Hacked ~ A Dark Horse Novel (Dark Horse Series Book 2)

by J. S. Scott

  “I guess I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around this new reality.” Her brow furrowed with worry as she seemed to mull things over.

  “I know you’ve never had to deal with anything like this before, and it’s a drastic change, but we need to be careful, since anyone coming after you will be a professional. Even if I was the one to go to your home, that would then link the two of us, and if your house was being watched, I’d end up leading them right back here.” Money wasn’t an object, and I’d happily buy her whatever she wanted if it meant keeping her safe. “But I swear, we’ll get this sorted out. You have my word. This is all just temporary.”

  “So, until then, I’m supposed to just stay here and hope that some professional killer doesn’t track me down?” Her eyes widened with panic as her new circumstances seemed to settle in.

  I reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze, unable to resist the urge to touch her and ease her concerns. “I’ll do all I can to get this taken care of quickly—and I get that this is hard on you. But for now, my priority is keeping you safe.”

  “I really do appreciate it. But this has been overwhelming—and completely unexpected. I was just doing my job, and now someone wants me dead.” She was clearly starting to freak out a little, as her new reality set in. “What if it doesn’t stop with just my boss? What if this doesn’t stop until I’m dead?”

  Unfortunately, she was right. Because her boss was likely working for someone else—most likely the person he was developing the virus for—and people like that didn’t like loose ends. And at the moment, that’s exactly what Charlie was.

  The thought of her coming to harm filled me with a fierce protectiveness, unlike anything I’d felt before, even though I’d only just met her. I couldn’t let anything happen to her.

  “We’ll take every single one of them down. I already sent emails to my connections in the FBI, and I can guarantee you that weaponized viruses aren’t something that they’re going to take lightly.” I didn’t know who was involved, or what their motives were, but this sort of thing was a big deal because it could easily involve the deaths of thousands of people.

  She nodded, and though she still looked uncertain, she was still handling it better than most would, especially when it all went down in such a hurry, forcing her to trust a complete stranger. “I don’t even know what I’d do if it weren’t for your help.”

  “Whatever you need, sweetheart… I’m here for you.” My cock went hard as I misconstrued my own words. What the fuck was I thinking? Except that my cock had had a mind all its own from the moment I first laid eyes on her. “I’m not sure what time you normally head to bed, but let me show you to your room so that you can get settled in. I can lend you a T-shirt and sweats, and then you have my word, we’ll go shopping first thing in the morning.”

  I put the dishes in the sink, and then took her by the hand and led her to the nicest of my guestrooms, Thor and Ripley following after us.

  In all reality, it was a second master suite, with its own luxurious bath, gorgeous views of the ocean just beyond, and a beautiful and inviting stone fireplace that reached up to the cathedral ceilings, while thick wooden beams crisscrossed overhead.

  This house was far larger than I needed it to be, considering how much of a loner I was. But it was great for when family came to visit, or during the holidays when everyone would gather together. And since money wasn’t an object at this point in my life, and I had no other expenses, I figured I might as well make this my dream home, especially when I spent most of my time here, since I worked from home. “Here you go. You should have everything you need, other than a change of clothes.”

  I loved the astounded look in her amber eyes as she took in the room. “Wow… I don’t even know what to say, other than this place is amazing.”

  “I’m glad you like it. There’s a nice soaking tub in the bathroom if you want to relax a bit, and a washer and dryer here in the hall if you want to toss your clothes in.” After the day she’d had, getting her to unwind a bit may not be a bad idea, though the thought of her naked as she gingerly slipped into steaming hot water had my hard cock aching and straining against the zipper of my jeans. And when I spoke, it was nearly impossible to keep the need from my voice, which was now thick and gruff. “Let me grab those clothes for you.”

  I headed to my closet and quickly dug around, though anything I had would be swimming on her. Oh well… it’d have to do. I grabbed a T-shirt, hoodie, and a pair of sweats that had a drawstring so she could adjust them, and then headed back to her. “Here you go. I’ll be in my office if you need me—but feel free to wander. I want you to feel at home.”

  Yet before I could go, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to her, looking suddenly shy. “I know I’ve already said this a million times today, but I can’t thank you enough for taking care of me.”

  And then she went up onto the tips of her toes, and kissed my cheek as her lush curves pressed up against my body, my arms wrapping around her waist to hold her close. Fuck… It was going to be damn hard to let her take the lead and not ravish her. “Charlie…”

  There was no hiding just how much I wanted her, but before I could take things any further, she was stepping out of my arms and putting some distance between us, a blush creeping across her cheeks. “I think I’m going to take that bath. Goodnight, Gavin.”

  “Sweet dreams, love.” I forced myself to walk away from her, taken aback by the effect she was having on me.

  Even though I didn’t date a whole lot, I still went out with my friends, and there was never any shortage of women who were happy to flirt with me and show me they were interested. And though they were usually nice people, and more often than not, gorgeous, I was never drawn to any of them.

  But Charlie? The way she made me feel was completely different to anything I’d ever experienced with anyone else. Maybe it was because she was a bit shy, and didn’t really see just how beautiful she was. And maybe it was because she was the perfect blend of geeky scientist and sexy girl next door. Basically, she was all a man could ever want—all I could ever want.

  And it didn’t matter one bit that it was insane for me to be having any of these thoughts when I’d only just met her.

  All I have to do is keep her safe.

  I sat back down in front of my multiple computer screens once I’d arrived back in my office and got to work.

  Fuck... The ad had gotten reposted. I took it down again, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before he found another way to hire a hitman or the ad found a taker before I had a chance to take it down. We were safe here, but it might not be a bad idea to get out of town for a bit. Going overseas wasn’t an option unless I got her a passport under an alias, but this was a big enough country to get lost in, and I had the means to make it easy.

  No matter what, I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe and see her through a situation that had to be like a nightmare scenario for her. I had to. Any other option wasn’t acceptable.

  CHAPTER 6

  Charlie

  Despite everything that was going on in my life, I’d managed to sleep remarkably well after the long bath I’d taken. Knowing the dogs had to go out first thing in the morning, I slipped on the clothes Gavin gave me, and though they were far too large, the fabric was soft and smelled like him. I wrapped my arms around myself and breathed in his scent, before padding barefoot out into the living area with Ripley following behind me. I wondered if Gavin was awake yet.

  It felt odd wandering through someone else’s home, especially when I didn’t really know him. He’d said to make myself feel at home, but it still felt odd to be walking through unfamiliar surroundings all on my own. He’d been too busy yesterday to give me the full tour, but I may have to ask for one today. The house was so large that I was likely to get lost if I didn’t know the layout.

  I quickly let out Ripley and Thor
, knowing the yard was fenced, and then continued my search for Gavin.

  It wasn’t a huge surprise when I found him in his office, and it left me wondering if he’d actually gone to bed last night or if he’d been working this whole time. “Good morning. Please tell me you got to bed at some point last night.”

  “I got a few hours, but… I don’t tend to need much sleep.” The light in his eyes darkened just a little, and his smile slipped, though only for a moment. It left me wondering if there was more to it than being an insomniac, though I imagined he was also a pretty busy guy, especially if he had his own company to run, in addition to his side projects. “Are you hungry? I was thinking we could head out and grab a bite before going shopping.”

  “That sounds perfect, since I could do with more clothes.” I had clothes for today, since I’d washed what I had on yesterday when this whole nightmare started, but beyond washing and wearing the same things, day in and day out, I had few other options. “Will it be okay for me to leave Ripley here while we’re gone?”

  “I’m sure they’ll be fine. And we won’t be too long.” He got to his feet and crossed to my side, towering over me and making me feel small, though his smile had returned, making my heart skitter out of control, especially when he ran a gentle hand down my arm. “You should be safe for the next few hours, since I took down the new hit your boss posted. But I’ve also reached out to my connections in the FBI, and there’s still no connection between us, so I don’t want you worrying.”

  “He already put up another hit?” My new reality slammed into me like a runaway freight train. Someone—my boss, presumably—really wanted me dead. And then it hit me. “Gavin… I don’t have any evidence on that weaponized virus. I handed it over to my boss, not realizing that he was the one behind it. What if he’s already destroyed it?”

  Gavin gave me a sexy frown, looking as though he was mulling things over. “If he was the one to take the hit out on you, then they’d still have him for attempted murder, though that would carry a lesser sentence to what would amount as terrorism, or aiding a terrorist or foreign government, depending on who he’s working for. If he’s hiring a hitman, then it’s likely he doesn’t want his bosses to know that he basically screwed up. There may be a way for us to use that to our advantage.”

  It was sounding more and more like getting the FBI involved would be inevitable—which was fine by me. I couldn’t deal with the fact that I was a walking target, and even worse was knowing that I might be putting other people at risk, like Gavin. I already had to live with the guilt of my brother’s death, and it’d ruin me to have someone else get hurt because of me.

  “What if I went into work? It’s Sunday, and we’ll be running on a limited staff. Though I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on the specimens, I still have some of the data at my desk. That might be enough to allow the FBI to get a warrant, so they can lock him up on the greater charges.” I was willing to take the risk if it meant no one else got hurt, and the virus stayed out of our enemy’s hands.

  Gavin’s brow furrowed as he looked at me with darkening eyes, shaking his head as he gripped my arms. “No. There’s no fucking way I’m letting you go back there when your boss wants you dead. That’s not happening, so get it out of your head. You’re not going anywhere near the lab or your boss, until he’s behind bars.”

  “But once the FBI has the evidence to lock up my boss, this will be over—and the faster I get the evidence, the better. Don’t you think?” That way I could get back to my life. Though it was damn nice to have Gavin around. Having a hit out on my life was more than a little stressful and a whole lot scary.

  “Not if the people your boss is working for decide they want to tie up loose ends and eliminate any witnesses.” He shook his head as I tried to fight back the panic that was running through my veins like ice. “I’m sorry, Charlie, but you just need to trust me on this one. And I get it—you don’t know me, so why should you do anything I say. But I swear, I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

  “I know.” It didn’t matter that I barely knew Gavin. For whatever reason, I trusted him, and until he gave me a reason not to, I’d likely listen to what he had to say. “It’s just that yesterday morning, my life was still completely normal. And now… It’s just a lot to take in and adjust to.”

  “I know it is, love.” When he pulled me into the protective comfort of his strong arms, it felt all too natural to be there.

  I held onto him, resting my head against his muscular chest as he engulfed me in his embrace and I breathed in his clean, masculine scent. There in his arms, everything felt so right, even if my life was in complete turmoil. It was almost as if fate was trying to bring us together.

  Except that there was a reason why I’d been single most of my life—a reason why I was still a virgin. I had no self-confidence in anything but my work, and if my father was to be believed, I didn’t deserve to be happy. Not when my life had been chosen over my little brother’s.

  Yet I couldn’t do anything but hold onto Gavin, as if he was the lifeline I’d been waiting for all along. And when he tightened his hold on me and pressed his scruffy cheek to the top of my head, it somehow felt as if, for just that moment, I’d been absolved of all my sins.

  We stayed that way, locked together, for what felt like an eternity, as if all of time stood still in that moment. And though Gavin didn’t let go of me, he did pull away just enough to look at me, his blue eyes taking me in. He brushed my hair from my eyes and cupped my cheek, his touch lingering as I resisted the urge to lean in and kiss him. “You have me worried about you, Charlie.”

  “I’ve got you watching my back, right? That means everything will be okay.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Gavin

  The way Charlie looked at me, like I was her knight in shining armor… it just reminded me that my life was messed up. And given my past, she definitely deserved better.

  I wasn’t anyone’s knight, and it didn’t matter that I wanted to kiss her, nor did it matter that I wanted to scoop her up off her feet and carry her off to my bed to ravage her. And so, despite the insatiable need to kiss her, I let go of her and took a step back.

  Fuck. I hated the disappointed look in her eyes. But what was the point? She sure as hell wasn’t the sort of girl you simply hooked up with for a bit of fun. And that meant she was off limits, even if it was going to be damn hard to keep my distance. “Come on, love. I’m starving, and you have some shopping to do.”

  She nodded, managing a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes—and I knew damn well that it was my fault. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but this wasn’t about my needs—it was about her, and I knew I’d be no good for her when I was still dealing with all my issues.

  She must’ve seen the hesitation in my eyes, because once again her disappointment was clear. She put some distance between us, leaving me to hate myself. “Lead the way.”

  I swallowed down a low grumble and reached out to take her hand, needing the physical connection between us, even though I’d been pushing her away. “I think it’s probably best if we head into the city, just as a precaution. There’s this great little diner I know. They make the best chicken and waffles.”

  She followed me out to my car and we got on the road. “Isn’t chicken and waffles a southern thing? You don’t get too much of that here in Seattle.”

  “You’re right. It is a southern thing, but it seems like the combination is classic enough to become a popular choice around the country. And this place does a damn good job of it.” At least with the conversation going, she seemed to be back to her normal cheery self, her disappointment quickly fading. “So… Tell me a little bit more about yourself.”

  “Honestly, there isn’t much to tell. Other than Ripley and my job… I don’t have much of a life. I spend my free time either going for runs with Ripley, reading, or binge watching my favorite shows. Oh!”
She grabbed my arm and shifted in her seat to face me, her amber eyes alight. “And I do a bit of crafting too.”

  Her sudden enthusiasm had me laughing—and I loved that she wasn’t letting her current situation drag her down too much. “What kind of crafting?”

  “I sew fleece dog coats and comfy blankets for the local shelters, and you’re going to think it’s silly, but… I make costumes for cosplay events. I know—I couldn’t be any more of a geek, huh?” The blush that flushed her cheeks made her look adorable, but I hated that she’d feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about something that she was passionate about.

  “I think it’s fucking awesome that you’ve got a creative side to you, in addition to being so into science. And don’t even get me started on what you’re doing for all those shelter animals.” How could she not think those things were amazing? I hated that she questioned herself, and it left me wondering who the hell had messed with her head. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect.”

  Her cheeks turned scarlet as she shook her head no, clearly not used to anyone complimenting her. “Trust me, I’m not.”

  “I beg to differ, love.” But I wouldn’t argue with her any further. I’d just need to prove it to her, slowly but surely, until she finally came to terms with how special she was. “Tell me more… where did you grow up? Where did you go to college? How about your family? Any brothers or sisters, or are you an only child?”

  I wanted to know everything about her, even as I ignored the voice in my head that told me I was better off keeping my distance, and no good would come from getting attached to her.