Page 20 of Hacker Beloved

I rubbed my temples, feeling a surge of frustration. "You think bringing Kat along is the best idea? Don’t get me wrong, I trust her to have my six. But she might end up joining the mafia before we leave New York."

"No, I don’t think she should go," Antonio agreed. "Only problem is, my wife is already in bed with the Russo family. To quote the Don of the Russo family, bring your wife. She has helped us so much over the years I would love to have her for dinner."

I took a deep breath to stop the laughter that threatened to escape my lips. "Have you talked to Kat about this? Are we sure she didn’t cross them?"

"No, she isn’t on their hit list. According to her, she’s an honorary member, and then got mad because I didn’t know. I asked how the hell I would know my wife was friends with the New York mob. You know what she said?”

I’m pretty sure I could guess ten times and would still be wrong. “Just tell me.”

"She said I should know, because we send Vincenzo Russo, the Don of the largest mafia family in New York, a Christmas card each year." Antonio paused for a moment. “Can you believe my wife sends updates about our family in a Christmas card each year to the mob? I’m scared to ask if she sends one to the cartel as well.”

I took a sip of wine. "Maybe this is a good thing?"

Antonio grunted, “I don’t know how you think a sit down with these two syndicates is a good idea. At no point in my life have I ever owed the mob a favor, and I sure as hell don’t want to start now. My guess is they will expect one when they give us the information we want.”

“Send me the hotel details. I need to go relay all this information to Zayla and CJ. I’m not sure how Zayla will handle this information about her parents.”

“That’s your problem to deal with. See you tomorrow.” The line went dead.

I tossed my phone onto the couch and took a few more sips of wine. I straightened my shirt and headed to the home office, where CJ had set up Zayla’s podcast equipment. Down the hallway, I could hear their low voices as I slowly approached. CJ and Zayla sat on either side of her laptop. Their heads bowed forward in concentration.

“How did the podcast go?” I asked as I walked in and sank into the leather chair in front of the desk.

CJ ran a hand through his blond hair. “The information Kat sent was detailed. My guess is she watched this group for a while…and I have no issue that she killed them. The stuff in the report is bad.”

My guess is that the information in the report would have put each of the men she killed in prison for a really long time. But Kat’s trigger finger caused challenges. “Are you done recording?”

Zayla shook her head. “Close, but I have a few more sound bites to cut, and then I need to add in my sponsor's commercials. Those are already recorded. It’s just editing it together.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” I asked.

“No,” Zayla answered. “I should be done soon. Did Antonio have information on the case?”

"The team ran your parents' names. Antonio reached out to some of our contacts, and the only thing we know is your father worked for the Silk Dragon Syndicate, and your mom worked for the Rosso family. The two crime organizations want a sit-down tomorrow night.”

CJ raised his brow, “Is that safe? We could be walking into a trap.”

“Paolo works for the Rosso family. You met his brother Brandon Quinn when we were in Houston. Antonio also learned that Kat is an honorary member of the Rosso family.”

Zayla leaned forward. “Are you sure you guys gathered the right information? My father was an accountant, and my mother worked as a waitress.”

“Hopefully, we will have more answers tomorrow. Antonio will have a full report for us when we arrive in New York. Then we can take it one step at a time. My goal is to get you answers about your sister and to find out who else attempted to research your past,” I paused. “CJ, why don’t we let Zayla work for a little while, and you can help me make some dinner?”

CJ's gaze darted between us; his mouth set in a tight line. He appeared to be trying to decide something before he sighed and slowly nodded. What shocked me even more was when he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Zayla's forehead.

The moment we stepped out of the office. CJ grabbed my hand and pulled me toward our bedroom. We barely made it through the door when he enveloped me in a tight embrace. The world faded into the background as his touch sent shivers down my spine.

With a tender yet assertive movement, CJ tilted my head back and our lips met in a passionate kiss. The taste of his warmth and the familiar sensation of his lips against mine ignited a fire within me. It was a kiss filled with desire, longing, and the unwavering love we shared.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still. The only sounds that mattered were the rhythmic beating of our hearts and the gentle symphony of our mingling breaths. Our bodies pressed closely together as if we were trying to merge into one as the electricity between us intensified.

As our lips finally parted, a soft sigh escaped my lips, and I gazed into CJ's eyes. They held a mixture of tenderness and desire, mirroring my own emotions. We stood there, entwined in each other's arms, relishing the beauty of this intimate moment.

Breathless, I whispered, "You have no idea how much I needed that."

CJ huffed, "My cock is still so hard from earlier. For the past hour, I had to sit next to Zayla. Her scent was so intoxicating."

"I didn't want to push you," I said.

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