Page 108 of Desiring You

“Hey, big guy, back from a successful tour of Canada, I presume?”

I grunted. “What did you ask Phoebe to do?”

He scoffed. “You were going to ask her to research for the company. Since the two of you weren’t really on speaking terms, I did it for you.”

“Dom!”

He snickered. “It was no big deal. I just asked her to look into the microplastics thing and Jamarion a little, try to find out more about what he’s after. He didn’t send his resignation to the Board while you were gone, so I thought that might mean he was up to something again.”

I turned into my driveway, wanting to look everything over at home. “Have you seen what she found in her research?”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “Look, I wanted to reconnect the two of you. I thought asking her to help with this project would give you two a reason to be in the same room, but then with what she found you have to get back.”

I grunted. “Not until I fix things with her.”

He sighed. “Fine, get caught up on the dirty details and go see her. Remind her of why you two should be together. Then get your ass back to Seattle. There’s work to be done.”

* * *

The moment I opened my laptop, I found several emails from Phoebe. Another one from the company caught my eye, though. Something about a recent hack of Piercing Tides, an investigation into it, and how our information may be at risk. I tried to stay calm. I really did. Clicking on Phoebe’s emails, though, there were paragraphs about what she found, what it meant to me, and how deep these problems ran. How people I trusted can’t be trusted anymore. Skimming over the misdeeds, the betrayals, and how she got all of this by hacking my server, my blood boiled and my skin felt tight. She got caught hacking my company which might not be mine much longer.

Printing everything, I hopped in my truck and raced for the library. She hacked my fucking company leaving behind a trail to be discovered? She knew how to get in and out without leaving a trace. Why would she put my job at risk like this?

I slammed my way into the library and came face-to-face with Gladys.

“Phoebe’s friend, right?” she asked nervously. I nodded. “She’s through there in study room B. But sir, I must ask you to respect the library rules. This is a quiet area.”

I gritted my teeth. “Yes, ma’am.”

With long strides, I stood outside the door vibrating with anger. I took a breath, tried to be more level-headed, but I completely failed as I threw the door open. Holding a wad of papers, I seared her with my gaze. “What the hell is this?”

She squinted at them. “You printed all that? How archaic.”

I growled and slammed the door. “Raven! You hacked my company for this?”

She winced. “Look, I’m sorry. I know this wasn’t what you were expecting, but it’s all there. I researched microplastics, the costs of R&D, and when I dug into your company, I found out what J was doing.”

I glared down at the papers in my hands. “How could you be so careless?”

She tilted her head. “Careless? I’m a journalist and a hacker. Dom told me to look into things for you doing what I do. I was myself, just like you wanted me to be. Remember?”

I held my fist up to my mouth trying to keep it together. “I want you to be you and not be so self-conscious all the time. I want you to be here with me. I did not ask you to dive into people’s emails at my company, leaving a trail that would come back to me.”

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head at me. “I didn’t get caught, Ransom. I’m not a novice.”

I dug through the paperwork in my hands. “Well, I got an email saying our company has been hacked. And I know you were digging around in there. Eventually, someone’s going to figure it out and it’s going to come back on me.”

She stood and snatched the paper from my hands. “This wasn’t me. Someone else hacked you. Don’t you see? It’s not just Jamarion involved anymore. Check in with the fucking Chairman of your Board. Ask him why he and Jamarion are getting cozy with a shark named Wyatt Raisel whose business is handling mergers and acquisitions in a less than friendly way. Jamarion and Martin exchanged several emails about Wyatt’s opinions. Then ask Martin why he’s been having lunch with the R&D guys at one of your competitors, Bottles Anew. They’re trying to merge, force you out, and leave you with a bad reputation and not a cent to your name. But whatever. Do whatever the fuck you want.”

I shook my head slowly. “Martin was on my side a week ago.”

She crossed her arms. “Martin got in over his head in his last two land deals. He invested big, liquified assets to cover things while the properties were built, but they aren’t selling the way he thought they would. He’s strapped for cash and needs the money he’d get from the merger.”

It felt like my whole world just blew up in front of me. My throat went dry. My heart was broken in so many ways.

My voice was a low growl. “But I trusted them.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose. “I trusted the wrong people. I gave chance after chance to do the right thing and all I get is a knife in the back in return.” I gestured at her. “Sound familiar?”

She threw her hands in the air. “I’m not stabbing you in the back! I understand this stuff about J is upsetting, but this isn’t about us.”

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