Hawk's Nest (Tremble Island) (13 page)

Hades Temple Book One

by Lynn Ray Lewis

As Ventura walked into the building that her father helped build, she tried to feel a sense of pride. Not an ounce would come to her call. She didn’t remember the place at all. She told herself it was just as well she had no emotional ties to the company. Obviously, the building had been redecorated and refitted several times over the last twenty years. Everything was sleekly modern and shiny. Even the reception desk was new, and the receptionist was a man who tried to stop her from entering the elevator to get to the fourth floor.

While he was busy with her attorney, she looked around the main floor and reception area. If she planned to keep the business, which she was not, she would tighten up the wasted spaces. There would be a wall dividing the cavernous reception room, and workers on the other side of that wall. From what she had read about the company, Kenneth wanted to expand the building to accommodate another twenty computer operators and various vague job descriptions for expansion. She could see a great deal of improvement would remove the need for expansion.

Finally, her lawyer gave up attempting to explain their presence to the young man and began walking to the elevator. Her personal bodyguard for today was highly recommended by Thom Crandall. When she was introduced to him, she had to stop from fanning herself. The man was hot with a giant H. She guessed him to be well over six feet tall, with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. She had never actually met a man with eyes that color before. His were almost a dark golden color framed by thick dark brown lashes. She wanted to see him smile, but he wasn’t cooperating. He was all business. One thing was for certain, he filled out his expensive suit really well. Yes indeed, Thornton Trebor was the kind of man to make a woman dream about cool sheets and hot sex.

Thorn followed her closely. She felt his presence and probably should have felt intimidated, but all she felt was security. Fred Barbarino was talking on his cell phone telling the person on the other end to send four security people to Burnside to take over and help make the transition run smoothly. “I want two on the main floor, and the first thing you tell them to do is remove the receptionist. The man is too ignorant to believe. Tell Jonathon to take over the network now. Tell Ralph to make certain no documents leave the building, I don’t care if it is Kenneth Burns himself. No documents are to be taken off the premises. Search anyone leaving, purses, briefcases, anything.” He listened for a moment and made a disgusted noise, “What about the words “no one” is so hard to understand? I have given the two men in front of the building instructions already. We need two more men to cover the back exit of the building.”

When Fred noticed there were no up and down buttons, only a key-card slot, he lost his temper. He yelled into the phone, “You tell Jonathon to get this fucking elevator to open right now or he will be working in a deep basement the next time anyone hears from him.”

Within seconds the elevator doors slid silently open. Fred and Thorn waited for Ventura to get inside before they joined her. Within seconds they were at the top floor. The doors swished open and they stepped into the executive floor of Burnside Corporation. The reception area was decorated in soothing, tan colored wallpaper. The executive secretary was attempting to make a phone call, but the phones weren’t working. Her long red fingernails kept punching the buttons as if they would suddenly begin to work from sheer force of will. Her beautifully made up face couldn’t hide the petulant expression she made no effort to change. When she spied Thorn, the sudden interest in her eyes caused her to smile widely and address him.

“Can I help you?” She actually stood to greet him with her hand held out in front of her body.

Ventura wanted to smack the brazen bitch. How dare she try to fascinate Thorn. He was hers, well, he was when he was with her. She walked up to the woman and took her hand. “I am Ventura Sidewell, and you are?”

Miss redhead was one Lana Banes, executive secretary to Mr. Kenneth Burns. “He is not here today, and is not taking any calls. I can give him a message if you like. Or we can make an appointment for you to meet with him next week. Mr. Burns is a very busy man you know.”