Chapter 3 : File Cabinet

“Hey, Jerry, how are you?“ I said to the guard as I walked past the security gate he had just opened for me.

“Hello, Audry,” Jerry said and tipped his cap to me, his usual greeting.

I smiled at him. I liked Jerry. If I found out the Moltons were responsible for my father’s death, I wouldn’t do anything to mess with him. I knew Jerry was just an employee here. The only people that would suffer were those who had anything to do with my father's death.

I walked into the big house and nodded at a few members who were hanging around. Some of them were on break and some lived here. I walked down the hallway to my little office setup. Once Mr. Molton saw how detailed and organized I was, he assigned me to run the schedule for everything and everyone.

This was a harder job than it seemed. For example, I had to make sure the shipment was coming in on time and there were trusted members here to receive the items. I still hadn’t found out what exactly was being shipped here and how the Moltons really made their money to afford all these fancy things, but I was determined to.

It was another secret I could use to take them down. I knew it was something illegal or else they wouldn’t keep it a secret. My guess was drugs, firearms, or… I didn’t even want to think of the third alternative. Because if I was working for someone that was involved in something darker, like human trafficking, even if it was just undercover, I couldn’t live with myself.

But who knew what the Moltons were capable of?

I had to manage the schedule of the business the family ran to cover up what they were really doing. The Moltons owned a chain of mattress stores around Detroit. This was the money they claimed on their taxes. Mostly everyone in the city knew they were part of a gang and the stores were just a front, though no one seemed to be able to prove it yet. Or they were afraid to try.

I got to work and the day passed by in a blur. No one really bothered me in my little room, which I was grateful for. When the clock hit 12:30, I got up from my desk. This was the time I took my lunch every day.

Now, the real work began. Around this time, the house was mostly empty. Everyone was usually in the large kitchen or out running errands. It was the perfect time to do some sneaking around, searching for information.

There was a storage room where the family kept all of their important documents. Mr. Molton was old school, so he kept everything on paper because he said that way he couldn’t be hacked. The man was right. I’d been in there a couple of times, but always with someone else. It required a key to get in, a privilege I hadn’t received yet.

I was tired of waiting around though. I needed concrete evidence. The night I found out my dad died, I went to the police station and demanded to see the police report. They knew me there because of my father and they handed it over, no questions asked.

In the report, only one gang was witnessed to be at the scene—the Moltons. A few arrests were made, one of them being Daniel, but with Mr. Molton’s connections, they walked free. The fact that I knew Daniel had been there that night, that he might even have been the one who shot my father, made me feel even guiltier for finding him attractive.

I walked down the hallway with my head held high and at a normal pace toward the room where they kept the files. The first rule of doing something you’re not supposed to was don’t look suspicious. Just act like you belong and people will think you do.

When I got to the door, I subtly glanced around to make sure that no one was in the hallway. I made sure the coast was clear and tried the doorknob just in case someone was careless.

Damn. It was locked. Of course they wouldn’t be this reckless.

I pulled out a credit card and worked quickly to unlock the door. A bead of sweat ran down the back of my neck. When I felt the door click, I let out a sigh of relief. Growing up on the streets definitely had its advantages.

I entered the room, shutting and locking the door behind me. I flipped on the lights and scanned the space, making sure there weren't any cameras. Once I was certain there weren’t, I got to work.

The room was big, with white carpet and around twenty file cabinets jammed into the small area. I knew I didn’t have much time to poke around so I searched for any cabinets labeled ‘Police Report’ or anything that could be from around the time my father was murdered.

For the first few minutes, it seemed like I was out of luck. All the file cabinets were labeled things like ‘Taxes’ or ‘Employee Records’. Idly, I admired how organized the family was for a gang.

Then, I spied a promising file cabinet labeled ‘Important Documents’. I hurried over to it and pulled on the top drawer. It was locked. A credit card wouldn’t work on a lock like this one, but growing up like I did meant I had a few more tricks up my sleeve.

With a sly grin, I pulled my bobby pin out of my hair and inserted it into the file cabinet lock. I twisted and turned, waiting to hear the sound that meant I had successfully unlocked it.

But I heard a different sound instead. A key was inserted into the door of the room I sure as hell wasn’t supposed to be in. I spun around, controlled my breathing, and did my best to not look suspicious. All I had time to do was hope it was someone who liked me.

But in walked Daniel Molton, the handsome man who was suspicious of me since day one. He strolled through the doorway with an accusing look in his deep brown eyes. Before he even opened his mouth, I could tell he knew he caught me somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be. Daniel closed the door and locked it with a smirk.

Oh my.

My heart started beating fast, not with fear, but with anticipation.

“Well, well, well,” the leader’s son said as he closed in on me.

I backed into the file cabinet, but he just kept coming closer. He stopped only when he was towering over me. Daniel was so close that I could see he had small freckles on his cheeks, something I had never noticed before.

“Good afternoon, Daniel,” I said in a calm voice, crossing my arms. I could feel my hands shaking, but I couldn’t let him notice it.

He looked shocked at my demeanor. What did he expect? Me to break down crying and ask for his forgiveness for being caught somewhere I shouldn’t? Sorry, that wasn’t the kind of girl I was.

“This room is off-limits as I’m sure you know,” he continued, putting his arm on the file cabinet above me.

I felt the heat radiating off his body and it was very distracting.

“Is it off-limits when someone lets you in to sort files?” I replied, raising one of my eyebrows at him.

“Who let you in?” he demanded in a serious voice.

“Your father,” I said without hesitation.

I knew it was risky, but I was hoping Daniel would be too embarrassed about not being in the loop to ask his father if I was lying or not.

“Well, I’ll just have to ask him that,” Daniel added, trying to keep a poker face, but his eyes shifted to the right.

That was his tell when he was lying. Daniel wasn’t going to tell anyone he saw me in here.

“You know, Audry, I’ve been watching you these past months, and more often than not I see you in places you shouldn’t be. Why is that?” Daniel asked with a condescending tone.

My fists clenched. “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to disclose that kind of information to you, Daniel.”

He reeled back like I had just slapped him in the face. I hit him right where it hurt the most—his pride.

“I’m not sure my father should put so much trust in you. How do we really know you're on our side and loyal to us?” he asked.

My anger was rising, but I needed to keep a cool head. My whole plan could be ruined by this man and all I could think about was what his lips would taste like.

“I’m as loyal to your family as they are to me. If you treat me like a traitor, won’t I become one?” I pointed out.

His eyes narrowed as soon as I said the word ‘traitor’.

Damn it. I knew that wasn’t the right thing to say. I let my anger get the best of me. Though part of me was glad I said it. It was my roundabout way of telling him that if his family weren’t the ones to murder my father, I wouldn’t betray them.

Daniel opened his mouth, but no words came out. We were still standing close and his eyes shifted down to my lips for a fraction of a second. Even though we hated each other, I could feel the tension in the room. Maybe he did find me attractive after all?

I wasn't even sure who leaned in first, all I knew was that I was pressed against the file cabinet and his insistent lips were immediately on mine. The kiss wasn’t soft or sweet, but full of passion, attraction, and mutual hatred for one another.

This man could ruin everything I’d worked so hard for, but at this moment, I honestly didn’t care.

I opened my mouth to moan and his tongue pressed against mine. I threaded my fingers through his short hair to pull him closer to me, desperate to feel the heat of his skin against mine.

Holy shit.

I could feel his erection pressing into my warm center. My panties instantly became damp at the thought of what was hiding in his pants and what he could do to me with it. The things he could make me feel and the high I could reach.

Soon, I had to pull away for air and as the oxygen flowed through my system again, I realized how big of a mistake I was making. As quick as our kiss started, it was over.

I stepped to the other side of him so my hormones wouldn’t rule me again. I scolded myself. I needed to think with my brain, not my body.

“If we’re done here,” I said while straightening my skirt. “I have work to get back to.”

I didn’t give Daniel time to reply or even look at him. I didn’t dare to. I walked out of the room with my head held high.

That was the last time I would be kissing Daniel Molton.