7. Sloane
7
SLOANE
N ot waiting to be invited, I charge toward the office when Shepard calls to the others that he found something. I refuse to be left out of this and make it back to where he’s stationed at my desk.
The anger bristles through me as he sits back in my chair, the drawings from my daughter posted behind his wide shoulders. One of the few pictures I have of me with Reese smiling from beside my computer cranks up the need to kick Shepard out of my space.
“You know, there are three other open stations you could sit at instead of mine.”
He levels me with a look that promises to enjoy pushing another one of my buttons. “Yeah, I know, but they don’t show me what you’ve been working on, do they?”
I cross my arms to hold in my biting retort as Cole and Hastings materialize at my back.
“And surprise, surprise. You didn’t tell me everything. Again.”
My mom-look does nothing to his stony smugness.
The other two flank me on either side, like they’re closing ranks on me. Like I’m going to run from this confrontation. I have no stakes with these guys, so I don’t need to hold back.
I wave my hand for him to show me what I didn’t tell him. Because unless he’s digging around in my personal life—something I do not keep on my work computer—there’s nothing else to tell him. Not unless he found some mistake I made.
And if he did, I want to know so I can keep it from happening again.
I take responsibility for my actions. No matter what anyone else says.
“Someone breached the security while you were cross-referencing. By the time stamp, it was when you were showing Boone what you found.” Shepard’s stony blue eyes dissect me, pressing his power even though he is seated.
I bet that big frame of his had to do a lot of his talking for him, given how he excelled at being a nuisance. My hand itches with the want to smack him.
“And how was I supposed to know someone breached security?” Because really, talk about outside my job description. I work with spreadsheets and forms, not security and tech.
Fury burns hotter as he continues to examine my face and posture for dishonesty. Hypocritical since an auditor wouldn’t be checking my computer for hackers. It only confirms what I suspected about the presence of these three men.
“Did you see the screen flicker?”
Blinking hard, I frown at him. It did flicker. But the computer’s old. Welcome to working for the government. I mean, really, how do they not know this already? “Yes.”
Shepard raises his brow at me, like I’ve been caught.
I drop my arms to plant my hands on my hips. “And how am I supposed to make the cognitive jump from a flickering screen to getting hacked?”
“Not hacked. Breached.”
“Since I don’t know the difference, you can see how your accusation is falsely placed.”
Oh, my God, is he smirking at me?
My hands curl into fists as he shakes his head.
“They weren’t looking for you, specifically, but they found you.”
Cold dread coats me, extinguishing the fire I’d been ready to breathe on him a second ago. I latch onto the anger of being misjudged to keep from crumbling under the unknown fears that those words manifest in my imagination.
I’m in danger. That’s obvious. But how much? What about Reese? Do they know where I live? Is there a way to backtrack and figure out who these people are?
Will this get us closer to figuring out why my inventory is so messed up?
Is that why Caspian Vorn so breezily made his threat to me to stop digging?
“And what does that mean?”
Rhett comes into view beside Shepard, the concern in his brown eyes threatening my newly erected walls around that small version of myself I’ve been for so long—the one that always needs so much help, that can try and try and still not measure up, that will never be strong enough to stand on my own.
“It means you’re a target of some unknown entity, and they’re likely dangerous,” Cole says at my back.
I whirl on him, my emotions whiplashing through me. “Yeah. No shit. But what does that mean? I’m not backing off this just because someone doesn’t like that I’ve found it. Not with what it could mean to the men and women who are out there fighting. So don’t even think about getting me benched on this.”
He holds his hands up placatingly. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I wait for him to get on with it. He’s handling me with kid gloves. It’s almost worse than Shepard’s constant poking.
The gray-blue of Cole’s eyes search mine in a much different way than Shepard did, though. Something about Cole radiates an earned authority, one that comforts me with the knowledge that he’s dealt with whatever and worse plenty of times.
That if I just listen, he’ll keep me safe.
It also pings another part of me that I don’t want to acknowledge. The same part that got me in trouble with Alistair when I was in college.
And it’s not just the near-solid silver of his hair.
“But we’d all feel better if we could keep an eye on you.”
Hell no. No, no, no. I cannot give up my freedom already. I’ve just gotten my first taste of it. “Not a chance. I’m not going to be babysat.”
I stamp down the rising panic. I’ve only just gotten out from under my ex’s thumb, from under his control of every little aspect of my life and how I spent my time days ago. I can’t go back to the way it was before. Not now that I’ve finally built the courage to free myself and my daughter.
Tears prick the backs of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall, hands balling into fists again. I want to shove everything off my desk, smash the computer, and rage until the world stops fucking with me.
“Not babysitting. Ensuring your safety.” Cole’s tone is soft but firm.
I hate him for it. Because it makes me want to believe him.
“No.”
He stands off with me, using that laser-sharp gaze to test my will. His steady presence needles me to concede to him. Because he knows better.
I bet he thinks he does. But he doesn’t know anything about me and what I’m capable of.
I’m not sure how long we stare at each other, but I refuse—absolutely refuse—to back down on this.
Cole finally shakes his head, but I have a sinking feeling this won’t be the end of it as I peer around at Rhett and Shepard. They look disappointed, like they can’t help me if I don’t let them.
I divert my attention back to Reese’s bright smile, how small she is, how precious.
She’s suffered too much by proxy from my toxic relationship. I couldn’t shield her from everything, even though I tried.
I’m not letting her get sucked into this.
Stomping back into the warehouse, I grab my clipboard and ready for another incoming delivery.
I can’t stand there and fight with those three any longer. I have a job to do.
My small crew is opening the delivery bay as we prepare to offload a hundred and five boxes and crates. I only have a few minutes to prepare them for the changes we need to make on this one. Given all of the mistakes that have been uncovered, we’re going to have to open every box to be sure they’re packed with what they say they’re packed with.
It’s going to take a while, but it’s necessary.
I shake off the way Rhett, Cole, and Shepard watch me from the background and take control of what’s in front of me.