my office computer.

That’s when I heard loud noises from downstairs. It sounded like something heavy hitting the floor. This office building was usually really quiet during evenings, but I didn’t think much of the sound. Then came a louder crash. My heart picked up a little. I stood up slowly from my desk when the office lights went out. Everything remained dark for a second before the emergency lights kicked in and the silence returned. I could hear my own breathing, but I had this itch like someone else was in the building. I grabbed my phone and started backing toward the corner of my office, trying to stay calm.

I heard footsteps, then a low and sharp voice from somewhere below. My stomach twisted. I dialed 911, but before I could hit call, more sounds came. Men shouting followed by four or five gunshots. I dropped to the floor behind my desk, heart hammering so hard I thought it might crack a rib. My thoughts instantly went to my purse. I didn’t have any cash inside and there was nothing valuable in this office. Unless they came for the equipment. Of all the offices in the block, why did they have to come to mine?

I stayed down with my phone still in my hand. I could still hear movement downstairs, then nothing. The silence stretched out. Was the robbery over? I then heard someone running up the stairs. Shit. Shit. Shit. I held my breath as the door to the main office area opened. I peeked around the desk just enough to see a man moving through the space. He wasn’t wearing a mask or anything. Dark clothes, short hair, moving like he knew exactly where everything was. He checked corners, scanned the room. When his eyes swept toward my office I ducked back down. Then another set of footsteps came faster, followed by voices. Another gunshot echoed closer this time. I squeezed my eyes shut. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not to me. I am a good person. Or at least I try to be.

“Clear!” someone called out.

I didn’t recognize the voice and stayed hidden.

“Sophia?” A different voice now. “It’s okay. They’re gone. You can come out.”

I didn’t move at first. How did they know my name?

“Sophia Hart. It’s Roman. Friend of Cass. You’re safe now.”

That name had my ears rising to attention. I didn’t know a Roman, I’ve never heard of him. But apparently he knew Cass, and Cass knew him, Cass also knew me, and judging by how this man just called me, this man knew me. I slowly stood up on my shaky legs. I smoothed my short leather pencil skirt before walking shakily over to the door and opening it. Okay I admit I didn’t make really smart choices where Cass was involved. I didn’t even consider that this Roman guy might be lying.

He was standing in the doorway, his gun lowered but remained in his hand. He looked serious but calm. “You hurt?” he asked. He looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place him.

I shook my head. “What the hell just happened?”

“Stay there for a second.” He checked the rest of my office quickly, then nodded. “Come on. We need to get you outside.”

I followed him downstairs on autopilot. My mind was a mess. The emergency lights made everything look wrong. When we got to the ground floor I saw two bodies covered with sheets near the entrance and blood on the floor. My stomach turned. Police sirens were already getting louder outside. People from neighboring buildings were gathering on the sidewalk, staring.

Roman stepped back as the first officers rushed inside. Within minutes the lobby was crawling with uniforms, detectives and paramedics. A detective led me away from the entrance and asked me to tell him exactly what happened from the beginning. I explained that I’d stayed late to finish some work, heard loud noises downstairs, then the lights went out. After that came shouting and gunshots. I hid behind my desk until someone called my name.

He asked whether I recognized any of the shooters. I shook my head. No masks. No familiar faces. Just strangers carrying guns through my office.

A second detective walked over to Roman and began taking his statement separately. Roman spoke calmly, pointing toward the entrance a few times before one of the officers nodded and wrote something into a notebook. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but whatever it was seemed to satisfy them.

They took notes, asked me to wait behind the tape while they worked the scene. I stood there in the cold with my arms wrapped around myself, watching the flashing lights. The whole block looked like a movie set. Two covered bodies. Ambulances. Cops everywhere. I still couldn’t believe it was real. That’s when I noticed another man talking to some detectives a few feet away. He seemed calm, like he belonged there. Something about him clicked. I stared harder. He was in a black vest and blue jeans. Tattoos covered his body like a canvas. When he turned, his gaze met mine. I instantly recalled where I’ve seen him, and Roman. Phoenix Nights. The VIP booth. They were sitting with Cass and the others that night. A group of ten. What was he doing here?

Before I could wrap my head around that, I heard an engine. A sleek black Aston Martin pulled up right at the edge of the police tape. The door opened and a man stepped out. I instantly recognised him.

Cass.

He didn’t hurry. No, he was too cool for that. He walked straight toward us like the crime scene tape wasn’t even there and no one stopped him. The detectives glanced over but didn’t say anything. Roman gave him a quick nod and said something to his ear I couldn’t hear.

Cass’s eyes found mine and stayed there. For a long moment we just stared at each other. My pulse was already racing from everything that happened, but seeing him made it even worse. More questions flooded my head, pushing the shooting aside for a second. How did they know to come here? How did they know where my office was? Who exactly have I been sleeping with all this time?

He lifted the tape and stepped through. “You okay?” he asked when he reached me. His voice was steady, like this was a normal day at the bank for him.

I nodded, then shook my head. “No. Not really. Cass, what is going on?”

He glanced around at the scene, at Roman, at the covered bodies. “We’ll talk. Not here.”

Roman came over. “The third one got out the back. We lost him in the alley. Rest of the team is checking the area now.”

Cass nodded once. “Get her out of here. I’ll handle the rest with the police.”

I looked between them. “Handle it how? Cass, those men came into my building with guns. Two people are dead. I need answers.”

He put a hand on my arm, gentle but firm. “Not now babe. Roman will drive you to my place. I’ll meet you there soon.”

“Your place?” I said. “I don’t even know where that is. I don’t know anything about you.”

A detective called Cass’s name. He turned, said something short to the man, and the detective actually nodded and walked away. Like Cass had authority here. Roman was already guiding me toward a black SUV parked across the street.

“Come on, Sophia,” Roman said. “It’s better if we get going.”

I let him lead me because my legs didn’t feel steady and my brain was spinning too fast to argue. As we drove away I looked back at the scene. Cass was still standing there talking to the police like he did this every day. Who was he? Why did everyone listen to him? And why did it feel like he has been waiting for something like this to happen? I sat in the passenger seat, hands in my lap, trying to breathe normally. Roman didn’t say much at first. He just drove, checking mirrors every few blocks. As if checking if we were being followed.

“You were watching my office tonight, weren’t you?” I finally asked.

He glanced over. “Something like that.”

“Why?”

“Orders.”

“From Cass.”

“Yeah.”

I waited for more but he stayed quiet. We drove through parts of the city I didn’t know well. Eventually we pulled into an underground garage beneath a sleek building. Roman parked the car and led me to an elevator. It opened straight into a large apartment. It was modern and expensive looking, but not flashy. It looked like a man’s place. Plain décor, no personality whatsoever. Exactly like Cass, or at least how I’ve known him for the past year.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Roman said. “Cass won’t be long.”

He left me there alone. I walked over to the windows and stared out. My hands were still shaking a little. I considered calling Laura or Brianna but what would I even say? I decided on just sending Laura a message to take the day off tomorrow. I hoped this wouldn’t be in the news tomorrow. I didn’t want them to worry. I would talk to Brianna and Monica tomorrow.

I heard the elevator again after a while. Cass stepped out. He looked the same as always. Calm and in perfect control. But there was something tighter in his shoulders. He crossed the room and stopped a few feet away.

“Sophia,” he started.

I cut him off. “Don’t. Just tell me what’s going on. Who are you?”

He looked at me like he was deciding how much to tell me. “My name is Cassian Voss.”

He watched my face for a moment before continuing. “I own Black Forge.”

“What’s Black Forge?”

“Several companies.”

“And?”

“A motorcycle club.” I blinked. He continued. “At first I thought you were involved. You’re a forensic accountant. Victor Hale trusted you with his books. That combination raised questions.”

I felt sick. “So you investigated me? And what does Victor have to do with this?”

“Yes. I investigated you.”

“And?”

“And after a week I realised you had no idea what was going on.”

“So instead of telling me, you had people following me.”

“I had people making sure nobody else got to you first.”

I let out a short laugh that didn’t sound like me.

“It kept you safe,” he said. “Until it didn’t.”

I sat down on the couch because my legs felt done. Cass stayed standing, watching me. I needed a glass of wine. The cheap kind. I had so many more questions but the exhaustion was hitting hard now. The adrenaline was fading and everything that happened tonight felt heavier.

“Tell me the rest,” I said. “All of it. Tonight. No more pieces.”

Cass looked at me for several long seconds before speaking. “Victor Hale isn’t your client anymore.”

My stomach tightened.

“He’s the reason people tried to kill you tonight.”