Chapter 1 #5
And I have two photographs from a woman whose real name I don't know locked inside a device nobody else can open.
The moment should end there.
It doesn't.
Drew looks at the device again.
Then at me.
His eyes narrow.
I know that expression.
“No.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You're thinking.”
“What's that crypto-chat thing called?”
“No and it’s not a crypto chat—amateur.”
“The place where you talk to Miss London Bridge.”
Vale looks up.
Leo's mouth starts curving.
I already hate this.
“She is not Miss London Bridge.”
“She stood you up on London Bridge.”
“Her handle is Vesper.”
“Miss London Bridge has more personality.”
Kane sits forward.
“What are you thinking?”
Drew points toward my secure device.
“Get in the chat.”
“No.”
“I want to talk to her.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Because I like her.”
Silence.
Again.
Drew puts his hand over his heart.
Vale glances toward Leo.
Leo gives a slow nod.
“Brilliant.”
I stare at him.
“You're supposed to stop this.”
“I've been married too long. I enjoy other people's problems now.”
Haverhill reaches toward me.
“Give me the device.”
“No.”
“I'm the groom.”
“That does not grant access to my encrypted systems.”
“It should.”
“It doesn't.”
Drew lunges. Alcohol has given him confidence without coordination plus he’s a freaking pro football player.
I catch his wrist—not bad on my part but the man is a literal tank.
He catches my jacket.
Vale grabs him around the waist, but I quickly realize he isn't helping me.
Haverhill starts laughing.
Leo drawls, “Nobody go overboard. We already sent the witnesses home.”
Jalen upright for the moment, although barely.
Drew somehow gets two fingers inside my jacket.
“Travers.”
“I HAVE ITTTTTTTT!!!!! TEE-HEEE HE-HAWWWW!”
He stumbles backward holding my device screaming like a five year old on Christmas morning.
Every instinct I possess sharpens fists clenched I stalk toward him. Controlled power still in me.
“Give it back.”
“Password.”
“No.”
Then he looks down—the screen is still unlocked.
I authenticated less than a minute ago to show them the photographs.
Drew's eyes widen.
“Jackpot.”
My stomach drops.
“Drew.”
He looks at Vale. “I'm in.”
“Don't touch anything.”
Five drunk men crowd around the most private conversation I own.
I reach for the device.
Vale blocks me with one arm while protecting his Scotch with the other.
“Let him cook.”
“Tristan.”
“I have money riding on this.”
“There is no bet.”
“There is absolutely a bet,” Kane replies.
Drew finds NULL.
Then the private channel.
VESPER — OFFLINE
His face falls.
“She isn't there.”
“Excellent. Give it back.”
Instead, he starts typing.
“Do not send anything.”
Too late.
GHOST: Hey Sweets, important question.
I stare at him.
“You're dead.”
“Worth it.”
The status changes.
VESPER — ONLINE
Everyone reacts.
Haverhill whispers, “She's here.”
“I can see that.”
Three dots appear.
Then:
VESPER: You're drunk…?
The message appears in Italian, as ours always do.
Drew can't read it.
I can.
He looks at me.
“Well?”
“She asked if I'm drunk.”
Drew's mouth opens.
“She knows you.”
Leo laughs.
Vale takes a drink.
Kane grins.
I reach for the device. “I never use endearments.”
Drew holds it against his chest.
“No? Well, this relationship finally has adult supervision.”
“You were swimming naked an hour ago.”
“Life experience.”
Another message.
VESPER: Ghost? Has our room been hacked?
Drew points.
“What'd she say?”
“She wants to know if it's him.” Leo responds. His mastery of Italian is as good as mine.
“Tell her technically,” he smirks.
“No.” I bite out. Jaw ticking.
Haverhill takes the device from Drew.
“What does technically look like in Italian?”
I snatch it back.
“Nobody is improvising Italian through my account.”
Drew looks offended.
“Fine. You translate. We dictate.”
“Also no.”
Vale raises his Scotch.
“I vote yes.”
Leo nods.
“Seconded.”
Traitors.
Haverhill smiles.
“Tell her the groom wants to talk.”
“No.”
“Kane,” Drew goads, “invite her.”
I look at him.
“To what?”
“My wedding,” Kane grins.
“No.”
Haverhill's expression changes.
“Why not?”
“Because we do not know who she is.”
Drew points at me.
“THAT IS WHY WE'RE INVITING HER.”
Leo starts laughing again.
Vale considers it. “Private event. Your security.”
“Absolutely not.”
Kane looks at me. “Do you want to meet her?”
I don't answer quickly enough.
That's apparently answer enough.
Drew points. “Do it.”
I take the device firmly.
“No one touches this again.”
Then I look at Vesper's waiting message.
Against every intelligent instinct I possess, I type.
GHOST: My friends have hijacked the evening.
Leo, of course, reads my typing and translates everything in real time for the group.
Her response comes immediately.
VESPER: I gathered.
GHOST: One of them is getting married soon.
Drew whispers, “Tell her she's invited.”
“Stop narrating.”
I type.
GHOST: They want me to invite you as my plus-one.
The response takes longer.
VESPER: Your drunk friends want an anonymous woman from a dark-network chat room at a wedding?
Drew watches my face.
“What'd she say?”
“That all of you are idiots.”
“Accurate,” Vale says.
Kane leans closer.
“Tell her the invitation is real.”
I sigh.
Then type.
GHOST: The groom says the invitation is real.
VESPER: Does his fiancée know about this excellent plan?
Leo keeps translating.
Haverhill pauses.
Vale starts laughing.
Leo points at Kane.“Excellent question.”
“Hannah trusts me.”
“That wasn't the question,” Drew says.
Kane gestures toward the device.
“Tell her she will.”
I type.
GHOST: She will.
VESPER: Comforting.
Drew puts out a hand.
“Tell Miss London Bridge she gets one more shot.”
“She is not Miss London Bridge.”
“She is now.”
He leans over and watches while I type nothing.
“Do it.”
“No.”
Vale grins, “I like Miss London Bridge.”
Leo smiles.
“So do I.”
Even Kane nods.
“You've all known her twelve minutes.”
Drew grins.
“Long enough.”
I should stop.
Instead, Scotch makes another poor decision for me.
GHOST: They've also apparently renamed you Miss London Bridge. Half of them are placing bets that you are a really an old Russian hacker with gold teeth named Sergei.
The typing indicator appears.
Stops.
Returns.
VESPER: I hate your friends. My teeth are all nice and white.
I translate.
Leo lifts his beer.
“She fits right in.”
Drew says, “Tell her the name stays until she shows.”
I refuse.
Kane leans toward the screen.
“Ask if she'd actually consider coming.”
That question is different.
The noise quiets.
I type:
GHOST: Good to know. No details tonight. The wedding is still a few months away. If you're interested, I'll put a digitally encrypted invitation here when we're closer.
Her response takes almost a minute.
VESPER: You would actually invite me into your real life?
The words hit harder than anything else tonight.
No city.
No state.
No date.
No venue.
Nothing linking this conversation to California or Kane Haverhill.
Those details can wait.
This isn't really about logistics.
She's asking whether Ghost wants Vesper on the other side of the screen.
I don't respond.
Haverhill reads my face even though he can't read the Italian.
“What did she say?”
Leo is quiet. His brows lift though.
“Nothing.”
“That's bullshit,” Drew says.
Vale studies me. Fuck, he knows Italian and Latin.
“Answer her.”
I look back at the screen.
Then type:
GHOST: Ignore them.
Her answer appears immediately.
VESPER: Do you want me to?
The boat goes quiet even though none of them can read it.
Maybe they see my face.
Drew slowly puts his hand over his heart.
“Oh, that one hurt, didn't it?”
I glare at him.
Vale says quietly, “Answer the woman.”
I could lie.
I don't.
GHOST: Maybe? Maybe it’s time to team up. And see what else we could be?
“Bold, Blackwell,” Leo claps my shoulder.
Her typing indicator appears.
Then vanishes.
Returns.
VESPER: You're serious.