Blackout Sam

Chapter 2

Samantha's heart pounded in her chest as she stumbled out of the elevator into the hallway that led to her apartment. Her head buzzed with thoughts of her encounter with Mason Black. She couldn't believe she had just faced one of the most powerful men in the city.

When Sam thought of coming to Black enterprises, she envisioned either accosting an unsuspecting employee and drilling information out from them or befriending a disgruntled one. She never expected to meet the man himself.

The weight of his last words as she left his office hung heavy on her mind.

"I would watch my back if I were you," he had said, a cold and calculating smile on his face. It sent a shiver down her spine.

Samantha tried to shake off the feeling of dread as she made her way to her apartment. She had always prided herself on being a fearless investigative journalist, unafraid to take on the most challenging of stories. But something about Mason Black made her nervous, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Her apartment was especially dreary tonight. It was a well-polished space, with stylish and modern pieces placed deliberately to give an ambient aesthetic but to Sam, the space felt empty and lifeless. She slumped onto the couch, her mind still reeling from her encounter.

She'd been so excited when her Editor-in-Chief finally gave her the go-ahead to investigate Black and even more excited when she planned to scour information from employees but now all that had fizzled out.

Things had taken an unexpected turn that night and she realized that she had a tough road ahead of her if she wanted to c***k the case. Black was not the kind of man to go down without a fight, and Samantha had no doubt he would do everything in his power to stop her from uncovering the truth.

Her head jerked up suddenly as a memory flashed through her mind. She hadn't introduced herself to him and he called her by her name. Plus he'd received her like he'd expected her to be there at that moment.

Goosebumps scattered over her body making her rub her shoulders. It didn't matter if she'd tracked down, investigated, exposed, and brought down more than a dozen corrupt and nefarious people. The prickling sensation that going after them could lead to her ruin or something worse haunted her every time.

Samantha sat staring at the empty space while rubbing her arms for a few moments before a message notification jolted her back to reality. Groaning, she raked her fingers through her unevenly chopped auburn hair, then slowly worked them until she was massaging her temples while inhaling deeply.

"This is the last one, I promise." She muttered, "After this, I'll move to the Himalayas or somewhere."

Her other hand reached out and searched for her bag, which was somewhere on the floor. Groaning again, she pushed herself off the couch, picked up her bag, trudged to her kitchenette, started on coffee, and made her way to her room.

As soon as she was in the room, she peeled off her clothes and dragged herself into the shower.

Samantha emerged moments later freshened up in an oversized cotton tee and pajama shorts, with her cup of coffee in her hands and her laptop tucked under her arms. It was going to be a long night. She had spent years honing her investigative skills, uncovering corruption and wrongdoing at every turn. This was her chance to make a real difference, expose the truth, and hold the powerful accountable.

She sat at her workstation, took a sip of her coffee, moaning out in satisfaction as the caffeine hit her taste buds then flipped open her laptop. Her phone buzzed again with a message. Chewing her inner lip, she picked it up. It was a message from her editor, asking for an update on the story. Samantha took a deep breath and began to type out a response.

"I met with Black today," she wrote. "He's not backing down, but I'm not giving up. I'll keep digging until I uncover the truth."

Her editor replied almost instantly. "Great work, Sam. Keep us updated. We believe in you."

Samantha felt a flicker of hope in her chest. She had the support of her colleagues and the backing of her newspaper to expose the corruption at the heart of Black's empire.

But as she sat there, staring at her phone, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in over her head. Black was a powerful man, with endless resources and connections. Samantha was just one journalist, with nothing but her wits and determination to see her through.

She tried to push the feeling of doubt aside, reminding herself of all the stories she had exposed in the past. She had always been fearless, never backing down from a challenge. Yet something Black made her want to run.

Maybe it had to do with meeting him physically. She'd seen his pictures and agreed that he was attractive but the man she met was miles ahead of his images.

She remembered the way her throat got stuck in her chest as his deep blue eyes that seemed to freeze her blood beheld her and skated up and down her body. She also couldn't stop her eyes from detailing his physique in her head. She saw more than his tall and muscular build, chiseled jawline, sharp and intense eyes, well-groomed inky black hair, and an overall commanding presence.

Her eyes sought out the details. Starting from the strong, angular jawline that was well-defined, to his broad shoulders that taper down to a narrow waist, giving him a V-shaped physique and the muscles that seemed to somehow suface_ albeit subtly_ through his suit. It was like he'd knocked out the breath from her by just staring. It was upsetting as it was exciting because for some reason her body began reacting to what it thought was a fine male specimen.

"Not a great way to start an investigation," she muttered bitterly and took another sip of her coffee. She shook her head to rid herself of rebellious thought, then began her research.