Chapter 32
Dove
When we arrived back at Kasen’s place last night, he tried to insist I stay with him, but I’d had enough of his energy, so I made a run for it, locking myself in the room I have been allocated before he could stop me. I could hear Bodhi and River chuckling about it from the other side of the door.
I’m sure if he wanted, he could break his way in or reset the locks with his fancy security system, but for once, he let me be, and I was so grateful. My head was spinning, some from the drinks I threw back all night, some from the mind-blowing sex, but mostly from what Miss Arnott said.
When I woke up early this morning with her words constantly spiraling through my mind, I started scanning my phone search engine for anything I can find on security systems in Deadwater Bay.
I can find a company called Throne Security, and it seems to be attached to Throne Enterprises, and that makes sense.
If you’re going to build a lot of houses and businesses, you want to make sure they are secure.
Why not craft a business that makes those systems yourself.
Bodhi’s name seems to be attached to that company more than Kasen’s.
The systems themselves look pretty high-tech, fingerprint technology, cameras that can spy on who is coming and going from the front entry of any property, doors that lock automatically with the click of a button, mesh that protects windows and screen doors.
I need answers or something more concrete to go off other than her hunch that something isn’t right.
Slipping my phone into my pocket, I tiptoe over to my bedroom door and peer out of my room.
I can’t see or hear anyone, so I sneak down the hall as quietly as I can.
I want to check out the system for myself.
As I pass the gym, I can make out Kasen and Bodhi’s voices and know they must be in there working out.
Distracted. Good. I move a little farther down the hall and peer out to find River in the pool.
Perfect. They are all busy for now. Ideal timing to investigate unnoticed.
I move through to the security system at the front door and take a quick snapshot on my phone in case I get interrupted and need to look at it later.
There is a finger pad on one side and what looks like a house map with flashing lights on the other side.
The house seems to be in zones. Upper floor front half, upper floor back half, lower floor back half, and parking garage.
There is also a zone for the yard; that must be the one I tripped when I escaped through the side gate.
At the top, the system reads Throne Axis.
I’m not sure what that means, but it looks like a brand within the Throne security company, maybe the type of system this is.
Strangely it also looks distinctly like the overlay on that map my mum had on that USB drive.
Not sure why I do it, I know the boys wouldn’t have given me access, but I press my thumb to the pad just to see what happens.
The screen lights up, and down the side where the map was before, comes up my photo and a full description of me.
Like birthdate, blood type, height, weight, it’s all there.
My pulse quickens. Shit. I take a shaky step back, swallowing the lump that’s now lodged in my throat.
How does this thing have all my details?
Did one of them enter them in alongside my thumbprint?
That sends a creepy slither down my spine. Why would they do that?
An “ACCESS DENIED” message flashes on the screen in green, along with a buzzing type of alarm.
Shit, that’s not a good sign. In a panic, I take off down the hall for my room, rushing so quickly I don’t see the brick wall of a chest I run straight into. I drop my phone and stumble backwards, the impact jarring me.
Slater reaches out and steadies me, his fingers wrapping tightly around my wrist as he pulls me close to his chest. “Where are you off to in such a rush, sunshine?” The warmth of his skin on mine is like fire.
He’s hot, not just because he has no shirt on and his chiseled body is staring me straight in the face, but like he’s been working out for hours, with heat radiating off him.
“Nowhere,” I mutter, trying to play it off all innocent, but I know it’s already too late to try and make up excuses.
That system is high-tech, they are going to know I tried to access it.
Why did I have to let curiosity get the better of me.
I want to slap my own face for being so stupid, but this is the shit I’m talking about.
They are keeping more from me than I ever did from them.
Slater’s glare intensifies. He keeps his fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist and shoves me into the gym with him, his tattoo-covered chest glistening in sweat, his muscles bulging furiously. His eyes are alight with the kind of amusement that I know means trouble for me. “Like what you see?”
Fuck, he knows I do. I can’t take my eyes off him.
The way he has his long hair tucked in a messy man bun.
The way he hasn’t bothered to shave his jaw, and his stubble is all scruffy and rough.
I want him to do things to me. Depraved, fucked-up stuff my brain shouldn’t be conjuring up at a time like this when I should be running for my life.
But with his fingers gripping me so tightly and that expression on his face, I’m a goner.
“Can we leave you alone for a morning without you causing some sort of trouble?” Kasen’s voice breaks me from my perving session on Slater.
I whip my eyes back to him as he approaches, all domineering and crazily bigger than he was yesterday, if that’s even possible.
His chest is just as nice to look at as Slater’s.
I should have come in here and watched them working out instead of snooping, I get the impression that scenario would have worked out better for me.
“Yes?” I answer, but it comes out as more of a question.
Plead innocence until they prove you guilty, Dove.
They have no idea what you were doing. Or why.
Kasen leans into the wall, flipping open a panel that looks much the same as the one at the front door.
Oh no. His eyes narrow as he scans over it.
“My security system tells me different.” He tilts his head to the side, taking all of me in.
When his eyes rise back to mine, his lips twist with mischief, and I’m sure it’s because he’s remembering last night, or at least I hope that’s why he’s looking at me that way.
“Were you stepping out in your pajamas, birdie?”
“No,” I squeak, trying to pull out of Slater’s grip as my heart thumps erratically.
Slater releases me, just for a second, then his hand is on my waist as he presses me into the wall behind. “Why did you try and use the security pad then?”
My mouth pops open to say something, then I shut it.
I need to be more strategic about this. Yeah, they are behemoths and clearly can push me around, and like to whenever they get the chance, but that doesn’t mean I have to let them walk all over me.
I might have checked the system to see what it would do, but they are the ones who have personal shit stored on there they shouldn’t.
My eyes narrow in on him. “Better question would be why do you have all my information on there? And how did you get my fingerprint? My weight? Personal medical information, you shouldn’t know.
” I throw back at him, waiting to see what he makes of it.
“For your safety,” Kasen growls from beside me, making me jump.
Shit, I’m on edge. They are both so close to me I can hardly think straight, but I can’t afford to get distracted by them and their glorious bodies.
Just because I have slept with all of them now, doesn’t mean they have anything over me.
In fact, it’s the opposite. I know they all want me, and I don’t ever have to go there again.
I hold the power here. I just have to work out how to use it.
“How did you get my fingerprint?” I demand, my gaze ice-queen cold now because I know for a fact I have never been fingerprinted.
Kasen’s lips twitch up at the sides. “I think we are about done here, Bodhi. Maybe you can accompany Dove to breakfast. Make sure she sees the paper. There is a heartbreaking story about our dear friend Miss Arnott she shouldn’t miss.”
My palms grow sweaty instantly, my scared eyes flicking back to Slater, hoping he’s going to tell me Kasen is joking and there isn’t a story after all.
But if anything, his eyes look more intense than normal.
Fuck. “Come on, sunshine, breakfast time,” he chirps, his fingers still digging firmly into my waist.
Fuck them for keeping shit from me and not answering me.
Last night Kasen was all, I’m giving you all of me, give me all of you.
Bullshit! He’s a big fat liar. There is no way my information is in that system for my own safety.
I’m getting an awful sinking feeling that Miss Arnott was right and there is a lot more going on here than I originally thought.
“I can walk on my own, asshole.” I bite back as Slater shoves me toward the kitchen.
“Can you?” he snips back, not letting me go. He marches me right into the kitchen and plonks me down on one of the seats. “Stay,” he says like I’m a dog who needs to be trained.
“Fuck you,” I spit, fresh anger vibrating through me. I’m so ready to fight him, actually all of them, for doing this to me.
He slips a newspaper in front of me, already open and folded to a story with Miss Arnott’s photo beside it.
I haven’t even read the article but sickness churns in the pit of my stomach because without reading the story, I already know this is going to be horrific.
“You should be careful who you make friends with, Dove.”