Page 108 of Our Little Dove

Everything about this site makes me sick to my stomach. All these people are on here against their will. Fuck, they don’t even know they’re being filmed.

Hush’s firewalls seem pretty good and I doubt any of my codes are sophisticated enough to do anything meaningful. I was hoping I could use the phone to dig deeper and corrupt their site before having to post the footage but alas hopeful thinking has never been a sure-fire way to accomplish a goal this big.

I could have saved Kieran and Fintan from editing the video. I could have put an end to this before our plan even began if only I knew a safe way to destroy this digital hellscape without leaving a trace.

Glancing at the clock on the screen, I note it is nearly ten o’clock, as the last edit is made, Fintan sits back with a sigh of accomplishment. “I think we’re ready to post this,” he says, looking at Kieran and me for confirmation.

“Ready when you are,” Kieran says, waiting for my response. I take a deep, uneasy breath and grip their phone tightly as I ready myself for what’s to come. With a nod, I give them the go-ahead.

Fintan logs into their Hush account from the computer and uploads the video with the caption:“not-so-innocent target gets revenge on Hush actors.”

Our plan rests on our video standing out among the thousands of others and if that caption doesn’t get people’s attention, I don’t know what will.

“You two sure you’re ready? As soon as I post this, our plan is in motion and there will be no going back,” Fintan says as he lets the cursor hover over the“post”button on the screen.

“I’m ready,” I say as I suck in a deep breath before letting it out and waiting for Kieran’s final consent to this insane plan we came up with.

“Ready.”

As he clicks to post the video, a sense of finality washes over me, although I know this is just the beginning. The footage is out there now, a part of our unfortunate shared history etched into the digital realm.

Fuck it. It’s out there and we might as well make the best of this. God, I need a drink! I want to erase the last few hours from my memory.

“Well then, it’s out there. I guess now we wait,” I sigh as I swivel back and forth in Alex’s comfortable desk chair.

“Yeah,” Kieran lets out a breath. “I don’t know about you two but I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep soon.”

Alex glances at him with a wicked smile that can only spell a dangerous idea. “I have a bottle of whiskey in the kitchen,” she says with a playful shrug. “I think we could use a stiff drink after the day we had, don’t you think?”

Letting out a chuckle, I crinkle my nose. “Let’s first look at this bottle. I am not drinking any whiskey-branded swill, Dove.”

Alex mocks a reaction of offence as her lips part dramatically and she sucks in a loud breath with her hand over her heart. “Oh, I am hurt,” she jokes before gesturing for us to follow as she starts toward the kitchen. “Come on, asshole. I’ll show you the…swill.”

“Excuse him, baby, he is kind of a whiskey snob, so to speak,” Kieran muses beside me as we enter the room and pull out our chairs at the table.

“I’m not a fucking snob, I have taste,” I mock in a pretentious tone, gaining laughter from both of them. Taking our work phone from my pocket, I place it in the middle of the table so we can track the progress of our video.

Kieran reaches out and flips the phone face-down. “We can do this later. I need a fucking break from Hush for a couple of hours to relax.”

“Agreed,” Alex says as she places three tumblers of amber liquor on the table.

“Uh… The bottle, little Dove?” I question her before she levels me with a challenging glare. “Shut up and drink it, Fin,” she demands.

Kieran sniggers beside me as he takes his glass and lifts it for a toast, waiting for us to follow suit. Alex mimics his movement and now they are both watching me expectantly.

“Fine! But if this tastes like ass, I’m dumping it,” I say, lifting the remaining tumbler to clink against theirs. “Hmm, you love ass, last time I checked,” Alex giggles before Kieran and I join in on the infectious laughter.

I am enthralled by her the more I get to know her. She has to be the best thing that has happened to Kieran and me, well, besides the mind-blowing sex we all share.

As the first taste of whiskey coats my tongue, I freeze for a moment. “Glendalough?” I ask, stunned by the taste.

“Yeah, Glendalough 25-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey,” she smiles. “I got this as a gift from one of my clients a while back.”

“Jesus, you have great fucking clients. This costs upwards of five hundred dollars a bottle,” I state before taking another sip and savoring the taste.

Alex raises an eyebrow in amusement. “Well, it looks like I’ve impressed the whiskey snob after all,” she teases, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Kieran leans back in his chair, a contented smile on his face. “This is perfect,” he murmurs, swirling the liquid in his glass. “Just what we needed after today.”

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