Wire (Pierce Securities Book 2)

by Anne Conley

  It was a countdown.

  And his gut told him Paige was the final victim.

  Slamming his laptop shut, he rose from his desk, realizing it was late. The silence which greeted him in the office told him he was one of the only ones left. Hopefully, Paige was still here.

  He strode to her office, pounding on the door. “Paige?” It was locked, and he huffed in frustration. She needed to be careful. There had been four victims, which meant there were only six left to go. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t in danger yet. Whoever was behind The Crimson Lady had a plan—a plan clearly involving Paige. And without knowing what it was, he was helpless to protect her.

  “Why are you yelling?” Her voice from behind him had him spinning on his heels, away from her closed office door, to find her walking toward him, looking wary, her satchel slung over her shoulder.

  “I need to talk to you.” He sounded madder than he intended, and it was scaring her, but dammit, he needed to talk to her. This avoidance bullshit had to stop.

  Her eyes darted down and a flush crept up her cheeks. “I-I can’t right now. I have to—”

  “Dammit, Paige. This isn’t about the sex. You’re in danger.” He wanted to shake some sense into her. Whatever issues she had, he needed to get past them. Instead, he clenched his fists futilely at his side.

  “I’m not in any more danger than I was yesterday. I’ve got to take my niece out tonight. I promised her. We’ll talk about this later,” she tossed out. She said the words flippantly, but the gust of breath she let out gave her away. He scared her. And he wasn’t sure why.

  “Look, Paige,” he conceded, trying to lower his voice, “I’ve found the thing… the thing that police reports hold back from the media. It’s a countdown. There are going to be ten attacks, and you’re the tenth.” His eyes pleaded with her, and he watched as she almost caved, her body language leaning toward him, relaxing just a smidge.

  But she stiffened and backed away a step. “Look, I’m sorry I’ve been so busy this week. We’ll talk on Monday, okay?”

  “What about tomorrow? This can’t wait until Monday.” His voice lowered to a growl. He was getting angry, again, his softening short-lived.

  “Seriously, I’ve got to go.” She turned and practically ran out of the office, leaving Evan completely flabbergasted.

  He was trying to do the job she’d hired him to do, but her refusal to speak to him, to listen to him, was frustrating beyond belief.

  He had no idea why she had hired him.

  Evan decided to pack up his things and go home. He could finish looking at the FBI’s files just as easily at home as he could here.

  She’d gotten distracted by Evan Rocco, and it was undoing her. She knew, deep in her heart, she should have put a stop to this Crimson Lady nonsense before it ever started, back when she was just a presence in Realm of Worlds. Paige had thought she was a cult phenomenon some hacker had managed to get on the server and then pushed it to the clients for the gamers to see and interact with. The skill level involved in doing something like that was the first clue she’d ignored. Paige should have dealt with her then.

  But she hadn’t. She’d succumbed to fancy, letting her ego get the best of her. Paige had been tickled somebody had liked her game enough to add fan-made characters and go to the trouble of hacking her server. She hadn’t had the foresight to see the ramifications, hadn’t seen the danger.

  And she’d been lost with the memories of Evan, preferring to daydream about that night rather than deal with her work problems. Now it was biting her in the ass. The Crimson Lady was using the AI against her and had attached tentacles to the servers, keeping her from dislodging her by force. Hubris was Paige’s downfall.

  She needed the expert. She needed Evan.

  So after extensive searching, she’d found him, and to her delight, he worked for a security company. All it took was an office visit with his boss and she had him. And now that she did, she didn’t know what to do with him.

  Well, Paige knew what she wanted to do with him. She wanted him again. Over her, under her, didn’t matter, as long as he was in her. Avoiding him all week, since Wednesday when he’d come into the office, Paige had made herself scarce, because she couldn’t bring herself to do otherwise. She couldn’t have a legitimate conversation with the man, not without stripping him with her eyes and fucking him in her mind. It was embarrassing.

  Paige was a befuddled teenager around him, barely stopping herself short of squealing like a school girl every time she saw him. And he was trying to be so serious, to talk to her about The Crimson Lady, and all she could think around him was, Oh my God. It’s Evan Rocco, talking to me. Evan Rocco, who had amazing, unforgettable sex with me. I’ve seen him naked. Oh my God, Evan Rocco. How childish.

  Now it was Friday and she had a date with her niece for the haunted house down her street. She’d heard screams echoing from the building for a month, and it was high time she let loose and enjoyed a good scare. Her niece was the perfect excuse.

  At sixteen years old, Emily was primping in Paige’s front bathroom, ready to swoon for any hot guys there, but Paige was just ready to forget about Evan Rocco and The Crimson Lady. For an hour, at least.

  More like three hours. By the time they got there, the line was almost down the block, and Paige and Emily waited patiently, Emily looking around for anybody better than the old lady she was with. Paige tried not to be offended; she’d been sixteen once.

  Until she saw Evan walk up behind her.

  He didn’t say a word, just pierced her with his hooded gaze, shoving his hands in his pockets.

  Emily nudged Paige with her elbow, but Paige ignored her, “Are you stalking me?” She was a bit unnerved by the idea he had followed her there. Certainly, working for the security company, he had the skills.

  Evan let out a bark of laughter. “Are you kidding?” Turning to his companion, who Paige noticed for the first time, he continued, “Travis has been begging me to bring him here for two weeks. His driver’s license is suspended.”

  “Cool…” Paige heard Emily whisper under her breath.

  “Well, this is my niece, Emily. Emily, this is Evan and Travis.” Everyone nodded at each other, and Paige saw Emily flip her hair back, coolly appraising the handsome teen in front of them.

  “I can’t do my job if you keep avoiding me, Paige.” He’d taken a step closer, talking in her ear so he wasn’t overheard. Evan’s voice was soft, his eyes were intense, and Paige couldn’t hold his stare.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been real busy.” She kicked at a piece of trash on the pavement with the toe of her boot.

  “I’m sure you have. CEO of a multi-million dollar game development company can be draining.” She still couldn’t look at him, but she could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

  Shrugging, she said, “I’ve been needing to talk to you, too.” She finally looked at him, and he stepped a little closer, his coffee-colored gaze grabbing hers and holding it.

  Paige held her breath against his intoxicating scent. “So, can I actually see you in the office sometime, or do I need to make an appointment?” Her heart pounded in her chest at his nearness, as his aftershave washed over her.

  As usual, her voice came out husky and choked when she tried to speak to him. “I’ll see you first thing Monday morning. Promise. But I can’t talk about this now.” She motioned to Emily, and Evan nodded but didn’t move. Jeez, he was so close.

  They made small talk, and Paige actually found herself flirting with him a little, relaxing, while the line moved at a snail’s pace to the haunted house. She found out Travis was a neighbor whose parents traveled a lot. Evan also told her things she already knew: he had a brother in the Marines, his parents had retired to Montana to raise horses, lots of superficial stuff. She told him about her father taking her to haunted houses when she was a kid while her scaredy cat sister had stayed home with Mom. She mentioned her parents were dead, but didn’t give the details.

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nbsp; She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Dressed casually, he reminded her of the first time they’d met. He wore a black t-shirt and worn jeans along with the oldest pair of Converse she’d ever seen. His hair was mussed, as if he’d spent a long day at work, running his hands through it like a crazed man. With her constant avoidance of him, he probably had. A pang of remorse hit her hard. She hadn’t made this easy for him. It was time for her to step up and take responsibility. She’d hired him to do a job, and she needed to get over her school-girl crush and help him.

  But it was really hard with him staring at her like that.

  She could always blame the teenagers for her inappropriate thoughts. They were walking, talking, flirting hormones on legs. By the time they’d made it to the door, Travis had Emily’s phone number and they’d already made a date and were holding hands. She was positive that if she and Evan hadn’t been there they’d be making out. The teenagers that is, not them. Even though she’d relaxed quite a bit, her heart was still letting her know he was standing awfully close to her.

  They went in like a train, with Travis volunteering to lead. Emily hung on to his belt loops followed by Paige. Bringing up the rear, one of Evan’s hands dropped protectively to her back. She ignored the warmth trickling through her t-shirt at the contact. Her heart pounded and her hands were clammy, but it wasn’t because of the fog, or the spooky lighting, or the clanging noises, or the zombies jumping out. It was all Evan Rocco, holding on to her.

  As far as haunted houses went, this one was disappointing, or maybe she just couldn’t get into it with Evan’s breath on her neck, his hand at her waist, or his other hand snaking around her torso. The further inside they went, the closer they got. Travis was at the front of the line, jumping with every zombie clown that popped out, giving her ample warning of spooky things ahead. By the halfway point, Evan’s solid chest was pressed flush against her back, with her own hands clutching him while they walked in sync together, his hot breath on her neck warming her insides

  At one particularly dark corner, Evan yanked her backward into an alcove, pushing her into the darkness. He leaned his forehead on hers while his forearms leaned on the wall on either side of her head, caging her in, keeping her from bolting.

  “You have any idea how many times I’ve thought of this since April?” His body crowded her into the tiny, dark space while his minty breath sent her senses reeling.

  “Haunted houses?” she offered weakly before his mouth met hers.

  It was suddenly as if the puzzle piece she lost six months ago had been put back into place, and she melted into him as his tongue triumphed over the recesses of her mouth. He growled, a predatory rumble emanating from his chest that reminded her of that night last April, and she whimpered against him as he hauled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

  His tongue danced with hers, twining around inside her mouth while his hands roamed her body, cupping her ass. She twirled her fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth closer, fusing it with hers, unwilling to break this kiss which was rapidly undoing her—mind, body, and soul.

  As her fingertips clutched desperately at his biceps, she marveled at how someone who was every bit as geeky as she was could be so fucking beautiful, because Evan Rocco was a seriously beautiful man. And this kiss was feral, something wild, causing her to throw caution to the wind and go with it for as long as it lasted.

  Evan broke the kiss, leaning his forehead on hers again, his dark brown eyes consuming her. “Paige,” he breathed out ragged gulps of air. “What the fuck is happening?”

  She had no idea what he meant, but as giggling screams passed them, she realized Emily and Travis were gone.

  “We’ll talk Monday. I’ve got to find my niece before your friend impregnates her.” She found her voice and some semblance of her responsibilities.

  He smirked at her, “Travis would never. He doesn’t have the right skill set.”

  She bit her lip, knowing full well what would come out if she didn’t. It was obvious Evan had the right skill set, of that she was certain.

  After they found their respective teenagers, they finished out the haunted house, complete with chainsaw wielding maniac at the climactic finale before rushing through the plastic drapes into the night air.

  Heart pounding, Paige wasn’t sure what was happening to her. She’d hired him and couldn’t explain why. Every time she was near him, she turned into an idiot. Sitting in those meetings, ten feet away from him, had done something to her resolve for her company. She would happily let The Crimson Lady tear it down around her ears as long as she could have Evan next to her. And that was wrong. People were depending on her, her employees, some of whom had been with her from the beginning.

  She was ready to sacrifice them all for a fling with Evan. She felt like such a bitch.

  Besides that, she was embarrassed. She hadn’t realized working in such close quarters with the man she’d had a one-night stand with months ago would unravel her insides so badly. Unable to focus, Paige was mortified. She was better than that. Paige Lawson was a woman in control of her body and emotions, not the simpering idiot Evan brought out in her.

  He squeezed her hand, drawing her attention to him, and she blushed as she hoped he couldn’t read her thoughts.

  “Why are you so afraid of me, Paige?” he asked, his eyes earnestly studying her.

  “Sorry. We’ll talk Monday, okay?” She wrenched her hand out of his, missing him already, and hating herself a little bit for it.

  “Sure.” His face a mask, he grabbed Travis’ shoulder and turned him away, starting to walk up the street without a backward glance, mumbling something into the youth’s ear.

  That gave her two days to get her shit together, something she should have done long before now.

  Evan spent the rest of the weekend trying to forget the kiss, because Paige obviously had. Something stirred inside him every time he thought about it, but it wasn’t lust. It was something possessive, primal. He was turning into a caveman, and it felt… good. Since she was all for forgetting their past, he was going to focus on protecting her from whoever was behind The Crimson Lady.

  He wrote a code for a program which would cross-reference the enormous list of suspects with ability and degrees of motive. While having your company taken over would be enough motive, he needed to open his eyes to the possibility it wasn’t Patton, so he took into account pay cuts, job displacement, and prior loyalties. His program ran while he slept Saturday night, and when he woke up Sunday, he looked over the results and went in to see Simon.

  The office was quiet, as Simon was the only one who worked on Sundays. He was always working. Sunday mornings were his time to go over budgets and menial paperwork. But Evan needed to bounce some things off him. He eyeballed a mess on Miriam’s desk as he passed. It was odd, as the efficient office manager usually didn’t leave one page out of place, much less stacks of shit on her desk.

  “Hey, Evan, what’s up?” Simon looked up from his legal pad when Evan knocked on his doorframe.

  “What’s up with Miriam? She’s usually way more organized than that.”

  Simon sighed and made a note on a sticky pad on his desk. “She’s taking a couple of days off. I had no idea how much paper we generated until now. I need to do something about that. Make more of our stuff digital. It seems like such a waste.”

  “Why’s she off? I didn’t know it was vacation time.”

  Simon shrugged. “She just said it was personal. I let her have it, she’s never really asked for time off until recently. I think something’s up but haven’t gotten the balls to ask. If she wants to tell, she will.”

  “Her ex?” Miriam had a nasty divorce right before Pierce Securities got off the ground, and all the guys had been protective of her. None of them knew the entire story, just enough to know her ex-husband, Vince, was a total dick.

  Another shrug from Simon. “Don’t know. She’ll talk if she needs help.” Changing the subject, his eyes bright
ened. “You got something on the PSL case?”

  “I wanted to go over this with you. Get your thoughts on it.” He held out a small sheaf of papers to Simon.

  Surprise etched his boss’s features, and Evan understood why. He’d always sort of done his own thing—the lone wolf with his computer. In Evan’s mind, his computer couldn’t lie, but this case was different. This wasn’t running a credit history of a potential love interest or finding long lost loved ones. This was a true puzzle with a real victim.

  He ran over the basics of his findings with Simon, including the FBI files he’d poured over yesterday, but in the light of day the information was sorely lacking. For someone who’d been on the case a week, he still didn’t have much in terms of new information.

  Taking a deep breath, he sank into the chair across from Simon. “According to the computer program I ran, these are the primary suspects. They all have motive, means, and opportunity. But none of them really feel right, you know? I feel like I’m missing something.”

  He tossed the file over to Simon and he read it carefully while Evan watched.

  “Does she have a boyfriend? An ex, maybe?”

  Evan shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it.”

  Simon’s eyebrows rose. “You haven’t had a chance?”

  “She’s been avoiding me all week. I have an appointment with her tomorrow morning.” He sank his hands into his hair, knowing exactly what Simon was about to say.

  “What the fuck, Evan? Our client’s been avoiding you? I would think this would be a priority with her. She did hire us to fix this after all. You specifically.”

  “Yeah, but it’s complicated,” Evan hedged, knowing his boss was about to be pissed.

  Simon leaned back in his seat, leather creaking with the movement. “Enlighten me.” Evan saw the suspicion in his eyes.

  “It’s her.” Simon only raised an eyebrow, so Evan continued. “The woman from April I can’t stop thinking about.”