Page 15 of Fractured

I’m pretty sure I know what’s in the box before I open it, but my suspicions are confirmed when I lift the lid. Nestled inside is a handgun. How my stalker got his hands on a prototype from our company is something I need to find out, but a spark of joy lights up inside at having it in my hand. The 9mm handgun fits my palm perfectly. I’ve worked with the team designing it, making sure it’s comfortable for women to hold while still packing a devastating punch. I didn’t realize they completed the prototype since I was busy with finals the last several weeks.

I pull the magazine from the box and see it’s filled with regular bullets, none of the specialty bullets that makes this gun different from any other on the market. Sheathing the magazine into place, I slide the barrel back and listen to the sweet snap of the bullet loading into the chamber. My nipples pebble with all the power nestled into my palm.

Momentarily, I mull over what’s a higher priority. Trying to figure out the issue of my hacked phone, or target practice with my new pretty. Stalker. Pretty gun. Stalker. Pretty gun… As much as it disappoints me, I have to push off shooting the gun. I place it back in the box so I can shower. I need to get out of this house and get my caffeine fix.

It takes me an hour to get ready to leave, showered with a fresh coat of concealer. I lovingly tuck my new gun into the side pocket of my oversized purse, double checking the safety is on. With a quick text to Vander, I find him waiting for me by the car. He opens my door and we both ignore the comment I made in the gym.

The car ride to my favorite coffee shop is quiet, and I enjoy how things seem like they are back to normal. Vander once again opens the doors for me when we arrive, and I make my way to the counter. I’ve been coming here regularly when I’m in town for years now, so I don’t find it unusual when a new barista smiles at me when I step up to the counter.

Glancing at her nametag, I greet Melinda and give her my order. “Go ahead and take a seat, hun, I’ll deliver your drink when I finish making it,” she offers me. I’m the only customer waiting on a drink right now so I shrug off the rare offer for the barista to go above and beyond her job. I chalk it up to her being new and wanting to make a good impression.

Vander takes up his spot next to the door, giving me my space. I don’t waste any time pulling out my laptop and logging in. Hopefully today, I’ll find something useful. Melinda drops off my coffee. “Here you go, hun. Enjoy,” she says, leaving the beverage by my left hand. I absentmindedly thank her without looking up. I open google and type in the first topic I wrote down in the car on the way here.

Letting out a sigh, I pick up the coffee as I scroll through the results. “Hack proof your phone” doesn’t seem to provide me with any new pages that I haven’t seen already. The steam from my coffee curls around my lips as I blow on the hot liquid through the slit in the lid. I’d probably be better off removing the lid, but I’m too distracted with typing in my next search one-handed.

Suddenly I’m violently shoved in my chair, and the impact sends my coffee to the floor. “Oh, bollocks. I’m so sorry, Luv. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” a smooth, masculine, British accent apologizes.

I glance up with a forceful curse on the tip of my tongue when I find the hot nerd from the other day staring down at me with a furrowed brow. Swallowing the harsh words I was about to deliver with whipping accuracy, I smile at him. I may be emotionally dead inside most of the time, but not even I’m immune to the panty-melting effects of a hot accent. “Should I be offended that you missed seeing me sitting here?”

“Not even a little bit,” he reassures me. “I was waiting for you to look up from your computer so I could try to get your attention, but you never did. An email stole my attention as I was walking back from getting my own coffee and I guess I was subconsciously drawn right to you.”

He glances down and gives me a perfect smolder that has my thighs clenching together. “Well, you have my full attention now—” I pause, not knowing his name.

“Cole,” he fills in, holding out his hand. I place mine in his, and instead of shaking, he brings it up to his lips. I didn’t expect the quiet nerd in the corner to be so flirtatious and forward, but I won’t lie to myself and say it’s not a pleasant surprise. Not to mention him having an accent I could listen to for days on end.

“Cole,” I repeat, with a genuine smile. Funny how those keep occurring lately. “It’s nice to meet you.”

It doesn’t escape my notice that he keeps his hold on my hand. His grip isn’t forceful at all, in fact, it’s gentle and gives me a sense of peace. “It’s nice to finally meet you too. I was going to introduce myself last time I saw you, but you left before I could. Now how about I replace that coffee and get something to clean it up, then we can get to know each other,” he says with a wink.

Turning around, I search for Melinda to ask her to remake my coffee since she already knows what I ordered, but I don’t see her anywhere. Instead, I find a perky blonde standing behind the counter. A light squeeze to my hand has me turning back to Cole. “Venti latte. Two and a half pumps of mocha and two and a half vanilla,” I tell him since Melinda isn’t in sight. How odd, I guess her shift could have ended or she’s in the back on a break.

“And what name can I tell them to put on the cup?” he asks me while hiding a smile behind his thumb.

I can’t help but laugh at his coy attempt at getting my name. I was wondering if he caught on to the fact I never gave mine. Guess he just answered that question. “I see what you did there. Quite sly, sir.”

“Doesn’t seem I was sly enough since you still haven’t given me your name.” He stands, getting ready to move to the counter. “I could always make one up, but I doubt you’d like it much. Something really sappy and completely against your personality. Hmm, just give me a moment, it will come to me any second now,” he says, tapping a finger against his luscious bottom lip.

Holy crap. Who knew the hot computer nerd in the coffee shop corner would actually be able to ignite genuine laughter in me. “As tempted as I am to find out what clever name you come up with, I don’t want to risk it damaging my reputation. It’s Remi,” I tell him with amusement.

“One latte coming right up, Remi,” he says with a light touch against my shoulder.

Cole orders my coffee and stands by the counter, watching the barista fix the hot beverage before he brings it back. “Here you go, Luv,” he says, placing the steaming cup next to me. Without pausing, he pulls the seat out next to me and pushes up the sleeves of his shirt before leaning back. I feel a prickle along the base of my neck of someone watching me. I glance at Vander and find him staring down the street. Safe to assume my stalker is watching right now.

“I couldn’t help but notice what you were searching for, the last time I saw you here. I hope you don’t think I’m nosy or too forward, but I saw it one of the times I was getting a refill.” He pauses giving me time to interject, but I stay silent, not willing to give him more information until I know where he’s going with this line of conversation. The only thing I do offer is a raised brow telling him to continue. He takes the hint in stride and continues on. “You won’t find anything truly useful unless you stumble on to the dark web, which honestly wouldn’t happen. I can help you, though. I own a cyber security company and prevent hackers from entering my customers' devices in my sleep. I’d be more than happy to help you out for the small fee of allowing me the privilege of taking you out to dinner.”

He gives me a wide grin before plying me with puppy dog eyes. This sort of emotional manipulation doesn’t work on me. Hell, no emotional manipulations work on me, but as it happens, I actually want to spend more time with him. If only to listen to his accent for even longer. “Hmm… I could probably arrange to have dinner with a handsome man who was chivalrous enough to offer his help in my time of need,” I tease him.

Cole’s stunning smile beams even brighter. “Excellent! How about I pick you up two nights from now? I have the perfect place to bring you. I’ll make reservations for, let’s say, seven?”

My acceptance is on the tip of my tongue, but just before I answer him, I remember the dinner party I agreed to accompany my father to. “Make it three nights from now, and I’ll make sure I’m all yours for at least an hour.”

He grabs his chest with a mock gasp. “Only an hour? Do I really come off as that boring? You wound me. I could hold your attention for well over an hour. Especially if I have you next to me in a dark booth.” The wink he gives has me picturing exactly what I would like him to do to me in this hypothetical booth.

“We’ll see how today goes with how entertaining you are. I could always be persuaded to block off more uninterrupted time.” I bite my lip and give a slight flutter of my eyelashes.

“Be careful with that lip, Luv. If you bruise it, I’ll be forced to come over there and kiss it better. Now tell me why you were looking up ways to block a hacker,” he says with heat in his gaze. It doesn’t pass my notice just how comfortable he is with acting like something physical between us is a done deal. Which, let’s face it, it is. But he doesn’t know that.

“Don’t threaten me with something I want. I may just do it to see if you follow through,” I murmur under my breath. It’s apparent he hears me when his glint gains an evil tinge and his smile turns into a deadly smirk.

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