Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 141: Alec Goes to Bright Future
Alec
Teela watched me as if I would disappear as I packed an overnight bag. It unnerved me, but then again, anything could unnerve me today.
While I played it cool with Teela, I was nervous about entering Bright Future. I intended to walk out with at least Colby. Ideally, we would leave with all the children.
"Stiff and I will monitor your progress. If you want us to pull you out, just give me the signal. I have the police on speed dial. Eugene’s men will be waiting right outside the compound.
"What is the signal?"
"Tee, we’ve gone over the plan until I see it in my sleep."
"Just say it, Alec. It makes me feel better."
"I say apple butter, or I can double tap my chest with my fist."
"Stay with Kahlil. Don’t go wandering off. Let Jake and Min take the lead. You are eye candy. We want all eyes on you, so Jake and Min can work in the shadows. Stay pretty. Stay out of the way, and stay safe."
I kissed Teela’s forehead. "Yes, sweetheart. I promise to come back safely."
The doorbell rang, signaling the end of our time together. Jake was here to pick me up. We would take Dad’s jet on this mission.
Traveling with Jake was a lot like life with Teela had been the last couple of days only not as fun. He insisted on going through every step of our plan again and again. By the fifth time, I was making errors just to give him something to think about. It was wrong of me, but I wasn’t accustomed to people questioning my abilities.
"If I give you one final clean run-through, can we be done with mission prep and relax?" I asked.
"Alec, you need to take this seriously. These people are killers. They won’t think anything about taking you out if it will save their operation."
"I do take it seriously, but going over the plan more than fifty times in two days is enough. I’m a quick study, and I work well under pressure. I can handle this. I wouldn’t have agreed to do it if I couldn’t."
"We have to get this right. There are no do-overs."
"Jake, I understand. Believe me. I understand. The last thing I want to do is screw up and cost someone their life. Even if I didn’t value human life, I don’t want to disappoint Teela."
"None of us want to disappoint Teela. She’s remarkable."
"That she is," Jake said.
"How long have you known her?"
Jake looked at the ceiling for answers. "Oh, I don’t know. A few months."
"How did you meet?"
"Some bums were harassing her on the street. I saved her. Later, she helped me save my boys. I owe her."
"Is that the only reason you are helping her?"
Jake’s gaze met mine in a battle of honesty. "No. Teela is the kind of person who lives to help other people. While her methods might be unconventional, her motives are pure. It is a lot more than I can say about my employers in the past."
"Are you attracted to her?"
"Yes." No pause. No hesitation. Jake didn’t do so much as flinch.
"Do I need to worry about you trying to take her from me?"
"If you really knew Teela, you would know that my feelings do not play a role in whether she stays with you."
I nodded. "True, but it doesn’t keep you from trying."
Jake sighed. "I already took my shot. She turned me down. I’ve had no choice but to move on."
"Good."
Jake smirked. "Is that what has had you off your game?"
"No. I was bored."
"Okay, one more time from the top."
I growled under my breath and considered drop-kicking Jake, but then I remembered he could possibly be one of the few people on earth who could wipe the floor with me without breaking a sweat.
How had Teela chosen me over Jake? He was a better fighter. Likable, from what I’d seen. Equally as attractive, and she had known him longer. And I bet he didn’t have a mobster as a father.
Although, Dad and Teela seemed to get along quite well. I was willing to bet they had run background checks on each other. They knew the type of person they were facing, and yet they continued to remain amicable around each other for my sake.
I dreaded the day they would cross purposes. It was bound to happen, especially in light of the polar opposite personalities. Dad was outgoing, wealthy, and power-driven, and he had grandiose ideas about the fall of civilization if he didn’t remain firmly in control of the criminal elements under his umbrella.
Teela, however, saw money as a tool that she wanted to earn enough of to take care of her needs and those of the people she cared about. After sating the need for money, it became an afterthought as she focused on responsibilities and that love list of hers. The list was filled mostly with injustice projects that she thought she could resolve with a mix of her hacker skills, stellar research, and sometimes the hands-on rectification that sent me up the wall with worry.
She was an unexpected pleasure who broke up my routine, killed my professional focus, and messed with my self-confidence sometimes. Then I make a fool out of myself like I just did with Jake.
On the other hand, I felt like the ultimate male specimen in bed, and I loved it when I came home and Teela met me at the door with a smile, a hug, and a kiss. I enjoyed her intellect, and the way we could be open with each other. I’d much rather know what I did to bother her than to guess or have her feel uncomfortable because of something I did.
What’s more, I loved how she made me feel alive just by being in the same room. So much of my adult life, I’ve felt like an extension of my company, as if I was vital component plugged into a massive machine. If I didn’t work constantly, the machine would break down and all my hard work would be for nothing.
I preached work/life balance to my employees, but for maybe the first time ever, I was actually experiencing it. And it was all thanks to Teela. Best of all, she loved me unconditionally. Other than my parents, I’d never had that before. It was remarkable. It made me want to be a better person to deserve the kind of love Teela and I shared.
And I wanted to make Teela’s dream come true by rescuing Colby. It was the first favor she ever asked of me, and I wouldn’t let her down. I wanted to give Teela proof that I was the reliable sort of man who could support her dreams.
The pilot announced he was getting ready to land and to fasten our seatbelts. There was no backing out now. I was committed to betraying my university friend in order to save the lives of a group of children who had done nothing wrong but who were being used as living organ transplant donors against their will.
I thought of CK and everything he had done to find his brother. In his own way, CK had suffered as much as the child with the multiple medical procedures he had endured at such a young age. CK felt guilty for letting his brother go with the social worker and for taking so long to find him.
The airplane landed and taxied to the terminal for deboarding. It seemed to be a sign when the lightning struck overhead and a downpour hit the moment my feet touched pavement. I wondered what the protocol was for a rescue mission during a thunderstorm. Did we play through or delay for rain.
Jake exited the jet behind me. He tapped my shoulder and pointed to a nearby car waiting to take us to the hotel. I’d need to freshen up before dinner with Kahlil tonight. Tomorrow, we would tour the Bright Future compound.
Tonight, I would feel Kahlil out about his role in this organ trafficking operation. So help me, if he was complicit, I would take him down myself. Of all people, the son of a Middle Eastern prince had no business doing something illegal for money when he was already set to inherit more money than a god. His monthly allowance at university equated to his tuition for an entire semester. Granted, he spent much of his allowance on treating his friends well, but the point was he didn’t need the money. He’d also written his thesis on the ethical framework of organ transplants. He’d argued that using the organs of deceased human lacked the same ethical dilemmas of using the organs of like donors, who should have final approval over who receives their donations.
What Bright Future was doing was in direct opposition to Kahlil’s stated beliefs. And mine.
