Joseph
I sat back in my home office chair and watched as Journey helped her mother into a cab. She thought the reason I haven’t brought her here to my place was because Chloe was here. That was the furthest thing from the truth. I haven’t brought her here because her place was better. Simple.
But of course, there was never anything simple when it came to women. Or maybe it was that they just couldn’t believe us men were just simple creatures. We were always at her place because it was warmer, brighter…always smelt like good food. There was laughter there and love.
I exhaled. That’s okay, my sweet J, I’ll ease all your worries and soothe your pain. I broke it, I was damn sure going to fix it.
But first…
I picked up my new phone and sent a text.
Me: Need to talk to you on a secure line
It took about five minutes for my text to be answered.
Punk Kid: Where are you?
Me: Home office
Several seconds later my computer screen went completely blank before it rebooted. When it came back online I had a view of Rome sitting in a chair made for a king, his loft apartment behind him. This son-of-a-b****, hacking bastard. So much for my goddamn hundred-thousand-dollar firewall.
“You just hacked a system I was told was un-hackable.” I told him dryly.
His lip lifted in a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Eyes that were blood shot red. It looked as if my statement had generally amused him, taking his mind off of his problems. According to what Abigale told Journey, Rome had fallen in love with Nak.
Poor fool, back during our Seal days, Nak’s code name was Black Widow, a name she had earned a hundred times over. Her beauty is deceptive. It is all things alluring, soft and warm. Many of unsuspected victims have fallen under its spell, only to be drawn in enough to receive her deadly bite.
Outside of Albert, Nak was the only other person I trusted with my life. She has always had my back and I’ve always had hers.
“Oh yeah?” He asked responding to my statement. “Is that what the brochure told you?”
“That’s what the man who cleaned out the little bug you left in my system told me.”
He chuckled without any humor shaking his head slightly. He looked tired.
“Yeah well, he lied to you. Once I’m in, there is no getting rid of me.”
Damn, I hated this kid. It really grated on my nerves that I needed his help.
“I knew you were going to come groveling sooner or later.” He said as if he’d heard my thoughts.
I chuckled. “Having a rough day, kid?” The muscle in his chin ticked, letting me know I’d hit the mark.
He exhaled rubbing his hand back across his head. He was tired of the small talk.
“What can I do for you, chump?”
“James Bennet Law…who is he?”
“Where does Nak live?” He answered my question with a question.
I sat back in my chair surprised. How did he know her name? Nak would have never told him that.
“Who is that?”
His lip twisted in an angry snarl. “She told me her name. But even before she did, I learned an awful lot about her from your personal computer. In fact, I learned about your whole team. Now, answer my question! Where does she live?”
I put my hand underneath my chin lifting one eyebrow. “It would seem if you know so much, oh mighty hacker, you would have that information.”
He growled before he slammed his fist on his desk. “I—” He paused to regain control over his rage. “I don’t have time for this. The longer she’s gone the less likely it will be that I will find her. And I need to find her!” He spit his words out through clenched teeth.
I exhaled taking pity on him. Hell, he and I were two peas in a pod. I understood exactly what he was going through.
“Look kid, I don’t know where she lives. Nobody does.” I shook my head. “She’s what we call a phantom, she’d enlisted with a dummy address and gave the agency the same one.”
He breathed out frustratingly through his nose, letting me know he’d already been to that address.
“How could she be your right arm and you not know where she lives?”
I held up my hands. “She was uncomfortable with anybody having that information and I respected that.”
My words were true. Nak never kept it a secret that when she decided to disappear, she was gone and nobody would find her. I understood. I never had a reason to question her loyalty to me, so I never insisted she reveal her retiring destination. She had paid her dues and deserved her peace.
But what amazed me even more is that the kid nodded, not questioning whether or not I spoke the truth. He was a damn human lie detector. It was just mind boggling to see the brain that hid inside that hoodlum’s body.
“My turn, James Bennet Law? What do you know?”
He exhaled, shaking his head a bit. When he spoke, he did it in a manner that said he really didn’t feel like talking to me. His mind was on finding Nak, probably already thinking of his next move. If anybody will be able to find her, I’m sure it would be him.
“Man, I’m going to be honest with you, you’re involved in some serious sh*t, and I don’t have the full picture to begin to explain to you how serious. This kind of incriminating information is constantly on the move. But that’s alright, I have chaser program I designed on it and it won’t be long before it catches it. I need a few days though. However, you need to either send my sister and my niece back here so that I can keep them safe, or you need to protect them.” He paused for a moment as his weary eyes took me in, judging
