Cyber Illusions: Sensory Ops, Book 6

by Nikki Duncan

  “Let me make sure I can line things up for the kids.”

  With the final squeeze of her hands, he released her. “I’ll await your call.”

  The man she loved like a favorite uncle whistled as he strode arrogantly back to his car. She didn’t want to leave the kids, but neither was she in the mood to keep a happy face on for them. Turning to go talk to Tyler, she stuttered to a stop when she saw him a few feet away.

  Instead of his presence knocking her balance askew, it was the rage and accusation in his eyes that did it.

  “That guy wants to date you?”

  “What?”

  “Sidney said Davio wanted to date you. He seems a little old.”

  “And really not my type. You spying on me?”

  “You pulling a job with the crew? What’s in San Francisco?”

  “If you heard words like crew and job, criminal speak to you, no doubt, then you have most of the information you need to check it out.” Arguing sat way down on her list of desires, but he seemed to bring it out in her. If they were going to be in each other’s lives, even for the kids, he had to learn to trust her without explanations needed.

  Her head abuzz with arguments, she stepped forward, ready to fight. The distance between them vanished in a blink and standing, staring up at him, she breathed in the faded scent of his cologne and her irritation shifted into desire. Her body heated, tempted, just as it had when he’d given her the neck massage in his kitchen.

  Going the less antagonistic route in hopes of gaining some distance faster, she said, “If you don’t want to be alone with the kids, or if you need me to stay, just say so.”

  She’d make the same offer to the kids.

  “Need you? I don’t need you, Taryn.”

  “Good to know.” Heart hurting with the realization she wanted him to need her, she stepped around him and went inside to talk to the kids.

  The paycheck would pay all the bills for six months, after she paid the crew. The contacts she’d make, powerful people who rubbed elbows with the world’s rich and royal, would be priceless. Private gigs were most always more profitable than clubs and casinos. She certainly preferred the freedom of one-night engagements.

  Sidney predictably encouraged her to go. Ryder offered to help her pack, but he was more hesitant about being alone with Tyler.

  “Ryder, are you nervous about Tyler? I thought you were excited about finding him?”

  “I was excited. It’s just… When will you be back?”

  “A couple of days.” Understanding hit her. He’d gotten what he wanted, but was now facing the resulting fears. Taryn walked to the bed where Ryder was sitting and dropped to the floor in front of him, looking him directly in the eyes. “Ryder, I will never leave you or let anyone else hurt you.”

  “What if he’s mean?”

  “Then you call me, but can I tell you something?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I wouldn’t leave you with Tyler if I didn’t trust him. And I feel certain you’ll have more computer time with him than you would with me.”

  Ryder’s eyes lit with excitement. He was going into serious withdrawal from his unfettered computer access, but after several conversations and no access to computers unless it was homework-related he definitely understood the importance of staying out of the FBI servers.

  She put a finger under his chin and lifted his face. “You know he didn’t know about you, right? It wasn’t his choice to not be around for you.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m only going to be gone for a couple of days. Mom’s a phone call away if you need her.”

  “Okay.”

  “Ryder, your dad wanted you from the second I told him about you. He wants to get to know you.”

  He nodded. “Will you be home before school on Monday?”

  “Absolutely. Are you sure you’re okay to be here without me?”

  “Yeah.”

  Relieved that Ryder agreed he would be okay, sure he would give Tyler a fair chance, she returned to the task of packing. A few minutes later, Ryder gave her a tight squeeze around the waist. Returning the hug, Taryn bent down and kissed him on top of the head. “I love you, dude.”

  “I love you, Taryn.” He said nothing else as he left her room.

  Taryn leaned against the frame of her closet door and considered turning down the job. Ryder’s fear and hesitation reminded her of how he’d been after Jenny left. He’d had nightmares every night for the first five months. After that they’d lessened, but hadn’t stopped completely for another six months. Taking a booking, regardless of how beneficial it could be, wasn’t worth Ryder’s happiness and wellbeing.

  On the flipside, Ryder had been the one responsible for finding Tyler. He needed to face the consequences of that. Feeling guiltier than she’d ever felt when leaving for a show, she finished packing.

  After packing, she moved to the office for her cash and necessary documents. “You want me to drive you to the airport?” Tyler asked from the door to her office where she was pulling some travel cash from her wall safe.

  “I called a cab. The car keys are on the entry hall table. Kitchen is fully stocked with probably anything you and the kids could need. Sidney will be fine with my absence. Ryder’s having a harder time with it. I told him he can call me anytime if he needs to.”

  “Day or night?”

  “Yes.”

  After securing the safe behind the hidden wall panel and slipping the cash into her pocket, she turned toward the door and Tyler.

  Instead of moving out of her path, he stepped farther into the room and closed the door. “Are you taking this job so you can avoid me?”

  Yes. “You flatter yourself.”

  “Just being honest. I pissed you off earlier.”

  “Speaking of your investigation, did you find anything on your search while I was gone?”

  “No.” He stepped a step closer. “Then again, knowing I was coming, if you had stolen goods here, it’d be stupid to leave them out. I don’t take you as being stupid.”

  “Yet you sound surprised.”

  “It’s been surprise after surprise since meeting you, Taryn.” Another step.

  Uncertain if he viewed those surprises as good or bad, she said nothing, only waited to see what he said next. After several seconds of saying nothing, of doing nothing but staring, she shook her head and moved to step past him.

  He lifted a hand and rested it on her wrist. She stopped.

  Standing close enough for their arms to brush, yet facing opposite directions, she raised her gaze to his.

  Always captivating, his gaze became a yawning depth of desire. Her stomach quivered. Her pulse thumped, steady as a stomping march, against her neck’s skin.

  “I’ve prided myself on being transparently honest since joining the FBI.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “I lied to you, though.”

  She swallowed, feeling like she was in the middle of one of those moments when the next person to speak would be the one to lose whatever ground they’d gained. She needed to keep as much ground as possible, so she held her curiosity and refused to ask how he’d lied.

  His throat bobbed with a swallow, and when he continued, there was a hint of unwelcome resolve in his tone. “I think I do need you.”

  She kept looking at him, silently encouraging him to finish what he’d started. It was something she’d learned worked well with the kids, so she was hoping it would be as effective on their father.

  “Not to be here and run interference between the kids and me.” His fingers moved like they were on a keyboard as he looked down. As if the words were forming on a screen before him, he spoke without looking up. “I don’t want to need you. Things are complicated enough with you having custody of my kids and being a suspect in a case we’re investigating, but damn if I don’t find myself wanting you more every time we talk.” He finally lifted his gaze to hers again. “I don’t want to want you, but I do need you.”

>   Saying nothing else, and giving her no time to respond, he moved close and touched his lips to hers. It was less than she’d imagined during the massage and phone calls and more than she’d thought would ever happen.

  His fingers flexed on the wrist he still held, and using no other touch, he moved so they were front to front with their connected arms crossed between them. Beneath the touch, heat radiated up her arm.

  Leaning in and inviting his touch deeper into herself would be so easy. Natural almost. It would fulfill a yearning she only occasionally allowed herself to entertain beyond a passing thought, but allowing any sign of weakness, in her own home and especially if it could even remotely darken the already murky waters between them, was severely unwise.

  He added the slightest bit of pressure to his kiss. She kept her eyes open, watching him. His tongue eased beneath his lips and touched hers. She contracted her core, telling herself to resist. She had to resist.

  Then he raised his free hand and rested it against her neck, digging ever so lightly with his fingertips. Every moment of ecstasy she’d felt during the massage, every fantasy of how else he might touch her, flared to life. Still she told herself to resist.

  He backed her to the door, moved the hand he had on her wrist to her waist, took the final step needed to brush against her, and then he really kissed her.

  He kissed her until she had no control over her body’s responses.

  He kissed her until she was hot and hungry.

  He kissed her until she angled her head and allowed him access.

  His tongue swept into her mouth, taunting her with his taste and the awareness that pulling away wouldn’t be enough to shake the feel and taste of him. Her heart raced and her stomach shook. Her fingers twitched with wanting to touch him. Lifting her legs, wrapping them around him and holding tight would be the most natural thing she’d experienced in years. It would likely also be the most disastrous.

  Using her one remaining vestige of control, she lifted a hand to his chest and pushed against him. She applied very little weight and no real force, but it was enough to have him stepping back.

  She hadn’t dated in the two years she’d had custody of the kids. She’d have bet she was out of practice when it came to all things sexual. If she was, Tyler reminded her quickly. With the reminder of how things worked came the refresher of how much she enjoyed things.

  Her breaths were unsteady, but she used her stage training to hide it. Looking directly at him, daring him to look away, she waited a beat. Her heart slowed a pace.

  “That’s a performance that will not have an encore.” Reaching behind her, she opened the door and fled.

  Tyler had been alone with his kids for almost twenty-four hours. Most of those hours had been smooth. Ryder spent more time with his nose in a computer or tablet than in any kind of conversation. When he was asked to do something, he did it immediately and without an argument.

  Sidney was the bigger challenge with her spunk and spirit. Tyler and asked her to do something, like make her bed before watching TV or getting in the bed, and she pushed him, saying Taryn didn’t make her do that. He’d noticed how their beds were made when he first arrived, so he challenged right back. She only ever challenged him once, never making him threaten a discipline, not that he would know how to discipline her.

  Her favorite thing to do, it seemed, was swim. She would spend hours in the saltwater pool, entertained by her own company. One thing Tyler remembered his mom doing was sunscreen, so he pulled Sidney out every few hours, dried her off and reapplied her sunscreen.

  Ryder was only interested in trying to hack Tyler’s new firewall. “How you coming over there, Ryder?”

  Ryder nodded, but didn’t look up from his screen. “Almost in.”

  “Let me know when you think you’re in,” Tyler said when his phone rang. “I’ll be right back.”

  Ryder nodded and kept tapping away on his keyboard.

  “Hey, Ava,” Tyler said when he answered his phone. “Give me just a second.”

  Stepping into the kitchen and closing the door so they could talk privately, he kept an eye on Sidney in the pool. Ryder sat at the patio table, trying to hack the new firewall, so he’d be busy for a while. Hopefully.

  “I’m here.”

  “How’s the visit going?” Ava asked.

  “A little awkward at times, but good. Is that why you’re really calling?”

  “No. I was calling to let you know Taryn should be in the clear on those thefts, at least some of them.”

  “Yeah?” His heart leapt with excitement. An exoneration for her meant a simpler custody negotiation.

  “There was another one last night, but she has an alibi. You.”

  The excitement waned. “Where was the heist?”

  “San Francisco. It’s a painting, like all the others. Some bigwig attending a pre-wedding party of some kind. The White Collar team is there, collecting evidence.”

  “They find anything so far?”

  “They said something about a coin. I guess the owner woke up and got into a fight with the thief. Their guess is that it fell out of a pocket during the tussle.”

  “Can you get me a picture of the coin?”

  “Sure. Why don’t you sound happier, Tyler? You know it can’t have been Taryn, because she’s with you.”

  “Except she isn’t.” He was sure he sounded as defeated as he felt. The depth of his wish for her innocence hadn’t been realized before.

  “Where is she?” Even Ava’s normally modulated tone flinched.

  “San Francisco. She left with her crew last night for a last-minute job today.”

  “Oh.” Even Ava, a fighter to her core, sounded defeated. She only sounded that way if she used her empathic abilities too much.

  “I’ve searched her house. It’s expensive, but unless she’s paying for stuff with the proceeds from reselling the art, there’s nothing here that would suggest she’s the thief.”

  “I’ve been talking to the White Collar division, because this is really their case. They haven’t found any mentions of the pieces being resold.”

  “So the thief’s building a private collection.” Most people kept their private collection where they could see them regularly. Otherwise, what was the point of having one?

  “That’s what the White Collar guys think.”

  “Have they looked into Taryn directly?”

  “No. They didn’t have the same information we do. Breck convinced them our anonymous source would only work with our team so we’re going to be working the case together.”

  “Let’s just make sure our team’s left off any digital links just in case Ryder gets in again.”

  “Will do. In the meantime, why don’t you see if you can figure out where she spends her time when she’s not at home? She has to work somewhere.”

  “It’s my next move.” As soon as the kids were asleep for the night and he could get into her office without worrying about them. Until then, he could see how much they’d talk. Maybe they would narrow the search.

  Hanging up from the call, he headed back outside and rejoined Ryder. “How’s the hack coming?”

  “Firewall’s solid so far.” Ryder’s fingers moved across the keys with a comfort much like Tyler’s. “I thought I was in once, but got kicked back out.”

  Tyler was smiling as he logged into his own laptop. Checking his security logs, he saw a list of Ryder’s pings. Unlike before, every one returned the same IP address. Ryder’s IP address. So the kid’s re-routing tricks weren’t working.

  “Can you see me?”

  “I can.”

  Ryder nodded, his fingers still moving on the keys. “Now?”

  Looking at the screen, Tyler waited for another ping to show up, but it didn’t. A moment later, files were opening on the screen before him. “Damn it, Ryder.”

  The kid’s smile widened, though the excitement could be from a lack of lectures over computer safety or the chance to use one. Taryn had bee
n pretty strict with the limitations when she’d learned what all Ryder had been up to.

  His fingers sped up and before Tyler knew it his screen went black.

  “What the hell?”

  “You’d owe Taryn some money if she heard you talking like that,” Ryder said calmly. “And I only turned off your computer.”

  Pressing the power button to boot back up, he locked gazes with his son. “How did you do that?”

  Ryder shrugged. “I’ll show you when you come back online.”

  For the next two hours, Sidney swam, with sporadic chatter breaks, while Tyler and Ryder recoded the primary and secondary firewalls. In between all the coding, Tyler asked the occasional question about life with Taryn.

  It wasn’t completely right to question the kids, but they were eager to share. And he avoided overly personal or obvious inquiries.

  According to the kids, she was as involved as any stay-at-home mom. She had a warehouse where she and the crew practiced while the kids were at school. That was also where they built and stored their props. The kids rarely got to go to the warehouse, because she spent their time out of school with them. The only exception was in the summer.

  From what they described, she’d only finished out the bathroom and outer walls, installed a security system, heat and air conditioning. The rest was a wide-open room with bare walls. It didn’t sound like a place where she would display an artwork collection, but he couldn’t know without asking the kids directly. He stopped asking about Taryn, because using his kids against her could go wrong in too many possible ways.

  He wasn’t sure if his biggest concern was case related or something else. Something much more personal.

  Four more hours passed before the kids had eaten dinner, finished their showers, gotten in bed and fallen almost instantly to sleep. After a final check on them, Tyler went into Taryn’s office to begin his search.

  Her files were in alphabetical order by company name, with the exception of the first two files. They were fat and the labels on them read Ryder and Sidney. Leafing through them, he found their health records, report cards and certificates of accomplishment. Filed by date, he got an idea of their lives. And another layer of how much she cared was revealed.