by Zoe Forward
“Nah. We survived.” Don’t look at him. Jake stretched. His mind granted him a montage of images of how he’d “helped” her.
Noah frowned. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Maybe a few small battle wounds, then?”
More like a colossal kick in the gut for being an asshole. “Did you know Becca took some sort of job or internship that’s treating her like shit?”
Noah shook his head. “That’s weird. I thought she had a full ride for her master’s degree. They begged her to come to Berkley and offered her everything under the sun, including housing. She’s brilliant behind a computer, you know.”
“I don’t get why she’d take a job on top of school, at least not without letting you or your parents know. She also said something about being in San Diego and not Berkley. It was a slip-up she tried to fix, but…I don’t know.” He massaged his forehead. “Something’s not right. Something beyond the two of us being at each other’s throats.”
15
Good job.
The two-word text sent Becca to the toilet, puking until she dry-heaved.
She’d filled up the flash drive with as much financial information as she’d been able to get.
She swished mouthwash then stumbled out of the bathroom to the starchy edge of the hotel bed. She needed help, and not just a makeover miracle to hide her lack of sleep and the fact she’d puked her stomach dry. She wished to have anyone she could confide in without worrying they’d end up hurt.
The phone sat on her still-made bed. A toss against the wall hard enough to shatter it into a zillion pieces tempted her. But not yet.
Pascal: Pickup for phone and zip in a few minutes.
A hotel staffer picked up the flash drive full of financial information and the phone.
She wondered again why they needed the information copied to a flash drive when Symphis or his peon could excavate it from the phone. They hadn’t wanted it emailed, careful to avoid an electronic signature.
She nibbled a nail, considering possible motives for them to want this information. The one that won: revenge.
Symphis, whose real identity no one knew since he managed the Stadium remotely, despised Noah and Tori after Tori facilitated an FBI hit on the Stadium in New York a few months ago. The need for payback undoubtedly ran deep. He planned something to end NJ Legacy. Blow them apart. But what?
No clue.
The honorable move would be to come clean to her brother about all of it, or at least warn him about the stolen data, not that she knew what he could do. This was up to her.
Next week, she could meet the person who might offer her a way out. She’d found out about the woman from an ex-boyfriend of Stuart’s who had escaped without dying a few months before they started. Rumors of him as the intern who got away floated around GenShare, buoying hope. At first, she’d dismissed it as mythological bullshit perpetuated by Pascal to keep them fooled into having a reason to persist. Later, Stuart confided their relationship had been pretty serious. The guy had been the reason Stuart took the internship and declined a higher-paying job in Silicon Valley. To escape, the guy had to disappear—as in ghost out of existence—forever. In that one communication, he’d given Stuart an online gamer codename: Stardust. Months of detective work and now they had a meeting at Comic-Con. Becca and Stuart had planned to meet her together.
Quan’s suggestion Symphis was a woman scared her. Maybe this whole thing was a setup manipulated by Symphis to catch her trying to escape. Regardless, it represented her only lead.
She cradled her face in her hands with her elbows on her knees. The fallout from all this would be her fault.
Her phone rang. Becca answered.
“What stupidity did he do?” Tori asked.
“It’s seven thirty in the morning. Who’re you talking about?”
“Jake. He’s a panicky idiot when it comes to dealing with feels, especially early in the morning. You left with him last night after my sister saw the two of you practically removing each other’s clothing in the hallway. You drank way too much, which we all know ends up in you doing something crazy. Chemistry plus crazy equals you two in bed. Guaranteed it’d end in him freaking out.”
“He’s sort of your boss since you work for NJ Legacy, and he’s Noah’s best man. Aren’t you supposed to be on his side and defend him?”
“God, no. He’s clueless when it comes to important life stuff.”
“This isn’t important life stuff, more like life shit.”
“He did do something dumb this morning. Come to my apartment. We’ll caffeinate before we meet the other girls for brunch.”
“I don’t want to put you out. You’ve got a busy day ahead.” I don’t want to have a lecture on getting sucked into the Stadium. Or, worse, you force me to tell Noah. Becca trudged toward the bathroom.
“Get over here. I want to talk about him and…the other thing.”
Becca’s tension level rose. “Let’s not address the other thing today. Please. I made sure everything will be okay this weekend.”
But had she? Or had she screwed her brother and Jake?
“All right. Girl support only,” Tori said.
After a shower and a stinky cab ride, she entered Tori’s apartment, which smelled of coffee and cinnamon. “Smells amazing in here. How do you keep it smelling so good?”
Tori fingered the hoops lining her left ear. “I have a thing for air fresheners; the expensive ones that don’t smell like bus bathrooms.” Tori led into the kitchen and poured each of them an extra-large mug of coffee. “How do you take it? Sugar? Milk?”
“Bit of milk, please. I’m surprised you haven’t already moved into Noah’s place. It’s cavernous compared to this.” Tori’s whole apartment consisted of a micro-kitchen and one room that served as both dining room and bedroom with a futon in front of a screen.
Tori pushed coffee her way. “The lease is up in two months. I’ve never had a place of my own, and even though my time here was short, I liked feeling as if I’m finally making it in the world enough to have my own place. I’ll be living with Noah as of next week.” Her brows drooped. “I’m worried as hell about you and whatever’s going on in California. It’ll kill your brothers and your parents if you end up like Kaleb.”
She released a long sigh and covered her face. “I know. I have nothing new to say. I need you to believe I have a plan.”
Tori stared at her long and hard. “I had a plan, too, an idea on how to get out. It didn’t work. They don’t care about getting repaid the amount you owe. They just want you and your skills doing their bidding. Don’t go back. Stay here. Tell Noah.”
“They’ve got their hooks in deep. If I tried to walk away by simply not returning, Symphis would hurt all of us. I know someone who did get out. Like, free and clear of it all. I’m following his same path. It might mean I have to disappear for a little while, as in off the grid, at least until someone else brings down the whole organization. Any progress on bringing it down and finding Symphis?”
Tori shook her head. “I’m not in that loop anymore. Sorry.” She gazed at Becca for a few long, silent moments. “All right. I trust you. You’re smart enough to know when you need to reach out for help. So, what’d Jake do?”
Becca sipped coffee. “Mmm. This is good. We had an argument, as usual. I’ll get over it. So will he.”
“I need details to gauge how much of an ass he was to you. That way, I can feel no guilt about choosing your side.”
She laughed. “We were watching a movie last night. I think he really meant for everything to stay friends only. One thing led to another, even though I don’t think either of us meant for it to lead to…that. Then this morning he said we had to pretend nothing happened and go back to normal.”
“He gave you a heartless morning-after speech? What an idiot.” Tori shook her head. “What exactly did he say to you?”
“Just that we had fun and now we have to go back to normal
. Essentially, he doesn’t want Noah to know.”
“He freaked out, then. Big time.” Tori sipped her coffee, looking contemplative.
“He handles difficult situations all day at work. You’d think he’d be good at handling things that stress him out in his personal life.”
“Yes, he’s pretty darn smooth in the office, but Emma told me when he’s not at work, and there’s a woman involved, he has the social IQ of a middle schooler. He’s had a fair bit of experience with hookups, which you’d think would make him good at sticky situations. If he detects something is getting serious, if he feels something, then he falls apart. He’s had Emma deal with quite a few clingy women for him. Drives her nuts. He becomes that guy who hides behind his desk or behind a file cabinet while sending Emma in to clean it up. You’re nothing like those girls though.”
“In what way? I’m the newest idiotic ditz who hooked up with Mr. One Time Only. The guy changes girls like he changes T-shirts.”
“You’re not a ditz, and you’re certainly not an idiot. You’re smart. You’ve known each other for years, which makes you different. Very different, at least from his typical date, who is air-headed and a complete stranger. Do you like like him?” Tori glanced over her mug as she sipped.
Becca’s cheeks scorched.
“You do.” Tori’s eyebrows shot upward. “I thought so.”
No hiding it now. “Momentary lapse of judgment on both our parts. Bad timing.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. Let’s not forget Jake just broke his long dry spell to be with you. Based on his behavior around you, I think things are different for him where you’re concerned. He probably realized he felt something different and panicked. Or it might have to do with the fact you’re Noah’s sister.”
“I don’t want Noah to know about last night. He and Michael are always a bit weird when it comes to me dating. I can’t even mention sex to them. I did once. It didn’t go well.”
“My brother is the same.” She waved a hand in the air. “Deep breath. We’ve got a big morning at the spa. Let’s relax and forget about last night.”
Hours later, Becca giggled next to Tori as they perused a gossip magazine’s opinion of the worst dressed movie stars attending a movie premiere. Becca never read these magazines, but the stories were so ridiculous they were funny. She sipped her mimosa and pointed to a red feather dress.
“The dress makes the poor girl look like a red pigeon.” Tori laughed so hard she dabbed her eyes. She wiggled her electric blue painted toenails. “Wonder if they’re dry yet?”
“That color…” Becca laughed.
“Hey, you only live once. Why not?” Tori tested a finger on the paint and made a face.
Emma swatted at her hand. “Fingers off. Another few minutes.”
“Oh my Lordy Lord,” one of the other bridesmaids announced, waving a magazine in the air. “Did you guys see this?” She rotated to display the magazine featuring Jake half dressed in Milan.
“Yeah, I saw that one,” Emma said with an eye roll. “He tried to keep it out of the office last week. No luck on that.”
Tori chuckled. “It was plastered all over the NJ Legacy break room. Noah couldn’t stop laughing.”
Becca stared at the cover, which reminded her of playing Zoneworld Warrior with him.
The girl flipped to the article. “Listen to this: Part Chris Evans and part James Dean, Jake Allen seems set on revolutionizing the gaming industry while dressed like James Bond on a mission. There’s usually a Bond girl on the elbow of this digital maverick, with no indication his bachelor days will end soon.”
“I think that’s overstating it a little bit,” Tori interrupted. “He seems so different at the office. So serious. I’ve heard he’s taken a lot of girls home over the years, but, knowing him now it’s hard to imagine he’s one of those player guys.”
Emma said, “Jake likes to think he’s a player. Deep down, he’s not. He’s commitment phobic, which is different. The man wouldn’t know he had something great with a woman if it bit him in the ass. He’ll never realize it until he loses her forever.”
Becca frowned at Tori, who only grinned back.
“I didn’t know you were philosophical, Em. Especially not about your boss.” Tori smiled. “Do you have a crush on him?”
Emma’s eyes went wide. “Hell, no. I’d kick him in the nuts if he laid a single finger on me. He’s not my type.”
“Becca, you’re lucky you nailed him down,” said the bridesmaid with the magazine. “He’s so hot.” She rotated to show everyone the two-page spread of Jake. “I just want to tear off that shirt and get a look at the tattoos.” She fanned herself with the magazine.
“We’re not an item. Seriously. Definitely, not a thing,” Becca gritted out, even though her mind granted her a thorough visual replay of his sexy ink.
Tori picked at her nails and bit her lip against a smile. “I think my toes are finally dry. Time for hair.”
Thank you, Tori, for ending this conversation.
As they exited the nail room, Tori leaned close to Becca and whispered, “Thou doth protest too much.”
“Oh, shut up,” she whispered back. Her cheeks flamed hot.
16
Who the hell chose the bridesmaid dresses? Jake stared at Becca in a pale green dress with a neckline that dipped so low he could see the top of each breast. She usually wore her hair down, but it’d been professionally done up in a way to show off her auburn highlights. Sophisticated. The look was far more elegant than he’d ever seen her. Her heels added several inches to her height and accentuated the sleekness of her legs. He remembered kissing up those smooth legs. This wasn’t the Becca he knew. This wasn’t the Becca he’d stripped and kissed, devoured and burned with for hours last night. This was, however, a Becca he wanted to taste.
There’d be no repeat. Last night he’d lost his mind. It shouldn’t have happened.
The only thing he needed to do with regard to Becca was figure out what was going on in California.
Her gaze met his for an instant, widened, and bounced away. She helped fix a shoulder strap on one of the other bridesmaids.
He didn’t know who he wanted to curse more—himself for letting the night happen and fucking it up this morning, or Tori for choosing that as a bridesmaid’s dress. He wanted this woman in the flowy green number both with it on and then again after he’d ripped it off.
Noah nudged him. “You’re gaping at my sister’s chest.”
Jake yanked his gaze off Becca. “The dress…”
“Yeah. I know. I’m not sure who voted for a neckline that low.” Noah frowned.
“Is the wedding dress as provocative?”
“Don’t know. It’s been top secret. I sure hope so.” Noah grinned.
Jake smiled back. The guy really was over the moon nuts about his future wife. Jake was happy for him. Tori was pretty awesome.
“Gotta go. Dad’s calling.” Noah wandered off.
Jake didn’t even realize he was striding toward Becca, who now stood alone, until he smelled her distinctive perfume. Her eyes widened. Then narrowed to slits.
He bent his head and whispered, “You doing okay?”
Her eyes darted around as if seeking an excuse to ditch him. She faked a smile and waved to Michael. “We’re done, Jake. Go hit on one of my cousins to be your evening entertainment. Leave me alone.”
He caught her arm before she moved away and laced his fingers with hers. “We’re here as a date, as in together. I got the green light from Noah for us to do today as a date.”
“Oh, well, if Noah says it’s okay, then great.” She pulled her hand from his.
“You know what I meant.” Noah called out Jake’s name. Jake waved at a rapidly approaching Noah. Jake whispered, “We’re doing this.”
“We don’t work.”
“Not what I remember,” he shot back before Noah closed in.
“Need you for a minute, man. Excuse us, Becca.” Noah steered Jake
into the arriving crowd, introducing him to a dozen people. Cousin this and Aunt so-and-so. An uncle started telling wedding jokes, which were so outrageously bad he found himself grinning like a fool. Noah looked more relaxed than he’d been minutes ago. Good.
Aunt so-and-so dragged Becca into the jokes. Becca also laughed hard and added her own couple of terrible jokes.
Surrounded by the Harrison family, his chest tingled with the familiar warmth he got whenever at their family functions. They enjoyed their togetherness. They laughed, they trash talked, and they competed. All good-naturedly.
Family.
The idea of a tribe and of belonging, as usual, opened a well of pain in his chest. He’d never had anything close to this cohesive familial bond. As the single child of a toxic marriage, he’d been on his own. He’d never had Fourth of July barbeques or Christmas dinners. Or big wedding events. He recalled one family event when they visited with his aunt from Florida in an abysmal weekend at Myrtle Beach, which ended in a dramatic fight with items thrown. His mother had dragged his father out of the rented beach house before anyone got hurt.
Someone yelled for Becca. She spun. His eyes dropped down the back of her dress, which plunged into a deep V. So low. Too much tempting smooth skin. He wanted his mouth there as he unzipped the mere few inches above what promised to be another sexy pair of panties. Was she even wearing a bra? Unlikely.
Once wasn’t enough with Becca. He’d speculated this before last night. It’s why he’d resisted dipping into the Becca Harrison sensuality well.
Noah clapped him on the shoulder. His eyes narrowed in warning. Caught gaping at Becca again. Shit.
Noah laughed in response to another very bad joke. His grin didn’t diminish as more people entered. More hands were shaken. Noah’s enthusiasm was infectious, and Jake found himself grinning, too, as he was introduced to yet another cousin.
