Fare Game Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  Other Books by Cade Haddock Strong

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Eight Months Later

  Bella Books

  Synopsis

  Kay Corbett is a newly minted vice president at Logan, one of the largest airlines in the world, and she’s fallen smack-dab in the middle of a massive plot to swindle the airline’s passengers and defraud its investors. There is only one way out. Earn the trust of the ringleader while simultaneously working to bring him down and put an end to his elaborate scheme.

  Things get a lot more interesting and a lot more complicated when she becomes entangled with Riley Bauer, the brilliant beauty in Finance. They form an imposing team both in love and in the fight for justice. As they race against the clock, each woman must decide how much they are willing to risk in order to expose the truth.

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  Other Bella Books by Cade Haddock Strong

  The Schuyler House

  About the Author

  Cade Haddock Strong loves being outdoors, especially when it involves skiing, hiking, biking, running or golf. An economist by training, she makes a valiant effort to stay up on current events. She and her wife have lived all over the US and abroad and they love to travel.

  Copyright © 2019 by Cade Haddock Strong

  Bella Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  First Bella Books Edition 2019

  eBook released 2019

  Editor: Ann Roberts

  Cover Designer: Judith Fellows

  ISBN: 978-1-64247-110-6

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Acknowledgements

  During this journey of becoming a published author, my friends and family have blown me away with their support and encouragement. I cannot thank you all enough. The impromptu book discussions over cocktails and long walks have been awesome.

  A special call out to Celeste, Andrew and JM for being brilliant beta readers and guiding me through the intricacies of the airline business and the law.

  A big thank you to Ann Roberts. Not only for your editorial expertise, but also for being firm and pushing me. Thanks for your patience. You’ve taught me so much and for that I am eternally grateful. I know I still have loads to learn, but because of you, I feel as though I’m on firmer ground.

  Last but not least, thank you to my wife, Lisa, for being my biggest cheerleader. Life with you is an incredible adventure.

  Chapter One

  Kay Corbett, newly-minted vice president at Logan Airlines, was about to do something that might get her fired, or worse, thrown in jail. She poked her head out into the hallway. It was a glorious Saturday afternoon and Logan’s corporate headquarters was a complete ghost town.

  After a moment of hesitation, she tiptoed toward the much larger glass-enclosed office three doors down, thankful she had on running shoes rather than her usual weekday attire of high heels. Agility was vital.

  She stood outside the door, listening. All she could hear was the persistent hum of the central air-conditioning system. The urge to bolt back to her office coursed through her, but she refused to chicken out. It wasn’t her style.

  The cold metal doorknob turned easily in her hand. She slipped into the office and closed the door behind her. There was no going back now. The sun was still high on the horizon and a beam of light split the spacious office in two.

  Her tank top stuck to the perspiration pooling on her back. She tugged at her shirt and sat down at the sleek glass-topped desk. She’d watched her boss, Greg Brandywine, key in his password dozens of times. The idiot just cycled through his kid’s names. Lyle9999. Liam9999. Lacey9999. Lane9999. He had some fascination with the number nine. Something to do with baseball. He was a freak about the game and had played right field in college.

  It took her less than a minute to find what she was looking for. She pulled a thumb drive out of her pocket, slid it into the back of Greg’s computer and drummed her fingers on his desk while the files saved to her device.

  Her body stiffened at the sound of voices in the hallway. It sounded like two men. She looked down at the computer. The download crept toward completion. Ninety-six percent, ninety-seven... The second it hit one hundred, she yanked her thumb drive from the machine and logged off, praying she’d captured what she needed.

  Her eyes darted around the sparsely decorated office. There was no place to hide. A small wooden conference table surrounded by six chairs sat on the far side of the room. She lurched under it and attempted to curl her nearly six-foot frame into a ball. The voices grew closer and she was certain one of them belonged to Greg. The door to the office clicked open. Kay held her breath and willed her legs not to cramp. She watched a pair
of expensive leather loafers dash across the carpet. Her heart was beating so loudly, she was sure it would give her away. A set of keys jangled, and a drawer opened and closed. The shoes retreated and then the door clicked shut again.

  Kay heard Greg say, “I got it.”

  “Good. We better get to the airport,” his companion responded. Kay didn’t recognize the second man’s voice, and she couldn’t see his face from her perch beneath the table.

  She listened as the voices grew faint again and counted to twenty before she dared to unfurl herself. Fuck, that was close. Way too close. Her knees cracked as she stood, and she headed for the door. She reached for the knob but paused. What had Greg taken with him?

  She crept back to the desk and hastily tugged at each of the drawers. They were all locked save for the narrow one in the center which had nothing in it except a stack of Logan embossed stationery and a few empty Tic Tac containers. She felt for the thumb drive in her front pocket and trotted back to her own office. A loud thud stopped her in her tracks. She scanned the sea of cubicles packed into the vast room. A shadow drifted over the far wall. Someone was there. She was sure of it. “Hello,” she called. Silence. She slipped into her office and closed the door.

  The following Tuesday morning, Greg Brandywine summoned Kay and the rest of his direct reports to his office for Logan’s third quarter earnings call. They sat around his conference table, the same one Kay had sought refuge beneath a few days earlier. She eyed Greg while they waited for the webcast to begin. His crisp, blue dress shirt brought out the grey specks in his steely eyes. The gel induced sheen of his wavy dark hair practically glistened in the morning sun shining through the office window and a hint of gray sprouted near his temples. His supply of Just For Men must be running low.

  Eventually, the operator came on the line to kick off the earnings call, and after the usual formalities and introductions, Howard Rome, Logan’s CEO, spoke. Kay cringed as he highlighted the airline’s financial results for the latest quarter. He touted “solid revenue growth across all aspects of the business” and “higher fares offsetting rising labor and fuel costs.” He stressed Logan’s increasingly diverse revenue base, with a growing share of money coming from non-ticket sources like checked bag fees and the airline’s co-branded credit card. Logan’s shareholders would eat it up like starved piranhas. The company’s stock price was up more than twenty percent for the year and would likely shoot up even further in response to the rosy financial picture Howard Rome painted during this morning’s call.

  When the earnings call was finally over, Greg leaned back in his chair, tucked his hands behind his head and looked around at the group gathered in his office. “Pretty good results, wouldn’t you say gang?”

  Kay wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off his face, but she forced a smile. “Very impressive, Greg. Very impressive, indeed.”

  A few of the others at the table uttered similar responses and Kay wondered how many of them knew what was really going on. Knew Logan’s finances were a massive house of cards, built on lies and artificially inflated revenue. It was true, Logan was charging higher fares, but they were cheating the system and totally screwing their passengers in the process. There was one thing for certain… It would all come crashing down, at least if Kay had anything to do with it. She just needed a little bit more time.

  Chapter Two

  “I’m twenty-nine, practically an old maid by southern standards,” Riley Bauer lamented to her best friend Stephanie. It was a picture-perfect October day in Atlanta, and they were sitting at an outdoor café a few blocks from work.

  “Oh, my God. Your biological clock has barely started ticking,” Stephanie protested, dabbing some salad dressing off her chin with her napkin.

  “I don’t know Steph,” Riley replied. “I figured I would have found someone by now. It’s not that I mind being single. I just, you know… I really want to have kids. Family is central to people in the South and my mother is beside herself that she doesn’t have any grandchildren.”

  “You shouldn’t let your mother get to you so much.”

  “Have you met my mother?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “Yeah, she seemed nice. And isn’t your brother’s wife due any day now?”

  Riley groaned in frustration. “The truth is Steph, it’s not just my mother. I’m beginning to think my dream of having a big family is slipping away.”

  “Newsflash. You don’t have to be married to have kids, you know?”

  “It’s not that simple,” Riley replied, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. She’d tried to explain what growing up in the South was like at least a thousand times, but Stephanie still didn’t get it. She’d grown up in Connecticut, and even though she now lived in Atlanta, she rolled her eyes at the mention of cotillions, collard greens and college football. “I haven’t even been able to work up the courage to tell my mother I’m gay,” Riley continued. “I’m certainly not about to announce I want to have a child out of wedlock.” She slumped back against her chair. “Shit, she’d totally flip.”

  “Well, try not to fret so much about it. It’ll only cause wrinkles,” Stephanie said, pausing to sip her sweet tea. “Why did you break up with Brianna? It seemed like things were getting serious between you two.”

  Riley sighed at the mention of her ex-girlfriend. “They were. I don’t know. I just sort of freaked out when she started talking about moving in together.”

  “Did you love her?”

  Riley fiddled with the edge of her napkin. “Yeah, I did, but not in a head over heels kinda way.”

  “Real life isn’t like a romance novel, you know?”

  “Maybe not, but I’m not giving up on finding true love yet. I want to find someone who makes my heart melt when I spot her across the room. Someone who makes me laugh and comforts me when I’m sad. Someone who is honest and genuinely cares about other people. Is that too much to ask?”

  “No, I guess not. It just seemed like…”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you had a lot of that with Brianna. It was obvious she really cared for you.”

  “She did, but she was way more invested in the relationship than I was, and it wouldn’t have been right for me to string her along. She’s a really good person. I want her to find someone who loves her as much as she loves them. She just didn’t light my fire, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I do.” Stephanie squeezed Riley’s hand. “You’re gorgeous, smart and funny. You’ll find that special someone soon.”

  “Thanks, Steph.” Riley unconsciously tucked her long, blond hair behind her ears. She’d always been modest, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew her looks—crystal blue eyes, radiant smile and shapely athletic build—were part of the reason she’d never had a problem getting a date.

  “Well, we should probably get back to the Mother Ship,” Stephanie said, referring to the corporate headquarters for Logan Airlines.

  “Yeah.” Riley stood from the table and pushed in her chair. “I’ve got a big partnership meeting this afternoon and I have some stuff I need to review beforehand.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot you were working on that joint venture deal.” Stephanie said as they walked back to the office. “It’s with a Japanese airline, right?”

  “Uh-huh. Kamadori Airlines. Actually, we’re going to Tokyo next week to finalize the details.”

  “Wow, I’m so jealous. I never get to work on cool projects like that,” Stephanie replied. “How many of you are going to Japan?”

  “Seven or eight including me. Two of us from Finance, a bunch from Pricing and Network, plus at least one person from Legal. It’s a pretty big group, but these agreements have a zillion moving parts.”

  “The whole joint venture thing is a complete black box to me. I get why we have them. They make it seamless for passengers to fly on two different airlines. They can get from Detroit to some obscure city in China without having to sew together a mess of different tickets.”

>   “Yeah, but the deal with Kamadori will be good for the airlines too,” Riley replied. “It will enable both Logan and Kamadori to make better use of their aircraft capacity and allow the airlines to harmonize fares.”

  Stephanie shook her head as they approached the front gate. “You’re speaking Greek to me. I think I’ll stick to marketing.”

  Just before two, Riley walked into the large conference room and slipped into a seat next to Jill, a junior member of her finance team. Jill was only two years out of college, but she was a genius with numbers and had been an incredible asset to Riley’s team. So much so that Riley promoted her to manager after only a year at Logan.

  “Hey, Jill,” Riley said as she took a seat. “Ready for the big trip?” Riley was taking Jill to Japan. It was only fair given all the work she’d done crunching the numbers for the impending joint venture with Kamadori.

  “Yeah, I’m really excited.”

  The conference room suddenly went quiet. Riley looked up and saw Kay Corbett, Vice President of International Pricing, saunter in. To say Kay commanded a room would be a serious understatement. Her exquisitely tailored navy power suit perfectly fit her lean frame. Toss in her high cheekbones and long, silky dark hair, and it was no surprise most men at Logan turned to mush in her presence. Riley couldn’t blame them. Kay often had the same effect on her. There was something about the woman, something utterly captivating. The way she carried herself, the way her dark eyes sparkled when she smiled, the slight rasp in her voice and the fact that she was whip smart.

  Riley didn’t know a lot about Kay, although she’d pegged her to be somewhere in her mid-thirties, young to be a Logan VP. Based on what she’s heard, Kay had been with Logan since she’d graduated from college and had worked in the pricing department the whole time.

  I bet she’s married, Riley thought to herself as the meeting got underway. No way a woman like her is single. Riley tried to imagine who would be worthy of Kay. A tall, dark-haired man, a successful entrepreneur…or maybe a woman? Riley didn’t get a strong gaydar reading from Kay, but a girl could dream.