Chapter 20
TWENTY
Efa
There aren’t many places I don’t bring my laptop, but meeting Bennett’s friends should be one of them. Instead, I’ve slipped my computer into my tote like I’m heading to the library to work on some code.
After hassling Bennett to put me in touch with his head of security as soon as we got back from the Catskills a couple of days ago, I’ve been rooting around, trying to find patterns in the security breaches. Trying to put the information together so it makes sense. I’ve been trying to figure stuff out.
Luckily for me, Bennett has been stuck working since we got back—his penance for a midweek break, he said. I’ve gotten some time alone, which has meant I can work as well. If Bennett had been here, I’m sure I would have been naked all day.
My body’s grateful for the break. Every part of me is tender, but I can’t ever say no to Bennett. I don’t want to.
“You okay?” He squeezes my hand as we head up the steps of the brownstone.
“Yes. Should I not be?” I grin at him.
“You don’t need to be nervous.”
I laugh. “I’m not. If these guys are your friends, I’m sure they’ll be welcoming and charming. I’m going to love them.”
He knocks on the door. “You’re not concerned that they might not like you?”
“Should I be? Of course they’ll like me. Americans always like the British.”
“Tell that to seventeen seventy-six.”
I laugh and he grins at me—not because he’s amused by his own joke, but because he’s happy he made me laugh. My joy brings him happiness and that gives me a sense of peace that I’ve never known before.
I met him just a few weeks ago, but I understand Bennett on a level I never expected. And he gets me like we’ve always been meant to be together—it’s just taken a little while to find each other.
“You brought your laptop?” he says, peering into my tote.
I shrug, trying to act like it’s no big deal. The fact is, I’m really hoping to have a chance to do a bit of investigating into Bennett’s cyber stalker-slash-hacker. Surprisingly for a man with Bennett’s power and responsibility, he’s really good at ignoring his phone when we’re together. I’m willing to bet he’s the same with his friends. It’s just a hunch, but Bennett not looking at his phone for a period of time each week would be a good opportunity for a malware attack on Fort through Bennett’s phone. Malware attacks can slow up a phone, so Bennett would know something was up if there was an attack while he was active on his device.
It’s a long shot, but I have little else to go on. I just don’t want to tell Bennett. I have a feeling he wouldn’t take it well. The only people who know he’s not looking at his phone during these Monday night get-togethers are his five friends—the ones he trusts with his life.
I don’t have to explain myself, because the door unlocks and a tall guy with geek glasses and long hair pushed back over his ears, opens the door.
“Wow, Bennett,” I say. “Your friends are hot.”
Bennett rolls his eyes. “Worth, this is Efa.”
I hold out my hand in formal greeting, but Worth pulls me in for a hug. “Delighted to meet the woman who keeps this guy on a leash.”
“Oh it’s the other way around,” I reply. “I’m always on all fours around him.”
Worth barks out a laugh and beckons us inside.
We’re shown downstairs to the basement. It’s got a bar area at one end and a huge screen on the other, with comfy-looking velvet chairs arranged in stadium rows. A couple of guys are gathered around the large black bar. The entire room has a moody vibe, and I don’t need to ask whether Worth’s married. He’s definitely a bachelor with décor like this.
We’re given drinks and I’m introduced to Jack and Fisher as we stand by the bar. They’re both hot, but if I have to put them in any kind of hotness order, which of course I do, I’d have to put Bennett at the top, with Worth coming up behind as a close second.
“Byron isn’t coming, so we’re just waiting for Leo,” Worth says.
“Waiting for Leo?” Bennett says. “When does that ever happen?” No doubt, that’s his new girlfriend’s fault. Bennett sounds like a jealous ex. I slide my hand into his, hoping it will calm him.
What’s his problem? Is it the change that’s the issue? Does he hate the idea that anybody could be added to these sacrosanct Monday nights? Does he not like sharing Leo’s attention?
“You’re from London, I hear,” Jack says, pulling my attention away from Bennett’s reaction. “It’s my favorite city. Particularly when Leo and Fisher are in New York.”
“Nothing beats it,” I say.
“Not even New York with this uptight asshole in it?” Jack asks, nodding at Bennett.
I laugh. “You’re saying that like it would improve New York’s chances. There’s a reason Bennett isn’t front and center of New York’s tourist board advertising campaign.”
Jack chuckles.
“I’m offended,” Bennett deadpans, and I can’t help but laugh at his sarcasm.
“Sounds like she’s gotten to know you pretty well,” Jack says.
“Oh hey—thanks for letting us stay at your beautiful place in the Catskills,” I say to Worth. “We had the best time.”
“No problem. I like to get up there as often as I can.”
“I told her that’s where you like to bury the bodies,” Bennett says.
“Great location,” I say. “Such a choice of burial sites.”
“Oh my god, you two are made for each other,” Jack says. “I’ve never met anyone with a sense of humor as dark as Bennett’s.”
I grin. “I have an older brother who was quite the emo in his day. Gallows humor doesn’t scare me.”
The doorbell goes and Worth moves away from our group to answer it. I wonder if I’m going to get the chance to disappear and run the tests I really want to while all these guys are together.
There’s something weird about the most recent attacks on Fort. I’m not sure Bennett’s team has picked up on the shift, but recently they have fallen into a fairly predictable pattern. They seem to escalate at the same time each week. And they get more aggressive each time, coming progressively closer to breaking through the firewalls.
It happens every seven days—although it doesn’t look like that at first. You have to dig deeper, but when you do, it’s clear the attack is on some kind of cycle—not unlike Bennett’s catch-up with his mates on Monday nights. I just want to flip open my laptop and see if there’s anything lurking, waiting to pounce on Bennett’s phone.
“What’s the time?” Jack asks. “Does this thing actually work?” He nods at the screen at the other end of the room. “Or is it there to look pretty?”
Worth comes through with two people who I assume are Leo and his girlfriend.
“It works,” Worth says. He’s clearly overheard Jack moaning. “Stop bitching.” He slips behind the bar.
“I’m Efa,” I say to Leo’s girlfriend. She’s beautiful—like, straight from a catwalk, legs for days, green eyes with extra-long lashes, and blonde hair that sweeps back like she’s in front of a wind machine.
“Hi.” She leans forward and air-kisses me on both cheeks. “I’m Nadia,” she says. “Leo’s girlfriend.”
“Let’s sit,” Bennett says. “You don’t want to watch sports, do you?” he asks me.
I know I’m here to keep Nadia out of Bennett’s way. And I’m happy to help. “Nadia and I can catch up by the bar,” I say. “As long as you have snacks, Worth? Tell me you have a bucketload of carbs for me.”
He grins and pulls out packets of kettle chips, corn chips, popcorn, and pretzels. “Worth, are you single?” I ask. “Because I just became extremely attracted to you.”
Bennett bends and kisses me on the head. The boys head to the chairs while Nadia and I take seats on barstools.
“So how did you meet Leo?” I ask Nadia.
She shrugs. “A party. A friend of mine was opening a club.” Her eyes flit to the door. “I’m just going to pop to the ladies’ room.” She pats me on the hand, takes her phone and slides off her stool.
I peek over at Bennett. As I suspected, his phone is nowhere to be seen. He glances over at me and I blow him a kiss. I swear I catch the beginnings of a blush before the TV snags his attention. I’m not even going to pretend to be interested. I can barely cope with the rules of sports I’ve grown up with; I’m not going to start to learn weird American games.
Nadia is taking her time. I hope she’s okay in there. I’m just about to take my phone out and text Eira when she reappears.
“Has it started?” she asks me.
I nod. “I think so.”
“Shall we go and sit?” she asks.
“Oh, I thought we could chat?” I say. “Are you from New York?”
She glances between me and Leo. I’m not sure I’m going to be very helpful keeping her attention away from him for the evening. She seems super keen to be physically close with him.
“Russia,” she says.
“Oh!” I reply. “I didn’t detect an accent.”
She shrugs, her eyes pinned on the screen now. She’s not interested in me. “I’ve been modeling so long, I guess I lost it.”
“Oh fun. You’re a model?” I ask, stuffing two corn chips in my mouth.
“Yeah, I still do some.”
“And that’s why you came to New York?” I ask her, desperate to keep her attention for as long as I can. “I’d never been before this trip. It’s a great city.”
“It’s a great city if you have money,” she says. “Otherwise it’s a shit city.”
Her aggressive tone catches me off guard. I can’t think of what to say.
“Baby, I miss you,” she croons over to Leo. Apparently he doesn’t hear her, and her mouth sets in a hard line. She turns back to me. “You think we should go over?”
She really has no interest in getting to know me at all. I can’t exactly pin her to the barstool. “I’m going to stay here,” I say. “Bennett gets so little time with his friends, I don’t want to impose.”
Her eyes linger on me longer than before. They flit down my body, like she’s taking me in, then she looks away. “Yeah. You’re right.”
If she did go and sit with Leo, I might get a chance to open my laptop—but then Bennett would be miserable. No matter what happens on the TV, tonight’s going to be a losing game. For me at least.