Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Barrett
The office lacks the hum of machines and systems working hard. There are two ways to gain access past a security system. Hacking or a power outage. The problem with a power outage in this instance is that we need access to Morrison’s computer.
The alarm system is quiet, the happy green light blinking on the wall. Sage turns to it once we’re inside. Reaching up, she pauses and looks at me with a frown. “How?”
“Magic,” I answer with a smirk on my lips.
She shakes her head, tucking her building keys and office swipe card in her back pockets, and leads me past the offices to the one at the end of the hall. “I don’t have a key to his office.” Despite being alone in the darkened building, her words are hushed.
I quirk a brow and crouch in front of the door after pulling my pick out of my pocket. It takes me twenty seconds to get the lock to turn.
“Mildly impressive.”
“That’s the least of my skill set.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Sarcasm stretches through her false perception.
“Stay here, pet. This will only take a minute.” I pin her in place with a look before entering the office. I don’t sit in his chair and move as little as possible, taking note of everything on his desk before pressing the button to turn on his computer.
As soon as it boots up, showing the screen waiting for his password, I take the flash drive out of my pocket and put it in the side port.
“Now we wait.” I glance up to see Sage hasn’t moved. I allow my approval to show with an appraisal of her from head to toe, making her tuck her chin slightly.
I’m fucked. I need to walk away from her after this. But can I?
Fucking her last night had been a mistake. Taking her to my home had been bad enough, crossing a line that set something in motion. I don’t need to recount everything we said and did the night of the gala.
“How did you get into this business?” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, but despite that small show of nerves, she still meets my gaze, waiting for the answer.
“That’s a bit of a story.” I can’t say it’s a long one. It’s simple to sum up in a few words, but it isn’t something I share. Rafe and Fain know, but it took years for them to figure it out. I never had to reveal anything.
“Do you like it?”
I tilt my head, thinking about it for a moment. “Yes. I do. Do you like your job?”
“I don’t not like it. It’s easy for me and I’ve built it so that I have the flexibility I want. It’s not like I get a thrill every time I sell a property.” She shrugs.
Her freedom means a lot to her. She wouldn’t have that with me.
The computer beeps. Looking down, I see the screen is prompting once again for the password. Corvin, our tech guy, is too good sometimes. He made parts of this job easier and faster. Worth his weight in gold. But we all know that and pay him more than enough.
“Time to go.” I pull the flash drive out and shove it back in my pocket.
“That’s it?” She looks around the office as if she forgot something.
“Yup. The code will do everything we need.” I close the office door and crouch in front of it again to lock it with the pick.
“Which is …?”
“Which is what?”
“What is it you need?” She’s hovering over my shoulder, studying the way I lock the door.
Once the lock snicks back into place, I stand, taking her chin between my finger and thumb on my way up. “I’m not telling you.”
“I don’t understand. You could have gotten in here without me. Again. But you acted as if that wasn’t the case when you showed up at my house tonight.”
“That front door isn’t as easy as this office door.
Sitting exposed on the street while picking a lock isn’t ideal.
And you have the security codes in case anything went wrong.
No one will question an employee coming in.
” It’s because of the urgency behind getting into his communications that I needed to use her.
She’s right, I could have gotten in here without her, but it would have taken longer and the chance of getting caught or leaving evidence was higher.
“This was time sensitive. And on that note, it’s time to go. ”
I can feel the pressure of time winding down. Corvin can’t keep our presence a secret much longer. Using a hand on the small of her back, I steer her through the building and back to the front door. She has her keys ready in her gloved hands.
We’re silent as we exit, lock the door, and make our way back to my waiting car.
“Thank you, pet.”
“What?”
I glance at her through my peripheral. Her grey sweater is soft, exposing more of her left shoulder than her right. I know what that skin tastes like and my mouth waters with the memory. I clear my throat. “Thank you for doing this tonight.”
“Why are you thanking me? I didn’t have a choice.” There isn’t as much resentment in her tone as I expect, but it’s there, simmering.
I sigh and shut my mouth. She doesn’t know I planned to tell her the debt is paid, and I’m having difficulty telling her now. If I set her free, I don’t have a reason to see her.
The same sullen tension freezes between us for the rest of the drive to her place and while escorting her into her house through the shadows. I don’t leave when I should, standing inside with the door shut behind me.
“So? That’s three?”
A perfect opportunity to tell her it’s over, but instead I rake my eyes over her body. I’m a selfish asshole. “That’s three.”
“Barrett?” She whispers with uncertainty.
I don’t like it. Not the name and not the worry in her voice.
“What happened last night can’t happen again.”
I narrow my eyes. Sure, I thought the same thing, but I don’t like the demand coming from her. Grade A asshole, that’s what I am. I stalk toward her. “Why’s that, pet?”
She licks her lips, opens them, closes them, then repeats the motion.
“You don’t have a good reason, do you? Neither do I. I happen to agree with you, but I don’t like it coming from you. I don’t like how it sounds when you say it aloud. But I don’t have any damn good reason not to kiss you right now.”
“We might not be able to think of a good reason right now, but we both have them or we wouldn’t have said it.
” Her breath hits my chin as she talks, but as I’m about to dip down to seal our lips, she turns away.
Her eyes are a storm of emotions. She meant what she said, but part of her begged for him to kiss her, touch her.
Stubbornness rooted itself and her independence stomped its foot.
I refrain from touching her. “Go to bed, pet.” The words are a deep growl, clawing at my throat. The sound resembling the danger I possess when doing my job. She’s trying to distance herself and I hate it, despite planning to do the same myself.
She flinches and I inwardly curse. But she steps back and climbs her stairs.
I leave through the shadows I often call home, satisfying myself with the memories of last night. They’ll have to be enough.