Page 45 of Office Affairs

“It’s nothing. Home stuff.”

“Sabrina, please tell me what’s wrong. Are you sick? Is Keith sick again?” The sound of pacing steps leaped through the phone, followed by muffled voices.

Russell and Garrett spoke in the background. “What’s going on?” Russell. I’d know that deep voice anywhere.

“Sabrina needs three days off work but won’t tell me why.” Chase’s pacing increased. “What do we need to do?”

Was this what it felt like to be taken care of, to have someone concerned for your well-being? Tears burned the backs of my eyes. I explained about Keith’s fight and why I couldn’t come in. Chase listened without interrupting and his pacing stopped. When I finished, his voice soothed the nausea I’d struggled to tamp down. “I hope he’s okay. Tell him he did the right thing. You can have the three days, with pay.”

“I don’t qualify for that.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re updating the policy, effective immediately. Stay home and take care of your kid.” Russell joined us, his voice clear enough to tell me I’d been put on speakerphone.

Garrett chuckled. “Take him out for ice cream.”

“We’re not advocating for violence,” I reminded him.

“Right. Right.”

I could almost hear him rolling his eyes at me, and I smiled for the first time since we’d been together in the storage room earlier today. How the hell was it still the same day? “You don’t have to pay me for the day off. But I appreciate letting me stay home with Keith.”

For the first time since I got the job, I felt the imbalance of power between us. They held all the cards, all the power. All I had was a small house I couldn’t afford, a job that I was sure to lose as soon as they found out the truth about me, and I was falling in love with my father’s best friends.

I was, in a word, screwed. Nothing ever came to me for free. I’d started out trying to gain my independence from Dad while proving to him that I could be an asset to the family. I’d wanted to make my own way.

Where had that gotten me? Trapped in an even deeper hole where I relied on Russell’s goodwill to keep my new house and Chase’s guilt that made him pay me even when I couldn’t work. Garrett was the only one who I didn’t feel like I owed anything. That would change.

“See you next week.” Chase’s voice popped the doom and gloom bubbles holding me hostage. They tried to make something bright and cheerful from the ashes of the day, but I was too tired to hold on to the joy. “Thanks. See you later.” Ending the call, I flopped backward onto the couch and considered my options. Plans needed to be made, an exit strategy for when this whole thing went south.

How much longer could it possibly last before they figured out I wasn’t worth all this trouble?

24

GARETT

Pacing Chase’s office did nothing to calm the anger. My entire body blazed, curling my hands into tight fists that shook with every step. “This is ridiculous.”

Russell watched me, his expression perfectly calm and relaxed. “We’re working on it.”

“We need to work faster.” I uncurled my fingers and stretched out the cramps. Hearing Sabrina’s voice earlier helped settle me, but now that we’d gone back over the security footage and found jackshit, I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to hold it together. “Locking down protocol doesn’t seem to be working.” I paced to the windows and tried to stand still long enough to enjoy the view. The only thought capable of keeping me from tearing through the place in a fit of passion was that Chase would feel responsible for my chaos.

“I agree with Garrett.” Chase’s voice sliced the air. “Something isn’t right.”

“So let’s figure it out.” I put my back to the windows and crossed my arms. My jacket lay across the back of a chair, the fabric rumpled and creased where I’d leaned against it. “How are they getting into our system?” Grady International had the best virus and firewall protection available. I knew because I’d helped create it.

“Sabrina made a good point. No matter how good your security, there’s always a better thief out there waiting.” Russell picked nonexistent lint from his pants and flicked it to the floor. “We have to figure out how to beat them at their own game.”

“Can we create a trap within the system? It already tracks every login, but we’re still unable to find the person stealing from us.” It was infuriating. It made me feel like a punk kid sitting on my ass while someone took my toys. I hated it.

“If we knew what they’d target next, maybe.” Russell’s brows drew down into a thick line. “What if you announce a new tech? Something they won’t be able to resist?”

“No.” Chase slashed both hands through the air. “I’m not giving them access to anything else.”

“You won’t be.” I picked up Russell’s train of thought and grinned at them both.

Chase glared. “What do you mean?”

“We’ll create a fake tech. Something irresistible, and completely nonexistent. We upload fake files, make them look as legit as possible, and wait to see who accesses them.” Russell sounded pleased, and his smile turned predatory. “Put the files exclusively on one of our computers. Force them to come out of hiding and attempt to hack one of our laptops.”

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