24. Making New Friends is Always Fun
I THINK MY brain is going to melt and leak out of my ears. Unless my eyeballs fall out of my head first. Honestly, the chance of each happening is fifty-fifty at this point.
Leaning back in the chair my butt might be fused to, I let my head fall against the rest as I blow out a long breath. I’ve been at this for three days now, and while I was initially excited to finally be sort of living my dream of working for GHOST, this shit is getting really old. I keep hitting dead end after dead end and I feel like I”m banging my head against a wall.
I’m tired of sitting, so I might as well get up and get some more coffee. I think I”ve consumed my body weight in those fancy metal pods Vincent stocks in his breakroom, but one more won”t hurt.
I give Elias a nod as I pass, but don”t smile. Because Vincent doesn”t smile at anyone, and I”m still doing my best to be a reflection of him. I don”t want my presence here to do anything to undermine his authority or make his employees see him differently. I know his reputation for being an asshole is important to him.
Which is kind of hilarious, considering if you look hard enough, it”s clear he”s not a fucking asshole.
The breakroom is a perfect example.
I walk into the ridiculous room and go straight to one of the many expensive single cup makers lined down the granite counter. After making my coffee selection and setting it to brew, I go to the fridge to pick a bottle of water. There”s all kinds. Flat. Fizzy. Flavored. Mineral. Vincent stocks it all. He also stocks soda, juice, and tea. Hell, I think there”s even chocolate milk in here.
The breakroom isn’t only stocked with beverage choices. The cabinets are lined with a variety of snacks and food. Everything from cereal to granola bars to shelf stable microwave dinners. There”s also recliners and a giant television for anyone who wants to take a little rest during their paid, hour-long lunch break.
I”ve also discovered there”s a gymnasium, sauna, and even a set of luxurious locker rooms for anyone who wants to take a shower after their workout.
This is all on top of fantastic wages and excellent healthcare. Plus 401(k) matching.
Anyone who thinks Vincent is an asshole should be fired. Because if they can”t see the truth under his gruff exterior, they sure as shit shouldn”t be investigating the world wide web as a career.
My coffee finishes and I doctor it up, fitting the lid into place before brewing a second cup. Vincent sat with me the entirety of the first day and half of the second. After it became clear this wasn”t going to be a quick fix, he started leaving me for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. Then his disappearances became longer and longer, which made me feel a little less like he was worried I’d do something stupid that might give away my location, and more like he realizes that, while I might not have been included in the decision to move my life here, I’m not making any plans to leave. By force or otherwise.
As soon as his coffee’s done, I put a lid on it and slide it into a sleeve before going out to find him. He”s usually pretty easy to track down, so I”m not worried. The one time he wasn”t in his office, it was because he was in the training arena with Amos, going over a delivery of new equipment.
Luckily, they must not have gotten a shipment of anything today, because as I expected, Vincent is in his office, sitting behind his desk, working at his computer.
He glances up as I walk in, eyes meeting mine over the tip of his readers. He’s stopped asking me if I found anything. He drops his glasses onto the desk and leans back. ”You look tired.”
I snort, because I am, but I”m not going to tell him that. He”d take me home and tuck me into bed and refuse to fuck me until I got a full night’s sleep.
”I think it just takes me a little bit to reacclimate when I leave the pit.” I hold out his coffee, moving close to slide my butt onto his desk as I take a sip of mine.
Vincent sets his cup down and scoots closer, running his palms up the fronts of my thighs. ”I think we need to come up with another plan, Jules. If you haven”t found what you”re looking for by now, you aren’t going to find it.”
It”s pretty much the same conclusion I”ve come to over the past couple of hours. ”I just don”t understand how they were able to scrub away so much.” Most people don”t know how much data we create in everything we do. Every phone call. Every Google search. Every bill we pay. Every email we send. Hell, the likes and hearts we give people”s posts on Facebook. Just going about normal life leaves piles and piles of data and code.
But the people I”m hunting for weren’t just going about their normal lives. They were digging into systems and penetrating firewalls. Accessing servers and collecting information. Even if they did it from behind a proxy server using a VPN, the amount of evidence they would have to scrub is astronomical, but somehow they”ve done it.
Which is what has me thinking.
“Do you think someone designed a program that can erase that much data?” It’s a pretty far-fetched idea since not only would it have to erase data, it would have to erase only the relevant data.
Vincent studies me. “That’s not a bad theory, Jules.”
His praise makes me want to preen, but it’s unwarranted. ”I don’t know. I feel like if someone had been able to create a program that could achieve this, I would have heard about it somewhere.” I motion toward the pit. ”Someone here would have heard something about it.”
Vincent’s eyes move over my face as his jaw works the way it does when he’s considering something.
”What are you thinking?”
His eyes move to his open office door before coming back to me. He inches in a little more, dropping his voice low. ”There is someone else I could ask. Someone who might have heard something.”
”Then ask them.” I scoot his laptop closer. ”Do it now.” Vincent doesn’t like asking for help, I get that, but now’s not the time for him to be stubborn. I’m not going to let him.
Vincent closes his eyes, letting out a long breath. ”It”s not that easy.”
I purse my lips, trying to figure out what he means. ”Why not?”
Vincent”s hands move up and down my legs, his touch warm and steady. ”She works for Alaskan Security.”
I study him for a minute as a few dots connect in my head. “Is she the one who breached the system yesterday?”
I came across the breach while Vincent was off doing his thing, but I made sure Elias was aware of it the minute I caught it. Whoever it was didn’t stay long and didn’t leave much evidence behind, but they were still there. I panicked, thinking it was the same people we’re currently looking for.
Who are also currently looking for me.
But Elias didn’t seem worried. Which I thought was strange. Almost as strange as when Vincent didn’t seem worried. Now I know why.
Vincent leans back in his chair, rubbing one hand over his face. ”Technically, Heidi has access to GHOST’s systems.”
My brows climb in surprise. ”But she works for Alaskan Security.”
”She does, but she’s good at what she does. If she wants to poke around GHOST in her free time, she can.” He gives me a little smile. ”Plus, she”s been doing this since she was born. Her generation is a different breed when it comes to this shit.”
That has me thinking. ”I might have someone I could ask.” I don”t necessarily want to involve my son in this, but if I can”t figure out who”s behind this, he will end up involved anyway. I’ll have to send Vincent to go kidnap both my boys and bring them here so I can keep them safe the same way he”s keeping me safe.
Yet another reason I”m not too upset with the way he handled things. I get it.
”My son is going to school for IT, and I bet he dabbles in the same things I do.” Holden’s never come out and said it, but I know my son and I know me. And he”s basically just a younger, smarter, boy-version of me.
Vincent rocks his jaw from side to side, like he”s just as hesitant to bring Holden into this as I am, but finally tips his head in a small nod. ”See what you can find out. Try to make sure he isn”t too suspicious of what’s going on, just in case he’s deeper into things than you expect. I don”t want him getting into a mess trying to protect you.”
”I don”t think he would dig too deep.” I chew my lower lip. ”Especially since he doesn”t really know what I do.”
Vincent laughs, his head tipping back. ”You are a sneaky woman, Jules.” He stands up, leaning close, his hips braced between my thighs. ”How about you set something up with him, and I”ll see what I can find out. Sound like a plan?”
This is another thing I love about Vincent. He includes me. Sure, he doesn”t technically want me working at GHOST, and I”m almost to the point where I understand why, but even if I don”t officially work here, I”m still going to be involved. We talk about what’s happening within the company every evening at home while we’re eating dinner and piled on the couch together watching television. The first couple of times, it was odd to see Vincent so domesticated. But the more it happens, the more reasonable he looks kicked back on a sofa in a pair of joggers, watching The Great British Bake Off with me.
”Sounds good.” I think for a second. ”Which computer do you want me to use?” If he wants to keep Holden away from all this, I can”t go back and use the computer in the pit. I definitely can’t use it if we decide to have a Zoom chat. And, considering I haven”t had a chance to go pick up a new cell phone, that’s probably going to be our only option.
Which reminds me.
I poke Vincent in the stomach, the tip of my finger meeting rock-hard ab. ”I need a cell phone.” Technically, I still have a cell phone, it”s just shut off with the battery popped out of the back so no one can trace it and figure out where I am. My boys can still easily reach me through one of the many social media apps, but I told them to only use that if it was an emergency, because data. No matter how careful you are, it”s impossible not to leave a trail.
Which is why I know those fuckers who broke into my place left one. It”s there, I’m just not looking in the right place. And I’m starting to get pissed off about it.
Unless someone has developed a way to make it all disappear. If that”s the case, shit’s about to get real tricky for GHOST and the other groups like them.
Vincent steps to one side, scooting his chair my way. ”You can use this laptop. It”s not connected to GHOST in any way and the IP changes every hour.”
That makes it just like the one he has at home. Between the proxy server, the VPN, and a private program similar to Tor, it would take a huge amount of work to track me down and then get through the firewalls to access my data. Probably the same amount of work we’ve put in to trying to find those pricks who showed up at my condo, which is why I’m so freaking pissed we haven’t been able to find them.
I slide off the desk and into the chair. Vincent sets me up, opening the app my son uses the most before leaning in to press a kiss to my forehead. It”s one of the many sweet gestures he does on a regular basis, and I fucking eat that shit up.
I beam up at him. ”Are you staying?”
His fingers slide down my cheek. ”I’ll give you your privacy.” His hand moves away and I miss his touch already. ”Plus I need to go check in with Amos and Elias. Make sure everything is going the way it should be.”
I give him a wink. ”Don”t forget to hit Heidi up.”
He sighs. I know he”s not thrilled about dealing with the Alaskan Security mess. ”I will.”
I offer another smile as he leaves, watching until he’s out of sight because holy crap on a cracker is that man fine. Even better, he”s mine. Vincent has left nothing between us to interpretation. There”s no guessing. No wondering. No questioning if he feels the same way about me that I feel about him.
I don”t have to question if he wants me. He moved my whole life here. Moved me into his house and into his life. A life he’s never shared with anyone. And it has me smiling from ear to ear. I roll my eyes at myself. ”You’re a freaking mess.”
I type out a quick message to Holden, sending it just as an email notification pops up.
Glancing at the doorway, I hesitate just a second before opening it. Vincent never pretended he wasn”t going to dig through every bit of my life, so I”m not going to feel bad about looking at every bit of his. I open the message and almost laugh when I see who it”s from.
”Asshole.” He could”ve told me he already messaged Heidi. That they”d been chatting back and forth the past couple of days.
So far it looks like she”s been trying to dig up the same shit I have. Would”ve been nice to know that. Maybe we could have dug into it together. Combine forces rather than duplicating efforts.
Which gives me an idea. I type out a reply, grinning as I send it her way. By the time I”m done, Holden has replied to my message.
I can talk now.
I click on the video chat icon, and it starts to ring. A few seconds later, his face pops into view. He’s such a good-looking kid, even when it”s clear he’s stressed, not getting enough sleep, and probably existing on pizza and pop.
”How”s it going?”
He gives me a little shrug. ”You know how college is.”
It”s been a hell of a long time since I was in college, and it was nothing like it is now, but I nod anyway. ”Make sure you”re getting enough rest. Everything goes to shit if you don”t get enough sleep.”
He rolls his eyes. ”Yes, mother.” He gives me a smile. ”What”s up?”
I can see the background behind him shifting. He”s probably walking between classes, so he won’t have a lot of time. That means I have to jump right into this.
”I just had a quick question about IT stuff.” I resist the urge to fidget and try to look relaxed. Like this is just a normal, casual question. ”We”ve been doing some different things at work, and I came across someone who said something about being able to scrub data in a way that hides your trail.” I rub my sweaty palms down my pants. ”Have you heard of anything like that?”
The phone tilts away, aiming at his chest for a second before bobbing back up to his face. ”I mean, it’s possible someone has come up with a program that does that.” His eyes focus on the screen. ”But I can’t imagine you would need it for what you do.”
I shake my head. ”Oh no. Not for what I do.” I”m still shaking my head and have to force myself to stop. ”I just thought it was interesting and was curious to see if you”d heard of anything like it in one of your classes.”
His eyes move up over the phone, looking around as he continues to walk. ”I haven”t heard of anything like that in my classes.”
”Okay. I just thought it was interesting.” I give him a smile even though I”m disappointed.
”I get it. I find that kind of shit interesting too.” He slows, the background finally evening out. ”I’ve got to go. I’m at my next class.”
I manage to brighten my smile a little bit. ”Okay. I should have a new phone in the next few days. I”ll text you my number when I have it.”
”Sounds good.” He gives me a lopsided grin. ”Love you. Hope you”re not freezing your tits off.”
I shake my head on a laugh, because boys. ”They’re both still hanging in there. And I love you too.” I hold my smile until the chat is disconnected, and then I let it slip.
Well, fuck.
Blowing out a breath, I stare at the email icon on Vincent”s computer. Hopefully Heidi is as great as it seems like he thinks she is, because she might be our only option.