The Tin Man (Inner Circle #1) : Enemies to Lovers Dark Romance Thriller Read online

“Good,” I let out softly. “Now, time to get to work.”

  I got deep into the system and found what I wanted. Then, one by one, I eliminated the security clearance needed to get in, leaving a few accounts wide open.

  Satisfied, I walked out of the computer room and headed back to the receptionist.

  “All done,” I said. “You might not notice anything if you don’t use certain programs, but all looks good now. Mr. Roski should be happy when he returns.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she stood and looked me up and down. She handed me a small slip of paper. “Call me.”

  “I will.”

  I hurried out and headed to the parked car around the corner.

  *****

  That night, as I sipped on a nice Chardonnay, I sat in front of my laptop checking out a few websites.

  I looked at the short list I had and checked out the first one.

  Sorry. The website you are attempting to obtain is temporarily closed. Please try again later.

  “All right,” I said. “Let’s try number two.

  We are presently experiencing a temporary shutdown. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please try again later.

  “Good. Now how about number three.”

  Our website is closed for re-construction. If you have an emergency, please contact one of the following numbers. Our deepest apologies.

  “Re-construction, my foot,” I said to the screen. “Why not just come out and admit that you’ve had a security breach? Afraid of what that would do to your image?”

  I put away the flash drive my father had given me shortly before his death. “All settled, Pops,” I said sardonically. “You can rest in peace now. The Inner Circle is going to be hurt by this one.”

  Sighing, I took another sip of wine as I looked out at the London skyline. It was beautiful… gray as usual, but beautiful.

  “You in, Parker?”

  I turned around to see Ace coming in. “Yeah,” I called out. “I’m back here.”

  He joined me and glanced at my glass of wine then at the bottle. “May I?”

  “Of course,” I said. “Help yourself.”

  He took a wine glass from the silver tray and poured himself a small, sample sip of the red wine.

  “Nice,” he said. “2011?”

  “Actually,” I corrected. “It’s 2012.”

  “Very nice, indeed.” He set the glass down and sat across from me. “So, it would appear that all went well, Boss.”

  I smiled as he took out his phone, opened the desired page and turned the screen to me.

  “These,” he said as he scrolled down. “They are all emails I’ve received from the companies that are pulling their hair out about these security breaches.”

  Grinning, I took another sip of wine. It was tasting better and better with every passing minute.

  “Did you have a hard time… getting in.”

  I chuckled. “Getting in where?” I let the question hang there a moment before giving him an option. “The computer room, or the girl in charge of looking after the computer room?”

  He tilted his head back and let out an amused laugh. “Man,” he said. “You always get the jobs that include banging a girl on the way.”

  “Hey, hey,” I said, holding up a calming hand. “I did not bang the girl.”

  Frowning, he looked at me, the gleam of amusement in his eyes replaced by a solemn apology.

  “I had to smile and play nice to get her to open the room for me, then I had to promise to call her so that she would leave me alone, and then…”

  “And then…?” he said when I left my sentence hanging.

  “And then, she banged the fuck out of me.”

  Laughing, he pulled a red lace thong out of his pocket. “Good,” he said as he held it up. “Because I was beginning to wonder where this had come from.”

  He draped it over the back of the chaise lounge behind him and brought his gaze back to me. “So, let me get this straight. You had to persuade the director of operations to let you in there to begin with. Then you had to persuade the supervising manager and now…”

  “Yep,” I said as I took another sip of wine. “I had to do a lot of persuading here and there. I got lucky this time. Every one of them was as sexy as hell…”

  “And every one of them fell for your persuasive arguments.”

  I shrugged and cocked a brow. “Sometimes it’s almost disappointing to see just how easy it is.”

  “Yeah,” Ace said as he got up. “It must be hell being a good looking dude with money and charisma. I feel for you, man. I really do. I’d even be willing to mess up that face of yours if you want.”

  He headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water and returned. “Important thing is, the mission is complete.”

  “Hmm,” I said as I lightly tapped the side of my glass with my finger. “If there’s one thing my father instilled in me, it’s the importance of completing a mission. Everything else was secondary. Screw up a mission, and you’re as good as dead.”

  He raised his glass to me. “Well, here is to making papa proud. And here is to our first successful takedown.”

  “Yeah,” I said absentmindedly. We were successful, and it had been easier than I’d expected. But I felt no desire to celebrate.

  I pulled out my phone and scrolled to find a photo. A photo of the most beautiful girl I’d ever know. She wasn’t flashy or trashy, she was simply beautiful.

  It was the last photo I had of her when she was still herself… when she still knew who she was. When she still knew who I was.

  The school photo had me standing beside her amidst other students…

  Damn it.

  “I’ll get them, Summer,” I whispered to the photo. “I’ll get them all.”

  I may go by the name Parker James now, but Dante Black has not forgotten what happened to you. I’ll take down the entirety of the Inner Circle. I’ll take them down, Summer. If and when you regain your memory, you’ll be free of them. You’ll start your life again free of them.

  Chapter 2

  Dante Black/Parker James

  A Few Weeks Later

  “You’re looking particularly spiffy tonight,” Ace said as I walked out of the bedroom. He was finishing up with a few notes I’d given him before leaving for the day.

  “Black tie affair,” I droned, unimpressed. “You know how it is. When in Rome, do as the Romans. When in England, have supper with the queen.”

  He stopped what he was doing. “Seriously?” he said. “You’re having dinner with the queen. How in the world did you pull that one off?”

  Looking in the mirror, I straightened out my bowtie, ran my hand over the smoothness of my black tuxedo and glanced down at the shine on my shoes.

  “I can’t give away all my secrets.”

  Truth was that I had heard of the strong possibility that the founding fathers of the Inner Circle would also be in attendance. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Rarely were the founders in one place at the same time.

  “You always get the glamorous tasks while I’m here with my laptop,” Ace said, sulking.

  “That’s why I’m the boss. I’ll be sure to bring back a souvenir,” I shot over my shoulder.

  And with that, I left him to finish his work while I headed to the Charity Fundraiser at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

  It was a short drive, but a long wait as I patiently got in line for the valet.

  This could very well be the night that I destroy the aging founders of the Inner Circle. If all went well tonight, I could eliminate all of them in just one evening. If things didn’t go so well, I had to at least hope that I would be able to eliminate one of them.

  I finally got to the entrance to the museum and got out of my car to entrust it in the valet’s capable hands. As I was screened by security, I glanced at the other guests, smiling knowingly, waving, nodding and acknowledging.

  On entering the museum, I was momentarily struck by the beauty of the high do
med ceiling, reminiscent of France’s Classical Revival style of centuries ago.

  I was dutifully impressed.

  I had fully intended to feign interest in the numerous exhibits at the V&A, but as I meandered around, I managed to find various articles of true interest. The museum itself was fascinating, with its high arched ceilings and polished marble.

  I went from the architectural exhibit to fashion, and from ceramic to furniture.

  But that didn’t stop me from glancing at the other guests who wandered through the immensity of the museum, many with a printed layout in hand.

  I’d never met any of the founding fathers of the Inner Circle, but my father had been meticulous in his description of them. And I had meticulously memorized the description of all of them; Stanley, Rockerfeller, Worth, and Claire.

  But as I looked at a collection of Queen Victoria’s shoes, I glanced at the passers-by and no one fit any of the descriptions.

  I walked on glancing at various pieces of art with adequate interest. More and more people were arriving, crowding the expansive museum.

  Over and over again, I looked at a face, did a quick inventory and dismissed the person.

  I’d reached the Rodin exhibit and stopped before a life-size bronze sculpture of a man.

  “This sculpture is so beautiful and perfect in every way that Auguste was accused of casting the real figure of a man,” a woman stopped to explain.

  “Was he now?” I said with vague interest as I looked around.

  “Can you imagine such a thing? He was deeply insulted by the accusation and never again sculpted a life-size figure again.”

  “I can see why.”

  “He then went on to do that sculpture of St. John the Baptist over there,” she said pointing to a large sculpture.

  I turned to where she pointed, but my gaze stopped well before finding the intended sculpture.

  A face.

  That face.

  The woman beside me continued to speak, but I could no longer hear her. People continued to walk around me, but I was no longer looking at them.

  All that mattered was that face.

  “Summer,” I whispered to myself.

  But I knew I was fooling myself. The illusion had happened far too many times before. I would see her everywhere, most often when I least expected it.

  It had caught me off guard at first, but now…

  Damn, the illusion was so convincing.

  The face was the same. A few years older, but absolutely the same.

  But the hair was swept up in a way that was far more formal than Summer would ever wear it, even for an evening such as this.

  And the gown… the long deep red gown with a swooping neckline was something Summer would never wear, not to mention the diamonds that were dripping off this woman’s ears and draped around her neck.

  Summer was a simple girl… jeans and sweaters… sneakers and ponytails.

  And Summer is back home in San Diego… right?

  But my heart nonetheless hoped. It hoped against hope that Summer had indeed recovered from her injuries, that she had indeed found herself traveling in Europe.

  And she had indeed found herself at the same museum and the same charity event as I was attending.

  Fate?

  Destiny?

  I calmed down my breathing which had increased in rhythm and finally noticed the young man standing beside her as she turned to speak to him.

  With dark chestnut, almost black hair, and clear hazel eyes, he was definitely a handsome man. Tall, lean, attentive as he leaned in to hear what she was saying.

  But then he turned to look my way.

  Donovan.

  It hit me in the gut.

  Nat Donovan.

  But it couldn’t be. It was impossible.

  Summer had had the wildest crush on Nat Donovan when I had first shown up at Hidden Falls High.

  It didn’t make sense.

  I wandered around the room, discretely moving closer.

  If that really was Nat, then it could possibly be Summer with him.

  I’m going mad, I told myself. All of this insanity is driving me mad.

  As they walked on, I kept my distance, but kept them in my line of vision.

  When the Summer lookalike stopped to look up at a stained glass panel, I could see the wonder and appreciation in her eyes; those beautiful hazel eyes.

  But as I got a better look at the Nat lookalike, I realized it couldn’t be him. Though just as handsome as I remembered Nat to be, I could now see that he was shorter than Nat, but also lacked that golden boy glow that Nat always had about him.

  My gaze returned to the girl.

  I inched my way to the other side of the stained glass panel that she was looking at and gazed at her through the colored glass. I was close. So close.

  Her eyes, her nose, those lips. A few years older, yes, but… It’d been three years. Surely, she’d changed, matured… grown up. Her fashion sense was more refined.

  While in my mind’s eye I still saw her as she had been the last time I’d been with her, it was quite possible that she had grown to be a sophisticated woman who travelled the world.

  Why not?

  I maintained eye contact, willing her to look at me. I knew it was useless. Even if it was her, she wouldn’t remember me. She didn’t remember anything.

  But the hope was still there. Even though I had put aside all hopes of her ever regaining her memory, somewhere, tucked away in the recess of my mind was the hope that it would.

  Chapter 3

  Dante Black/Parker James

  As she and the Nat lookalike walked on, I tried to push myself to concentrate on what I’d come to do. This wild goose chase was all good and well, but I had a job to do. I looked around for Stanley, or Claire, or Worth, or…

  They headed to the jewelry exhibit and I had to follow. Damn it. I just couldn’t help myself. Summer walked from one display to another, pointing and smiling as she looked at the exquisite pieces.

  As she gazed upon a diamond tiara, I came up beside her. If nothing, I at least wanted to hear the sound of her voice.

  But she spoke softly, her voice meant only for that Nat lookalike beside her.

  What of her name? I suddenly thought.

  If nothing else, her name should still be the same. Just call out to her. Say her name.

  Summer.

  Say it.

  “Summer,” I whispered inaudibly.

  I was feeling silly, like a kid all over again. Like a kindergartener with his first crush. Like an inexperienced teen on a first date.

  Damn.

  Steeling myself, I walked up to her, my heart pounding and my fists clenched as I intended to finally face her.

  But a loud alarm rang, startling everyone.

  “Stop him,” a woman cried from beside a broken display. “Stop him!”

  “What’s going on?” an older couple murmured to one another.

  “He’s got the diamonds and turquoise,” the woman screamed. “He has the queen’s necklace.”

  Shit, I thought as the thief came running toward me. I could easily jump him. I could put a stop to this right now.

  But if I stopped him, if I subdued him, everyone there would suspect that I was more than just a guest at a charity fundraiser.

  He ran past me and was quickly kicked in the thigh by the Nat lookalike. The thief fumbled forward and almost landed on his face, but he quickly recuperated and ran on.

  I glanced at the Nat lookalike as he shot three ninja stars at the running thief. The first one caught him in the shoulder blade.

  The thief let out a pain filled cry and ran on a few more steps. But he then stumbled and fell against a plaster column, hugging it for support. A second and third ninja star pinned him to the plaster.

  Impressive, I thought as I remembered Nat’s interest in martial arts. He’d trained in karate, kung-fu and taekwondo. I remember him putting in so much time to train and perfect the moves and technique
s.

  But the people in the museum weren’t impressed. They simply screamed as they ran off in every direction.

  Just as I was about to approach the thief, he broke free of the ninja stars and started to run off again, but Summer rushed up from the side and pushed into him, causing him to fall over just as the security guards arrived to nab him.

  I smiled as I looked at her. It certainly was the feisty Summer that I remembered. While she had initially tended to be the nice girl, the cooperative girl and the one to make compromises for others, I’d taught her to stand up for herself.

  I’d also shown her how to defend herself in case she ever had to fought off an attacker. I relished spending so much time with her, touching her as she trained, and then making sweet passionate love to her afterwards.

  Those wonderful memories came flooding in as I looked at her, wondering if she could possibly remember them as well.

  She remembered the moves. She remembered what I’d taught her. How could she not remember me?

  We’d fight, wrestle, fence… and it always ended with us hugging, kissing, and more.

  The Royal Police came in, and Summer backed away.

  “Get your grubby hands off me,” the thief shouted as he spit at the officers.

  The museum employee quickly came forward to retrieve the priceless necklace. “Thank you so much for getting here so quickly.” She looked down at the thief. “Did you really think you could get away with something so foolish?”

  “Oh! Strap one on and peg me, you old bird,” he shouted.

  Aghast, she stared at the man as she clung to the necklace. “Get him out of here,” she shouted. “Get him out before I wash the floor with him.”

  “Come on,” an officer said as he got the thief to his feet. “That’s enough excitement for one day.”

  As the police walked the thief out, the museum employee, escorted by two security guards returned to the back of the room and the broken display.

  “Well, that was a bit more excitement than I expected tonight,” I said to no one in particular.

  I turned to expand on the event with Summer and Nat… but they were gone.