Page 122 of Sinister Intentions

It had been an escape at the time—a way to both hide and retaliate. To make a difference, to take from those who had too much and give to those who had nothing. No power, no agency, no way to deal.

Naively, I thought I would help to make the world a better place.

I never imagined where it would lead to.

To this.

To him.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Hawk said and squeezed Vince’s shoulder.

He had more than enough on his plate, and now, here I was, with my personal information out in the open, an invisible, intangible threat.

I needed to tell him. Right now.

Damn. As if he didn’t have enough on his plate.

Guilt simmered in the pit of my stomach and threatened to overwhelm me. But it was silly of me to think I could handle this alone. I’d put not only myself at risk but, now, I would add to Vince’s worries.

How could I’ve been so reckless? “Ahem, I might need some help, as well.”

Everybody’s eyes zeroed in on me as the elevator dinged and the doors opened at the same time.

We stepped outside, through a door, and onto the roof.

The wind whipped around us, and I stared at the waiting—and already running—helicopter.

The New York skyline stretched out behind it, a backdrop of steel and glass. It was a beautiful sight in a cold, imposing sort of way, much like Vince himself.

At least when you didn’t know him.

Everybody moved toward the helicopter.

“Is it him you need help with?” Hawk said and nodded behind me.

I stared at Hawk, curiosity piqued, then turned and followed his eyes, looking at Vince. “Him?”

“Jemma,” Vince growled, stepped closer, and stood right behind me, close enough to block out the wind hitting us from behind.

His sexy, growly voice and his closeness pulled me immediately in, but I focused back on Hawk. “Why would it be him?”

Hawk shrugged. “Actually,” he stopped, and his gaze moved between Vince and me. “Gabe asked me to check in on what’s going on between the two of you. Apparently, Alex, Fee, and Matt are concerned.”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment and eyed Vince. So everyone had been talking about us?

Great, just great. As if this situation wasn’t complicated enough already.

Vince’s jaw clenched, and a muscle ticked in his cheek. I could practically feel the irritation radiating off him. “Whatever’s going on between Jemma and myself is our business and nobody else’s,” he said firmly, wrapping an arm around me from behind and pulling me close.

I stiffened at first. Didn’t expect such a public display of affection. But as his warmth seeped into me, I found myself leaning into him.

“But if you need to know, we’re on our way to Boston, so I can ask Donnelly for her hand in marriage,” Vince stated and tightened his arm around me.

It felt…nice. Safe. Like home—which was ridiculous, given the short time we’d known each other, everything that had happened between us, and the limbo we still were in.

Hawk nodded. “Good.” Then he focused back on me.

“It’s not Vince, well, not directly,” I said, “but it’s related to the hack, and I’m in real trouble?—”

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