Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
Bennett
I’m used to being called cold and emotionless. It doesn’t bother me. It’s not that I don’t feel anything, I’m just used to doing the feeling inside. I don’t like to show people what’s going on.
“Your pacing is making me nervous,” Aarvi says.
I understand her nerves. She’s not used to seeing me like this any more than I’m used to being like this.
“So it’s definitely Leo?” I ask.
She told me last night, but I wanted her to go through everything again today.
“Definitely.” She winces slightly, but I catch it.
“What?”
“There’s just one thing that doesn’t add up.”
“Tell me,” I say.
“Well, yesterday, I replicated some of our systems—put dummy files in and routed the hack through there.”
“So they think they got into Fort but didn’t?”
She nods. “Yes. I was hoping it might lead to some kind of clue as to what they’re looking for. The only thing is… I don’t know, maybe I’m misreading it, but it’s like they knew it was a booby trap. The door was open but they didn’t come through.”
Efa’s face comes to mind. “Efa knew we were on the case. She’d probably guess that we’d rerun the trace.”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t Efa. She and I chatted and it’s clear she’s out of her depth with this. She relied on Tristan heavily. She’s been taught the right stuff by professors, but she hasn’t had experience putting it into practice.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Some of the questions she’s asking. The assumptions she’s making. This is routing through Leo’s phone. But I wonder if there’s someone using that as a cover.”
“I suggested that. But who?” I ask.
“It didn’t seem probable before, especially as the only people to have access to you were the five guys plus Efa?—”
And then the penny drops like a fucking ton of bricks on my foot. “Nadia.”
“Who?” Aarvi asks.
“Leo’s girlfriend. New girlfriend. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! She’s been right there in front of me. Why didn’t I think about her?”
“Who is she?”
“She’s appeared out of nowhere.” I let out an ironic laugh. “Fuck, she’s been submissive and uber charming. Can’t leave him alone for five seconds. Christ, it’s not Efa, it’s Nadia. Get Chul on the phone. We need him to check her out immediately.”
Chul tells us it’s going to take some time to check out Nadia. After all, I have no surname or photo, and a quick search reveals she has zero social media presence. Maybe Efa would have more details about her—she sacrificed more than one night trying to run interference for me—but that situation is complicated. Until I can get certainty on Nadia, I’m not speaking to anyone about this situation.
I need to be sure. About everyone and everything.
But relief floods through me like a collapsed damn. I don’t know what I’d have left if Leo had been the one betraying me. Or any of my friends. I’m not sure I could have handled it. And now I don’t have to.
“Thank fucking god,” I say out loud, because I can’t keep it in any longer.
It’s not Leo.
It’s not Efa.
I feel it in my gut. Yes, I want confirmation. I want to understand who and why and every other detail. But at the same time, the hurricane inside me has slowed to a breeze.
If it’s not my friends, and it’s not Efa. This will be rough for Leo, but he’s strong and he’ll get through it. At least it’s no one any of us have known for long—not someone part of our inner circle.