“Zoey?”
Her bedroom light is on, and the door is wide open. I step inside, my eyes quickly darting around the space. Boxes are stacked, half a dozen open and in the process of unpacking, but a few are knocked over, their contents spilling out onto the floor. Her nightstand lamp is knocked over from its place, and her favorite vase is shattered against the wall. My eyes widen, and a chill runs down my spine.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
I back against the wall in a panic, the hair on my neck and arms standing on end, and reach for my phone, whether to check for a message from Zoey or to call the police, I’m not sure. Just as I have the phone in my fingers, it rings, making me cry out in surprise, and I nearly drop it.
The caller ID shows up as Zoey, and I breathe out a huge sigh of relief as I answer, “Zoey, you scared the shit out of me.”
“Emma?” Her voice comes out with a shaky tone that immediately makes my blood run cold.
“Zoey? What’s wrong?”
“I’m okay. They haven’t hurt me.”
A wave of nausea passes through me. “Who? Where are you?”
There’s a fumbling, and a new voice comes on the line. It’s that of a man, hard and unyielding. I recognize it immediately. Marcus Davidson. “We’re tired of this game, Emma. We’ve been trying to play nice, but you just aren’t getting the hint.”
I can’t decide if this is actually happening. My brain refuses to believe the absurdity of it. “What?”
The hard voice on the other end of the line becomes nearly whimsical. “We tried, really, we did. We don’t like having to resort to these methods, Emma, but it appears you’re getting special treatment from our competitor, and it’s affecting your judgment.”
I swallow on a dry throat. “Leave my roommate out of this!”
“We felt like you needed a little push to make the right decision.”
“You’re insane. Let Zoey go right now.”
“Emma, Emma.” He’s sounding creepily like my father when he’s disappointed with me, and it sends goosebumps down my arms. “Haven’t we offered you more money than Pentabyte? If we knew that all we had to do was send over a few men to fuck you, we would have obliged. Would you still like that? I’m happy to arrange something. Only the best for our most promising programmer.”
Bile rises in my stomach, but I clench back a fuck you. I’m terrified of what will happen to Zoey if I tell them how I really feel. “Just let my roommate go, and we’ll talk.”
“Oh, honey, we’re done talking. Does it look like all we want is a nice little conversation?”
I slide down the wall, my legs so numb I feel like they’re going to give out. “Then what?”
“Our offer is still on the table, but you will take it. Understand? You know who to call. Wise up, Emma. Fast.”
Emma’s story continues in book three, Broken Process, coming in March 2018.
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THE CODE SERIES
Preorder books in The Code series to have them delivered as soon as they release.
1 Vested Interest
2 Hidden Agenda
3 Broken Process
4 Risky Business
5 Perfect Design
About the Authors
Bethany Jadin is the pseudonym of two female authors and best friends - Elaina & Beth - who enjoy writing unconventional romance together.
They love penning stories about sexy, sweet men who fall head over heels for smart, strong heroines. Their promise to readers is that you will always find witty humor, heartwarming moments, sizzling chemistry, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after inside of every series.
Subscribe to their author newsletter for exclusive content such as sneak peeks of upcoming books, and to be notified when their next book releases!
You’re also invited to join their private Facebook group Jadin’s Maidens, for readers who enjoy reverse harem stories and other unconventional romance. Love Without Limits. Why choose?
Table of Contents
Authors’ Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Hidden Agenda: A Reverse Harem Romance (The Code Book 2) Page 21
