Chapter 48
Lydia
Becca was incredibly excited about my visiting her office. She introduced me to everyone and showed me practically every office space and person there.
I waited for the waiter to finish putting our plates on the table and leave.
Becca frowned. “I’m going to need context.”
“Those numbers seem to mean something to Langford and you were close to him once.”
“Oh. I haven’t been close to him in years but I can’t imagine what…” Becca’s voice trailed off, and her hand froze with a piece of sushi at her lips.
“What are you thinking?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Becca sighed. “August twenty-fifth was Natalia’s birthday.”
We sat quietly for a few moments before Becca added, “Mark didn’t know her, so it’s just a coincidence.” Her voice wavered, and I remembered at the hotel when she told Daniel that she loved Natalia, too.
“Tell me about her?”
Becca leaned back with a sad smile. “We kind of grew up together. She went to our high school and was Danny’s age.
She would come over a lot to hang out with him.
Nat was hysterical and smart. I fell in love with her the first time she came over and cackled right in Alec’s face when he tried to give her some back-handed comment about her scholarship.
It didn’t matter what happened or what you’d say to her, nothing would surprise her.
She’d shoot out the best possible response or have crazy ideas for every situation in a heartbeat. ”
“Sounds like a smart woman. I can see how she’d be a good agent.”
“Yeah,” she said in an exhale. “I can’t believe Danny didn’t tell me how she died all this time. I was with him at the funeral, I cried with her parents, I mourned her just like he did.”
“You’re mad at him for not telling you.”
“Yes. No, I mean, I understand but… Fuck, I don’t know. I’m sure it felt a lot worse for him. He was there when she died and they were so close.”
“Were they together?”
“I thought they were in the beginning. They would spend every waking moment together, and she even slept over a lot. But I think they were just really close. They both dated other people. They loved each other, that’s all I know.”
I hadn’t realized that I was frowning until Becca added, “Does that bother you?”
“No, why would it?”
“Because you and Danny are together now. You looked kinda… you know.”
Jealous?
“It wouldn’t bother me if he loved someone in the past. I just… have you ever loved someone? I’ve never been that close to anyone.”
How could I explain that what I had with her and Daniel was new to me? I couldn’t even imagine the level of love she described with Natalia. Did that mean I wasn’t capable of it?
I asked another question before she could answer the previous one.
“How can you be sure Langford didn’t know her?”
Becca hesitated and shifted in her seat. “Her family wasn’t like ours or Mark’s.”
“You mean she wasn’t rich?”
“Yeah. There’s no way that she and Mark hung out in the same circles, and he didn’t go to our high school or her college.”
“Langford’s family is like yours? Doesn’t that mean you’d have crossed paths at those fancy events you guys go to?”
“Yeah. That’s where he and I met after I graduated.”
“Did Natalia ever go to these events? If she and Daniel were close—”
“Yes! Danny took her loads of times. Pretty much any time he wasn’t seeing someone, she was his date. You think Mark met her there?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know why it would matter if he did.”
When we finished our lunch, I texted Daniel, asking for Cole’s number. I needed more information to piece everything together, and he could answer some of my questions.
Becca and I made plans to meet up again at Mel’s, and until then, I planned on going home, showering, and lounging on my tiny comfy couch with an iced coffee.
* * *
After I showered and made my coffee, I paced my living room and called Cole.
“Cole,” he answered.
“It’s Lydia.”
“You okay, little one?”
I smiled at how quickly his voice softened when I identified myself.
“Yes. I have questions that I think you can help with.”
“Shoot.”
“You know about the op that involved Daniel’s algorithms and you were there when Natalia died, correct?”
“Why do you think I know about the op?”
“I heard Jake and Daniel talk about it. Jake said he got the information from you. And Daniel told me that you were there when he tried to save Natalia.”
“What’s your question?”
“What can you tell me about the one with Daniel’s tech?”
“Nothing more than you know. Mission went bad because the comms were hacked.”
“They were trying to get back a stolen device.”
“Jake didn’t tell you that.”
“Kernel did.”
“Fuck. What else he tell you?”
“The stolen device was tracked, military sent a team to retrieve it and then, like you said, comms hacked, mission went bad.”
“So what do you want to know? I can’t give you the details.”
“I don’t need the details for now. I need to know if you know more about that mission. Were you involved?”
“Yeah.”
“Then tell me how the two connect—the two missions gone bad. First the op to save Natalia and then the one with the device and Daniel’s code. Besides Kernel being involved, is there anything else?”
“No. Why? What have you got?”
“I don’t know yet. My brain is itching and there’s something wrong. I think Langford knew Natalia. And if he did, he cared about her. Her birthdate is all over his passwords, but it’s a long shot that they knew each other.”
“Shit. That’s messy.”
“I know. Even if they did know each other and were close, how does it affect any of this? Could Langford have hired Kernel for both hacks? Why would he want Natalia dead?”
“I don’t see it. The first hack involved burning agents.
Langford was rich, but he was still young.
He didn’t have the power or ambition for that.
I can’t tell you what’s on the device in the second hack, but it doesn’t fit his profile.
Selling agent identities and stealing military devices is terrorist shit. ”
“Different category of douchebag.”
“Exactly.”
“I guess my brain’ll keep itching. Thanks, Cole.”
“Got a question for you, little one.”
“I owe you that. Shoot.”
“What’s your body count?” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I grinned. “Worried it’s higher than yours?”
“Nah. You’d have been on the news.”
“Three, as far as I know. But I thought it was one until a few days ago. I don’t usually wait around when I’m defending myself. If I hurt them enough to get away, I do. If they end up dead after I’m gone, I wouldn’t know.”
“Who’s the third?”
“Someone who deserved it.”
I heard a soft chuckle. “Well, let me know if you need help with the next one.”
“See you around, Cole.”
I kept pacing for a while. There were too many moving parts, and they almost connected. It was like putting together puzzle pieces that matched in shape, but the image they created was completely off.
Unless…
I needed to get the timeline straight with Daniel.
If I put aside the two ops and accepted that other people hired Kernel for those, then I could focus on connecting Langford and Natalia.
Still, I couldn’t imagine why it would matter.
If, somehow, Langford cared about Natalia, it would explain why he gave Becca a job at his company when she graduated.
Natalia probably told him how much she loved the Masons.
Would losing her make him bitter enough to hate Becca so much? I didn’t even know for sure if he was responsible for Vince and Luther attacking us—I was just assuming it.
I left my melted iced coffee in a small puddle of condensation on the kitchen counter and fell asleep on my couch for a much-needed nap.
* * *
Becca was already waiting for me at Mel’s when I got there. She sat at a corner table with a cocktail, a tall glass of beer for me, and a plate of fries.
“So, you and Daniel.”
We spent all morning together, and she hadn’t said a word about it. The only time she mentioned it was the message she sent me when she found out, telling me not to hurt him.
“Yeah.”
“Pretty sure you were wearing his shirt this morning.” She sipped her cocktail with a raised eyebrow.
“I spent the night at his place and didn’t have a change of clothes. I won’t dress that way on Monday for work.”
“Oh no, babe. That’s not where I was going with that,” she said a snort.
“Are you sure you’re okay with us being together?”
“Of course I am! I just need to remind myself that you’re impossible to tease.”
“You were trying to tease me?”
“Yeah, about spending the night at his place and wearing his shirt. You know, something that people might tease friends about. I mean, I don’t want the details since it’s my brother, but have you two…” Her voice trailed off.
“Had sex? No. He’s letting me set the pace and I’m learning how to deal with what I imagine a healthy relationship feels like.”
“Well, I’m here if you want to talk. Not the sex stuff, but if he’s being an ass, I’m here for you.”
Once again, I felt something new—a small knot in my throat and an almost pleasant pain in my chest. The fact that she would even suggest being my friend if things went wrong with her brother was so foreign to me, I think it made me emotional.
“Thank you. It means a lot.”
“I’m guessing the men in your past were assholes?”
“That’s an understatement. My last boyfriend was a dick. I spent time with him because he was fun and I liked riding with him and his friends. He taught me how to ride a bike, which I ended up loving.”
“What happened?”
“He never cared about me. I didn’t actually mind—I mean, it was kind of mutual. But when he got violent, I left.”
Becca put her hand on mine and looked at me with enough intense anger to make me flinch. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I wish I was there for you like you were for me.”
A large hand rested on my shoulder. The scent of Daniel’s body wash engulfed me.