Page 16 of Shamrock Kisses

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“Igo to the gym a couple of times a week,” I say, smiling. “But honestly, cleaning houses is a workout in itself.”

“I bet.” But then his phone starts ringing with a sound that’s vaguely familiar.It sounds like that video game my brother used to play.Before I can place it, Patrick’s expression shifts.

“Fuck,” he mutters, pulling his phone from his pocket. “What’s up?” he answers, pausing mid-step on the sidewalk. A male voice comes through the line, speaking rapidly. Patrick’s brows furrow.

“They penetrated that?!”

I can’t help it—I burst out laughing. He squeezes my hand and glances at me, mouthing “Sorry,” while the guy on the phone keeps talking.

After a few seconds, Patrick pulls the phone down and taps the mute button. “I have to head back and get on my laptop for at least an hour …”

“Oh …”

“There’s a small team trying to steal someone’s Bitcoin from our platform. It’s kind of an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

I’m taken aback by the seriousness in his voice. “I can drive you back,” I offer.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll call a ride.”

“No, I’ll drive you. I can hang at the house until you’re done.”

His eyes search mine, unsure. “It might take more than an hour.”

“I think you’re going to work as fast as you can.”

Patrick lets out a breath and smiles. “I will,” he says, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. “So, where’s your car?”

I nod back toward High Five, and we start walking. “The CEO of the company is on mute right now, so I really need to get back to him.”

“Um, casual.” I laugh, impressed and more than a little curious.CEO?Patrick unmutes the phone, and I hear him say, “I’m actually in Lake Geneva right now. It’s going to be a few minutes until I get back to my laptop.”

As we walk, I sneak a glance at him and pull out my phone. Cryptoball. I quickly Google it, wanting to know more about the company.Right.The CEO is Declan Kruk … he owns the most expensive house on Geneva Lake. That’s why it sounds familiar.

The more I read about the company, the more fascinated I am. This is ahugecompany, and Patrick is talking with the CEO right now.

“The other backdoor,” I hear him say, and I giggle again.Why does everything have a double meaning?

Patrick squeezes my hand again. “I’m really sorry,” he says after hanging up.

“It sounds like it’s an urgent situation.”

“Our CEO offers five million dollars to anyone who can hack into our systems, so …” He trails off. I wonder if he’s nervous about what he just said.

“So, you’re a millionaire, got it,” I tease. He did tell me he hacked into this company earlier.

“Not many people know that,” he says, definitely more cautious now. “Anyway, this person has hacked enough thatthey’re close to getting that money, but … it sounds more like a black hat situation.”

“They’re trying to steal Bitcoin?” I ask, wanting to know more.

He nods, his face serious. “Yes, which would be really, really bad for the company’s reputation if they succeed. It’s never happened before.”

“Should we walk faster?”

Patrick laughs, but the stress is still visible in his eyes. “My team is handling it for now, but when I get back, I need to review everything.”

His team?I raise an eyebrow. “I think you’ve been downplaying your career.”

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