Blaze

by Donna Grant

  “We’re immortal, Ryder. We doona age.”

  “Whether this is Ulrik or no’, I’m tagging him. My software will track his movements so we can see what he’s up to. While I have you, I’ve pulled everything on Devon Abrams.”

  “Tell me,” Anson urged.

  “She lives alone with no family to speak of. I’ve sent Kinsey her address. Seems that Ms. Abrams is squeaky clean. She pays her taxes on time, has a good credit score, and likes to shop for the finer things. However, she doesna overdo it.”

  “There has to be something she does wrong. No one is that perfect.”

  “Blackmailing Devon isna going to work. The girls will have to somehow persuade her to find the information we need and then turn it over to us.”

  “I can no’ see that going over well.”

  “You could always step in and seduce her.”

  Anson wrinkled his nose. “Doona even jest about it. Let me know if you find out more.”

  “Will do,” Ryder said and ended the conversation.

  Anson was ready to do a lot of things for his brethren, but seducing a woman—even one as pretty as Devon—wasn’t part of his plans.

  He’d rather force her than woo her. At least with coercion, he wouldn’t be lying to her. At least those were his thoughts at the moment. If he ever learned that she was part of those who had dug into the Kings and had had the Druid use magic to mess with Kinsey’s and Esther’s minds, then he’d reevaluate things.

  Because whoever did that, was going to feel the wrath of the Dragon Kings.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Devon read the last of the files, making notes along the way. For the most part, her team was doing well. But she wanted them to do great.

  As she put a dot next to the people she would have to motivate to be more productive, her computer screen flickered. She stared at the computer for a moment to see if it happened again.

  With a shrug, she took a drink of coffee. It was late, and most everyone else had already gone home for the day. She had another fifteen minutes before she would call it quits.

  Her screen flickered again.

  Though she wasn’t a hacker or a computer guru, she knew enough about the workings to know this wasn’t normal. As a technical company, Kyvor prided themselves on having several firewalls in place to stop hackers in their tracks.

  So what was going on? She rose and walked to Stacy’s desk to check the computer. Unfortunately, there was nothing abnormal about it.

  Devon returned to her desk to find her screen black. As she watched, someone typed DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHO YOU WORK FOR? across the screen.

  Making enemies on purpose wasn’t something she did. Many times, she went out of her way to keep the peace between anyone who felt threatened by her. It wasn’t because she feared conflict. She did it to prove that she could be a peacekeeper.

  However, there were times she had to demonstrate that she wasn’t a pushover. She hated those instances. Being direct and frank wasn’t in her nature. Yet in the business world, sometimes there was no way around it.

  So as she stared at her screen, her first thought went to her meeting tomorrow and the promotion that could come out of it. Who might be jealous of her ascension through the ranks?

  Two people came to mind.

  Neither of which could hack into her system. That either meant they had help, or it was someone else entirely.

  Her first instinct was to ignore the message. If she played along, it could come back to bite her with regards to her future at Kyvor. She hadn’t spent years to get where she was only to give it up over some stupid prank.

  She turned off her computer, choosing to ignore the message. Then she neatly stacked the reports she’d been reading and gathered her notes, as well as the folder for tomorrow’s meeting and put them in her purse.

  Within minutes, she had her coat on and was on the lift down to the lobby. As she walked from the building, her gaze scanned faces, looking for anyone who seemed suspicious.

  As soon as she saw a taxi, she waved it over and got in. On the drive to her flat, she kept seeing the white words on the black screen.

  What did they mean? Her boss? The company?

  Both?

  She didn’t know Harriet Smythe well. Harriet had hired her and was always willing to give praise when it was deserved. Not once had Harriet helped her as Devon navigated the tricky slopes of office politics or the ranks.

  Yet her boss had always been there to congratulate successes.

  But what did Devon know of Harriet, really? Not much. In fact, she knew very little about anyone at Kyvor other than her secretary. Stacy had been with her for three years, and in that time, the two had worked closely together.

  Devon wouldn’t exactly consider them friends, but they were friendly. It was her hatred of business politics and gossip that kept Devon in her office and focused on her work rather than becoming friends with others.

  However, she realized that might’ve been a mistake. If something were going on with Harriet, Devon would never know. She’d shut down anyone who came to her with gossip so many times, that she knew absolutely nothing that was going on within the company.

  The taxi stopped outside her flat. She paid the driver and exited before walking up the steps to her front door. As she pressed the keypad with her six-digit entry, she glanced around.

  When she didn’t see anyone watching, she slipped inside the flat and locked the door behind her. Then she let out a loud sigh.

  She dropped her purse on the bench and hung up her coat on the hook before she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom and undressed. Once she was in a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, she returned downstairs and poured herself some wine.

  After a couple of sips, she got out the scallops she’d bought fresh the day before. She then cleaned and cut the carrots before seasoning them and sticking them in the oven.

  Only then did she grab her laptop and look up Harriet Smythe. A picture of Harriet popped up, along with her title at Kyvor. There was a site that listed all the charities her boss was involved with, as well as the humanitarian work.

  But there was nothing on Harriet’s private life. No mention of a significant other, kids, or even where she liked to vacation.

  Devon skimmed several sites, but there was nothing more to learn. Still, Devon wondered if Harriet was hiding anything. With a shrug, she turned to the stove and grabbed a pan to heat.

  It wasn’t long before the scallops were cooked and she was dishing them onto her plate with the carrots. She took her food and wine to the couch where she flicked on the tele while she ate.

  It was an hour later after she’d cleaned the kitchen that she turned to her laptop to see those same six words flashed across her screen in all caps.

  “Do you know who you work for?” she read aloud.

  This had gone from a prank to something that made her heart pound in her chest. For several tense minutes, she simply stared at the screen.

  Then she put her hands on the keys and typed as she spoke, “What do you want?”

  The screen went black before the word TRUTH appeared.

  She frowned. “Truth? What the hell does that mean?”

  Devon tapped the keys with her right forefinger and typed, “What truth?”

  WHO IS KYVOR?

  “I can’t help you,” she typed.

  YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN.

  “Why me?”

  BECAUSE YOU’LL FIND THE TRUTH.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she asked aloud. Her mind was going wild with the conversation she was having.

  She swallowed and typed, “Who are you?”

  CONCERNED CITIZENS.

  “Bullshit,” she replied.

  KYVOR ISN’T WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE. LOOK INTO KINSEY BURNS.

  Before she could ask who Kinsey was, pictures flashed on her screen one after another until there were dozens, all showing a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and violet eyes.r />
  In some, the woman was alone. Others, she was photographed with an attractive man. Some were of her on the street. Some were of her through a window, looking into what appeared to be Kinsey’s home.

  KYVOR HAD KINSEY FOLLOWED AND HER LIFE DOCUMENTED.

  “Why?” Devon typed before she thought better of it.

  THE MAN KINSEY WAS WITH. KYVOR MANIPULATED AND USED HER TO GET TO HIM.

  It all sounded too fantastical to be true. And yet, she didn’t close the computer and walk away.

  “Who is the man?”

  KYVOR BELIEVES HE’S AN ENEMY.

  That didn’t really answer the question. “What kind of enemy?”

  THINK ABOUT WHAT WE’VE TOLD YOU.

  “What do you want from me?”

  But there was no answer. The screen went blank, and then the search results about Harriet returned. Devon took the laptop to the couch.

  She stared at it, unblinking, thinking of the conversation she’d had with the unknown person or people. They wanted something from her. That was obvious. She wasn’t sure why they hadn’t just come out and asked for it.

  Probably because they knew she’d refuse. Instead, they’d put questions in her mind. Even though she knew it was undoubtedly the wrong thing to do, she had to look into it.

  Her gaze went to where she had a piece of paper taped over the camera. No one could see her, but a good hacker would be able to hear and see what she was doing on her computer.

  Whoever had contacted her wasn’t just a good hacker—they were elite. Most likely, they were watching what she would do. If she played along, they would return with more statements and eventually ask her for something.

  If she proceeded down this path, it could jeopardize the career she’d worked so very hard for. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Kyvor didn’t have its secrets. Every company did—large or small.

  But the idea that Kyvor had paid someone to follow Kinsey Burns and take such personal photos caused Devon concern. It also whipped her curiosity into a frenzy.

  She moved the mouse to the search engine box and typed KINSEY BURNS before hitting ENTER.

  Immediately, the page was filled with information and pictures. When she saw one with the Kyvor logo behind Kinsey’s smiling face, her stomach filled with dread.

  It made it all feel real. Doubtless, because it was.

  One by one, she went through the photos. They were all taken at Kyvor events where Kinsey had received awards for her work in the technical department creating software that protected companies from being hacked.

  Next, Devon moved to the websites that had Kinsey’s name listed. There was all kinds of personal information about Kinsey, including her address in London.

  Three hours later, Devon closed the laptop and sat in the silence of her flat. Kinsey worked for Kyvor. The company had had her followed. The question was, why?

  No matter how hard Devon looked, she couldn’t find any other photos of Kinsey and the man she’d been with. The few males Kinsey had been photographed with were different. Could it really all point back to this one man?

  While Devon should be going over her presentation for the meeting tomorrow, her mind was on Kinsey and the unnamed man. And Kyvor.

  This was a side of the company she hadn’t seen before. One that made her distinctly uncomfortable. If they could do that with one employee, who was to say they didn’t do that with everyone?

  Devon’s head swung around to her windows. She rose and closed all the blinds. Never again would she be able to leave the panes bare for fear that someone was watching.

  She glanced back at her computer. Her clearance gave her remote access to the Kyvor computers. She could easily look up Kinsey and see if she still worked for the company.

  Just as she sat and put her fingers on the keyboard, she hesitated. Kyvor’s computers made a note anytime anyone logged in, whether it was remotely or not. They would see what she was doing.

  Quite frankly, she didn’t want anyone to know she was looking into Kinsey Burns. That did beg the question: how was she going to find out if Kinsey still worked for Kyvor?

  Whether this was all an elaborate prank or real, Devon was now on a mission. Although it would have to wait until she returned to the office the next morning. Then she would be able to see what she could find.

  All the while, her stomach knotted as she began wondering what it was the people who’d contacted her wanted. It couldn’t be good, no matter what it was. If the hacker could get into Kyvor’s computers, then they could find whatever they wanted.

  And that’s when it hit her. The hacker couldn’t get into where they needed. They were going to have her do it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I think it worked,” Kinsey said with a smile as she sat back from leaning over the laptop.

  Anson wasn’t so sure. He’d observed the entire scene with Devon play out on the computer. Yes, she had answered Kinsey. Devon had even done a search on Kinsey after the conversation.

  But that meant nothing.

  “It’s a start,” Esther said as she walked to them with her sweatpants pushed up to her knees.

  Kinsey’s smile vanished. “We need more, faster.”

  “Someone should talk to her.”

  It was then he realized that both women were looking at him. “No’ going to happen.”

  “Why not?” Kinsey asked with a frown.

  Ester leaned on the back of the sofa and crossed her arms. “I’ve seen how women look at you. You could easily catch Devon’s attention.”

  “I’ll no’ seduce her just to get information. I’m here to make sure Kyvor doesna attack either of you.”

  Kinsey’s violet eyes met his. “I don’t want to lie to Devon either, but it may come to that. She’s fully invested in Kyvor. She won’t give in easily.”

  “If it comes down to it, I’ll do what must be done,” he told them.

  Esther ran a hand through her long hair and wiggled her toes encased in Wonder Woman socks, complete with a red cape behind each knee. “We’re all anxious to return to Dreagan. I don’t know who the Druid is who messed with my head, and I don’t like remaining here and chancing running into her again until I’m prepared.”

  “Me either,” Kinsey said and looked down at the computer.

  Anson couldn’t imagine what it felt like to have someone use magic to alter his thinking. It was a violation. If he ever encountered that Druid, he would be hard-pressed not to kill her immediately.

  “Kyvor and the Druid could’ve muddled with others’ minds, as well,” Esther said into the quiet.

  Kinsey nodded slowly. “I’ve thought of that.”

  “You’ve told me how good the tech analysts are at Kyvor. They won’t be able to trace you, will they?” Esther asked.

  Kinsey shot her a droll look. “I was head of that division. I taught most of them everything they know.”

  “And Ryder installed something on Kinsey’s computer,” Anson added.

  “That’s right,” Kinsey said. “If anyone tries to trace me, they’ll be rerouted all over the world a hundred times over.”

  Esther let out a whistle. “Impressive.”

  Anson turned away from the girls. He felt like the walls were closing in on him. It had been steadily getting worse ever since Con had refused to permit any of them to shift.

  It had only been a few months since that order, and already he was about to rip off his skin. How had Ulrik endured it for centuries?

  Some said Ulrik had gone insane. Anson could believe it. He felt as if he teetered on that precipice daily. If only he could shift. He didn’t even have to take to the skies. Being in dragon form would ease him.

  That wasn’t to be. There was nowhere in London he could chance such a thing. Already the news agencies, military organizations, and MI5 had an eye on Dreagan after the video was leaked.

  Any other infractions would only make things worse for everyone at Dreagan. Vaughn, the resident attorney, was working to
remove MI5 from the premises.

  If Anson gave in and shifted, he would ruin everything the others had been doing to erase the damage the video had wrought.

  Though it hadn’t hurt the sales of their Scotch. In fact, their whisky was more popular than ever. Unfortunately, so was talk of dragons.

  “I knew it!” Kinsey shouted.

  He spun around and found her furiously typing on the laptop while lines of code scrolled. “What is it?”

  “Kyvor put the same code they installed on my mobile on Devon’s computer. It was probably done when she logged in remotely months ago.”

  “What does that mean?” Esther asked.

  Kinsey looked from Esther to him. “It means they’ve been watching her.”

  “So they know about our conversation?” Anson asked, his muscles tensing.

  Kinsey shook her head. “They’d have to know what to look for. I entered through a back door and masked our conversation.”

  “But they will see her search of you,” Esther pointed out.

  Anson pointed to both of them. “Stay here.”

  “Where are you going?” Kinsey asked as she jumped up from the table.

  He strode to the door. “I’m going to keep watch on Devon. I want to see if Kyvor sends anyone.”

  Anson didn’t wait for the girls to reply. He shut the door behind him and hurried down the steps. The flat they occupied was only a few blocks from Devon’s.

  There were few people out at the late hour. The dark made it easy for him to keep to the shadows, avoiding the streetlamps and headlights from the cars. He moved fast, circumventing anyone he saw on the sidewalk.

  By the time he reached Devon’s street, he slowed and eyed the areas near her flat. He saw one man staring at Devon’s window on the second floor, which was most likely her bedroom.

  The light was on, but there was no movement within. The lights on the first floor were also lit, but Devon had closed the blinds.

  Anson silently applauded her for taking such precautions. He’d hoped that seeing the pictures Kyvor had taken of Kinsey would put her on edge enough to take such measures.

  As he approached, Anson saw a second man. There was no way Kyvor had just sent these two. Most likely, they had been following her for some time. But why Devon? According to Kinsey, she was one of their best employees, who had her eye on the top position and was working her way there.