Hacked

by Holly Mortimer

  “Wow, this I’ve got to see.”

  “No, you don’t. It’s time for you to go. But let me tell you,” I got as close to her as I dared. “If you so much as look at her sideways, I’m coming after you. I don’t trust you, I don’t want you here and I certainly don’t want to work with you. Do you understand?”

  She smiled and leaned in as close as she dared. “Does she know about us? Does she know we were married, sex-crazed lovers?” She looked at me for a beat. “Oh dear, Nixon. This isn’t going to end well for you.”

  A second knock at the door let me know my time was up. I opened the door a crack and got ready for whatever was coming my way from the other side.

  Chapter 18

  Keeva

  I drove recklessly back to Galway, grinning and bopping and dancing along to anything playing on the radio. I had no idea what we were or where we were going to go with this new relationship, but for the first time in, well, forever, I was willing to just let whatever happened, happen.

  He had come to me, little Keeva Murphy and laid it all on the line. And holy cow, he was a CIA agent! I had no idea what that slouchy bastard Robert was up to, but things made a whole lot more sense with the knowledge it was no good.

  I hadn’t been to his place before so I pulled over at the edge of the pulsing city to plug his address into my GPS. The directions came up and of course he lived in the city center, down by the water in some fancy new build. I decided to stop at my house, as it was on the way, and grab some basics, then carry on. I had made up a lot of time driving back, so I could spare a minute or two to pack a bag.

  Ten minutes later, I was back on my way. I had replied to Nixon to let him know I was only a few minutes out and excitedly headed downtown. He had given me instructions for the parking and before I knew it, I was knocking his door, practically shaking I was so full of anxiety.

  I waited and listened. I could hear him talking to someone behind the door. What in the hell? He must have been on the phone. I knocked again and let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding onto as he opened the door.

  Something was wrong. He didn’t open the door all the way and he looked concerned.

  “Hey, everything okay? Can I come in?”

  “Hey. Well, so, I’m really sorry, but something’s come up.”

  My heart sank. “Really? Anything you can tell me about?”

  The door swung open and a woman stood behind Nixon, intently watching us.

  She stepped around him, picked up her purse and coat and came to stand between Nixon and me. “Nixon, we’ll talk as I’m able. It’s too bad I can’t stay and get to know your guest a little better, but you know.” She paused looking between us and smiling. “I’ve got the old places to be, things to do stuff going on. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  “No, we won’t.” Nixon looked pissed and I felt my anxiety level top out. Something was definitely going on here. She pulled the door wide and I just stood there, frozen, like an idiot. After an inquiring look from the mystery woman, I finally shook to life and stepped aside.

  As she was leaving, she turned around, “are you on assignment at a local high school, Nixon? A little young, even for you.”

  And then she simply left, leaving me wondering what in the hell had just happened and drawing all the classic conclusions you could imagine.

  He walked around me and quietly shut the door, leaning his forehead against it for a moment before he turned around and faced me.

  “Girlfriend?” I asked.

  “Ex.”

  “I see.”

  “Wife. Ex-wife.” He shrugged a shoulder. “You asked for the truth.”

  That I did. “She over you?”

  “Sit down and I’ll tell you the whole story.” He moved to sit on the couch, but I was still frozen in place.

  “I can’t do this.”

  “I know. It’s a lot. I wasn’t expecting her to be here when I got back.”

  “Oh, so you thought you would be able to sleep with me and I wouldn’t find out you had an ex-wife in town?”

  “No, she’s not in town. Will you please sit down?” He leaned his elbows on his knees and hung his head in his hands. “God, Keeva, this is not how I saw tonight going. I know it was stupid of me to leave her out of my honesty sessions today, but to be truthful, she’s my past. You, you’re my future. If you’ll just sit, or move, or say something I can explain.”

  Tears flew down my face. “I’m so stupid. I’ve just spent the past three hours thinking maybe, just maybe I’d finally got it right. I’d finally stuck it out with the right guy, and now? Now I’m only sure of one thing. I can’t do this. I’m not girlfriend material. I’m not long term material. I’m Keeva Murphy.”

  “Kee—"

  I raised my fingers to his lips to silence him. “No, Nixon. It’s okay. You don’t have to try to make me feel better about it. I know who I am. I’m only glad I didn’t let myself fall completely in love with you. I’d have been more the fool.”

  I leaned up and softly kissed him on the lips, tasting the tears and him. “Goodbye Nixon. This time it’s for real and it’s not a breakup, because, we were never truly together, were we? I hope you find what you need and one day.”

  I turned and held my breath as I walked out the door. I didn’t release it until I was well away from him, afraid that once I did, it would destroy me and I would run back to him asking for another chance.

  MY PHONE WAS RINGING and there was some sort of banging noise coming from the front of my building. It had been seven days. Seven days of delicious silence, interrupted only by work and the odd telemarketer. Seven days of wallowing in self-pity and seven days since I had last touched Nixon.

  It was time. Time to pick my sorry ass up and dust it off. The problem was, I just couldn’t find the energy to do it. So, I sent the call to voice mail and ignored the banging on my door and turned on Netflix for yet another round of binge television.

  “Just what exactly do you think you’re doing? I’m a busy woman and having to come up here and kick your ass to Sunday isn’t something I have time for today.”

  “Ash, go away.” My sister could be a major pain in the ass. “And who let you in here?”

  “I have a key, you gave it to me when you first moved up here.”

  “Then why were you banging for so long?”

  “I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  “But I told her to just get on with it.” Oh great. My sister-in-law was here too.

  “Sam? What are you doing here?”

  They both walked over to the bed where I may have been living and working from for the past week. I could tell it was bad by the horrified look on both of their faces.

  “Keeva Murphy?”

  “Yes, Sam?”

  “When was the last time you showered?”

  “I forget.”

  Ashlyn reached down and pulled the covers off of me. She recoiled in horror to find seven days of leg hair, seven days of greasy head hair and seven days of various food groups and their crumbs scattered around my bed.

  “Get out of this bed,” Ashlyn said. “You’ve sunk to a disgusting new low.”

  She began to peel back the bedding threatening to roll me into the washing machine with the sheets. I sat up and let Sam pull me from the cozy womb I had retreated into and propel me into my bathroom.

  “Shower. Now.”

  I didn’t have the heart to argue with her, so I turned the water to as hot as I could take it and stepped into the beautiful rainfall shower I was so in love with and stood there for a few minutes, just letting the water fall down around me. I could hear them muttering outside of the stall, but I refused to open my eyes and let reality in.

  “Wash yourself, Keeva Marie, or I’m getting Brennan up here. I didn’t leave my baby at home to learn to bottle feed for no reason at all. You’re snapping out of it here and now. Done.”

  When Sam spoke, people listened and I was certainly no exception.
Besides, slowly it was sinking in that I needed their help. I had never let a guy get me this deep into depression before and suddenly I was kind of angry.

  I furiously washed my hair, shaved my legs and other bits and bobs and scrubbed my skin until it was either glowing or peeling off. It was all in how you looked at it.

  I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself up in my luxurious robe and went in search of my crew. I may not have had many, if any friends right now, but I had my family and it looked like that was all I needed.

  I found them whispering on my couch, most likely plotting their next rescue. I’d put money on Quinn being their next victim. No one had heard from him in nearly a year, not for weddings, or births. He was a project these two could seriously sink their teeth into.

  I stood before them, trying not to let the raging tears loose...again. “I’m sorry guys. Really, really sorry.”

  “Hey,” Sam said. “You don’t have to be sorry. We get it. You’re in love. This,” she waved her hand up and down and in circles around my face. “This is what happens when that love gets the living daylight kicked out of it.”

  “I’m not in love.”

  “Honey—"

  “No, Ashlyn. Don’t honey me. I’m not in love. I think I know my own self.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do you? Would you have ever thought you would wallow in filth and pity for seven whole days? Ignoring those that love you and all of your responsibilities?”

  “I was working from home.” But, damn, she had a point. I never would have guessed I would be the poster girl for unrequited love. I stomped over to sit between the two meddlers. “Fine. Give it to me.”

  “Give you what?” asked Sam.

  “Impart your womanly wisdom, oh older and wiser sisters of mine.”

  “Just for that, I should send you back to your bed of filth.” Sometimes it was easy to forget Sam was a big time actress. To me, she was just Sam. Sister-in-law and mother of my nieces and nephew.

  She turned to face me and I knew I was in for it. She shoved me back into the corner of the couch and Ashlyn moved around to sit behind her. They both proceeded to stare me down with looks of older and wiser women.

  “What?”

  “We’ve talked to Nixon.”

  I exploded up and off the couch. “You’ve what! Why would you do that?”

  “He came to see Brennan and me. It would have been rude to ignore him. Which, by the way, was what Bren wanted to do.”

  “Well, at least I have one family member remaining who’s on my side.”

  “Keeva, listen to what Sam has to say.” Ashlyn was the peacemaker in our family. She just couldn’t help herself.

  “So, he told Brennan and me everything. Like, everything.”

  “Everything?”

  Ashlyn leaned over Sam’s shoulder. “Everything. Will you just sit back and listen to us for a change?”

  I sat back, crossed my arms and prepared to shield myself from whatever he had tried to do.

  “We know about the CIA, we know about the plane ride here, and yes, we know he has an evil ex-wife and we know he could be fired for getting involved with you.”

  “Then—"

  She held up her hand. “Nope, you agreed to listen. So, listen.”

  “Did you ever hear the story of how Brennan and I met and how I found out he had Claire?”

  “Yes, I know he didn’t tell you because he was afraid of scaring you off, but this is different.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, for starters, you didn’t see her. She’s everything I’m not. And then...then there’s the fact that we’d have to be together in secret. No one could ever know about us where he’s concerned, or he’d lose his job, or whatever it is the CIA does to agents who don’t follow the rules.” I was on a roll now. No sense in stopping. “And, how can I ever trust that he’s telling me the truth? How would I ever be able to stand the fact that he’s out in the world somewhere, doing God knows what with God knows who? He’d never be able to share his work day with me.

  “Oh and let’s not forget the big one. He’s American, lives in America and that’s the fucking definition of a long distance love affair if I’ve ever heard one.”

  Satisfied with myself, I crossed my arms, sat back and gave them what I hoped was a very effective Go Fuck Yourself smirk.

  They were silent and I got scared. Silent sisters tended to wait you out until you caved. Or they were contemplating something far beyond my abilities to comprehend. Either way, the vibe in the room was heading south for me.

  “What! You guys! Stop staring at me like that. It’s true. It’s been seven days, we’re done. Shit, we hardly even started. And who knows how I compare to her? He’s a CIA agent, so logically she must be equally as cool.”

  Ash mirrored my crossed arms and leaned into me, getting right into my face. “So, now you’re comparing yourself? Come on, Keev, give me a large break. That’s just lame. You can handle this. You’re a legit grown up, sis. Look around you.”

  I raised my eyes to try to figure out what she saw that I couldn’t.

  “Don’t you see? You’ve done all of this.” She swept her hand around the room. “You’ve built a fantastic business. Purchased a building and renovated it into an amazing space and you have an employee. You moved away from home and did this all on your own. Come on, give yourself some credit.”

  “My employee is an idiot and I used mom’s money. I didn’t do this.”

  She grabbed a hold of my hands again and squeezed really, really hard. “Ouch! What did you do that for?”

  “You’re not listening to us and you’re being intentionally obtuse.”

  “But he lied to me.”

  “Well, he had to in order to save his job. Come on, how in the hell would he even think, after having just met you, that telling you who he was and what he’s doing was even remotely a good idea? He was also probably scared you would run. And what did you do?”

  I slumped down in my seat. “Ran.”

  Sam had this weird, dreamy look on her face. “Sam?”

  “What? Oh, Keev, we’ve seen him in action with the babies. And let me tell you, it’s a sight to behold. He is so good with them and how freaking hot is that? I mean, whoa, if I wasn’t already in love with your brother, you know I’d be half way in love with Nixon. The man knows his way around a diaper bag.”

  I took a minute to let them chatter on about Nixon and his potential baby daddy hotness to think about what they were saying. It was true, I had worked hard for everything that I had. I ran a successful business that was probably in the tank due to my self-imposed pity party. I managed my one employee, even if he was under investigation by the CIA. And I had a ton more amazing qualities that made me a great candidate for girlfriend of anyone, including Nixon freaking Rivers. But something was holding me back. I just was really struggling with how much he had withheld and what else wasn’t he telling me?

  “I think she might be coming around,” Sam whispered. “She’s got the same glazed look in her eye that all the single ladies had when he walked around Murphy’s with the baby on his arm.”

  “Hm, I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall after that. Brennan probably went nuts.”

  “It was touch and go for a while, I’m not going to lie to you. My big, cranky Brennan flexed his alpha muscles, pounded his fantastic chest a few times, eye fucked me and all was good.”

  I groaned at the visual and flopped back onto the couch, my brain mired in indecision.

  “So,” Ashlyn slapped my thigh and dragged me off the couch. “What are you gonna do? Give him another chance or send him packing?”

  “Just decide so we can be done here and head to a pub to drink our faces off,” Sam said. “I’m not pumping this here milk through anyone’s system tonight, so I came to party.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “That’s close enough to a decision for me.” Sam turned and propelled me towards my bedroom where she sat me on the
bed and threw her choice of clothes at me. I covered my hair with a beanie, pulled on my boots as I sat on the couch and wondered when I could ditch these two and crawl back into bed, and let them drag me out the door and down the street to the neighborhood pub, where when Sam entered, all conversation stopped.

  “Oh, I forgot what going out with you looked like,” I whispered. “It’s a good thing I’m no longer looking for guy.”

  They both turned to me, completely ignoring the whispers and cat calls and beamed.

  “What?”

  “Our job here is done. Ashlyn?”

  “Yes, guru, you were right. We definitely were all that was needed for the job. Let’s celebrate with whiskey!”

  I stared at my straightlaced sister who rarely sipped a beer let alone, shots of whiskey. “Who are you and what have you done with Ash?”

  “You’re not the only one with a guy problem, little one.” She handed me a shot. “Cheers to idiotic men all around the world, and women like us who can’t resist them.”

  We all raised a glass to that truer than true statement.

  Chapter 19

  Keeva

  The girls had left, my head was clearing and it was time to push old Keeva aside and let new and improved Keeva take over and see what happened. Over multiple drinks and girl talk that I had missed so much, I had made a plan. Now, it was time to implement it.

  Step one would be get my ass into the office and finish up current projects and market my company to find new clients. I was fairly certain my self-imposed bed rest wasn’t good for business. I needed to review all my communications to make sure I didn’t destroy any of my current relationships without knowing. I opened my front door, cleared off the cobwebs and got down to work.

  Glancing over at Robert’s workspace, I debated starting some sort of housecleaning over there. I really had no clue what he was into or up to and I was resisting contacting Nixon about anything right now, so I would have to wait and see what happened. In the meantime, part of today’s projects was to call my contact in the IT world to see if she could take some of my web projects off my hands in a pinch.