Night Hack: A forced proximity alpha hero hacker romantic suspense (Nightshade Book 4)

Chapter 7

Brycen

“You’ve gotto be fucking kidding me!” Shane swore under his breath as he inspected the box’s contents with rubber gloves from a crime kit he kept in his vehicle.

After discovering the haphazardly discarded package on the floor of what Jana and her coworkers called the bullpen—a cheesy term for which they’d dubbed the space where calls were received—I’d immediately called Shane in.

“This motherfucker is one sick fuck,” I muttered under my breath because it was still business as usual for all dispatchers, but they were all aware that something was amiss amongst them. “Jana’s in one of the quiet rooms, so do what you must, but I need to get back to her.”

“I’m on it,” Shane shook his head. “How she doing?”

“She’s a basket case, but she’ll be okay. She has to be.”

The man finished putting everything in an evidence box, rose to his full height and studied me. “Be careful, man. I could tell there’s something there between you two, but?—”

“But nothing, Shane,” I told him. “We met before this shit happened, all right? Am I interested, sure. Do I want more? It’ll depend on her, but not until this horrorfest is over and done with.”

The man nodded in understanding. “Just have the good sense to know if you’re in too deep. We’re all here for you, Bryce.”

I know.“Yeah, thanks.”

“Go check on her. Meanwhile, I’ll get this to the precinct. I have no fucking doubt this stuff will solidify the partnership between me and the FBI now,” Shane grumbled, grabbing the box.

“Keep us posted.”

“Like yesterday, right?” His brow was arched in a humorous fashion.

“You know it.”

Jana

Just as the memory of those bloody tendrils of hair and scalp threatened to get the best of me, making me one with the room’s waste basket, Brycen entered the quiet room.

“You okay?”

Fighting the urge to vomit, I shook my head and stopped almost immediately because the motion made it worse.

“Shane came and went. He collected everything and is sending it all to the lab for analysis as soon as he gets to the precinct. He seems to think that this will solidify their hunch that all three victims are linked.”

You think?I thought to myself, but mumbled, “’K,” then focused on my breathing.

The man approached, took a seat right next to me, then began to rub my back in gentle circular motions. It soothed some of the nausea away. The heat of his thigh pressed against mine reminded me that I wasn’t in this alone either.

“Steve’s giving you the rest of the night off.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I think we should get out of here, get you home.”

“’K,” I repeated my earlier statement.

My gaze fixated beyond my home as Brycen parked his Range Rover. For a split second, I got caught up in worries about what would happen if I had to go into hiding. After all, this guy knew my name, and now which building I worked in, as we have three dispatch offices serving the greater Jacksonville area.

“I’ll get your door.” Brycen hurried from his seat, then ran across the front of the vehicle to my side of the car.

Escorting me to the front door, he used the key to let us in, deactivating the alarm that had been installed earlier this week, then he reset it.

“You’re safe now,” he whispered, just as I turned to face him. His arms were open and at the ready, as though he expected me to collapse at any moment.

“I don’t feel it,” I admitted, taking the one step that brought me toe to toe with him. Without asking for it, I simply took the comfort I knew he was ready to give me. Collapsing into his chest, my hands grabbed the front of his shirt while his arms surrounded me in a tight hold.

“Shane just called,” Cade greeted us from the kitchen entranceway. “Jason had to unexpectedly go into work,” he explained his sudden presence inside my home. “Everyone okay?”

“I wish you could all stop asking me that,” I growled into Brycen’s chest. It was solid. Secure. Pure and total comfort, and I was finally feeling able to let go of said comfort to vent. “This has just started and I’m already sick of it. No, I’m not okay. I’m freaking out, dammit, and I’m scared shitless! Why me? Why the fuck me?”

Anger may have gotten the better of me, but my burst of energy was short-lived. So short that once the last of my words left me, I collapsed, darkness enveloping me.

My lids felt as though cement weighed them down, but I managed to slowly take a peek of my surroundings: the softness of the couch, a pillow under my head, a blanket over my legs, and my shoes gone.

“Hey,” Brycen whispered as he swiped a strand of hair off my forehead, “you’re back.”

“What happened?”

“You lost consciousness, sweetheart. I want you to stay where you’re lying. I have some hot tea here for you, if you’d like some.” Immediately, Brycen produced a cup. “This should help curb those shivers of yours. Here, lift your head a little.”

With a hand supporting the back of my neck to aid me in lifting my foggy-minded head, Brycen handed over the mug of tea. Closing my eyes, I savored the sweet apple-like scent of chamomile. “Mmm…” I licked my lips after my first sip.

“Good?”

“Yeah. Can I please sit?”

Brycen grabbed the cup, set it down, and proceeded to help me do just that, keeping me covered with the throw I recognized had come from the couch. As soon as I sat upright, he took a seat next to me, but in the couch’s corner, then he handed me the tea again.

“Where’s Cade?”

“He left after he made you the tea,” Brycen’s lips ticked up. “His apology for throwing you over the edge.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have lost it on him.”

“You’ve been through a lot. It’s understandable.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have gone off on him like that.”

“Hey.” His hand reached out to pinch my chin lightly, turning my head so our eyes connected. “In case you haven’t noticed, he’s kind of a badass.” He smirked, then added a shoulder shrug. “We all are.”

I knew my reciprocal smile was strained. “And that means?”

“It means that we can take it.”

I could barely stifle the yawn that manifested itself.

“Come here,” Brycen lifted his arm and pulled me into his side. “Finish your tea. Then you can get settled for bed, and I’ll head outside to my post.”

On another yawn, I closed my eyes and mumbled, “Don’t go.” The last I remember is the light feeling of my mug being taken from my hands, a gentle jarring of our bodies as I presumed Brycen had deposited the cup of warmth he’d provided me to the side, then what felt like the scruff of his face buffing the top of my head as he said, “I’ve got you. Just sleep.”