Chapter 40: Chapter 18: Love Is in the Air

NATE

Months have been flying by, and we haven’t had any more issues from Ricardo. I’m tired of dealing with that punk.

Mandy has been progressing in her pregnancy and is due right after Jocelyn gets out of school. She and the girls have gotten ahead so they can finish this year a little early. They are excited, but we are on an all-time alert.

I have had guards watching Ricardo and Veronica, and they are up to something. We see them getting supplies for something but can’t quite tell what yet.

Mandy has been moved into my office. She is helping with paperwork and has trained Tania from Human Resources to be my secretary.

She was thankful for the promotion and pay raise, and she is definitely thriving after moving up here. She is a go-getter and for only being twenty-three, she is a hard worker.

I ask a crew of guards to come over to the meeting room for an update. Usually I get it at the apartment, but today is crazy so we are meeting here.

While I’m sitting at my desk, Tania buzzes me saying the group has arrived. Mandy and I walk out to Tania’s desk and Mandy has them follow her into the meeting room.

When they head out, I see Tomas stay behind everyone and start talking to Tania. He is clearly smitten with Tania and just keeps staring while she talks.

“Hey, Tomas, we are ready for the meeting,” I say. “You can talk after, but if you hurt her, you deal with me! Got it? Also, Tania, can you bring in refreshments?”

“Yes, Boss!” Tomas exclaims. “Tania, I will talk to you later, love.”

She blushes, smiling, and nods at me. I follow Tomas to the side of the room and watch him sit down in an empty chair.

“I swear, Tomas, if you hurt her, we will have problems.”

“I understand, Boss. She is my everything. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s almost like I immediately have tunnel vision. I dunno if I can leave today without getting sidetracked.”

“We can switch you out for today only, and you can hang out here in front of my office at a desk. Do not bother her, though. She has to work. Tomorrow it won’t be an option. You have to work.”

“Yes, Boss. Thank you, Boss!”

I swear I just told a five-year-old he could have a lollipop. He starts to get antsy, and you can tell he is anxious for the meeting to be over with.

“So what is the latest? I haven’t had any updates for a few days so I assumed nothing has changed?” I ask.

I see everyone kinda look at each other. I can tell someone isn’t telling me something. Finally Jesus speaks up.

“We can’t find Ricardo. He was at his house, and we have been around it twenty-four seven. He hasn’t emerged for the last four days. Not even for school. We checked with the school, and they said he was pulled.

“We checked with the online school, and he is enrolled and logging in. But the IP address from his home isn’t where he is logging in from. He is logging in from somewhere but not at the house. We have tried to track it, but he has it hidden well.”

“Where the hell could he go? We know their properties, right?” I ask.

“We think they have acquired some that we don’t know about.”

“Okay, so keep looking for the properties. Keep up with the surveillance. Make sure we have enough guards here at all times. I have a feeling they are gearing up for something and soon.

“If that’s all, you guys can head out to switch crews. Jesus, go ahead and grab someone from downstairs. Tomas is staying behind.”

Everyone stands up from their chairs and heads out as Tomas follows us toward my office. He finds a desk so he can look directly over and watch Tania. Of course, she notices and is now blushing and being clumsy.

Just for fun, I keep calling her into my office so she has to walk by Tomas. I figured I’d torture both of them. It was fun till I had a magazine thrown at me by Mandy.

“Nathaniel Caden Maxwell, you better knock it off! Stop messing with them!”

I just grunt at her, smirking at the door. It was fun while it lasted. We continue working through the day, organizing and filing paperwork.

We hear a huge commotion outside my office with screaming. I quickly look over, and I see Tomas and Luis jump up with their guns drawn. I quickly pull my gun and point Mandy to the bathroom.

She scrambles inside, shutting the door and locking it. As I walk out the door, I see Tania crying and hiding behind Tomas. I can see him and Luis have their guns aimed at some people that just came up from the elevator.

I walk over to them and peek to see what is around the corner. I see a bunch of my men and a group of five guys all with guns pulled. The main guy is the one screaming and Tania and Tomas are yelling back, clearly upset about them being here.

I send out a text before turning the corner.

Nate

backup 911 my office quietly

“Who the fuck are you?” I ask.

“I’m Tania’s ex-boyfriend. I need to talk to her!”

“No, you don’t. Wanna chat with her, you go through me.”

“The fuck I do! I will kill you.”

I let out a snicker. I hear the ding on the elevator, and about fifteen guards come out, all with their guns drawn. I have no clue how they fit, but they did somehow.

At the same time, about twenty guards run up behind me, coming out from the secret exits. The look on these fuckers’ faces right now is priceless. They slowly raise their hands, and my guards take their guns away.

I holster mine and motion for Tomas to step up with me. He follows me up with his gun pointed and I step in front of Jack.

“Now see, Jack, this is the situation. You obviously didn’t think this through before you rushed into my building. Since I am feeling generous at the moment, I will let you go.

“Do not take my generosity for weakness. I could easily have you transferred to my basement. There will be one rule, though.

“Do not ever go around Tania or have your guys go around her. I will make you and your friends disappear faster than you can blink. I am not a person to cross, understand?”

“I understand,” Jack replies.

“Great. Now my guards will escort you off my property. If I see you near here again, you will be shot where you stand.”

The guards surround them, grabbing them by their arms, and head straight to the elevators. I watch them start loading into the elevator to leave then I turn to Tomas, who is holding an emotional Tania in his arms.

“Tania, sweetie, do you have a safe place to live?”

“Not really. Jack knows where I live and knows the passcode to get in.”

“I have an apartment over at the building,” Tomas says. “It’s a one-bedroom. She can stay there with me if she wants. She can have the bed, and I will take the couch.”

“That’s up to you two. If not, Tania, I am sure we have vacant ones over there, and we can assign you one. I gotta go let Mandy know she can come out.”

I run into my office to the bathroom and knock on the door, telling Mandy it’s okay to come out. I wait a couple of minutes, then I hear the door being unlocked.

It opens, and Mandy looks at me with a tear-stained face. Then she runs out, jumping in my arms. I hold her for a while, standing there until she finally calms down.

“Mandy, baby, it’s okay. Everyone is okay! Let’s go home early today, huh? Tania’s ex showed up, so now we are trying to figure out where we will have her move.”

“Why not with us? We have a spare room.”

“You sure? That’s a lot in our house. I know we have eight bedrooms, but Jocelyn and Jessie are in one, we’re in one, and Kerri and Mary have one each. Luis, Kyle, and Carlos each have one. That leaves one left.”

“So what? I am going to ask!”

I see her storm out and follow to make sure everything goes smoothly.

“Tania, sweetie, did you figure out where you are moving?” Mandy asks.

“I’m going to stay over with Tomas. I will feel a lot safer in that building.”

“Okay. Tomas, take some guards from the other building and go to Tania’s apartment and load it up. Where is your apartment, Tania?”

“The Sycamore over on Denton Street. I will have to give my manager notice.”

“Don’t worry, we own them. Just go get her moved.”

We make a plan and are about to walk away when Tania’s phone starts to ring. She picks it up and listens, immediately covering her mouth and starting to cry. She hands me her phone, and I put it up to my ear.

“This is Mr. Maxwell. Who is this?”

“Oh my gosh, Mr. Maxwell, it’s Janine at the Sycamore Apartments. Another tenant just ran over and said that Tania’s apartment is on fire. The fire department is here trying to put it out, but it’s bad. I asked people what happened, but no one saw anything.”

“Okay, Janine, let me know if you find anything and call me.”

“Okay, I will.”

When I hang up, I see Tania crying in Tomas’s arms while everyone is looking at me.

“Tania’s apartment is on fire, and it doesn’t look good.”

I hear Mandy gasp, covering her mouth. Tomas clenches his jaw tightly while holding Tania.

How the fuck did these assholes get someone there so quick unless they already had people standing by just in case she wouldn’t talk to him? Guess he figures burn her place so she has nowhere to go but back to him.

“Okay, so this is what we are going to do. Mandy, Tania, and Tomas, come with me to my office.”

They follow me in as I drag a chair over and place it next to Mandy’s chair. I point for the girls to sit. When they sit down, I hand my card to Mandy.

“Go shopping online. Get clothes, shoes, and whatever other girl stuff Tania needs. Tomas and some guys can go pick it up on the way home.”

“Oh no, Mr. Maxwell. It’s okay. You don’t have to do that. I can figure something out.”

“Tania, I take care of mine. Don’t ever think just because you’re an employee, that’s all you are. You are part of this family, and I take care of that family. Now go shopping, have fun, and relax!”