Page 1 of Darius

Chapter

One

Peeking up over her computer screen, Mara feigned nonchalance as she checked to make sure she wasn’t being watched. She twisted to each side as if stretching to ensure no one stood anywhere behind her. Silently cursing whoever decided she didn’t rank high enough to occupy an office with walls in the busy bank, Mara looked back at the file open on her computer.

Mara kicked herself for not having noticed this before. Out of all the accounts she had received to give special consideration and supervision to, a weird deposit and payment anomaly had appeared in the one from the hottest nightclub in town. Nightfall. She hadn’t ever visited, of course. Not quite her scene to stay out until the early hours of the morning drinking and dancing.

A flashback to her school years with late nights and hangovers popped into her head. The latter she didn’t miss at all, but the boogying? Mara sighed silently. Being an adult and a respected member of the financial community sucked some days. No one wanted to see their banker even slightly out of control.

Shaking off that thought, Mara picked up her cellphone and entered a number she’d already punched in so many times the digits had etched themselves into her memory. As always, the call went straight to voicemail. She jotted the date and time in her phone’s notes. If anything, ever came to light, Mara wanted to have documentation that she’d attempted to address what she suspected was a huge red flag.

Thirty minutes past noon. Her stomach growled. She’d stop for lunch and reach out again later. After marking herself as out of the office on the banking system, Mara shut her computer down and grabbed her leather portfolio and shoved it into the tote bag she lugged to and from work. She’d head out for lunch. A new restaurant had opened close to Nightfall. She’d hit that place after stopping at the nightclub.

In a few minutes, she wove through the downtown traffic on her way to the older section of town. Before Nightfall opened, she would never have recommended constructing a business in this section of the community. In the past, people avoided this part of the city, known for violence, sometimes even in the daylight hours. Since Nightfall opened, visitors flooded this area, along with the increased police presence and a reduction in rumored mob activity.

A glance into the dark alleyways didn’t reassure her, but the smiling crowds milling around calmed her fears—slightly, at least. She’d keep her eyes open while she was here. What were all these men and women doing in the early afternoon here? Cars already packed the public garages and lots.

She lucked into a parking space two blocks away from Nightfall and actually parallel parked with some skill. Maybe her good fortune would continue, allowing her to connect with Darius Spanos. An image popped into her mind of an older man with a potbelly and gray hair. He’d need glasses. Looking at all those numbers on the accounts she managed had already affected Mara’s near vision.

Heading toward Nightfall, she pulled back her shoulders and straightened her spine. The tote she carried at her side was relatively light, only holding her portfolio with her personal tablet with screenshots of her concerns. She also had them on her phone and stashed in the cloud under the safest password she’d ever concocted.

“Whoa!” burst from her lips as she turned the corner. What was that crowd of people doing? A flash mob or something? An accident? It couldn’t be. They stood in a neat row along the side of the building.

Mara glanced up and spotted the Nightfall logo. No way! They were lining up already for a nine o’clock opening? Squaring her shoulders, Mara continued past the line. A rumble of voices followed her. They were not going to like her bypassing them.

“Where does she think she’s going?”

“She’s not trying to jump the line, is she?”

“Oh, they won’t let her do that. They have the best security in town.”

Ignoring the protests, Mara focused on the dark glass doors ahead of her. Perhaps if the crowd realized she was here on business, that would soothe them. She crossed her fingers that whoever answered the door would invite her in quickly. Reaching the barrier, she knocked loudly on the glass.

Her rapping had become pounding by the time a gigantic man appeared next to her at the locked entrance. “If you break the glass, you’ll pay for the replacement, and I’ll ban you for life,” he growled menacingly.

Forcing herself not to cower from his threatening presence as her heart beat a thousand thudding beats a minute, Mara identified herself. “I’m from the bank. I need to talk to your CFO.”

She looked at her watch to check the time. The bank staff would have noticed her absence by now. If this guy snapped her in half, they’d at least sound an alarm when she didn’t return or change her status to leaving early. She cursed Darius Spanos for not responding to her attempts to contact him. Now she’d have to explain why she was not at her desk.

“CFO?”

“Chief Financial Officer. Darius Spanos. Is he available?” Mara asked, keeping herself from rolling her eyes at the muscle man’s lack of knowledge. Was this what was going on? The whole company was being run by people who didn’t understand basic business talk?

“Darius? Have you sent him a message? The bank has his contact information.”

“I’ve called, texted, and emailed. I need to stress the urgency in the reason I’ve reached out to him,” Mara explained. The man in front of her didn’t react. She was going to have to tell him the truth. “Look, I could lose my job for sharing some critical data with Mr. Spanos. I can’t put the details in writing. I don’t want to see anything mess with his accounts—on the contrary, I’m trying to stop someone else.”

Something flickered in his eyes. He was listening now. She forced herself not to glance away. As if he’d made up his mind, the Nightfall employee said, “I’ll give him your card. I’m Marcus. CSO.”

Searching her brain for those initials, she asked, “Chief Software Officer?”

“Chief Security Officer,” Marcus answered with a hint of smugness she totally deserved. “Title acronyms can be confusing.”

He was right. She’d deserved that correction. Perhaps they hadn’t only hired him for his strength and intimidation skills. “My apologies, sir. Could you escort me to Mr. Spanos?”

“He says he’ll take your card and perhaps contact you later. Darius is extremely busy.”

“That won’t work for me,” Mara said quickly, afraid he’d disappear before she could convince him.