Page 45 of Fighting For Light
“No, I don’t because it may be simple Wi-Fi, but like I said, I had additional firewalls put up. A kid messing around with hacking would have probably left some kind of tag telling usthey did it. This was coordinated, and it keeps us from seeing whoever was in the house.”
“I’m going to drive down there today and talk to the neighbors,” Emerson says.
“Don’t scare them away, One,” Liam jokes.
“You said there was chatter?” I remind Liam. His mind zips around like a squirrel looking for nuts he just buried.
“Yes, chatter. The Costa mob is up to something. They started contacting people on the dark web who can hack multi-key two-fish encryptions. They’re even asking about elliptic curve cryptography, which hasn’t even—“
“English, Liam,” I grumble.
“Right, so, they are looking for people who are very good at hacking things like government, top-secret level things.”
Emerson curses, and I sigh.
“This could have nothing to do with us,” I tell them.
“It’s reelection season, Kai. He doesn’t lose, you know this,” Kai says.
“So that means he’s going to, what? Steal state secrets? I don’t think these things are linked, Three,” Emerson says.
It’s a stupid thought. There is literally no reason for our dad to have any of that information. “He probably has to figure out how to buy votes because he doesn’t have the picture-perfect family to sway them. I’m surprised he lasted this long, but his people can sure spin bullshit.”
Emerson curses, and at the same time, the answer clicks into place in my mind. “What if the Costa’s are trying to find ways to buy votes for the Coldwell campaign?”
“That’s sort of what I thought,” Liam says. “They put out a contract for high-level hacking on the dark web, so I went ahead and volunteered myself —playboy69 reporting for duty. So we will know what’s happening as soon as they approve me for the job.”
“Good idea,” I tell him. “Wait, really?”
“What?” Liam asks.
“Playboy sixty-nine? Really?” I ask.
“What? It’s funny because—“
“No, Liam, I get it,” I huff.
“That still doesn’t feel right,” Emerson says. “That doesn’t feel like a plan A. That feels like a plan B.”
My stomach sinks, and I look at the restaurant.I need to teach Cordi how to use a gun.“The next time I see his face, I will put a bullet in his head. That should do the trick,” I grumble, thinking about the exposure for Cordi and our kid. I won’t have it. I would go to prison for life for killing my father before that happens.
“I’m going to ask our neighbors at the beach house and see if they have any cameras that point that way. We need leverage,” Emerson says.
“I’m going to make sure I get on that team for Costa to see if I can learn anything else, even if it’s a plan B.”
“Do it anyway,” Emerson says. “Two, keep Mom and Cordelia close and be on the alert.”
“Got it,” I say and turn off the truck. “Mom knew he would come back. These past years have been torture for her. She acts like she’s fine, but…” I trail off. Mom has lived waiting with bated breath and paranoid anticipation thatthe devilwill come for her again. He’s clearly desperate, and we don’t know why. We need more pieces of the puzzle.
“When is the wedding?” Liam asks.
I jog across the street. “I don’t know, but I’ll let you know as soon as possible. Mom was talking about planning it.”
“Maybe that can work in our favor,” Emerson says.
My feet halt, and my hand tightens around my phone. “Don’t youdareconsider making her bait,“ I grit out.
“Brother, I love you, but you’ve already put her in the spotlight. So now we have to make her shine so brightly she’suntouchable by making her a Coldwell,” Emerson says. Deep down, past my need to keep her and the baby as close as possible, I know he’s right.
