Unbound: The Pentagon Group, Book 2 (19 page)

“In regards to all the details about my active role at Pentagon, I have a list of demands I’ll send to Zipper. I’m sure he can direct anything in particular to the person who has control over the matter.” I looked at each man squarely in the eyes as I spoke.

“Why do you want anything to do with us?” Kent asked.

“I don’t want anything to do with any of you, actually. The only thing I want is what Pentagon can give me; money and power. I’ve struggled for way too long on my own.” I swallowed to remove the lump in my throat from the memory of all I’d been through these past two years.

“I had to start over when Pentagon involved themselves in my ex-husband’s business. I lived at Liberty Inn while I got back on my feet. I moved into a small studio apartment. Matt owns four houses. Under the law of averages, I figure each of you own at least two places.” I informed. The men shifted in their seats. The envy oozed out of me.

“I’ve lived outside of the city, requiring me to commute on the bus and the T to get to my job. Matt has three cars and a motorcycle. I walk and take public transportation. I’m sure none of you would be caught dead taking anything other than a chauffeured luxury car. What kind of car do you men drive?” They were silent.

“No doubt each of you owns multiple luxury cars totaling in the millions. No sensible, environmentally friendly cars for any of you, I’m sure. You probably brag about your Bentleys, Ferraris, etc. In the grand scheme of life they’re meaningless toys. I could care less about that shit, however . . .” I scoffed.

“I work hard. I don’t get any breaks. I haven’t had a vacation in over two years. I’ve never left the country. When we last met, you all spoke about all the projects, trips and vacations you’ve enjoyed over the years. I felt like I was missing out on something. I realized I was miserable in my nine to five job, my six to seven job, my five to eleven job, and my Sunday, six a.m. to two p.m. job. I worked so many jobs and didn’t have one-sixteenth of the financial gains or the fun each of you talked about.” My mouth dried with the emotion. I cleared my throat and swallowed, preparing to lash out some more.

“I mean, if I didn’t have the Pentagon shares, how else would I get to go to the Seychelles, Spain, or even Miami? Without a salary from Pentagon, those trips wouldn’t be in the cards for me. I’ve worked myself to the bone and could never make ends meet. I want a vacation after working hard . . . or hardly working as I suspect a couple of you just rely on the peons, like me, to do the dirty work.” I said evenly, even though the anger welled inside of me.

“I want things. A salary from Pentagon will give me the lifestyle I need and deserve. I’ll work hard. I don’t intend to slack off. And just so you know, I am more than willing to fuck a few men to acquire a small business or shares of another corporation, if necessary. I’m no longer above that.” I heard Matt groan behind me. It was clear he started pacing and I could imagine him running his fingers in anger through his long hair.

“You could’ve gotten those things from Matt when he gave you his fortune in exchange for marriage.” Lark retorted angrily.

“Is that what you rich boys think will fix the pain and humiliation of being used?” I was livid. He just fueled more of my reasons to keep the shares.

“You can’t use a woman to make money and then try to fix it with money. Matt and I weren’t in a real ‘relationship’ because he had ulterior motives.” I air-quoted. “His guilt led him to pay off my debt to my ex-husband. But when I asked him to fix us by getting Liberty back for me, he said he couldn’t. The closest thing I have to Liberty are the Pentagon shares which is all I need. I don’t want any more. A marriage to Matt wouldn’t be enough to fix the hurt. I don’t want his things. I want to obtain my own which Pentagon can give me.” I responded. I hated myself for saying such harsh words, but it wasn’t a lie.

“Any more questions?” I asked, looking around to see them look at each other, but not one asked another question. I saw the eye contact they made with Matt. It was apparent a couple of them felt sorry for him.

“Enjoy the video, fellas. I assure you, it’s the only way each of you will get to see me orgasm or hear those sounds come out of me. I’ll see you around the office in a couple of weeks. Have a great evening.” I offered with a feigned smile. I looked at Matt. A myriad of emotions flowed through his face; embarrassment, disappointment, and regret. I’m sure he was ashamed he’d chosen me as his lover, a woman who sounded so greedy and vengeful. It didn’t help that the men saw me in my most intimate moment with the man I adored.

I walked toward the glass door and walked out of the room. My blood rushed hotly through my body. I was sure my face was in flames from the degradation I put myself through by blackmailing them with our sex tape, and speaking in a manner and tone uncharacteristic of my nature. I hurriedly walked through the aisle toward the front door, and pushed my way out of the restaurant. The heat in my body was made worse by the stifling heat of the summer night. I couldn’t get any fresh, cool air. Feeling light headed, I longed to be teleported home. 

“Perla!” The familiar, gruff voice shouted behind me. Matt had followed me out the door. From behind me, he grabbed a hold of my arms and turned me to face him.

“What the hell was all that about?” He shouted. I’d never seen him so disturbed.

“I’m sorry. Wasn’t it clear? I plan on working at Pentagon and want control over the Pentagram project.”

“It was made crystal clear. What isn’t clear is the sex tape of us? Did you plan all of this? Have you been working with someone to take us down?” He gruffly asked his questions, searching my eyes for answers. His hands tightened over my arms, feeling the pressure from each finger on my heated flesh. I tried to pull away, but he held me steadfast.

“Who hired you to take us down? Was it one of our competitors? Did you really have an injury the day you came into my office? Are you just a clever corporate spy? Who the fuck are you?” He loudly fired off questions in rapid succession without the opening to answer. An answer wouldn’t matter.

“It doesn’t make a difference how I got a tape. I’m ready to use it if you and your friends do anything to hurt me; you will be hurt too.” I threatened.

“I was hurt the moment you decided to walk away from us. And I’m hurt now, realizing the woman I fell in love with is nothing but a gold digger.” He squeezed tighter. The pain in my arms didn’t compare to the pain in my heart.

“You’re hurting me.” I cried out. I was sure his fingerprints were etched on my flesh. I wasn’t afraid of him, but I’d never experienced his anger to get physical. I was sure he didn’t mean to touch me that way. He pulled away.

“You call me a gold digger. What should I call you for using me to get Liberty? What’s the best word . . . a gigolo . . . a hustler . . . a thief? Which word describes you best, Matt?” I spat out. All the residual anger I felt toward him burst at the seam.

Matt grabbed me and pulled me hard to his body, picking me up. His strong arms pressed at my back. He forced his lips to mine and kissed me with fervor. I found myself kissing him back, tasting the passion he had always held for me. I needed his wet kiss as if I were dehydrated, missing his love like my body’s need for water. I knew I hurt him. I felt our hearts beating wildly, out of sync and in profound pain.

Matt’s erection was hard on my mound. Our clothing would never be thick enough to dampen the feelings of arousal we gave each other. When I felt like wrapping my legs around his hips, I pulled my face away. I placed my fingertips against his hard chest, clad in a linen button down shirt, and pushed him away. He released the tight hold he held on my body and lowered me down until my toes touched the ground and my high heels clicked on the pavement.

With ragged breath, I said, “No, Matt. We’re over. As I told you before, all I want is Pentagon. Everything else can remain the same. You keep everything else. The houses, cars, and money are yours. I don’t need it.” I turned to walk away. He pulled me by the waist and held me close again. I felt his need for me on my hip. I contained the tears which threatened to burst forth.

“Don’t leave me. I love you. No matter what we’ve done to each other, I know we still love each other. I know you’re angry with me about taking Liberty. Punish me.” He said with desperation in his voice. His eyes were frantic, his hands gripping me, hanging onto us for dear life. His hands moved to hold me by the jaw, thumbs caressing my cheek and lips. He brought our heads closer together. My hands wrapped around his wrists.

“Baby, punish me.” He said as his lips were close to mine. The need in his voice and eyes almost made me succumb to his pleas. I wanted desperately to give in to my desires. I steeled myself and pulled back my head.

“I am.” I held onto his wrists, and pulled them away from his hold on my face. With all the courage I could summon, I turned and walked away.

The pain I felt as she walked away was crippling. I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe. The realization she just didn’t love me enough struck me like a thunderbolt straight to the heart, paralyzing it for several beats. All she wanted were my Pentagon shares; which was my punishment. I would’ve preferred for her to hit me, whip me, bite me, scream at me until I bled from my ears—anything to dull this pain. When I found my bearings, I walked back into the restaurant to face my friends. The betrayal of giving her my shares could lead to the end of our friendship as we’ve known it for over eighteen years.

“What the fuck is going on, Matt?” Kent yelled at me. They were talking loudly at each other when I walked in the room.

I knew my grand plans had gone to shit. I was convinced she wouldn’t take my money. We’d negotiated everything to the last detail. I thought our passionate night of lovemaking after the negotiations sealed the deal and we would marry in thirty days as stipulated in our agreement. When she told me she wasn’t going to sign the prenup or marry me and would keep the Pentagon shares, I felt my heart ripped out of my chest. I was angry and wanted her to hurt as much as I was hurting. Just when I thought I was taking back control and power in our relationship, she dominated me again.

“I expect each and every one of you to erase the video she sent to you. And like she said, if that shit gets out in public, I’ll know one of you did it.”

“Relax man, none of us would do that to you.” Lark yelled out. “You’re the one who put us in this shit. What the hell were you thinking giving her everything, most of all your shares? You protected your medical partners, but you didn’t protect us. We deserve better. At least I got to see a video of how good her pussy is because it’s the only explanation for you going off the deep end.” He accused. I charged at him. Zipper and Kent leapt to restrain me from choking the shit out of him. Flinching, Lark looked afraid; he’d always been a punk ass kid.

I was already bleeding, and Lark poured a dumpster of salt in the wound. I made a mistake. Not only did I lose the woman I love, but I may have lost my lifelong friends over my rash decision. I chose her over the company we’ve built because I trusted her implicitly. My desire to have her back caused all this conflict. Of all the women I’ve ever been in a relationship with, I never thought Perla would take the option of keeping the fortune. She led me to believe she loved me. Just a couple of days ago, she showed me her love. If she faked any of the passion and pleasure she gave me, she was one hell of an actress.

“Matt, we’re the last people you should take your anger out on. Lark pointed out everything we’ve been thinking since we found out what you did. You threw away twenty percent of a billion dollar corporation for a low class woman. What kind of woman texts other men a sex tape?” Brady argued. He leaned back and watched me as I pushed Zipper and Kent off of me. I wanted to rip the smug look off his face.

Brady had always maintained a cool and calm exterior. We’re both the quiet observers of the group. However, we’re the most reactive ones too. We’ve butted heads often, but always had the best of intentions. At the end of the day, we did what was best for the business, even if the friendship seemed to wane over the years.

“Don’t you dare talk about her! I will fix this mess, but you’re the one who wanted to use her for Pentagram. She’s a very smart woman, capable of outsmarting us, and we’re supposed to be goddamn geniuses.” I spat. I paced around, trying not to rip out my hair. “It was your idea to use her to get Liberty.”

“Yeah, my idea. I never asked you to involve yourself. You called me after she came to your office. I had my plan. I’d been working on Pentagram for years. I got the businesses to build this project. I was working my angle, but you interceded. It was all you. Now, she has a say in what we do. It doesn’t fucking matter if she’s a minority holder by voting against her. She will still be part of this business which she has no right to be part of. Now, she’s threatened our friendship and loyalty to you with this sex tape. She’s pinning us against each other. No pussy is worth it.” He countered, standing from his chair and pounding on the table.

I didn’t want to argue that ‘this one’ was worth it. She was worth it, not for the mind-blowing sex, but because there was something deeper and meaningful between us. There was no way to justify my love for Perla when she threatened our business and lifelong friendship. However, I couldn’t let the argument go.

“Stop fucking referring to her as ‘pussy’. She’s more than that. I know she is. The Perla who showed up tonight is not the woman I know. She never wanted me for my money. She had kept all her jobs long after I started dating her. I gave her my fortune, but she gave me back everything, but the shares. This isn’t about money. This is about Pentagon. This is about getting back at us for ruining her marriage and her having a huge debt to her ex-husband. Mostly, this is about losing Liberty, which we stole from her. You’re the one who started this shit with wanting Parisi. Explain to me why one construction company was so critical two women were exploited to obtain an insignificant company.” I countered.

“I’ve been over it already. We’ve diversified the businesses to own construction companies for building our projects. Parisi was one of the largest in Boston. They had a great reputation and connections throughout New England, but they were going under. We swooped in. It was a great business decision. They’ve rebounded under our management and it’s doing an amazing job with overseeing Pentagram’s construction.”

“Yeah, but did you have to fuck the VP of the business to acquire it?”

“Matt, we all have our business strategies. It was not my fault the VP was corrupt and destroyed her family business. She made choices and unfortunately, they negatively impacted Perla. It had nothing to do with Pentagon.” Brady contended.

“I’m sure you didn’t suggest to that woman how to prep the company for takeover during a romantic dinner.” I said sarcastically.

“This conversation is going nowhere. What is done is done. We need to figure out how to get the twenty percent back to Matt.” Zipper chimed in.

“How do we do that? She made it clear she wants in on Pentagram. The only way she can do it is by using his shares for an executive position. If we do anything to restrict her interests, she will use the video and have an article out there against the project. We can’t afford to have any bad press, especially about Matt, a former shareholder, seducing a young woman to gain inside information about the one business we needed to buy to complete this project. The tactics he used would be scrutinized. They would dig into the other shit we’ve done for the sake of business. People are already against the rich one percent. In business, we’ve been as discrete as possible. We can’t afford to damage our brand.” Kent offered. I was able to exhale after hearing Kent’s voice of reason.

“But would the negative press outweigh all the good this project provides? We’re creating present and future jobs, sparking the local economy through the added tourist location. I don’t think this one story will take away from it. So what if we counter attack her and release the edited video and have a story of our own about Perla keeping the shares. We use all the negative information about her and use it to spice up the story against her.” Lark countered.

“No.” I cried out. “We’re not doing that to her. We fucked up her life enough. I’m not angry enough to ruin her. I think we did a pretty good job of it before I came along.” I looked right at Brady.

“You should be angry enough. She played you. You may not have expected her to outmaneuver you, but she did, and now we have to waste our time trying to get rid of her.” Lark debated.

“Why don’t we just let her be part of the group? Matt made his choice. She’s a business person. She may not have the years of experience or direct supervision over these large projects, but let’s just allow her time to work on Pentagram. She’ll have a ton of support underneath her to ensure this project is completed on spec and on time.” Zipper reasoned. I was grateful for his voice. Despite being bitterly angry with Perla, I couldn’t allow her to be hurt or taken advantage of by anyone, especially not my friends.

“I don’t want to work with her.” Lark interjected. Despite the anger Lark’s resistance to Perla created within me, I understood his position.

“I’ll work with her.” Kent offered. I appreciated his support, but felt a twinge of possessiveness and doubt about his intentions in working with her.

“I’ve already told her I’ll be her point person since I’ve been working with her on this transaction. With Kent’s help, I think we can satisfy her wish to work in the company and still control her oversight of Pentagram.” Zipper claimed. I appreciated him for his support and logic.

“In the meanwhile, you should research how to get her to legally return or have her sell her shares back to us. We are better off without her in our business. She has a lot of animosity towards us, and I wouldn’t trust her to have the business’s best interest at heart.” Brady directed at Zipper. Zipper nodded.

I shook my head. “I’m out. There’s nothing left for me to do. I’ll be taking off for a while. Zipper knows where to find me, if there’s an emergency.”

“After all of this, you’re leaving?” Lark asked. ‘Little piece of shit kid questioning me’. I smirked.

“I need some time away. I also have some obligations overseas with my practice. I’ll be back in a few weeks. Like Perla said, some of us actually do work.”

“Fuck you, Matty.”

“Get in line, Birdie.” I retorted. I heard a grumbled ‘asshole’ as I walked out the door.

“I’ll be back.” I heard Zipper say to the boys before the door closed behind me.

I wished I could wake up from this nightmare. It was a crazy turn of events. I never expected Perla to confront me with our sex tape, texting it to my good friends. They saw her in our private, sensual act. How she acquired it will be a mission of mine to figure out.

“Everything is set with the security?” I asked Zipper.

“Yep. They’ve been on her since this morning. She took a long walk then didn’t leave her apartment until this evening and she took a cab here. They should be on her tail now until her next destination. They will keep you updated on her every move, however you choose to obtain the information.” Zipper informed. I nodded.

“We’ll need to add an extra investigation. She blindsided us with the video. It was from the night she met you all at Carve. She told me she hadn’t even been there. From the way she lives her life, I believed her.” I croaked. My throat was dry, and I was emotionally exhausted. “With time, I’m sure we could’ve found some way to stop her from keeping the shares or making her another offer which could have satisfied her, but she’s clever . . . I feel like not only did she stabbed me in the heart, but she cut my dick off, man. She’s worse than Sonia.” I shook my head and bit my lip. “But I still fucking love her man.” I admitted.

“Marty will be briefed on this information, and he’ll make sure he finds out how she got the video from Carve’s manager’s office. See if she’s working with anyone to screw with the biz. I’ll make sure everyone in there scrubs the video she sent them. For now, we’ll make her happy with her demands. I’ll make sure she gets everything she needs, so she doesn’t do anything rash with the video.

“It isn’t about the video, Zip. I don’t think she’ll be safe because she’s made this threat. She doesn’t know who she’s messing with. Any one of those characters in there could get impatient and do something to her. You know who I mean.” I stated gruffly. Zipper nodded and rubbed fingers in his hair.

“If it were outsiders looking into this mess, I’d say she is one smart cookie, man. She was prepared yesterday, and today, she came fully armored. How she hadn’t gone farther in this world, I’ll never know.” Zipper confessed. I remained still and solemn.

My phone beeped a text. I pulled my phone from my side and took a look. It was a text from Kenneth Dobner, who must be the private security detail I placed on Perla.

Feather has landed at Calliope Club at Lansdowne. Entered alone. Sat with a group of men. The club is filled with men. Appears to be ‘gay night’.

If it weren’t for the ‘gay night’ reference, I would’ve taken off to see her at Calliope. I realized she would be out with Carson and Turner, and I expected they would take care of her. The twenty-four hour security service contracted to watch over her would ensure she’s safe, and was tasked with alerting me and Martin “Marty” Hess of her interactions, which would then be scrutinized. Marty, a long time private investigator, has done all the dossiers on the ‘marks’ for our business dealings. He would get to the bottom of all of this sooner rather than later.

“I got confirmation she’s at a club right now. I figure she’s with Turner and her best friend, Carson.” I informed Zipper. He nodded.

“Don’t go over there.”

“I won’t. I’m done for now. Like I said, I’m taking off tomorrow for a while. I need to be away. Hopefully we can get an update of what’s happening with her and who she’s working with.”

“What about your practice here?”

“I’ve got a lot of vacation time I should take. I also have some follow up work in Spain and the new team in France. I’m going to throw myself into work while being three ‘k’ away from her.” I extended my hand to Zipper. He received my hand and pulled me in for a bear hug. He’s shorter than me, so it’s kind of comical to have him hug me, and try to pick me up.