Chapter Twenty-Six

Harvard

I need you.

Man, I’d wanted to hear those words from Sami since I first set eyes on her, and they sent an irrational jolt of pure happiness through me. At least until I reminded my stupid heart that she didn’t mean she needed me. She needed my skills.

Wasn’t that always the way of it? From the day I’d come screaming into this world, I’d only ever been as important as my usefulness. It was why I’d always strived to be the best.

I let go of her and backed up a step. “I’m not going anywhere.”

And neither were we if I didn’t find us a ride. I pulled out my phone and dialed Remy. He was driving that old farm truck, and it was the only vehicle I’d dare put Sami in right now. No onboard computer meant there was no way to hack it.

Unfortunately, Remy didn’t return with the truck. It was Gabe behind the wheel. And I couldn’t even avoid him by sitting in the truck bed unless I wanted to get soaked. A heavy rain had started between my call for help and his arrival.

Sami slid in across the bench seat first. I grabbed the case holding the hornet drone from my car, then climbed into the truck after her.

As soon as the door shut, cocooning us in the ever-present smell of hay and horse, Gabe yanked the truck into gear. “What the hell is happening this week?”

I sighed. I should’ve known he wouldn’t wait until we reached the hotel. “My car was hacked.”

His gaze flicked toward me in disbelief before returning to the road. “A hacker can do that?”

“If you know what you’re doing, yeah. You can also put a virus in a computer or phone battery to make it overheat and explode. The sprinkler system, my car…it’s all computerized. All hackable. Someone has complete control of our network and wants me to know it.”

“Jesus Christ,” Gabe said through clenched teeth and smacked the steering wheel with his palm. His face was harsh on a good day. Right now, he looked like he could chew diamonds to dust. “How were we fucking hacked?”

Shame burned across the back of my neck. We were hacked because of me. I’d been off my game for the last few months. Angry. Mopey. Sloppy. I must have overlooked something, made a mistake somewhere, and because of my negligence, a good kid was fighting for his life. And Sami could have been killed tonight. Twice.

“I’ll figure it out,” I said.

Sami whipped around to stare at me, and I couldn’t read the thoughts behind her frown. Disapproval? Confusion? Fear? Whatever it was, she was freaked out.

Maybe she’d expected me to admit my negligence. And I would, but not yet. Not until I caught Nomad.

I wasn’t afraid of losing my job anymore, but I was terrified that tonight’s hacks had been a glaring neon sign meant for me. A sign that said my world was about to crumble out from under my feet.

It was too much of a coincidence that this had all started happening right after my mother tracked me down. She had her manicured fingers deep in this shit somehow, but she couldn’t be acting alone. She wasn’t smart enough. Meaning I had to figure out which of the other skeletons in my closet had come rattling back to life.

I shook my head at Sami, silently telling her I’d explain later. She scowled at me and turned to stare out the windshield, arms crossed over her chest.

Gabe didn’t notice the exchange. “In light of tonight’s events, I’m lifting your suspension. We’ll still do a performance review as planned at the end of the month, but I need you on this yesterday. This shit hit too close to home. Too close to my wife and baby.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “If Defion is behind these attacks, or that Nomad character—whoever—we need to shut them down ASAP.”

“I’ll start tonight,” I said.

“We’ll start tonight,” Sami corrected.

Gabe was silent for a handful of heartbeats, then released a gusty sigh. “No. Tomorrow is soon enough.”

“We’re vulnerable until—”

Gabe cut me off with a slice of his hand through the air. “Everyone’s exhausted, and exhausted people make mistakes. We’ll go dark for the night. Confiscate all electronics, disconnect from the internet. Allow everyone to get a good night’s sleep.”

I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to track down the asshole—or group of assholes—who had tried to kill my woman twice tonight.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Sami set a hand on my thigh. Every thought left my head, and all of my attention focused on the spot she was touching. The slight weight of her hand, the heat of it bleeding through my jeans.

I should’ve been annoyed that she had that kind of power over me. Instead, I was just in awe that she could quiet the constant buzzing of my brain with a gentle touch.

“It’s a good idea,” she said softly. “We need sleep.”

Gabe nodded once, as if Sami’s word was final. And—who was I kidding—it absolutely was.

“All right. Next issue,” Gabe said. “The hotel’s booked. We got the last five rooms. Sami, I can drop you there, but you’ll have to bunk with one of your classmates. Either share a bed or sleep on the floor.”

No fucking way, the little green monster inside of me roared, but I kept my jaw clamped firmly shut to keep from saying anything out loud. Still, she must have felt me tense up, because she gave my thigh a light squeeze.

“Or,” Gabe continued, oblivious to my turmoil, “I can call around, see if there’s another hotel available somewhere.”

“Just take us home,” she said. “I’ll stay with Eric, if that’s okay.”

My throat closed up. Just closed right up like a fist had clamped around it, choking off my air. She’d called me Eric. I’d asked her to, but this was the first time she’d said it so naturally. She inched closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder.

Was that a hint of a smile on Gabe’s face? No, couldn’t be. The big guy was hard to read in full daylight, so that flicker of a smile must have been a trick of light from passing streetlamps.

“Makes my life easier,” Gabe said. “Let’s go home.”