Steamy Affairs(Erotica)

ClickTalk was down, but he didn’t care. At least he’d saved the data and got the memory storage and programming out in case the threat to their house was rigged to explode, too. He saw his mother and sister holding Abi back or she would have followed him inside. Becky was on her phone, so he assumed she had called 911. Tiffany was also on the phone, but he was sure that she was on with her father or Tara, making sure that they knew what happened and would take steps to protect their home and Tara.

Abi tore away from his mom and sister and raced to him, latching herself around him, almost causing him to drop the server. “Easy Abi, I’m okay. I had to save the servers and this hard drive. They might be the only way to get the Chadwicks behind bars.”

“I don’t care Gio. What if they’d cause your house to explode too while you were in it? Where would that have left all of us?”

“Alive, and safe where Greg could make sure you were protected.”

“Look at your fiancées and other women. Do you really think we would want to be safe and alive without you?” She pointed at the group huddled together, tears running down all their faces.

“Don’t you ever do something so stupid again in your life or we will kill you ourselves.”

He shook his head. “I understand, but I couldn’t risk it. Our money is caught up in ClickTalk. If I lost the server, then we’d lose all the potential evidence against the football program and any boosters involved in hurting the cheerleaders, and we lose a whole day of service and advertising sales. I need to get this server over to Anderson Publishing and we need to get this house checked out for whatever caused you and your mom’s to explode.”

“I don’t care about ClickTalk or being rich. I care about not losing you!”

Gio kissed her. “I know Baby, but I’m the man of the house. Everyone here calls me their master, which means I have to think of all my responsibilities. I need to leave before the police and fire department get here. You and your mom are in charge. Don’t let anyone in until after the house is thoroughly checked out and we know what happened at your place. Let the detective or the chief know I’m at Anderson working on getting ClickTalk back up and running and let me know what we find out. Tell your mom to get us security and book us all into a hotel suite or two tonight.”

With those words, he kissed Abi hard, tucked the server and hard drive into his saddlebags and tore out for Anderson Advertising. Along the way, he connected his Bluetooth helmet to his phone and called Greg letting him know what had happened and that he was heading for Anderson Advertising he needed to use their internet and server room to get ClickTalk back up and running and start the ball rolling to get G. L. Creations moved to the empty floor at least for now. Just because being in a secure building with around the clock security seemed smart after what just happened.

“I agree with you, Gio. You need to be secure. I’ll have my head of IT meet you in the lobby and let my security chief know he needs to get you temporary complete access and work on getting you an actual all-access permanent badge. Anything else I can do to help? No one was hurt, were they?”

“No sir, no one was hurt, just really shook up. Thankfully, we were all still at our table when that asshole blew up Becky’s house. Can you have your security issue temporary badges for the whole family? Becky will need a place to talk to the security people. I need everyone else safe for now and I need to let the police chief know where his people can find me and the ClickTalk servers. I figure now they’ll want to talk to me about this morning’s threat, too.”

Gio heard the sigh on the other end. “My executive assistant, Pamala, will meet you on the third floor with the keys to the rooms on that floor. Was the threat something they can actually use against Clarence Chadwick legally?”

Gio sighed as he pulled into the parking garage at Anderson. “I wish I could say yes. It seemed pretty cut and dried to me, but it wasn’t. He didn’t actually threaten anything. I think his wording was something like: ‘I hope your and your neighbors’ home insurance is paid up.’ He hung up and then the Longs’ house blew up.”

“Hmm, I see what you mean. While everyone knew it was a threat, he didn’t threaten to do anything to either house. We need a break here, Gio. Anything, private conversation with someone about Becky’s house, or something to implement him in the football programs’ crimes. Something actionable. I have a Private Investigator looking into what the Chadwicks had over the Long ladies. I’ll check with him and see if he’s found anything we can give to Riley that would stand up as evidence of a crime.”

Gio sighed again. “You can try but Wes, Becky is convinced that there won’t be evidence against him. Hell, his ex-wife went so far as to tell me that he’d blackmailed both men and women before, but there was never any evidence that could be found. He’s extremely smart and cautious.”

“Yeah, I know. He was the legal counsel for the insurance company that refused to pay for Janelle’s treatment. When I sued them, he got them off on a technicality. So, I know how crafty and slimy he is. But everyone fucks up eventually. Maybe this time will be the time he fucked up.”

Gio entered the Lobby and spoke. “Hey, I think your people are waiting for me. Keep me up to speed. If you don’t mind, could you run over to the house and monitor my ladies and get them all headed this way when the police and fire people are done with them? I need to know they are safe. Also, maybe get Tara to call the cheerleaders and flag team and tell them not to come to our house, since it might not be safe now either.”

“I’ve got your back on this, Gio. I’ll take care of the family. You just get ClickTalk back up and running and help the cops find what they need to end the football program’s reign of terror over those girls.”

Gio stopped before reaching the security desk. Everyone thought that private messages and video calls on his app were deletable… What if… No! He wouldn’t have… or would he? He needed to look and see if Clarence Chadwick had a profile and who he’d talked to the last few days. If he, like everyone else, had just assumed gone was gone, might he have arranged whatever happened to Becky and Abi’s house through the app? He almost ran to the desk. Gio needed to get the server up and running and start looking to see if Clarence Chadwick has a ClickTalk account. If he did, then Gio wanted to see who he’d been talking to since Becky Long sent him that resignation letter. It was a long shot, but if he’d discussed firebombing her place and his, then they might just have him where they wanted him. Behind bars. So, the only payback left would be Dean. God, Gio wished the loser would just come right out and throw a punch at him so Gio could beat him until he couldn’t move. He took a deep breath. One step at a time.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Greg’s executive assistant, Pamela, met him at the security desk. Not a second behind her was Terri Brooks, the first shift security manager. She looked at the security guard manning the desk. “This is Gio McLeod. The big Boss called and said to give him unrestricted access to everything, so I need an all access VIP visitors badge until we have time to make him a personalized one later today.

The security guard inserted a green smart card into the programming slot of the security computer and a few seconds later pulled it out and put it on a lanyard and handed it to Gio. “There you go, sir. Enjoy your visit.”

Terri laughed. “He isn’t visiting, but there is an emergency that will delay getting him a permanent badge until later today. He’s the CEO of G. L. Creations. His company is moving up to the offices on the fourth floor. His Lawyer, Rebecca Long, office manager, Tiffany Anderson, his CFO, Mia Gataki, will be in later. Send them up to the security office when they get here so I can get their badges made.”

Gio said. “The police will probably be here at some point as well. We had some problems at our temporary offices this morning.”

Terri frowned. “I hadn’t heard that. What kind of problems?”Content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Nothing much. Someone just blew the building up, that’s all.”

All three people from Greg’s team exclaimed together. “WHAT???”

“I’ve made a few enemies, and they were trying to get back at me by destroying what they thought was the home of one of my girlfriends and her mother. They didn’t know they’d recently moved in with me and we were going to use their house as our offices temporarily. They threatened to blow up my home as well, but so far that hasn’t happened.”

Terri became all business. She looked at the security guard at the desk. “Be extra vigilant on checking credentials today. No one gets in that doesn’t have an appointment or without someone personally vouching for them. If someone vouches for someone, they need to come collect them in person to make sure they are who they’re claiming to be. Consider this a security upgrade to orange from green.”

The guard nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“There will be a representative from Palisade Protection Services coming to meet with my lawyer at some point today as well. They’ll be in and out as they assess my family’s, company’s, and personal security needs. As well as the detective, there will be a member of the CSI tech team that will look for me. I hope to be in my office within the hour.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll make sure they are sent right up.”

With that, Gio, Pamala and Terri headed for the VIP elevator. Terri, still in security mode, probed for more information. “Mister McLeod. I didn’t ask in front of the guard but why in the world would someone bomb your temporary offices?”

Gio sighed. “You’ve no doubt seen the news coverage about the young man that uncovered the sex scandal at the high school?”

Both Pamala and Terri nodded. “Well, you’re looking at him. I’m the guy who uncovered the unofficial policy of forcing the cheerleaders to sexually service the football program. What the news hasn’t said is that more than just the team and coaches are involved. Some very nasty people are also involved, and it goes beyond just the cheerleaders. Just before the bomb went off, we received a threatening phone call demanding that two of those I’m protecting be returned to their abusers or we’d lose our homes. When the two ladies refused, they set off the one bomb to convince us. I don’t know why they didn’t follow through with bombing my house, too. Maybe the police will figure it out.”