Free Corporate Ties (Silken Ties Book 1) by E.L. Loraine Page B

mind. He blinked his eyes in the dark, swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Retrieving and pulling on his boxers he wandered out, following the enticing scent.
    Squinting, he approached Olivia. "What time is it anyway?"
    "Almost five," she said without looking over. Brian ran his hands across her shoulders and kissed her neck.
    "That coffee smells great."
    "Help yourself."
    Brian walked around the bar and poured himself a cup. He knew she wouldn't be the ‘doe-eyed, I-think-I-love you-after-one-night type’.
    "You always up this early?"
    "Yeah, usually. Here look at this. It was sent yesterday." She twisted the laptop around for him and he leaned forward.
    "What is this?"
    "Files on Matasuki, from the FBI."
    He flashed her a surprised glance, before starting to read.
    "This is an open file; did it say it was from Paul?"
    Olivia shook her head. "No, but it came to me with the same 'heads up' code we always use. Both he and my lawyer use numbers sent to our work email so we know to look at our personal email accounts for a message."
    "Do you have an email address for your contact with Matasuki?"
    "Not directly to him, but to his secretary."
    "Is that the 'shadow'?"
    "No I don't think so."
    "Okay, I need inside and I can do it simply by you sending an email with a link I'll give you. It'll be related to whatever you're talking about, but once they click on it. I'm in. All the way in."
    "Hmm, the fact that's even possible is a little disconcerting. You don't really think you can get by the sophisticated security software Matasuki undoubtedly has, do you?"
    Brian raised an eyebrow. "Humph, the links we’ll be using are cutting-edge, and I guarantee once he clicks on one his cyber security is not good enough to keep me out.”
    Brian scrolled through the first few pages of Paul’s file. “This is incredible stuff, and you said it was sent yesterday. Paul disappeared on Thursday, right?"
    "Right. Maybe it means he's okay."
    Brian lifted just his gaze. "Or someone at the bureau sent it knowing it's what he wanted. I don't want you to get your hopes up, Olivia."
    "You said you had other information to share with me. What is it?"
    He chuckled, "I did get distracted, didn't I?"
    The corner of her mouth turned up. "Yes, we both did."
    His face felt warm. " God, was he actually blushing like a teenager?" He cleared his throat. "Uh, do you mind if I forward this to my office computer?"
    "No, no of course not. Well, are you going to tell me or not?"
    "Contrary to what his official biography puts out, Matasuki's mother isn't dead and he has a brother. I just don't know why he's hiding it."
    "Really? It seems obvious to me."
    Brian frowned. "What's obvious?"
    Olivia adjusted herself on her seat and handed her coffee cup to Brian, who filled it and handed it back.
    "It makes sense. In my mind he's a predator. When he finds something, a company, for instance, he finds a way to get it by any means necessary. I spoke to a friend of mine who worked for one of those companies. The owner, Mr. Billingsly, didn't want to sell. Actually he refused Matasuki’s offer and cut off further negotiation. Later, this perfectly healthy man, who, by the way, had just had a thorough physical exam, just happened to have a stroke and die. And although his son was set to take over, the same one that stood by his father’s decision to refuse Matasuki’s offer, he suddenly and totally unexpectedly, accepted and sold off the company. You'll see instances of this same pattern all though those records. There’s another pattern, the bodies of his adversaries are always cremated, even in instances where such practice is incompatible with the decedent’s religion."
    Brian frowned now and urged, "Go on."
    "Matasuki is merciless in his business dealings and probably his personal life as well, and since he judges everyone by his own example, imagines everyone else is as ruthless as he. He’s either denying his mother and brother’s existence because having them