Chapter 12
12
“ I go to the gym a couple of times a week,” I say, smiling. “But honestly, cleaning houses is a workout in itself.”
“I bet.” But then his phone starts ringing with a sound that’s vaguely familiar. It sounds like that video game my brother used to play. Before I can place it, Patrick’s expression shifts.
“Fuck,” he mutters, pulling his phone from his pocket. “What’s up?” he answers, pausing mid-step on the sidewalk. A male voice comes through the line, speaking rapidly. Patrick’s brows furrow.
“They penetrated that?!”
I can’t help it—I burst out laughing. He squeezes my hand and glances at me, mouthing “Sorry,” while the guy on the phone keeps talking.
After a few seconds, Patrick pulls the phone down and taps the mute button. “I have to head back and get on my laptop for at least an hour …”
“Oh …”
“There’s a small team trying to steal someone’s Bitcoin from our platform. It’s kind of an all-hands-on-deck situation.”
I’m taken aback by the seriousness in his voice. “I can drive you back,” I offer.
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll call a ride.”
“No, I’ll drive you. I can hang at the house until you’re done.”
His eyes search mine, unsure. “It might take more than an hour.”
“I think you’re going to work as fast as you can.”
Patrick lets out a breath and smiles. “I will,” he says, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. “So, where’s your car?”
I nod back toward High Five, and we start walking. “The CEO of the company is on mute right now, so I really need to get back to him.”
“Um, casual.” I laugh, impressed and more than a little curious. CEO? Patrick unmutes the phone, and I hear him say, “I’m actually in Lake Geneva right now. It’s going to be a few minutes until I get back to my laptop.”
As we walk, I sneak a glance at him and pull out my phone. Cryptoball. I quickly Google it, wanting to know more about the company. Right. The CEO is Declan Kruk … he owns the most expensive house on Geneva Lake. That’s why it sounds familiar.
The more I read about the company, the more fascinated I am. This is a huge company, and Patrick is talking with the CEO right now.
“The other backdoor,” I hear him say, and I giggle again. Why does everything have a double meaning?
Patrick squeezes my hand again. “I’m really sorry,” he says after hanging up.
“It sounds like it’s an urgent situation.”
“Our CEO offers five million dollars to anyone who can hack into our systems, so …” He trails off. I wonder if he’s nervous about what he just said.
“So, you’re a millionaire, got it,” I tease. He did tell me he hacked into this company earlier.
“Not many people know that,” he says, definitely more cautious now. “Anyway, this person has hacked enough that they’re close to getting that money, but … it sounds more like a black hat situation.”
“They’re trying to steal Bitcoin?” I ask, wanting to know more.
He nods, his face serious. “Yes, which would be really, really bad for the company’s reputation if they succeed. It’s never happened before.”
“Should we walk faster?”
Patrick laughs, but the stress is still visible in his eyes. “My team is handling it for now, but when I get back, I need to review everything.”
His team? I raise an eyebrow. “I think you’ve been downplaying your career.”
“It’s my job … I don’t want a career. I want to be retired, especially when shit like this happens.”
He’s stressed. We silently walk to my SUV. We were just starting to connect, and now this? I feel a little deflated.
“Can I be rude and be on my phone the entire drive back?” he asks, giving my hand a little squeeze.
“Of course. I won’t bother you until you’re ready for me to bother you.”
“You’re not bothering me. Work is.”
Sitting on the couch overlooking the lake, I realize I’ve never truly enjoyed this house before. It’s always been about work—frantic cleaning sessions with my team, racing against the clock. Even with four people, this place takes hours to get through. But now, sitting here with nothing to do but wait, I take it all in. It really is beautiful.
“Hey,” a voice interrupts my thoughts. I glance up to see the Dubois guy I met briefly yesterday.
“Hey,” I respond, suddenly self-conscious about being here. “Sorry, I’m just waiting for Patrick.”
“You’re a guest, I know,” he says, giving me a casual smile. “Patch told me what’s going on. Can I get you anything?”
Patch? That’s cute. I smile, feeling more relaxed. “Water would be great.”
“Brandon, by the way,” he says, handing me the water.
“Rachel.”
He leans against the wall, looking thoughtful. “I’m proud of him, you know. For flirting with you. He’s usually his own worst enemy when it comes to women.”
“Well, I’m happy he showed up today. He’s … cool.”
“The coolest.”
I’m curious now about their friendship. “How did you two become friends?”
“We work at the same company.”
“Are you a hacker too?”
He laughs. “I’m not that smart. I’m more of a relationships guy. I focus on bringing high-net-worth clients to the platform.”
Rich kid, makes sense.
“Patrick seems like a big deal at your company,” I say, testing the waters.
“He is. CIO.”
I cock my head. “CIO?”
“Chief Information Officer.”
I blink, his title sinking in. Why did he downplay this? “Why didn’t he mention that?”
Brandon shrugs. “Because that’s just him …” He hesitates, then smirks. “If you want to learn something epic about Patch, you should Google his name and casino hack 2021.”
Now I’m really curious. I pull out my phone again, and when I search, the results make my heart race. Patrick Nowak.
“Holy shit,” I whisper to myself. He’s like … a real hacker. My jaw drops as I read. The casino hack. He and a group of guys took down an entire casino, putting cats on all of the slot machine screens. Cats . Funny. He said he wasn’t black hat. “Whoa,” I breathe out. Felony charges? Computer Fraud and Abuse Act violations? My eyes keep scanning the article until I see the charges were dropped, and the casino later hired him as a consultant.
That was nearly four years ago. Four years ago, he was twenty-three. Four years ago, I was engaged and planning a wedding. Both of us are living such different lives now.
And for some reason, instead of being freaked out, I’m even more intrigued by him. Chuckling to myself, I wonder why I’m so turned on right now.
Patrick rounds the corner, and I look up, still reeling from everything I’ve learned.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your life,” I say, shaking my head.
“My life?”
“Brandon gave me some things to research.”
Patrick’s expression tightens. “Oh …”
“Good thing you’re not a convicted felon.”
“You don’t want to know how much I’ve spent on lawyers.”
“Seems like it was worth it …”
“I agree.”
We stand there, the severity of everything hanging between us. What should I do with this information?
“So …” I start, trying to gather my thoughts.
“So,” Patrick echoes, smiling. “I’m not going to be bothered until Monday morning, and I told Declan he has to hire your company to clean his lake house for the inconvenience. What’s your number? I’ll text it to him.”
“That’s how you’re going to ask for my number?”
He chuckles, extending his phone to me. I type in my number and save my contact, then call myself.
“I’m turning my phone off until I leave here tomorrow,” he says as I give it back to him. I feel very special.
“Cats,” I say, still in disbelief about my search. He sits next to me on the couch, our shoulders brushing. Neither of us says anything, but the silence feels comfortable. I lean into him, and he puts his arm around my shoulder, giving me a little squeeze. “You may be the most interesting person I’ve ever met,” I admit.