Chapter 26
26
Christa
T he next day, I’m comfortably settled into the Hawthorne mansion with a room of my own. Cassius, River, and Nathan spent the night with me, making love until the wee hours of the morning—until I was too tired to think about much else.
By noon, however, I’m in the downstairs home office, serving coffee to Spike and Teagan.
“No one saw you come in, right?” I ask Spike as I give him his cup.
He shakes his head. “Took a cab. Had him go twice around the block before he pulled up to the back gate, just like you told me.”
“River and Cassius are talking to some of their Marine buddies about this, and Nathan is on his way to the FBI’s field office to discretely assess options,” Teagan tells me. “Mind you, they won’t mention your name unless you want them to.”
“Anything we can learn will be useful.” I nod slowly and take a seat behind the desk, a laptop open in front of me and running multiple scanning sessions at once. “And thank you for helping me keep them on their toes after yesterday’s incident, Tee.”
“Oh, I almost got Uncle Zeddy involved. They were hell-bent on paying Vince Mancini another visit, and not the good kind,” she replies.
“Better that they didn’t, though,” I say and turn to Spike. Time to get down to business. “Thank you for making the time, Spike.”
“Hey, if it’s legally shady and it involves taking down some mob pricks, count me in,” he replies with a cool grin, then points to the ankle monitoring bracelet he’s still wearing. “I bypassed this, by the way. The signal is cloned. My so-called handlers think I’m still at home. We’re cool to talk for at least an hour before they check in.”
“Then I will be brief,” I say. “The reason I asked Teagan to come in as well is because she can help us.”
Spike gives her an amused glance. “You? The preppy, Miss Goody Two-Shoes?”
“Come on! When was a Hawthorne ever a real Goody Two-Shoes?” Teagan scoffs.
“I’m already loving the sound of this,” he laughs. “You know, I had the biggest crush on you back in high school. Never had the balls to ask you out, though.”
“It’s a shame,” she replies. “We might’ve made an interesting couple, to say the least. It would’ve pissed my brothers off to the next level.”
Spike playfully wiggles his eyebrows. “Do I still have a shot, then?”
“Sorry.” She shows him the sparkling rings on her fingers. “Someone else got lucky in the meantime.”
“I’m fine with being a side piece.”
I laugh. “Okay you two. So, here’s what I need from you, Teagan.”
“Shoot.”
I point at my laptop. “I’ll need you to take this computer as close as possible to Vince Mancini’s office building. Judging by the blueprints Spike was so kind to provide us with, if you stay in your car, parked in the service alley to the side, you’ll be close enough to their basement servers to run the mirror software I’m installing now.”
“Okay, what does said software do exactly?” she asks.
“It’s a bit more complicated, but in short and sweet terms, it helps me plant eyes and ears into one Mancini-operated server for long enough to let a worm through,” I tell her. “Spike designed it and I’ll be running the code to guide it. I only need you there for twenty minutes, tops. And then you’re gone.”
Spike nods slowly. “The idea is to get into the Mancinis’ main servers via an email link. It’s a high-risk option. It involves a hell of a lot of luck and plenty of things going our way, but it’s our best shot at getting inside without ever setting foot in their offices.”
“Especially their LA-based offices,” Teagan says. “It makes sense.”
“I’m targeting their LA-based server with that worm. I’ll be running it from the Hawthorne building at an ungodly hour, just in case they’ve got anybody from IT with eyes on the system,” I explain. “I’ll bump it through this laptop.”
“So all I have to do is get in that service alley and run the software on this laptop for twenty minutes?” Teagan asks.
“Yes.”
“What happens if they catch me?”
Spike and I exchange nervous glances. “I’ll be fumbling their CCTV footage remotely with a loop, just in case. But if the shit does hit the fan, you just haul ass out of there, babe. And don’t look back.”
“Even if it’s before the twenty minutes are up? Where will that leave you?” Teagan gives me a worried look.
“Same as where I started.”
She shakes her head slowly. “What do my brothers think about this?”
“They’re not fans,” I sigh deeply.
“No surprise there,” Teagan says.
“They’re being protective, and I get it. Lord knows, I appreciate it. And while they’re still working on the legal options… I have to try this, even if it exposes me. I know your brothers won’t let anyone come near this house or their offices. It’s what I’m actually banking on.”
Spike lets a heavy sigh out and takes a long sip of his coffee. “Honestly, I don’t like this either. But Christa and I went over every possible scenario. This is the best out of the worst-case situations, and if it gets her closer to destroying the Mancinis without getting other people hurt or killed, I’m game.”
“They’re rich and powerful and dangerous, but back at Perry-Sage, they relied on my expertise,” I remind Teagan. “Whatever Vince wants to do to me, it’s deeply personal. I don’t think he’s really considered the risks.”
Spike gives me a wry grin. “It’s probably because his father is one of the Mancinis who ended up in prison after Perry-Sage went down.”
“Revenge crossed my mind more than once. Whether it was for the money and the front they lost with Perry-Sage or the actual personal cost doesn’t really matter. He is hell-bent on tormenting me before he kills me. And I’m afraid your brothers, whom I love deeply, might not be enough to stop him. It’s not that I doubt the Hawthornes’ power, it’s because I am well aware of how determined the Mancinis can be.”
Teagan offers a slight nod. “Will it help keep my brothers safe, too?”
“If we succeed, yes,” I say. “All of Federal hell will rain down on that wretched family. They will have no choice but to pull back and close ranks.”
“Once Christa gets into their main system, it’ll be smooth sailing from there,” Spike further explains. “They won’t even know she breached their firewalls. Hell, they won’t be aware of any download or copies made, nothing. I designed my worm to perfection.”
“Teagan, I need to reiterate something,” I gently interject. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Secrecy, however, is of the utmost importance if we succeed. No one can know. Plausible deniability is what will stop the Mancinis’ defense attorneys from any aggressive tactics in court.”
“You thought this through and then some.”
“I had to. For everyone’s sake. If we’re going to survive and even thrive when all of this is over, I have to make sure every crack is sealed and everyone, especially River, Cassius, and Nathan, are protected,” I say.
She gives me a long, pensive look. For a moment, I see that high school troublemaker in Teagan’s hazel eyes. I can almost hear her playful cackle from the last stunt we pulled when we were kids. It got us a few days in detention, but it was worth it.
I have to make this worth it, too.
“You can count on me, Christa. We’re family, even if not by blood. And family means everything to me.”
“Good, because you mean everything to me, too,” I tell her with a trembling voice.
“I’m down for a group hug, if you want, ladies,” Spike chimes in.
That gets a hearty laugh out of both of us, and it moves everything along. I find comfort in the company of my close friends. I find hope in the future for the first time in a while—especially after the desolation I felt on the heels of Vince Mancini’s visit.
I’d hoped for a cleaner resolution.
Alas, Vince Mancini backed me into a corner without fully realizing what I’m capable of.
It’s well past midnight, and I sneak out of the Hawthorne mansion without triggering any sensors. I don’t like not telling the brothers what I’m up to, but it’s for their own good. Cautious and light on my feet, I jump over the fence on the south side of the property and order a car from a ridesharing app.
I have the driver take the longer route across the city along with several unnecessary turns before he drops me off outside the Hawthorne building.
I’m set, Spike writes on our group chat. Ready when you are .
I’m two minutes out from Mancini’s office , Teagan replies.
Give me two as well, and we’re good to go , I text back and slip through the service entrance on the east side of the building. I copied several access cards with different credentials and clearance levels to cover my tracks.
Once I reach my office, I take a deep breath and start my computer, then patch into the live group chatroom that Spike, Teagan, and I set up for this particular mission.
“Alright, how’s everyone doing?” I ask, making sure my Bluetooth earpiece and mic are connected.
“I’m good, ladies.” Spike’s voice pours into my head. “Locked and loaded.”
“I’m pulling into the side alley now,” Teagan chirps.
“If your husband could see you,” Spike chuckles.
I can’t help but smile as I do a quick systems check and turn on every VPN and shield interface I’ve got on this computer before I upload Spike’s worm into an innocuous link and drop it into an equally innocent-looking corporate email that Teagan’s position will help launch straight into the Mancinis’ Portland server.
“My hubby is fast asleep, and I made sure he stays that way ‘til morning,” Teagan says.
“You slipped something in his nightcap, didn’t you?” I ask, already aware of the answer.
“It’s harmless. Herbal stuff. My doctor prescribed it for my pre-wedding jitters!”
Spike laughs. “You devil, you.”
“Okay, I’m in the alley.”
I can’t see any of them, but I have a clear image of Spike and Teagan in my head. Spike is back at his place, running his side of the cyber ops, while Teagan is behind the wheel, parked in pitch-black darkness, hitting the power button on my laptop.
It’s supposed to run smoothly.
“I’m ready on my end,” I tell them. “Systems are up, and the email is ready to send. Teagan, all you need to do is let me know when you get the green window pop-up.”
“Got it. I’m running every icon you have on the laptop’s desktop screen now.”
“Five of them,” I confirm.
“Yes, ma’am. All five running… Ugh, fifteen minutes left.”
“It’ll probably be less than that,” I reply. “I’ve tested it on three different beta targets. Response times varied based on the server size.”
Spike scoffs. “The Mancinis may have a few computer whiz kids on their payroll, but they’re not that smart. Come on.”
“Where are my brothers?” Teagan asks.
“Fast asleep. Though I didn’t use any herbal sleep tricks on them,” I shoot back with a giggle.
“How are they on the baby front?”
Spike groans. “Ladies, this is a massive hacking operation, not a girls’ chatroom.”
“Shut up, we’re good here,” Teagan insists. “It’s quiet. No one’s coming.”
“And Spike has the CCTV footage altered and on a loop for that angle, right?” I ask.
“Absolutely.”
“Then, to answer your question, Tee, they’re stoked.” Spike became privy to the nature of our relationship because he’s one of the few people I trust to keep it a secret. Besides, if this were ever to become public, I would need his scrubbing skills for the worldwide web to protect the Hawthornes and myself. I’m good, but Spike is even better at taking things down from a public platform—especially a media outlet. “Cassius wants us to get the nursery ready, starting this weekend.”
Teagan laughs. “I’d better tell River to keep Cass on a tight leash. Once that man sets a plan in motion, he goes off the rails in minute detail.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you will go through ten different contractors before Cass is happy with the wall colors or the flooring. He is such a stickler for details, I almost kicked him out of our apartment when he first came in to help,” Teagan says.
“That is actually sweet,” I mumble.
“You’re in good hands, Christa,” Spike says. “At least, that’s what it sounds like to me, anyway. While I don’t fully understand how the four of you are going to make it work, I do believe in love. Believe it or not.”
“Aw…” Teagan laughs.
“I’m serious.”
“Shoot, you were right, Christa. The green window is up!”
I input a series of commands from my keyboard and listen to the swishing sound of an email going out. “Perfect; I just sent it. Do you see Vince’s inbox on your screen?”
“I do,” she says.
“There should be an email coming in.”
Spike holds back a laugh. “I wonder what Vince Mancini will say when he learns you hacked into his email without even setting foot in his office.”
“I’ll ask him once he’s locked up for life and rotting in prison,” I mutter and keep writing new code commands, as I’m up against a ticking clock.
“Got the email,” Teagan says.
I nod once. “Great. Open it, then forward it to every contact on the list I saved on the laptop. It will take a little while but just copy-paste the addresses into the BCC box only, then follow the instructions I left there.”
“On it,” Teagan says.
Minutes flow by in heavy silence. I listen to the clicking sounds of Teagan’s keyboard in parallel to mine and Spike’s. It’s a symphony of sorts, a song of righteous vengeance and a cry for justice.
“Okay, done. I sent it,” Teagan replies.
“Perfect. You need to get out of there,” I reply. “Your job is done.”
“Cool. I’ll see you two for coffee bright and early,” she says. “You’re working from home this week, right, Christa?”
“Yes. Thank you, Teagan. Just text me when you’re home safe.”
“And remember,” Spike interjects. “Don’t let anyone—”
“Follow me. Yes, I know!”
With Teagan now offline, I allow myself a deep breath of pure relief. We’re in. Spike’s worm will be opened sometime within the next six hours. It doesn’t matter who opens it within the Mancini organization. It will start a chain reaction in the background, and in less than forty-eight hours, I’ll be able to breach their main systems.
Spike and I will comb through it and organize it in several archived folders, each with their own encryptions and topics. One by one, these folders will be sent to key federal employees within the government—DEA, FBI, NSA, as well as the LA District Attorney. It will be the shitstorm the Mancinis didn’t see coming, and I will enjoy watching them burn.
“We’re looking good so far,” Spike tells me, still in the chatroom. “You should go home, if you’re done, Christa. We don’t want your beaus to wake up and find you missing.”
“Are you sure? I’m just about to input the last line of code.”
“Of course. Go to sleep. You and your baby need the rest.”
I smile softly and log out of my computer. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“Tomorrow.”
I end the call and slip the phone into my purse. Just as I’m about to turn the computer off, the door opens. I gasp, expecting to see River or Cassius or Nathan—assuming one or all of them woke up and realized I wasn’t there. In my mind, I’m already formulating a decent excuse.
But it’s not any of the Hawthorne brothers.
“Christa, honey.”
It’s Alexandra Jones. And I don’t like the look on her face.
“What are you doing here at this late hour?” I ask with a soft smile.
“Looking for you, actually,” she replies. I don’t like the tone of her voice either, or the dead look in her eyes. She takes a gun out of her coat pocket and points it at me. “We need to talk.”
“Whoa,” I manage, dread suddenly freezing my limbs. I stare at her in disbelief, my brain stuck, my breath gone. “What are you doing?
Alexandra steps forward. “I’m giving you the chance to walk out of here on your own two legs, Christa. I suggest you take it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Don’t make me shoot you so soon. My brother and I have quite the playtime planned for you, honey.”
It hits me. First as a fleeting thought. It sounds too crazy to even imagine. It’s nonsensical. I can’t make the appropriate connections either. There are pieces missing from the puzzle, so I’m at a loss for words.
“Your brother,” I whisper, “is Vince.”
Only when his name leaves my lips do I see the slight resemblance in the chin and the cheekbones, in the shape of their eyes, the upturned lips.
Alexandra gives me a wry smile. “Daddy was right. You are smarter than you seem.”
“You’re a Mancini.”
“No, Christa. I am the Mancini. Now, come. We have a lot to talk about.”