by Juniper Hart
He hung up the phone and gritted his teeth. Trina wasn’t wrong—he was going to have to do some damage control. He purposely had not gone into the office, knowing that the questions would be plentiful and that reporters would be lined up outside headquarters. The last thing he needed was more heat.
I guess it doesn’t matter where I go, the questions will be inevitable, he realized, rising from the folding chair. If it’s not Trina, it’s Bella. Or the police. Or the reporters. How the hell did my life become so complicated overnight?
Titus sauntered out of the garage, noting that the sun had almost set. He realized he had been cooped up inside almost all day.
Blinking against the light, he stood in the wraparound driveway, considering his next move. A part of him didn’t want to tell Bella he was leaving her alone for the evening in the compound, but he knew it would be unfair to just disappear when she was already so nervous about her new surroundings. He still gave her no explanation why he was helping her. And since they had sex, would she feel used that he hadn’t been spending much time with her?
Titus grunted to himself and sauntered toward the house, knowing that he had to tell her he was going. I can’t stay for dinner, he told himself. I need to go now. Whatever is happening with the company has to come first, no matter how much I want to spend the night with Bella.
Entering through the kitchen, Marta glanced up at him from the island where she was chopping vegetables for a salad.
“You’re lucky,” she declared. “I was about to come and pull you out of there by your ear. That poor girl has been wandering around here aimlessly all day.”
Titus shoved down the flash of guilt and sighed.
“I have to go to the office,” he explained, suddenly deciding what to do. He couldn’t look Bella in the face and tell her he was going, even for a few hours.
Marta’s eyebrows raised in shock. “You must be joking!” she snapped. “You’ve ignored her all day and now you’re taking off without telling her?”
“It’s only for a few hours,” Titus replied quickly, heat tinging his cheeks. “It’s important.”
“Tito, did you think about what was going to happen before you played knight in shining armor and brought this stranger into your house?” Marta asked sharply. “She’s not a dog.”
Titus bristled. “I know that!” he retorted. “I don’t have a choice here.”
Marta shrugged and turned back to the vegetables. “Then you tell her. I can’t bear to look into those sad eyes again.”
Are all the women in my life determined to be a pain in my ass or is it just a full moon tonight? “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Titus said, spinning to leave the kitchen. But as he did, Bella appeared in the doorway leading to the back hallway.
“You’re leaving?” she asked, her voice pained.
His heart stopped.
“I’m sorry,” he told her weakly. “I have to go into the office for a few hours.”
To his surprise, she merely nodded, her expression emotionless.
“I understand,” she replied.
Titus found himself glancing at Marta, who snorted and muttered something under her breath.
“I won’t be long,” he promised, but he had no way of knowing how long it would take.
“It’s fine,” Bella replied, turning her attention toward Marta. “You have a company to run. I don’t expect you to babysit me, Titus. You’ve done more than enough for me already.”
He could sense no animus in her tone, and it only made him feel worse somehow.
The more I speak to her, Titus thought, the more she reminds me of Bella. That is exactly what Bella would have said, and she would’ve meant it.
“We’ll do something tomorrow,” he assured her. “Maybe we’ll go to the reserve or out to the beach.”
“That sounds good,” Bella agreed. “But don’t stress on my account. Seriously. I wish I could do something to help you. Marta doesn’t let me do anything.”
“That’s because I have everything down to a science,” the housekeeper chirped. “And I’m glad to have someone appreciative of my efforts around here for once.”
But Titus was barely listening to the exchange as he stared at Bella for a long moment, his pulse beginning to race as her words sunk into his mind.
She was arrested and charged with computer crimes, he recalled, his palms sweating as he realized what he was about to do.
“Would you like to come with me?” he asked suddenly, knowing that if he did not blurt out the question, he would change his mind about asking.
Bella glanced up at him, blinking in surprise.
“You want me to come with you to the office?” she echoed. “Is that allowed? I thought I had to stay here.”
Titus shook his head, even though she was right. He had no right to take her off the compound. “I have been instructed to ensure you appear at your court dates. You can come with me if you want.”
She eyed him, casting Marta a nervous look, but the housekeeper wisely kept her eyes averted.
“Won’t I just be in the way?” she asked. Titus shook his head.
“Not if I put you to work,” he replied slowly.
A look of confusion flashed across her face, and Marta’s head jerked up in surprise.
“Put me to work?” Bella repeated. “Doing what?”
“Come on!” Titus said excitedly. “I’ll explain on the way.”
But as they left the gated estate in Titus’ cherry red Jaguar, he wondered if he wasn’t making a mistake.
Again.
9
The conversation from St. Francis Bay to Port Elizabeth had filled Ara with uncertainty and a slight dread. She was already on edge about leaving the sanctuary of the compound, but her discomfort only mounted with each mile that passed in the passenger seat of the expensive car.
I’ve never set foot in a Jag before, she thought, trying to hide her awe at the soft leather interior and entertainment system. But before today, I had also never been in a house with a two-tier swimming pool and a five-car garage.
Not that she had an opportunity to explore the bells and whistles of the vehicle. She was too busy listening to what Titus was telling her about his problems at Williams Technology.
“It’s the damndest thing,” he explained. “It’s like he’s mocking us. He just makes himself known and then disappears.”
Ara swallowed and bit her lower lip.
“There haven’t been any demands of any kind?” she asked softly. “Not for money or information?”
“Nothing.”
She knew how incredible a feat it would be for someone to sneak in through the security measures enacted by a company as powerful at Titus’.
“Have you considered a disgruntled employee?” she suggested. “Someone who is looking for attention?”
Or a jilted lover? Ara stifled the uncharacteristic feeling of jealousy the unexpected thought brought with it. Really? That makes you so uncomfortable, you can’t even ask him?
She admitted that it did. She didn’t want to know about Titus’ past lovers.
“It’s hard to narrow it down when we have absolutely no idea where it’s coming from,” Titus sighed. “That’s where I’m hoping you can come in.”
Ara blinked her eyes. “Me? How?” she asked dubiously. “If your top people can’t figure it out, what makes you think I can?” Titus was quiet for a moment, and she could see he was choosing his words carefully. “What? Because I’m a criminal?” she heard herself asking, her tone filled with upset. “You think I know something about what this guy wants?”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Bella,” he told her quickly. “All I’m thinking is that you might have some better insight than we do.”
Her mouth became a fine line of anger, but she remained silent, looking out into the still night as they drove along National Route 2 toward Port Elizabeth.
“Please, don’t take it personally,” Titus continued. “It’s a compliment if you t
hink about it.”
“Is it now?” she asked with a raised brow.
“I believe that you are more capable than my highly-trained staff,” he replied, grinning at her through a sidelong look.
In spite of herself, Ara found herself smiling back. “You’re not very good at flattering women, are you?” she asked, sighing as she struggled not to show her amusement.
Titus’ smile froze on his face.
“I haven’t had much occasion to flatter women,” he said tightly, and Ara could see his personal life was a touchy subject. “Anyways, it’s not flattery if it’s a fact. I believe you are very intelligent, and apparently the police do, too, or else they wouldn’t have charged you with such complex crimes, right?”
This guy knows nothing about me except that I look like someone he was in love with once, Ara thought. He has no idea of what I can do, and yet he’s willing to bring me into his highly secured office and fiddle with his systems on the off chance that I might learn something. He’s crazy.
For the first time, Ara entertained the thought that perhaps he really was not mentally balanced. Honestly, it would explain a lot. Then again, if he was insane, what did that make her? She was as caught up in whatever spell he seemed to have cast over her. Instantly, a hot flush touched her cheeks, and she was glad that he couldn’t see her face.
In the shadows of her mind was something taunting her, something elusive that told her neither one of them was crazy, despite the weirdness of the situation.
I knew him once, she thought, and he knew me. Could I be connected to the Bella he loved? What happened to her?
Ara wished she was bolder, more assertive so she could demand answers, but that was not her nature. And she didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. The few days she had spent in the jail on Gail Road had been enough for her to count her blessings.
“I think you might be disappointed,” she finally said after a long silence. “I am nowhere near the computer genius the police believe I am.”
“It can’t hurt for you to look,” Titus insisted, and Ara could do nothing but agree.
It’s not going to hurt me to look, but he doesn’t know if it could hurt him. He’s not even remotely suspicious of me, as if he’s known me forever. After all, she had offered to help.
What she had not accounted for was the animus that greeted her when she and Titus arrived at Williams Tech’s headquarters two and a half hours later.
It was almost eight o’clock, and Titus’ assistant, Trina MacKay, was furious to see her there.
“Have you lost your mind?” she howled when Titus introduced her to Ara. “You brought her here? To a secure facility? A white-collar criminal, a dangerous fugitive?”
“She’s not a fugitive anymore,” Titus replied brightly. “And I think she can help.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve acting like a lunatic the past few days! If anyone finds out about this…”
Titus lost his good humor, his face taking a dark turn as he glowered at the brunette, his sooty eyes turning black.
“Once again, I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to,” he snarled. “The last time I checked, I was still the CEO of this company, Trina, and you are my assistant.”
Ara cringed at the harshness of his tone, but at the same time, she was secretly pleased he put the woman in her place. He’s right. This is his business. She has no right to talk to him like that… even if she does have a very valid concern. Ara had the very same worries about her benefactor, after all.
Trina’s face went pale, and she folded her arms over her chest in defiance, but she did not speak as Titus led Ara toward his office at the back of the top floor.
Everywhere she looked, her eyes caught on glass and metal fixtures, and for a strange moment, she felt like she was caught in some futuristic time warp. Titus pulled out a chair for her to sit, and Ara gazed up at him worriedly as Trina stood in the doorway, her face contorted into a sneer.
That woman hates me, she thought, and she doesn’t know the first thing about me. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, but she didn’t want to be loathed by Trina. You’re constantly seeking approval from everyone, she chided herself. You would probably hate you too if the roles were reversed. She’s just watching out for her boss and company.
“Here,” Titus said, pulling up the breach for her to examine. “This is what happened. What can you tell me?”
Gulping back a nervous knot in her throat, Ara turned her full attention toward the screen, trying to ignore the daggers flying from Trina’s dark eyes. Her hands were shaking noticeably, but she hoped the brunette across the room couldn’t see them.
“The IP is rerouted,” Ara said slowly. “Bouncing all over the place.”
“You think?” Trina piped up sarcastically. “Thank God you brought her in here, Tito. What—?”
“Can you stop talking for five minutes?” Titus roared. “Jesus Christ, Trina, you’re giving me a headache!”
“I’ll just be in my office when her earth-shattering revelation comes through,” Trina growled, whirling to leave them alone in the office. “God forbid I give you a migraine.”
Titus didn’t seem to notice, but Trina’s abrupt absence gave Ara cause to breathe slightly easier. Even though she had been standing clear across the room, she felt as if Trina had been staring over her shoulder.
Titus is depending on you to find something, she reminded herself. Concentrate.
But Ara didn’t have faith that her skills could compete with the engineers and programmers at Williams Tech. There was just no way she could—
“Oh!” she gasped, her heart fluttering slightly as she peered at the code appearing before her. No way. No way in hell.
“What? What is it?” Titus demanded. “Do you have something?”
Ara pointed at the screen, at the end of the code, indicating the three dollar signs.
“That’s his signature,” Titus grunted. “It doesn’t match up to anything we’ve dealt with in the past.”
“It matches something,” Ara said. “You weren’t looking in the right place.” She took a deep shuddering breath as Titus stared at her.
“What does it match? Are you sure?”
“I know who this is,” she breathed, her head growing dizzy. “You need to contact the police and see if they will help you, but I know it’s his.”
“How do you know? Who is it?”
“It’s Skylar’s signature,” she said. “He did this to the government before he robbed them, too. You need to access SAPS records about the hack, but it’s his. I’m positive.”
“How is he doing this?” Titus asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “We have a state-of-the-art system, the best programmers in the world. Our security is infallible!”
Ara sat back heavily against the chair, a pained expression on her face as she looked at him. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him. Titus may not even believe her. Why would he?
“If he’s going after you the same way he went after the South African Reserve Bank,” she murmured, “there’s only one way he would know how.”
Titus stared at her expectantly, and Ara stared at her hands.
“Well?” he demanded. “How is he planning to do it? And what is he planning to do?”
“He’s already done it, Titus,” she explained softly, peeking at him through a rogue strawberry curl. “He’s got a handle on what he wants.”
“How? That’s impossible. We’ve checked everything.”
“He’ll come back and take whatever he’s after,” Ara assured him grimly. “Just when you think he’s nothing more than a kid playing a prank. That’s what he did with the government.”
“I still don’t understand how.”
Slowly, Ara raised her head. “Someone on the inside is helping him.”
10
The bellhop grinned almost maniacally at Titus as he ushered them into the suite at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
“We are ho
nored to have you here again, Mr. Williams,” he choked, the words spilling from his lips eagerly, one over the other. “You and your lady friend. Welcome, and please call us if you need anything at all!”
Titus mustered a smile and slipped him several hundred rand before closing the door nearly in his face.
“I don’t know why they need to make such a spectacle out of me staying here,” he grumbled to himself, but Ara snickered.
“They’re starstruck,” she replied, wandering into the stunning ocean view room. “You’re an important man.”
It had been Titus’ idea to rent a room instead of traveling back to St. Francis Bay.
“I should make an appearance at the office in the morning, anyway,” he said. “Trina never stops bitching, but she’s not wrong. I haven’t been coming in as much as I should be. We’ll stay here overnight, and you can visit the spa in the morning.”
“That sounds great,” Ara said with a smile.
“Are you sure you want to share a room? I am perfectly happy to get you your own room.”
The gesture made Ara smile. “And I am perfectly happy staying with you.”
Titus’ smirk was indicative that he liked her answer.
Ara’s worry about leaving the compound vanished as she wandered through the luxurious room. Although it was late, the sound of the waves licking at the white sand shoreline was hypnotic, and Ara could make out the gentle caps through the darkness, illuminated by a hundred thousand stars above.
A feeling of serenity slid through her as she reached for the door leading onto the balcony, inhaling the sweet saltiness of the ocean air as she moved. She had barely noticed the crisp white linens or clawfoot bathtub in the bathroom.
I could live on this five-by-five-foot patio my entire life, she thought, gazing into the water beyond. Listening to the waves and inhaling the smell of the ocean.
In her moment of bliss, Ara didn’t hear Titus join her outside until he handed her a flute of champagne.
“Champagne?” she chuckled, accepting it as she turned to him. “I wouldn’t think you’d feel much like celebrating in light of what I just told you.” A shadow crossed over his face, and Ara instantly regretted mentioning it. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, grabbing his free hand with hers. “Thank you for the drink.”
