Page 60 of Fight or Flight
Jordan glances at Jace, then Killian.
“Nothing,” Killian says.
“Nada,” Jace adds.
“Does him mean me?” I ask tentatively.
I already know the Hawthornes have access to information the rest of us don’t, but I can’t help feeling salty at being the only one out of the group who has no idea what the fuck is going on.
“It does.” Jordan runs a hand through his hair to push it back from where it’s fallen into his eyes. “I’ll let the others fill you in on the details, but we’ve been dealing with multiple security breaches since the school year started.”
“Is that what happened at Thanksgiving?” I ask. “When the Rapture was moved to the dorms at the last second?”
Nico nods. “We’ve been able to shut most of them down in real time, but a few have managed to sneak past our defenses and have caused some internal chaos in our systems while we rooted them out. We’ve fixed the issues that allowed them to gain access in the first place, but the fact that so many have gotten past our security is a problem.”
“If that wasn’t bad enough,” Jordan says. “We were also made aware of a blackmail file the Kings have been compiling on members of the frats for years.”
“A blackmail file?” My stomach goes sour. “Is it as bad as I think it is?”
Jordan nods, his expression grim.
“Am I in there?”
“We’re all in there,” Axel says.
More of that sour sensation fills my stomach as I cycle through the last three years of my memories, highlighting all the times I did something I shouldn’t have or that I regret. How much of that is in the file? How many of my mistakes were captured and stored without my knowledge?
“It’s taken some time,” Jordan continues, and I push those thoughts to the back of my mind and shift my focus back on the conversation. “But Carter was able to track where the original file is being kept in the Kings’ system.”
“Is it still in their system?” Jax asks in a calm voice when Jordan doesn’t continue.
The three of them exchange a look before Jordan nods.
“You might as well just tell us everything,” Jace says in the same tone his brother just used. “Otherwise we’ll figure it out on our own, and probably learn more than you want us to know,” he adds, letting that hang in the air.
Jordan glares at Jace, and I brace for the verbal lashing he’s about to get.
Jordan, Nico, and Axel are damn good at their jobs, and they’ve earned the respect of everyone in the frat, but they have short tempers and love coming up with creative punishments for anyone who steps out of line or pushes back against their “our way or the highway” style of leadership.
They don’t tolerate people who talk back or demand things from them, and I’ve seen them rip people apart for comments far more innocent than what Jace just said.
I can see Jordan’s jaw working as he and Jace get locked in a sort of staring contest, and I can’t hide my surprise when Jordan looks away first.
“We were able to determine that there are actually two separate collections of files,” he says, his voice tight. “Both have been erased from their systems, but there are copies of them on a hard drive hidden somewhere in King House.”
Jace stiffens beside me, and I briefly glance at him. He looks… Pissed isn’t the right word. He’s angry, no doubt, but there’s an eerie calmness under his anger that’s a thousand times more terrifying than if he were raging out.
“And?” Jax prompts.
“The file we don’t have is exclusively filled with information on members of the Rebels.” Jordan looks between the twins. “And from what we’ve been able to tell, there are no dedicated files for the other frats. Which brings us to the real threat, and the reason for all the secrecy over the past few months.” He pauses dramatically. “We have a mole in our midst.”
“A mole?” Jax asks, and the deadly dark calm of his voice sends a shiver up my spine.
Jordan nods grimly. “Someone within the frat has been working with the Kings and feeding them sensitive information, not just about current members, but also past members, for years. Far longer than it takes to get a degree, so this is a systemic issue within the frat and not just a one-off.”
“And you have no idea who it is?” Killian asks.
All three men shake their heads, but something flickers in Jordan’s expression, making me think that isn’t the whole truth.
