Chapter 23 #2
Fuck, being so close to my setup yet still so far away is torturous.
It doesn’t take long to find the password-protected records portal. From there, I walk him through how to load the program that will crack the password required for access.
“Medical records databases are the longest. The encryption is really good,” I tell him as the cursor on the screen turns into a wheel and spins.
For several heartbeats, I watch it. Shit. Why is it going so fucking slow?
What is Soundview going to say about Lena, a.k.a. Jade?
Could she be Scarlett?
My leg bounces while I continue to wait, nervous energy coursing through me.
“It would go faster if I was doing this myself.”
That’s a lie. This program takes a while. But it’s the most reliable I’ve got.
“I wish you were doing it yourself too,” Cole grouses. “I fucking hate this shit.”
Neither Cole nor Sawyer love the technology side of our work the way I do. I miss the feel of a keyboard under my fingers, the glow of monitors as I pull records.
My cyber knowledge complements the competency with which Cole and Sawyer work in the field.
And that’s ideal, since I don’t belong in the field.
Yet here I am.
But for as badly as I want to be behind my computer setup, I wouldn’t leave here if given the option.
I can’t walk away from Cy.
And that’s a problem.
Before I can delve deeper into my feelings for him, the program finishes running and the portal opens.
The rush that hits me is instantaneous.
It’s the same one I’ve experienced since I was fifteen years old.
It’s addiction.
Computer style.
“Looks like there’s a search feature,” I say. “Try—”
“I know how a search feature works,” he grumbles. With the speed of a snail through molasses, he types in Lena Calder’s name.
I tap my phone screen to check the time, and my heart plummets. Fuck. The ceremony starts in a matter of minutes.
“Could you type any slower?”
“Hey, Usain Bolt. You want me to type it quickly or correctly?” He clicks the magnifying glass next to Lena’s name.
No records found.
“What the fuck?” If I were there, I’d go through a series of search options, digging deeper.
But I’m stuck in a ski lodge a hundred miles away.
“What about—”
A knock on my door interrupts me before I can ask Cole to search dates.
For a heartbeat, I struggle. I want to see where this search goes. But what if Cy is on the other side of door?
Before I’ve figured out which I want more, a voice comes through the door.
“Compass ceremony in ten minutes.”
It’s a man, but I don’t recognize the voice. It’s not unheard for a random employee to round us up and keep us on schedule.
Why does the knowledge that it’s not Cy make my chest squeeze uncomfortably?
“Okay, thanks!” I call out. Then I pull the phone closer to my face. “I have to go,” I whisper.
“I heard. I’ll keep poking around and see if I can find her records,” Cole says.
“Check the dates. Gotta go.”
I power the phone down, then hide it in the hidden compartment in my suitcase, committing to be more cautious from here on out.
Luckily, I had enough time to do my makeup and get dressed while I waited for Cole’s call. Without shoes on, the teal dress Jessie insisted I buy drags on the ground. But with the way my ankle still twinges occasionally, I’m not going to put heels on until I absolutely have to.
Shoes in hand, I race—okay, move somewhat normally—down the stairs.
I’m late, but at least I’m not the last one. Kendall, Jade, Josie, and Simone are waiting, but there’s no sign of Brielle.
“Was that dress in Cy’s room too?” Kendall sneers.
She’s been the most hostile toward me all along. In the beginning, she was more covert about it, but since Cy and I were stuck in the cabin overnight, she’s dropped any pretense of civility.
Not that she knows what happened.
Nobody does but the two of us.
And nobody will ever find out.
I’m taking details of that night with Cy to my grave.
What about last night?
The image of him cradled between my thighs yesterday pops into my mind, his phantom weight pushing against me. My lips tingle in response, my nipples puckering against the padding of my strapless bra.
Then there’s the memory of his arm locked around my waist as I drifted off to sleep.
It’s for the best that we didn’t go farther last night. If we had, I don’t think I could hide it so easily today.
Yeah, tell that to the massive case of blue bean you’re still suffering from.
Orgasm interruptus sucks.
Orgasm interruptus when I know the power a release given by his hands possesses?
Let’s just say my fingers don’t quite compare.
It’s better if I ignore Kendall. Cy doesn’t want her. He wants me.
And nothing she says or does will change that.
I walk past her without a word, and when I find the tape with my name on the floor instead of the riser, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Where’s Brielle?” I ask Josie.
Even though she’s been more standoffish with me, she hasn’t turned into a raging bitch like Kendall, and she’ll still talk to me.
Josie shrugs. “She was here earlier, but Mara and Alicia called her away.”
“But Alicia’s right there.” Frowning, I point to where she’s reviewing notes with the camera crew and the director.
“And Mara just went to get Roman,” Josie says. “Actually, she’s walking in now.”
Sure enough, Mara walks in, glasses perched on top of her head, gripping her iPad. She looks more frazzled than normal, her movements less confident, like she’s unsure about the way tonight should go.
It’s the third compass ceremony. Even I know what to do. So what’s up with her?
Mara taps Alicia’s shoulder, then the two of them stand in front of the room. Mara claps once to get our attention, and the room goes quiet.
Roman leans against the doorway looking bored.
And orange.
Very orange.
Has anyone told him to tone down the technicolor?
I bite my lip to hide my smile and turn my attention to Mara and Alicia.
“Ladies, Cy is on the way,” Mara says, “but I wanted to let you all know that Brielle is no longer here.”
I suck in a surprised breath. Brielle was almost as feral for Cy as Kendall is. What happened?
“Why?” I ask.
Was she sent home? Alicia told me Cy couldn’t send contestants home without a compass ceremony. Did she ask to leave? If so, why?
“Production received an anonymous tip that Brielle used to be an exotic dancer in Las Vegas. One who earned extra income for participating in…other activities. She—”
“Since when is being an exotic dancer illegal? Even if she was a prostitute, she’s from Vegas, where it’s legal,” Jade says.
The information I dug up didn’t mention anything about Brielle being a prostitute.
Does Jade know something I don’t?
Also, why is she coming to Brielle’s defense? Sticking up for anyone would be a first for her.
Subtly, I study her, attempting to reconcile the Jade I’ve known with the idea of Lena Calder.
Moneyed family.
Psych stays. Plural. Long term. For what?
Who is she?
“That might be the case,” Mara says to her. “However, the show runner and production have decided that since Brielle didn’t disclose that information, it was best for her to leave the show. The audience will be told it’s for personal reasons.”
Tablet clutched to her chest, she scans us all.
“Cy has already been briefed. But if you take one thing from the situation, let it be this. If you’re hiding anything—and I mean anything—it’s better for you if you come to production and fill us in.
That way we can get in front of any potential scandal.
Julian doesn’t like surprises. And neither do we. ”
Mara’s attention shifts from Jade to Josie to Simone before moving to Kendall and finishing with me.
My breath stalls out. What the fuck?
She knows what I’m hiding.
One of the things.
Mara knows why I’m here.
Yet suddenly words crowd my mouth, eager to escape, to confess about the other night.