14. Warning

Kit was not the least bit interested in selling any shares of his family’s company to OmniVentures, even if he didn’t have sneaking suspicions about the CEO.
Manirat Nexus was his family’s legacy, and ManiratInfinateDrift was his pet project--the first thing he had ever done completely on his own. He liked pushing boundaries, and car modification and customization was one way to do that. Every time a new modification was successful, and the company’s clientele increased, it made all the stress beforehand worth it.
Which was probably why an ambitious shark of a businessman had his eyes on it.
If he was being completely honest with himself, the glass walled conference room of OmniVentures is the last place that Kit expected to be this morning. The number that appeared on his caller ID had been one he hadn’t recognized, but as soon as Kit heard that all too smooth voice on the other end of the line, he wished he’d just hit “ignore”. However, since neither he, nor Talay, nor Jet had been able to find any solid evidence concerning Chalam’s suspected suspicious activities, the next best thing would be to meet the shark in person.
And the only way to do that is as the CEO and COO of ManiratInifinateDrift, rather than Interpol agents.
“You’re doing it again.”
From his seat at the long conference table, Jet casts Kit a sideways glance. “What?”
“You pop your knuckles when you’re angry,” Kit’s voice has the tiniest trace of amusement. “You told me Chalam is the type of man who preys on peoples’ emotions. If he sees you twitching like that none of this will go according to plan.”
“Tell you what,” The words come from between Jet’s teeth, as clear a sign as any of the emotions he is currently trying to hide. “You stop pacing the room like a caged animal, and I’ll stop popping my knuckles.”
Rather than argue with Jet, Kit sits down next to him. “Strawberry KitKat?”
Jet looks at the pink wrapped mini chocolate bar in Kit’s hand. “You really do carry those around everywhere, don’t you?”
“You going to take it or not?” Kit waves the candy under Jet’s nose. “Might calm your nerves.When the shark does deign to grace us with his presence, let’s not antagonize this shark any more than is necessary, all right? He should believe this is a business meeting, nothing else.”
Jet’s smile is dry. “I make no promises.”
“Noted,” Kit resorts. “But I’d rather not have security escort us from the building, if it’s all the same to you.”
Jet rolls his eyes, but takes the KitKat and pops it in his mouth as two men enter the conference room. Jet's body goes rigid, his hands clenching the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles go white.
Chalam is dressed in a silk suite, and the other man is dressed in the solid black uniform of a security detail. Kit can see the distinct lump of a holster at the man’s waist, which means that this man is Nail, Chalam’s assistant and unofficial enforcer.
The first time Kit had seen an actual shark up close was at the aquarium when he was seven. Standing in the dimly lit room with nothing but a pane of glass between him and the giant fish, Kit had been fascinated and a little intimidated, certain he never wanted to be in a situation where he was up against those powerful fins and deadly rows of teeth. His father had told him that, though rare, shark attacks could still happen. But such attacks could be avoided if you left them alone.
Unfortunately, that tactic only worked with actual sharks.
A metaphorical shark is entirely different.
“I must congratulate you.” Chalam’s tone as the two of them shake hands hints at detached acknowledgement. “The rate at which ManiratInifiteDrift is expanding is impressive, though not entirely unexpected for a company of your…caliber.”
“Considering my age, you mean?” Kit’s played this game before, and he’s good at it. “I’m flattered that I've caught the attention of such a powerful corporation. Although it’s hardly surprising given my own track record.”
A very slight spasm crosses Chalam’s face as Kit uses his own tactics against him.
“But I am curious,” Kit continues. “Why OmniVentures has any interest in such a small independent company like mine?”
Chalam blinks. “I would hardly call ManiratInfiniteDrift small. You successfully operate in two countries—”
“Four,” Jet corrects him, his voice low and tight.
“My apologies.” Chalam acknowledges the correction with a slight nod before turning back to Kit. “Both my company and yours have expanded at a very rapid rate. We both have strengths the other could capitalize on.”
Kit feeds the silence following Chalam’s answer, allowing it to stretch just long enough for impatience to show in Chalam’s eyes before he speaks. “If I’m being honest, I have some reservations given recent—developments within your company.”
“Oh?” Chalam’s eyebrows rise. “What reservations are those?”
“Intimidation, blackmail, physical assault,” Kit keeps his voice carefully neutral as he ticks off each of Chalam’s sins. Next to him, Jet grips the arms of his chair so tight his knuckles are threatening to break through his skin.
Chalam smiles. “Rumors. Baseless gossip fueled by envy and resentment. The landscape of business can be--cutthroat at times.”
“But if the rumors prove to be true,” Kit points out. “Any company connected with the corporation will be equally tainted.”
“Of course,” Chalam agrees. His voice is still calm, but Kit can see a nerve beginning to tick in the older man’s temple. “But I assure you that despite vicious rumors, OmniVentures values loyalty as much as integrity.”
Kit shakes his head. “I can’t allow my company to be tainted by any kind of negative information, rumor or otherwise. A merger with OmniVentures is impossible for us to accept. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.”
Kit gets to his feet, and extends his hand—a clear indication that the negotiations, such as they are, have come to an end. This man was the very worst kind of shark—the kind that would attack whether provoked or not.
Chalam has no other choice but to extend his own hand and shake Kit’s. Both men exchange business like smiles that don’t quite reach their eyes before Kit exits the conference room. Jet doesn’t meet Chalam’s eyes or extend his hand. He silently stands to follow Kit.
“Discussions with the CEO of ManiratInfiniteDrift are over.” Nail stops Jet’s with a single side step, putting himself between Jet at the door. “Discussions with you are not.”
Jet doesn’t flinch as he meets Nail’s gaze. “If the CEO has made up his mind, the COO is unlikely to change it.”
“We both know this was never about a merger,” Chalam has resumed his seat at the table. “This was about an angry child who grew into an angry young man, and believed he could use a business meeting as an intimidation tactic. Cross me again, and there will be consequences.”
Jet’s voice is a low growl. “Hidden skeletons can always be exposed, no matter how deeply they are buried.”
Chalam’s response follows Jet down the hall as he leaves the room. “Expose my ‘skeletons’, Jet, and you’ll have your own bodies to bury.”
◼️◼️◼️◼️
The hallway is empty, quiet, and free of tension. Jet drops his gaze to the carpet, forcing his pace to slow, and his breathing to return to normal. He entered this building as a businessman, not a vigilante, and he’ll leave the building the same way.
“Mali said her brother was brave, but I think you’re an idiot.” The voice comes from just in front of Jet, and is more amused than accusatory. Jet looks up to see a man about his age, maybe a little younger, standing in the doorway of his office, arms crossed, looking just as amused as he sounds. His face looks familiar, but Jet isn’t quite sure why.
“Would you have done something different in my place?”
The man’s eyebrows rise at Jet’s question. “You think I haven’t tried? Do you have somewhere to be or can I talk to you for a minute?”
Jet’s expression is wary. “That depends.”
The man’s eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline. “On?”
“How you know my sister,” Jet elaborates. “Who you are and what you want to talk about.”
“In that order?” The man smiles. “I’m Mali’s boyfriend, Rome. Chalam’s my uncle, and I want to talk to you about what I just heard. But not out in the hallway.”
Rome goes back into his office, leaving the door open so that Jet can choose to follow if he wants to. Jet hesitates for only a second before he also goes into Rome’s office.
“Chalam is really your uncle?” It’s a rhetorical question, but Jet asks it anyway, just to have something to say.
Rome nods as he closes the door. “I’m also the last surviving member of both the Samongkonchai and Kittiyapan families, who started OmniVentures in the first place. Which makes me heir to this shithole of a corporation.”
The office is smaller than Jet expected, considering Rome’s status within the company. A single window that stretches the length of the room, which is divided into two, with glass walls like the ones in the conference room dividing the front area from the back. Both the desks in the front and back of the office are currently unoccupied, but Jet correctly assumes that the front desk is where Mali sits when in the office, and the back desk is for Rome. There is a small sofa and armchair in front of Mali’s desk. Rome gestures toward them, inviting Jet to take a seat.
Jet sits.“The heir to OmniVentures isn’t allowed to sit in on business meetings?”
“Is that what that was?” Rome grins at him. “Looked like a standoff to me. It was idiotic of you to confront him without any evidence. If that confrontation took place anywhere but in a glass walled conference room, Nail would have put you in the hospital by now.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” It doesn’t help Jet’s mood that Rome is right. The idea had seemed so good at the time, so simple, but all that had happened was that Chalam and Jet had talked to each other in threatening circles, and Kit was back at the same dead end. “But he’s right, I can’t prove my allegations.”
“Yet,” Rome emphasizes. “You can’t prove your allegations against my uncle, yet.”
“Right, because it’s only a matter of time. If not even Intelligence or Interpol can find any evidence against him, then what do you suggest I do?”
“All that means is that they don’t know where to look.” Rome doesn’t look the least bit offended by Jet’s sarcasm. “ What you said about skeletons is true too, as Chalam is well aware.”
Jet raises an eyebrow. “You heard that?”
“It tends to echo in here when people shout. I can help you find those buried skeletons you’re looking for.” Rome pauses, giving Jet the opportunity to say something if he so chooses. When he is met with silence, Rome continues. “Chalam got angry with you, and that means he’s hiding something. I know that because he does the same thing to me when I confronted him about Kai.”
“Mali told you about that?”
“After you called that night, I drove her to the condo where you’re staying.” Rome explains. “She was an intern here first, like Kai, but now she’s my assistant--”
“And your girlfriend.” Jet finishes for him. He tries to make his voice sound less like that of a protective older brother, but it’s clear from the expression on Rome’s face that it hadn’t quite worked.
Rome takes a seat in the armchair, so that he can look Jet directly in the eye, sincerity ringing in every word he says.“I want you to know that I love Mali too much to let anything happen to her, and I give you my word that I’ll love and protect her as long as she’ll let me.”
“I believe you,” Jet bites back a smile. “Mali’s her own person, and I’m her brother, not her father. You don’t need my permission to date her.”
“I’m asking for it anyway.” Rome insists. “I might be related to that shark but I’m nothing like him. I’m asking you to trust me.”
“If Mali trusts you, then so do I,” Jet reassures him. “What does this have to do with those ‘buried skeletons’ you mentioned?”
Rome gets up and goes into the inner office. After a minute, he returns with a thick manilla envelope in his hands, which he holds out to Jet. “Mali and I have been combing through OmniVentures archives for the past several months. We had to stop after Kai was attacked in case Nail came after us next, but this is everything Mali and I were able to find. It’s not much, but it might help.”
Jet hesitates, staring at the manilla envelope. “How did you get my sister involved with all of this?”
“Actually, it was Mali’s idea,” Rome corrects him. “If you want any details, you’ll have to ask her.”
Of course Mali had begun this on her own. That’s the type of person his sister was. Mali saw a problem and decided to fix it, and if she had to, she fixed it on her own.
“So are you going to take it?” Rome is still holding out the envelope.
Jet takes it. “Thank you.”
Rome nods in acknowledgement. “Like I said, my uncle’s a corrupt ass, and I want to help you.”
◼️◼️◼️◼️
Kit is waiting in the lobby. Part of him was tempted to double back after he left the conference room, but that hadn’t been part of the plan. Kit’s job was to accept the invitation to the business meeting so that Jet could get into OmniVentures uncontested. Then Jet would confront Chalam on his own and try to avoid physical assault. Apparently, he succeeded, because there are no bruises on his face, and his clothes are only slightly rumpled. Kit hopes the wrinkles are from sitting and not from being physically intimidated. He doesn't say anything until they are out of the building.
“No security escort?”
Jet raises a brow at Kit’s attempt at humor. “You almost sound as if you want one.”
“Given current circumstances,” Kit matches Jet eyebrow for eyebrow. “That wouldn’t be a bad idea. What did he say?”
“Nothing that was unexpected.” Jet would rather not go into details about Chalam’s threats while they’re still close to the OmniVentures building. “His nephew was more helpful.”
“You met Rome?” Kit doesn’t sound surprised, just curious.
Jet nods, holding up the manila envelope. “He gave me this. So maybe we aren’t at such a dead end after all.”



"15. Threats" 

Read from beginning: "1. Ignored"