by B. B. Hamel
When he gets to the bottom picture, something flashes across his expression, but it quickly disappears. He closes the lid and looks at me. “What shouldn’t he have?” he asks.
I take a deep breath, getting ahold of myself. “That last picture,” I say. “I took it for a guy two years ago. But I never sent it. I’ve just had it on my phone.”
“Damn,” he says softly. “Do you know what this means?”
I shake my head, but I think I already know.
“Someone hacked your phone,” he says. “I don’t know who or how, but they must have.”
“Why include that picture?” I ask him.
“Whoever did this must want you to realize that he has access to your phone. I think someone is messing with you.”
I take a deep breath again, trying to calm myself, but my heart is hammering in my chest. I don’t know why I’ve been so jumpy lately, but there’s just something about this situation that’s causing me a ton of stress. It’s probably because I’m lying to the whole world right now, including my own mother.
I’ve never been good at this sort of thing. I usually pride myself on being a good person. Lying about being married to a man just to trick someone else into selling a property is so outside of my normal self that I’m amazed I’m even doing it.
But there’s just something about Logan that I can’t deny. He frowns at me for a second before looking through the email again. I watch his handsome face, etched with concern, go through the whole thing again.
It only occurs to me after he reads it a second time that he’s looking at that mostly-naked picture of me. I quickly reach forward and grab the computer from him. “Okay, that’s enough,” I say, blushing like crazy.
He looks confused for a second then grins. “Come on, Everly.”
“You don’t need to keep looking.”
He laughs softly. “Not going to pretend that I don’t like that picture. But that’s not what I’m doing.”
“I’m sure.”
“You do look good, though. You can barely cover your breasts with your arm.”
I blush even more. “Enough.”
“I’m just saying. There’s something incredibly sexy about a woman that can barely contain herself. And you can barely keep it under control.”
“I can control myself just fine, thanks.”
“Tell that to your lips.” He smirks and steps closer to me. “They’ve been hanging open, begging to be kissed.”
“Logan,” I say.
He grins at me but doesn’t move. “Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of this.”
I let out a breath. “How?”
“I know some people. I’ll make some calls.”
“What am I supposed to do with this now, though?”
“Keep it,” he says. “I’m going to need that email.”
“But it had… that picture.” I blush again and look away. “People are going to see it.”
“Maybe,” he concedes. “But I promise only people that absolutely need to see it will see it.”
I sigh. “This is going too far. I didn’t sign up for this.”
“I know you didn’t. And I promise, whoever did this is going to pay.”
I look at him and I believe him. I don’t know why, but I do. “Who do you think it was?”
“I don’t know,” he admits. “Could be a few people.”
“How many enemies do you have?” I ask, exasperated.
“I’m rich, Everly. When you’re as wealthy as I am, people come after you. It’s impossible to avoid.”
“And I’m just caught in the crossfire?”
“Maybe,” he says slowly. “But I don’t know. This looked targeted. I didn’t get anything, but you did.”
“Maybe they think I’m an easier target.”
He grins at that. “Maybe. But they’re in for a rude surprise.” He steps even closer to me and sits down on the bed, leaning toward me. “Because you’re mine now, Everly. And I’m going to take care of you.”
I stare into his gorgeous eyes for a second before he reaches out, takes my hair, and pulls me toward him.
I fall into his kiss again. His mouth opens and his tongue rolls against mine, sending shivers down my spine. I kiss him full and deep, wanting it so badly. I want him to make me forget all about this email. I want him to make me feel good again.
Slowly we kiss like that, but finally we break apart. “You’re safe,” he says. “But I need something from you.”
“Anything,” I say, a little breathless.
His smirk is maddening. “I need your laptop.”
I hesitate. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I promise I won’t snoop. And I’ll get you a new one.”
I sigh. “Okay.” I push the laptop toward him.
He takes it. “It’ll be safe. I’ll have someone look into this.” He stands up. “Get some sleep.”
“Yeah, okay,” I say.
He walks to the door and hesitates. “Look… you can back out of this. Whenever you want.”
I blink at him. “I didn’t say I wanted that.”
“I know. But I want you to know that the option is there.”
“Thanks,” I say, a little surprised.
“But I don’t want you to go. I just understand if this is too much.”
“Okay.” I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to leave, but I’m really freaked out by that email.
He smiles at me before leaving and shutting the door behind him. I collapse back into the bed, conflicting feelings swirling inside of me.
On the one hand, I kissed Logan twice now, and both times were incredible. But on the other, that email was one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever gotten, and I don’t know how to feel about it.
I decide to go to bed and put this off until tomorrow. I’ll deal with all of this then and hopefully Logan is able to figure it all out. I have to trust him. I don’t know what else to do.
13
Logan
“You should have seen the look on her face.”
Richard frowns over his desk. “In the picture?”
“No, you ass,” I say, but hesitate. “I mean, you should have seen that look too, it was—“
“Logan,” Richard cuts in.
“Right,” I say, gathering myself. “She was horrified. I mean, really, truly horrified. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone feeling so… exposed.”
“Can you blame her?” he asks me.
“Of course not. I’m fucking angry as hell about it.”
“You should be. Sharing a woman’s private photographs like that is the lowest of the low.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say, leaning back in my chair.
We’re sitting in Richard’s office again. It’s the day after we discovered the threatening emails on Everly’s account, and I’m trying to figure out what to do. Richard is the only person I know that really understands the situation I’m in, but more than that, he has certain connections.
Richard is one of the best litigators in the city, and that means people are always seeking his services. Most of the time, they’re normal people and companies looking for someone with experience help them out. But sometimes, he deals with less than savory types.
In fact, I know the mafia keeps him on retainer. I’ve seen some of his clients coming and going, and I know those aren’t normal guys packing heat under their Armani suits. He doesn’t go into detail about them, since it’s client privilege after all, but he hasn’t denied working with some of the underground before.
Richard isn’t a corrupt guy. It’s just that, when you’re a lawyer of his standing, certain people are going to want things from you. The mafia is a powerful part of this city, and when they come calling, you can’t turn them away. It’s dangerous to your health to turn them down, even if they are violent criminals. They pay him well and he does his job, but I know it weighs heavily on him. But he can’t say no, or else things could get bad.
&nbs
p; “You know people,” I say to him. “People that can help.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You know the same people that I know, Logan.”
“That’s not entirely true.” I lean toward him, meeting his gaze. “You know people that can do things.”
He sighs. “Look, just come out and say it.”
“I need a computer expert to figure this thing out,” I say.
“I still don’t know why you’d come to me for that.”
“I don’t want someone… legal,” I say slowly.
His eyes narrow. “You’re looking for a hacker?”
“A serious one,” I say. “This isn’t some bullshit game. I know you have connections, even if you can’t talk about it. All I’m asking for is an introduction.”
He watches me for a second, and I have no clue what he’s thinking. I’ve never pushed against Richard like this before. I know his mafia connections are strictly off-limits for us, and that’s always been fine, at least until now. He’s doing so much for me, I feel bad asking for more, but I don’t know where to go.
As backwards as it may sound, I don’t trust someone on the right side of the law. Whoever did this to Everly did an awful thing, and I want to make sure they pay. I don’t want someone to tell me steps to take to ensure that Everly will be safe in the future. I want someone who will go on the attack for me, hunt this bastard down, make him pay.
Richard finally sighs. “I think I know a guy.”
“Just a number and I can do the rest.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll contact him for you, and if he’s interested, he’ll want to do everything through me. Is that okay?”
“Fine,” I say. “Whatever needs to happen.”
“Just for the record, I think this is a bad idea.”
“I know you do. But I can’t let this stand.”
“I know you can’t.” He sighs again and shakes his head. “You’re really digging in deep on this one.”
“I know. Not exactly like me, is it?”
“Just be careful, okay?” Richard looks genuinely concerned, though I don’t know why. “You seem like you’re getting too close.”
He may be right about that. I’m definitely feeling more involved than I thought I would. When I came up with this idea, I figured it was going to be a short-term thing, and I’d barely see Everly anyway. She’d be like an actress that I hired.
Instead, she’s living in my apartment and helping me raise my baby daughter. She’s quickly becoming a part of my life in exactly the way that she’s supposedly pretending to be. It’s bizarre, but it feels comfortable, like she belongs with me. And I do feel angry about this violation. I can’t let it stand.
I protect the people that I care about. Maybe I work people too hard and push them as far as I can, but I also take care of them. I pay my employees exceptionally well, and our policies are always incredibly lenient. I think of my staff and my employees like my extended family, and I treat them that way.
Which is why I’m going to pursue the person that did this to Everly. She’s my wife right now, even if it’s just some fake arrangement. I’m going to take care of her like she’s my wife for real, frankly because it makes me feel good.
I stand up and nod at Richard. “Thanks again.”
“I’ll contact you soon. Can you leave the laptop here?”
“Sure,” I say. I pull it out of my briefcase and place it on one of his side tables. “Talk to you soon.”
He waves as I leave his office, my mind occupied on my next steps.
I know I’m taking a risk by hiring a hacker, but I have to trust that Richard wouldn’t put me in touch with someone truly malicious. Not all hackers are bad people, after all. True, they break the law and explore computer systems that they’re not supposed to have access to, but that doesn’t mean they’re entirely immoral. I’m sure that there are hackers out there that would be more than happy to help me with this issue.
I get back to my office and have to force the whole hacker thing out of my mind. I have a work day ahead of me, and I can’t risk getting too caught up in distractions. But no matter how hard I try, distractions always seem to find me these days.
About a half hour after getting back to my office, my secretary buzzes my phone.
“Yes?” I say to her, wary already.
“You have a call on line one. It’s Chester Winterfield.”
I sigh to myself. “Okay, I’ll take it.”
I hit the button that answers line one.
“Chester, how are you?”
“Logan, my boy, I’m doing great.” Chester sounds like he’s in good spirits. That means he likely doesn’t know anything about the email we got the night before. Out of everyone in the world, Chester is the last person I want to find out, since he’s the whole reason we’re doing this.
“Glad to hear it. We had a lovely time at dinner the other night. Everly keeps talking about it.” A little white lie combined with flattery never hurt.
“Glad to hear that,” he says, sounding pleased. “You’re always welcome back, you know. That wife of yours… she seems sweet.”
“She is,” I say with sincerity. “She’s a great person.”
“I was thinking about what you said about her. About how she has a kid.”
I take a breath. “Were you?”
“I was. Seems like a big thing for a person to do, you know. Now, we don’t always approve of women having babies out of wedlock, it’s just not right.”
“Of course,” I say quickly. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Good. But you marrying her and taking that baby in like it’s your own, well, that’s inspiring. It really is. I just wanted to call and tell you that.”
I grin to myself. He really bought it, or at least his wife Muffie did. That could be good. Maybe they’re getting ready to actually sign the fucking papers.
“Thanks, Chester. It’s been hard, you know, becoming a father. But I’m learning, and I love them.”
“Well, listen, the wife and I want the two of you to come to a charity event we’re hosting. Since you’re all about the charitable cases, we thought you’d like this.”
I decide to ignore the bit about being liking charity cases and all the implications that go with it.
“I’d be happy to come. Get the details over to my secretary and I’ll make sure we’re there.”
“Thanks, Logan, old boy. You’re a good man.”
“Of course. And thank you for the invitation.”
“We’ll see you soon then.” He hangs up the phone without another word.
I look at the receiver and hang it up slowly. I have to admit, I’m starting to get frustrated by Chester. He’s taking forever to sign these papers, and he keeps asking things of me, trying to get more and more from me. He’s already getting a good deal on this land, all he needs to do is sign and get paid. But no, he needs more from me. He needs me to be some fine, upstanding gentleman.
Well, I’m not a fucking gentleman. I’m a goddamn animal, that’s what I am. I want to go home and fuck my fake wife until she screams, and that’s all I can think about. Chester Winterfield is starting to annoy the hell out of me, but I still need him.
I have to suck it up and push forward for the sake of my homeless shelter, and for Everly.
14
Everly
I thought going to charity galas was a cliché people used in movies and books. I always figured they were just easy plot devices to get rich and powerful people together in one room and make them talk to each other.
But apparently, rich people really do throw these charity events. I’m wearing a dress that’s more expensive than a year’s worth of rent, jewelry that could have paid my college tuition, and shoes that would be a solid down payment on a small house. I feel absolutely beautiful and totally out of place all at once as I walk next to Logan, my hand through his arm.
Rich people mill all around us, everyone dressed in their fanciest clothing. I can see why they t
hrow these things. It looks more like an excuse to drink and wear fancy clothing than an actual charity event. Men and women are standing in groups, chatting with each other, and I wish I could listen to every one of their conversations. I’m sure they’re hashing out deals worth millions of dollars and that will affect thousands of people right here and right now, just because they’re all together in this room.
It’s unbelievable. The rich really do get together just to throw some money at charity to pretend like they’re doing good, while actually they’re networking for their own causes.
“Did you spot them yet?” Logan asks me.
“Not yet. I’m on the lookout, though.” I hesitate before squeezing his arm. “Is that the guy that owns Amazon?” I ask.
Logan glances in the direction of my stare. “Oh, yeah,” he says. “That guy gives tons of money away. Big philanthropist, apparently.”
“What about you?” I ask him.
“Me? I donate plenty.”
“But you’re not a big philanthropist.”
He grins at me. “Not yet, but why do you think we’re going through all this trouble?”
“Good point.”
We head through the entranceway and into the main ballroom. Tables are set up in concentric circles around a central stage. People are milling all over the place, and I’m shocked at how many rich people there actually are in this room. Wait staff wades through the mess, giving out drinks, collecting empties, and handing out little snacks and hors d’oeuvres.
As we move toward the bar, I suddenly feel a creeping sensation roll down my spine.
I can’t shrug the feeling. It’s like a spider is walking across my skin, or maybe I just stepped through a cobweb. Either way, I get a strange chill, and I can’t help but turn around.
Standing over next to a nearby table, completely alone and holding a whisky, is Spencer Winterfield. The creepy feeling intensifies as I realize that he’s staring right at me, and he’s not breaking eye contact.
Most people look away when you catch them staring at you. It’s just a common, normal human reaction to feel a little embarrassed when someone catches you. But Spencer doesn’t turn away. He just keeps on staring, completely unashamed that he’s looking at my body with one of the creepiest and most intense stares I’ve ever seen in my life.
