Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Paige
I had no idea why his words stung. “Believe what you want. You don’t know me.”
“How can I?” he shouted, throwing his arms out to the side. “You won’t tell me a damn thing about you,” he continued shouting.
His office door opened, and a woman stood on the other side.
“What’s going on in here? I could hear you down the hall.”
“Morgan, Paige. Paige, Morgan Hamilton, Roman’s wife,” Parker said.
“Oh my gosh.” She smiled. “I’ve been dying to meet you. Roman told me what happened.” She walked over and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Paige.”
“You too, Morgan. I need a computer to plug this phone in and crack the password,” I said to Parker as I pulled the phone from my pocket and held it up.
“Does that belong to the guy you just killed?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” Morgan gasped. “Come with me, Paige. I can help with that.”
“Morgan is our private investigator. She’s a genius hacker and can get into anything,” Parker said.
I followed Morgan to her office. When I stepped inside, I looked at the wall filled with monitors and a state-of-the-art system.
“Hand me the phone, and I’ll get it unlocked.” Morgan smiled.
I handed her the phone, and she plugged it into her system.
“So, Paige. Did you really kill the person this phone belongs to?”
“I didn’t have a choice. He pulled his gun on me.”
“I get that.” She smiled. “You’re CIA?” Her brow arched.
I stared at her momentarily. I trusted no one. But there was something about her that seemed warm and familiar.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. My father was a brilliant hacker and a private contractor for the FBI. They murdered him in our home while I was upstairs.”
“What? Why?” My brows furrowed.
“Because he created something completely untraceable and they wanted it,” Morgan said. “Anyway, after I graduated from college, I went after the men who killed my father.” She opened her desk drawer, and I looked at the gun she had stashed in there. In that moment, I knew she could be trusted.
“Ex-CIA,” I said. “But that’s all I can say.”
“I knew it.” The corners of her mouth slightly curved upward.
“It’s a long and complicated story. Maybe one day I can tell you.”
“You don’t have to tell anybody anything you don’t want to.” She reached over and placed her hand on mine. “Look at that. The phone is unlocked.” She smiled.
“Thanks.” I grabbed the phone and walked out of her office.
“Paige?”
I turned around and looked at her.
“If you need any help, let me know.”
“Thanks, Morgan. I will.”
“Since you’re Parker’s bodyguard, are you coming to family dinner tonight?” she asked.
“I don’t have a choice. Where Parker goes, I go. Please don’t tell Parker what I told you.”
“You have my word,” she said.
Behind Amanda’s desk was a chair next to the filing cabinet.
Taking a seat, I glanced at Parker when he emerged from his office and talked to her.
He was way too handsome for his own good.
He had an attitude with me, but I didn’t care.
I wasn’t the type of person to get close to anyone, and I always kept my emotions in check, which wasn’t hard since I barely had any.
But there was something to be said about our one night together—a night I couldn’t seem to forget.
“Bro, I need you in court with me. We have to leave now,” Julian said, walking over.
“Why?” Parker’s brows furrowed.
“Pam is second chair, and she just left to go home. She’s been in the bathroom for the last half hour, throwing up. So, I need you to be second chair.”
“Come on, Julian. I’m buried in work,” Parker sighed.
“Please, bro. Roman is already in court himself.”
“Take an associate.”
“No. I want my brother next to me.”
I stood up and shoved the phone inside my bag. “Let’s go. I’m driving.”
Parker sat up front, while Julian sat in the backseat. When we arrived at the courthouse, I carefully checked out the surroundings before letting them get out of the car.
“All clear,” I said, opening the passenger door.
“This is fucking ridiculous.” Parker shook his head.
We stepped inside the courtroom, and I took a seat in the back while Julian and Parker took their places up front.
Pulling Jason’s phone from my purse, I tapped on the messaging app first. No texts to or from Elias.
Checking his call history, I scrolled through the names and numbers and still found no trace of Elias.
These guys were careful, more careful than I’d given them credit for.
Tapping on the email app, dozens of unread messages filled his inbox.
After typing Elias’ name in the search bar, one came up from six months ago.
The subject line was blank, and when I opened it, the only words on the screen were: “Final arrangements confirmed.”
After court let out, I drove us back to the firm so Julian could get his car.
“Are you coming back up to the office or heading home to change?” Julian asked Parker.
“Going home. I’ll see you at dinner,” Parker said.
“Thanks for the ride, Paige.” Julian winked.
As I drove out of the parking garage, Parker looked at me.
“I saw you scrolling through that phone in the courtroom.”
I didn’t answer him.
“Damn it, Paige!” he shouted. “You killed a man and stole his phone.”
“He worked for Elias, and if I didn’t, he would have come after you. Make no mistake, Parker. Elias will send every one of his men to try and kill you. You won’t be safe until I take them all down. Elias doesn’t play around. If he thinks you know something, you’ll be eliminated.”
I pulled up to the stoplight that had just turned red. Unlocking my phone, I brought up the picture of the woman and shoved it in Parker’s face.
“He did that to her,” I said. “And if I hadn’t shown up, he would have killed her when he was done with her. God knows how many other women he did that to.”
“I hope she’s going to be okay,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s enough therapy in the world that can help her after what she’s been through.”