Code Conspiracy

“For communicating, but nothing for an abduction.” She tossed the mangled napkin onto her plate. “You know Olaf went into hiding when he felt the snare tightening.”

“It was worldwide news. Of course, I know.” He reached across the table and entwined his fingers with hers. “When I heard that, all I could think of was you and your safety, and now here I am contributing to the danger.”

Her heart fluttered when Gray said things like that to her, but pretty words didn’t mean much. She hadn’t been able to count on him before. He’d bolted once and he might do so again when he got what he wanted from her. It might be even worse this time if he felt guilty over his complicity in hacking into secure systems, but this time those systems belonged to rogue government employees, not the good guys as Gray had assumed.

Just because his family was so plugged into government service didn’t mean all those nameless, faceless bureaucrats roaming the halls of Washington had the best interests of this country as their number one priority…or as any priority.

She disentangled her fingers from his. “You’re not endangering me. I was onto this conspiracy before you arrived in New York, although I have to admit the data I stumbled on piqued my curiosity even more when I realized the person at the center of this swirling controversy was none other than your commander, Major Denver.”

Gray cocked his head to the side. “You surprise me, Jerrica West.”

“Why?” She slid her hands from the table and tucked them between her bouncing knees. Had she revealed how crazy attracted she still was to him?

“You remembered my Delta Force commander’s name. I guess you were listening to me.” He brushed his fingers together over his plate, a smug little smile playing about his lips.

Listening? She’d hung on to every word out of his mouth, never quite believing he was truly hers or would stick around. And she’d been right.

“You had some interesting stories, yourself.”

“I thought…” He shrugged his broad shoulders, and a tide of color rushed into his face.

She narrowed her eyes. “You thought what?”

“Once I learned about your line of work, I thought your interest in me had more to do with what I could reveal about our defense than me personally.” He thumped his fist against his chest.

“You said something like that before and it’s idiotic.” She grabbed her purse and shot up from her chair. “Let’s go.”

He followed her toward the door so closely she could feel his warm breath stirring her hair. For a good-looking guy, Gray had a surprising number of insecurities. His well-connected family had mega bucks, and she’d figured it always had him wondering if women wanted him or his family’s wealth and connections.

With her own stash of cash in the bank from the settlement and the modest way she lived, he’d never been able to accuse her of going for the gold, so he’d made up another reason that she’d be interested in him.

She tossed her head and flicked her gaze at the many women tracking his progress out of the coffeehouse. Did the man have a mirror?

When they hit the sidewalk, she took his arm. “I’m worried about Amit. We have to find him before they hurt him.”

“Or break him.”

“That’s not going to happen.” She pulled him toward the subway station. “Olaf’s army is loyal. We don’t break.”

“You may not break under the gentle, monitored, legal questioning of the government, but that’s not what we’re dealing with here. If these are government agents, they’re not your mother’s government agents.”

She tripped to a stop at the top of the stairs leading to the platform. “Your mother’s, maybe. They’re exactly my mother’s and my father’s.”

As she trotted downstairs, tears blurred her eyes and Gray put a steadying hand on her back.

He ducked his head to hers. “Sorry. Stupid thing to say.”

When they boarded the train, she gripped the pole and swayed toward him as the car moved forward, her eyes locking onto his dark blue ones.

She shuffled closer to Gray, almost whispering in his ear. “Amit’s in danger, isn’t he?”

“You’re both in danger.”

“I have to tell Olaf. Maybe we should go to the Dreadworm offices now.” She chewed on her bottom lip, all the sweetness of the lemon cake gone.

“And get followed? Not a good idea.” He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Stop doing that. You’ll make it bleed.”

“You’re right. Now is not the time to go running off to Dreadworm. That’s what they’d expect.” She slid a gaze to the side. “Someone could be on our tail now.”

The train squealed as it rolled into their stop and the force threw her against Gray’s chest. She rested there for a few seconds, long enough for Gray to balance his chin on top of her head.

“We’ll figure this out. We’ll find Amit.”

As she pulled away from him, strands of her hair clung to the scruff on his jaw, connecting them for seconds longer, seconds she needed to collect herself.

They hustled down the sidewalk, shoulders bumping, and she’d never felt so safe—except for the last time Gray had been with her in New York—before he found out what she did.

When they reached her building, one of the other residents pushed through the door and held it open for them, nodding at Jerrica. She gave him a hard stare.

The door closed behind them and Gray watched her curiously. “You don’t know him?”

“I do, but he’s never seen you before in his life. How’d he know you were with me?”

Gray raised his hand clasping hers. “Maybe this is a hint.”

“You never know. I could be your captive.” She studied Gray’s face, but he didn’t even roll one eye. That attack had scared him as much as it had her.

They clumped up the stairs, their boots filling the staircase with noise. Jerrica placed her hand against her door and turned the first lock.

She froze as icy fingers played up her spine. Then she hissed between her teeth. “Someone’s been here.”

Chapter Four (#udd91938a-3a8b-5848-8720-801a1eaf13f8)

Gray’s muscles tensed and he stepped between Jerrica and the door. He bent his head to hers, his lips brushing her ear. “How do you know?”

“This lock.” She circled a piece of tarnished metal with her fingertip. “It locks from the outside with a key. I locked it when we left, and now it’s not locked. The other two lock automatically when the door closes.”

“Unlock the rest and stand back.” He hovered over her shoulder as she shoved her key into two more locks, clicking them open.

Earlier, he’d taken one look at that line of locks on Jerrica’s door and figured he’d have better luck coming through the window. Had someone else come to the same conclusion and then left through the front door?

Or was that someone else still waiting inside?

As he pushed into the room, he clutched the gun in his pocket and tensed his muscles. A breeze ruffled the curtains at the window—the same window he used earlier.

“You didn’t leave a window open a slice, did you?”

“Absolutely not.”