Deep Blue Impact (Deep Blue Series) (13 page)

BOOK: Deep Blue Impact (Deep Blue Series)

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"I know. She already tried to sell the paintings. The curator at the auction house called me. Apparently, rare expensive paintings are registered, and I was listed as the owner. I told her to hold them for me, but not to tell Tandi. I also told her to tell Tandi they were waiting on an expert for appraisal. I didn't want her to get suspicious. As for the safe, it is supposedly hidden in the floor of the den, and I have the combo." I spew all my knowledge of the task at hand, and Ian turns to me.

"See, not stupid. Never once thought it, baby. In fact, you keep amazing me." I wonder what else I have done to amaze him, but don't have time to ask. We are now at the door and there's a security panel, which I also have the overwriting code for. It happens to be the same as the safe code. He used my birth date for anything he felt important enough to keep safe. It’s the one thing that has made me feel some sort of connection to my father.

"Do we knock or let ourselves in?" I turn to Ian for his expertise. "I know the override code." I smile at the thought of walking in and seeing the look on Tandi's face.

"I think you should use the code, because I love that look on your face. Damn baby, quit doing things that turn me on." He gives me a sideways grin and adjusts himself again. I give him a look like what did I do. "You're breathing, baby, I think that's all it takes," he says giving me a steamy look with his deep blues.

I punch my birth date into the security panel by the door and we hear the click of the lock. Ian pushes open the door and we enter the grand foyer.

"Wow! Yep, this is my new home. It’s official, I'm moving in." I take in the dark marble flooring that runs into a grand entrance. It leads to a great room with high vaulted ceilings.

Ian takes my hand as we start wandering around the great room and into a massive dining room with an open floor plan. The dining room is adjacent to a gourmet kitchen that my whole penthouse apartment could fit in.

"Mmmhmmm, I'm home. I could do some damage in this baby." I run my hands along the cool, dark marble of the kitchen island. We still haven't heard any commotion or voices so I'm not even sure if anyone is home.

"I can see you laid out right here, me deep inside you." Ian says rubbing the counter top where I was just standing. I give him a wink and keep going. Toward the back of the house there are windows that reach the ceiling, and French doors that enter to the backyard.

A massive pool surrounded by a stone grotto is the first thing I see. There's an outdoor kitchen and a large stone Jacuzzi.

"I can't wait to have you in that pool and then in that Jacuzzi," Ian says, grabbing the nape of my neck and bringing my lips to his.

"Focus, baby." I place my hands on his face and give him a light slap. He's beaming at me; his deep blues are telling me he is very happy right now.

"I like it when you call me baby," he moans slapping my butt as I keep walking. "You're killing me," he mutters. We find the den and it is clear that Tandi and Matt have found the safe. Correction, they've found the vault. The floor is ripped up, and below it is a normal room sized vault. By the looks of it, they haven't had success in breaking through the titanium steel, not for lack of trying though. There are saws with broken blades, sledge hammers, and some different assortments of drills lying about.

"Looks like they found it," Ian says stating the obvious. "You want to see what’s in it?" He wiggles his eyebrows at me, then we hear talking and it sounds like it is getting louder. They must've been upstairs and they have no idea we are here.

"Here we go, you ready?" Ian places his hand at the small of my back. He constantly seems to have to be touching me somehow.

"Maybe we should try dynamite.......what the hell," Tandi says walking into the den and seeing us for the first time. "How the hell did you get in here? Get out of my house you little bitch," she screams. "Matt, call the police," she yells, right as slime ball Matt Wilson enters the room.

"Yeah, do that Matt, so they can escort you two out of MY house." I yell back, but keep my calm.

"Here is your eviction notice. You have 24 hours to vacate, and there will be a security team in place to make sure you don't destroy anything on your way out," Ian says firmly, and in total control, as he hands the paper to Tandi. I didn't even think about them destroying stuff.
Thanks, baby
.

Tandi looks at the paper for a second before she rips it up into tiny pieces. "You're fucking with the wrong girl you little cunt. You have everything already, and now you want to take my house. What kind of selfish cunt are you?" She screams, shaking she is so mad.
I get that, I mean, she probably had to give a lot of blow jobs to a man 50 years older than her in order to inherit everything, and then to get nothing out of it...That's how the cookie crumbles, sweetheart
.

"Tandi, you've already moved on, and Matt has money. Why don't you just slink away gracefully?" I don't want to rub salt on the wound, but if she calls me cunt one more time there's no telling what I will do.

"There is no option here. This is Aubrey's house, and she has let you live here longer than she should have." Ian is brooding beside me, completely in his element, keeping calm and professional.

"So I guess when the company hired your firm, Aubrey was getting something on the side. How is she man? Hopefully it was a good lay, because it is going to cost you your contract." Matt is sneering at me as he says it.

I feel Ian tense next to me. "I suggest you apologize to Ms. Jackson right now before I knock you into next week."

"It's OK, Ian. They’re just mad because they've lost." I put my hand on his arm and feel how very tense he is.

"This time tomorrow, we will be back and you had better be gone." Ian grates his jaw doing that sexy twitch thing that drives me wild.

"All of the cars better be in the garage. You can have the Mini Cooper though." I shudder at the thought of driving that tiny death trap. "You can take all the furniture you want, because frankly, it is gaudy as hell. Also, I know about the paintings and you will get nothing for them." Tandi looks like she is going to explode as I list off all the things she's not getting. Her eyes are on fire. Her bleach blond hair and very large fake boobs bounce as she walks toward us with a vengeance.

"I didn't want to play this card yet, but you are leaving me no choice you little cunt." She is spitting fire, standing in touching distance of me now. "I have the tape and I will make it public, if you don't let me keep this house along with everything in it." She is snide and looks pleased with herself. I would probably be scared if I knew what the hell she was talking about.

Chapter 13

IAN

"What is she talking about?" I look at Aubrey for some clarification of what tape she is referring to.

"Got me," Aubrey says just as clueless.

"Oh, you didn't know there was a tape of you and Jim Olsen." As soon as the words come out of Tandi's mouth I see Aubrey start to sway. I grab on to her as she starts hyperventilating. Matt and Tandi look very satisfied with themselves. If I wasn't holding on to Aubrey to keep her from falling, I would be laying them both out.

"Ian, get me out of here." She looks up at me and the terror in her eyes scares the shit out me.
What is going on
? I don't want an explanation from them. I want to hear about this from Aubrey. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I can't imagine ever feeling differently about her, and I want to fix whatever is scaring my girl.

I pick her up and carry her out of the house. The boys are waiting by the SUV and they rush to me when they see me with Aubrey in my arms.

"Go in. I want someone stationed in every room. Call the rest of the guys in for now. Nothing leaves that house until I say so, understand?" I shout the orders to them and they nod then go toward the house.

Aubrey is trembling in my arms and looks like she is going to be sick. I put her in the car and buckle her seatbelt before I run around to the driver's side. "Aubrey, baby, what's going on?" I ask gently. She is green and looks like she could get sick at any moment. I start driving. I just want to get her back to her apartment and find out what the fuck is going on.

"I didn't know there was a tape. I didn't know I swear," she repeats over and over. She starts to fumble with her phone. "I need to call Rex. Now," she yells, frantically searching for her phone.
Shit, fuck, shit
. She wants to talk to Rex and not me.

What the hell is going on? I get the worst feeling, a gut wrenching horrible feeling that I'm going to lose the one thing in my life that I'd die and kill for. Aubrey Jackson.

Find out what happens with Ian and Aubrey in book two,
Deep Blue Hold.

Available January 2014