Page 19 of Barely Breathing
She cleared her throat and nonchalantly shifted her legs, crossing them away from Griff and knocking off his hand.
“So Stace left, and my dad decided I needed to, as well.I helped close out a few open files, put some new ones together, and he cut me off.”
“I’ve seen how good you are.”Roman met her eyes.
“You made the virus that killed my desktop?”
“Yes.”
“It was amazing.I’d love to see how you put it together.”
“Honor.”Jack cleared his throat.“Back to what you were telling us.It’s probably not best to remind me you hacked into our secure files while you’re asking for help.”
Roman winked at her, and she bit her lip.Griff’s hand was back on her thigh.She glanced toward him, but it was as if he was unaware he even touched her.
“Right, sorry.I tried to do what my dad wanted.I went into town.I tried to hang out, to meet people, but I’m more of a computer person.I’ve never been great in crowds.I tend to get a little klutzy.Plus, my mouth doesn’t have a filter.It’s always getting me into trouble.”
“I can imagine.”The way Jack looked at her made her realize she’d made plenty of comments since they’d met last night.Hell, what did they expect from a woman raised by her dad and his motley crew?
“I met Vince Towner.”
Griff shifted beside her, and her gaze casually skimmed over him.He smiled and gave her thigh another rub.
“Is Vince the one chasing you?”Jack asked.
“Him and and after I overheard him on the phone, I suspect a few others.”
She didn’t have to admit she’d been close to having sex with him.There was no way she’d admit that.She’d sound foolish enough as it was.“I met him at one of the local bars.We had a few beers, talked a bit.I gave him my number.”
“Did you sleep with him?”It was the first time Chetan opened his mouth, and that was what he asked?She wanted to kick him.Her eyes met his, and she swore he knew exactly what was going on between her and Griff.It was disconcerting to say the least.
“No.”At least, that was the truth.Kissed him.Heavy petting.But he’d never seen her naked.Something had always held her back.Now, she understood what.
“Go on,” Jack urged.
“We were hanging out.He stepped outside to take a call.I’d gone out front to water my plants, and when I finished, I went to see if he was ready to go.He was still on the phone.”
Jack leaned forward.“What did you hear?”
“He told whoever he was talking to, ‘I’ve found his weakness.When I’m done playing with her, she’s going to die nice and painfully.Let him see what it’s like when you’re not around to protect the ones who mean the most.’I wasn’t sure who he was talking to at the time, but I knew who theshewas.”Honor glanced up.“I have no intention of dying slow and painful.”
“I assume he was the research you did.”Roman shrugged, which she interpreted asI’d do the same thing.
“Yes.I didn’t when I first met him, and I’m kicking my ass for it now.Dad is constantly telling me I can’t put together files on everyone I meet.Funny, since I learned how to do them from him.”
“Not everyone can be defined by a file of information,” Jack said softly.“There are depths you can’t breach by compiling facts.”
“At least, it’s a start,” she countered.Had she dug a little into Vince, he never would have gotten close enough to access her records.
“I let him into my house.Invited him in.”There was no way she’d try to hide her disgust over that information.“I’m pretty sure he hacked into my system.”It still burned he’d been able to.“Opened a few older files.I didn’t understand why.Those files were closed cases.But I used them to do a little digging last night, and I hit the jackpot.
“Vince Towner is actually Vincenzo Antonio Giordano.Towner was his mother’s maiden name.I found her in the files he’d accessed.Twenty-five years ago, she was shot and killed while her husband was gone, working with my dad.Vince would have been a young boy back then.They never found out who killed his mother.It appeared to be a random act of violence.One of those wrong place, wrong time kind of things.Plus, my dad checked.Thoroughly.I read the file.Apparently, Vince’s dad never recovered.He left my dad, took his son, and disappeared.”
“Sounds like he blamed your dad for her death.”Roman shook his head, looking sad.“Bad stuff happens.It sucks.But even the most prepared people can’t always stop it.”
She nodded.“I heard the hate in his voice, and, trust me, there was a lot of it.Directed toward my dad and me by association.”
“Is this why you don’t want your dad involved?”Trust Chetan to cut to the heart of it.
