The Harder They Fall

by Ravenna Tate

  A nasty chill moved down Blaine’s spine. “You know he’s pushing for the open Cabinet position on Charlene’s staff, right?”

  “Brad is?”

  “Well, they were dating for a while. And now the rumors are that he wants to leverage that to get on her staff.”

  Ace didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, and when he spoke again, his voice held a note of caution. “Blaine, are you suggesting the VP is somehow involved in this?”

  “No. I’m not saying that. Especially not over an open phone line. I’m saying they know each other very well, and now suddenly out of the blue, Sam Preston surfaces again, and he has somehow bypassed the US Marshals and is talking to the AD at HCS.”

  “This won’t play out well for us no matter what’s going on behind the scenes.”

  “No shit.”

  “All right. We’ll have to wait, either way.”

  “Why did he send the email if he wasn’t prepared to talk to us today?”

  “I was wondering that myself.”

  “This is bullshit.” Blaine didn’t trust Brad. He’d been with HCS longer than Dave Perry had worked for them, and his history included too many questionable actions over the years.

  “We won’t know the answers to anything until he calls one of us back.”

  Blaine knew Ace was right, but he didn’t like this. It was underhanded and sneaky, and it made everything they’d done up until now seem like a fucking waste of time.

  In the articles Julianne had written for Underground Technology Update, she had made sure Sam Preston’s name was included as the missing hacker. They had all agreed they wanted the public to know his name, believing that someone knew where he was, and would out him.

  So how the hell had this happened? If one of the known hackers could get past everyone at HCS and get in front of the AD, why the fuck had they gone to so much trouble to track down all these people? Why had they pushed Dave into doing the right thing? Why had they done everything they’d done for the past eight years? What the hell did this really mean?

  Ace was still waiting for him to respond. All Blaine wanted now was to get off the phone. “Thanks, Ace. I’ll try to concentrate on work and wait with everyone else.”

  “I do understand. We’re all very pissed off right now.”

  After Blaine got off the call, he considered talking to Colleen about this, but then realized that would place her in a tenuous position. If her aunt was somehow involved, she was better off not knowing, especially since she was linked in the tabloids with Blaine. Their pictures were online every day. It was no secret to anyone now that they were dating.

  Blaine sat down and put his head in his hands. What a fucked up mess. They’d all dreamed of the day this would happen, and now that it had, things were still in chaos. That was life, but this was a twist no one would have anticipated. It cast more doubt on all of them, which none of them needed at this point.

  They’d fought against bad press for over a year before Dave finally helped them shut down The Madeline Project. If it started up again, they’d have another PR mess on their hands. Blaine wished Colleen were here right now. He needed to hold her lush body and inhale her sweet scent.

  That surprised him more than anything. That he’d want to turn to her at a time like this for comfort. Was it possible he was falling for this girl? Were Ace and others right? Would this happen for him, too?

  He sat back in his chair and let that possibility roll around in his mind. It was a lot pleasanter thinking about Colleen than fuming over the realization that Sam and Brad might be in cahoots. Or worse yet, imagining Sam, Brad, and Charlene conspiring.

  Blaine had never been one to picture his ideal woman. He didn’t have someone in mind who would encompass all the things he wanted in a relationship. He preferred to take them each at face value, and enjoy the unique aspects of them until the woman grew tired of him, or became too clingy and demanding. Or until it was obvious she only wanted him for what he could give her in terms of material possessions and social standing.

  Colleen didn’t care about any of those things. She certainly didn’t need the money, and she didn’t bask in the glory of everyone knowing who she was. She’d never played up the fact she was the VP’s niece, and if anything, she wanted to avoid the press. She enjoyed his company, period.

  But did he need more from her? Did he want more? And if so, where the hell had that desire come from? Blaine grinned. He liked this feeling. All of it, from the fuzzy warmth coursing through his veins, to the way he found himself wanting to call her, just to hear her voice. It was nice. It was comfortable. It was intimate, and not only in a sexual way. It evoked images of curling up in front of a fire, cuddling for the sake of closeness, not as a prelude to sex.

  His adult relationships had always included sex, but not a great deal of intimacy. He avoided it on purpose. There was too much of an emotional stake if you allowed things to reach that stage. Refusing to let his investment in any relationship reach that point had been the pivotal reason most of them had ended. He knew that, but up until now, it had never bothered him.

  He was who he was. The women knew that going in, and he’d never felt the need to apologize for it or justify it. He had never lied to any of them about what he wanted from the relationship. Neither had Colleen, and Blaine now realized that was part of her attraction. She was like a female version of him.

  So what would happen if she knew his thought processes right now? Would she bolt? The idea of that didn’t sit well with him. Losing her would leave him sad and lonely. Blaine was stunned once he’d pinpointed the emotions, but he knew they were true. He didn’t want to lose Colleen.

  “Fuck.” His whispered comment was soft. Even if someone had been standing in his office they wouldn’t have heard it.

  He stared at his Internet phone. He should call her. He wanted to see her, and he didn’t want to wait for Friday. They’d likely spend the weekend together, but he wanted more. He needed her, physically and emotionally.

  Would she think this was too much? She hadn’t once called him, texted him, or asked to get together during the week, aside from this morning. He knew her job kept her ridiculously busy, but so did his. And now this mess with Sam was hanging over their heads.

  There was only one way to find out how she’d react to his asking to see her twice in one day. Blaine picked up the phone and punched the button that would connect him to her Internet phone.

  Chapter Twelve

  Colleen was knee deep in a mess at work, arguing on the phone with someone who wanted to build an office complex less than one mile from Blaine’s land. She had explained in countless emails to this man that Blaine had a hold on the land surrounding his current markers, in twenty-acre increments around the perimeter. She couldn’t release any of that land for five years.

  “In other words,” she impatiently explained for the third time to this nobody she had never heard of, “Blaine Parker has five years to purchase that additional land and apply for permits to build on it before anyone else can claim it.”

  They had allowed people who had made land purchase deals before 2118 to add holds on land in this way, realizing how difficult it would be to work the land at first. This morning had been a prime example of that. Blaine told her he and Townsend had a heck of a time getting the equipment up to the surface.

  But it wasn’t only the equipment they’d all need. The AFSR had recognized that some of the land would be unsuitable for building due to extensive damage from the storms. They hadn’t thought it would be fair for land owners who had waited eight years to build on the surface again to realize they couldn’t work their own land due to conditions beyond their control. So they had added this provision in the hopes it would prove fair to those who had been waiting this long.

  The man on the other end of the line didn’t care about fairness, and clearly his disdain for Blaine Parker was influencing his anger, because this was the sixth time in twenty-two minutes he’d accused Colleen
of playing favorites for her boyfriend.

  That was hard to get used to. Hearing Blaine referred to that way. It was almost as disconcerting as seeing her picture online every day, either hanging on his arm, holding his hand, or laughing with him. Where did these people hide? She’d never been comfortable in the spotlight, and now the added element of this relationship spilling over into her work made her wonder if this was the right move for her.

  Her Internet phone rang twice while she was on the call. The second time she glanced at it, and realized it was Blaine. Since he hardly called her during the week, and considering she’d been with him less than three hours ago, she grew concerned. Had something happened?

  Colleen bordered on giving the man rude responses now so she could get off the call. Once she finally did, she called Blaine back. “Sorry. I was on the call with a man who didn’t want to listen to reason. Is everything all right?”

  “Yes and no. Can we have dinner tonight? At my apartment. I’ll have Nick make anything you like.”

  Colleen hesitated, not because she didn’t want to see him, but because his voice had an odd quality to it. Like he was desperate to see her. “Sure, but tell me what’s going on. You sound off.”

  He sighed. “It’s a long story, and unfortunately I don’t have all of it yet. I just miss you and want to see you, but I don’t want to wait for Friday.”

  Those words almost made her giggle. A wide smile graced her face, and she hoped no one was watching her too closely. Her pussy grew wet, and shivers ran down her spine. “Well then, I’d love to come over for dinner.”

  “Great. Thanks. I’ll see you around six.”

  “I’ll be there.” After they disconnected the call, Colleen set her phone to go to voice mail and walked out of the building. She wished right now she was back on the surface, because she desperately needed to feel wind and sun on her face.

  What the hell had that been about? Her traitorous mind had flashed back to the time she was thirteen and in seventh grade. Manny Fowler had been her first real crush, and he’d played her like a well worn Stradivarius. He was the most popular boy in their class, as well as the rising star on their school football team. He had more girls hanging around him than most of the other boys put together.

  But he’d asked her to the first school dance of the year, not the others. Colleen had walked around in a pink haze for weeks, enjoying extra attention from him in class. She’d read the silly notes he wrote her over and over, until the edges of the paper became dog-eared.

  When he dumped her a week after the dance for an eighth-grader, her heart had been broken. And from that moment on, she’d vowed never to fall that easily for a boy again. Colleen slumped against the building, falling to her knees. Then she sat on the pavement as she realized what was going on.

  Her palms were damp, and she found it difficult to take a full breath. She hadn’t felt this giddy about a man since Manny’s first wink in science class. She’d dropped her beaker on the floor, and the entire class laughed, except for him. He’d helped her clean up the mess, and then asked if she wanted to grab something to eat after school.

  But when he broke her heart, she’d retreated into herself again, devoting her energy and time to her schoolwork. These days, she devoted everything to her career. She hadn’t allowed any boy or man to get that close again. Not until now. Not until Blaine Parker had tipped an imaginary hat at her on the surface, three weeks ago.

  Holy fuck.

  She couldn’t deny it. It was useless to try. Now that she’d admitted the truth in her mind, it was real. What had been seen could never be unseen.

  Colleen Newton had done the unthinkable. She’d fallen for a man again. And not just any man. One of the damn Weathermen. And not just fallen for him. This wasn’t a middle school infatuation. This was a grown-up adult physical relationship, with no strings attached, that had just become way, way more than that.

  At least for her. Not for him. He’d made that crystal clear from day one, and she had no reason to believe he had changed his mind.

  She had fallen in love with Blaine Parker. Holy crap. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

  ****

  Colleen found it difficult to make small talk for the first time since she’d started seeing Blaine. Dinner was fabulous. Nick had made them a chicken and pasta dish that rivaled anything she’d ever tasted. The wine was wonderful, Blaine had lit candles, and soft jazz music filled the air. It was another perfect, romantic atmosphere. But her mind was filled with the growing realization she felt way more for him than she wanted to, and it was clear he was preoccupied as well.

  “What happened this morning?” she asked, for the third time. “I mean after we both left the groundbreaking ceremony.”

  The first two times she’d asked, he’d told her it was nothing. Just other work-related stuff that had he’d have to deal with. But since then, he’d received four phone calls that he had stepped out of the dining room to take. Each time he’d returned, his concentration on dinner had diminished from the time before.

  She thought at first he was going to lie to her again, but then the expression on his face changed as he leaned forward. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone else. Especially not your aunt.”

  “Why can’t I tell her? Blaine, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

  He looked so conflicted she rose and stood beside him. He glanced up at her, giving her a tender expression that surprised her. When he took her hand and placed it against his cheek, her heart raced. What the hell was going on with him tonight?

  “I shouldn’t tell you this.”

  “Then don’t.” She wanted to know, but not if it compromised him at work.

  “I have to. Obviously it’s affecting this date.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We both have demanding jobs. Shit happens at them that’s bound to affect us outside of work.”

  He sighed and pulled her onto his lap. “This is more than that.”

  She put her arms around his shoulders. “All right. Then tell me. I won’t say a word. I promise.”

  His expression became serious. “This is really important, Colleen. No one can hear about this from you.”

  “They won’t. You have my word.”

  “All right.” His phone rang again, so Colleen stood. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

  “Go ahead.”

  She finished as much of her dinner as she felt would not insult Nick. When Blaine returned, she refilled his wine glass and handed it to him. He shot her a grateful look and drained it. Colleen scooted her chair over so she could sit next to him.

  “All of us, the Weathermen that is, received an email this morning from Brad Sykes. Do you know who he is?”

  “Of course I do. He’s the AD of HCS. He and my Aunt Charlene dated for a while, years ago.”

  Blaine didn’t seem surprised by that, but considering it had been all over the tabloids for months, she imagined not too many people were unaware of the connection.

  “He told us that Sam Preston, the fifth hacker we’ve been searching for, came to him with reports of dirt he’d dug up on us, and that he wanted immunity for prosecution if he gave HCS the information he had on us.”

  Colleen was certain he’d misunderstood the email. “That makes no sense. Unless whatever Sam alleges he has on all of you violates one of the laws that HCS enforces, what the hell would they care about it?”

  “Thank you. Exactly.”

  “And why does that even matter? Sam broke all kinds of laws, the same as the other hackers did. Why isn’t he in prison along with them?”

  Blaine reached over and pulled her into his arms. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you mirror our thoughts on this.”

  “Have you spoken to Brad to find out what the hell is really going on?”

  He released her. “No. He won’t return our calls.”

  “Oh, really?” Colleen moved out of his embrace and pulled over her bag. She dug out her phone. �
�We’ll see about that.” She was about to place the call, but Blaine put his hand over hers, stopping her.

  “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  “But I can get through to Brad for you. All I have to do is call my aunt.” He looked really conflicted right now, and she suddenly understood. “Oh my God. You think she’s involved.”

  “I don’t know. You have to admit it’s possible.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s not. I know that for a fact. She disassociated herself from any dealings with Brad before she took office. In fact…” If she told him this, she’d be breaking a promise. “Okay. My turn to swear you to secrecy.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “He’s under investigation. He has been for months. My aunt initiated it after some disturbing things crossed her desk about things going on at HCS.”

  “So wait. She’s no longer involved with Brad, as in dating him?”

  “No. Not at all. That part of their relationship was over years ago, no matter what the tabloids say from time to time. Like I said, she’s the one who initiated the investigation on him.”

  “Are you aware of the rumors that Brad is pushing for the open Cabinet position on your aunt’s staff?”

  She shook her head. “No. I hadn’t heard those. But honestly, Blaine, I find it hard to believe my aunt would want someone on her staff that she’s having investigated. I mean think about it.”

  “He might be planting those stories.”

  “I agree. He probably is.”

  “Are the Weathermen involved in those disturbing things you mentioned at HCS?” His voice shook, and that frightened her. She couldn’t imagine Blaine Parker afraid of anyone or anything.

  “No. Not directly. Let’s just say the mess with Dave Perry and Bonnie Clough didn’t help, but no one in her office suspects any of you of foul play.”

  He sighed and then glanced at the table for a few seconds. “That’s good to know. I’m serious. Thank you for telling me.”

  “Look, I know you two have a history, but think about it. If she wanted to cause trouble for you—for any of you—she’s had ample opportunity.”