Page 49 of Hacker Beloved

Movement near the door grabbed my attention. I spotted two sets of feet as Asher and Paolo entered the room. They didn’t have a clear shot, because Zayla was too close.

“Lower the gun,” Asher warned.

Jasmin stopped cold and her head swiveled. “So nice of you to come to me. Saves me time from hunting you down and killing you.”

I jumped to my feet and shoved Zayla behind my back. Jasmin had changed her focus and turned her gun on Asher.

“You’re outnumbered,” Asher growled.

“Damn. I really wanted to fuck CJ. But dear sister…I guess I’ll have to get rid of one,” Jasmin pointed out. She held up the remote, a small black device. Her finger hovered over the button and pressed down.

Zayla’s blood-curdling scream echoed in the room as she rushed for Jasmin. Everything happened so fast. I lunged for Zayla, and the moment I had her in my arms, I dropped to the ground protecting her body.

Tears fell from Zayla’s eyes as Jasmin laughed after she hit the button. The crazed woman’s laughter died quickly when Asher fired a single bullet.

“We need to call nine-one-one,” Zayla sobbed. “Please don’t die.”

“Zayla,” I called and took her head in my hands. “I’m fine.”

Asher had a phone to his ear as he knelt down next to us. I reached up and wiped a tear from Asher’s face before I said, “I’m not going to die. Please hang the phone up.”

I faintly heard a voice on the phone who said, ‘Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?’ “Tell her it was a false alarm.”

Asher raised a brow, but did as I said. I waited for him to hang up, but the operator kept asking questions. We needed the cops, but not until we collected the files from the table.

“Why did you hang up?” Zayla cried.

“Sweetie, I took out the device earlier.”

She blinked a couple of times and started to pat her hands on my chest and lower abdomen. “You want to have sex with dead bodies in the room?” I joked.

Zayla’s hands froze. “Why would you think about sex at a time like this? I’m trying to find your wound.”

Asher chuckled next to me.

I rested my hand on her cheek. “Well, a sexy woman just straddled my cock. Her hands are running all over my body. Plus, did you see the sexy ass man who showed up to save the day even after my tracker was ripped out of my arm?”

Asher held his hand out to Zayla. “Let’s get him up and check his bicep.” He turned to Paolo. “Hey, grab all the files and the computer, then take off. I’m guessing the police will be here soon. No way the operator would let the call go unchecked with how much Zayla cried in the background.”

I groaned as I sat up and grabbed Asher’s outstretched hand. He pulled me into a deep kiss and our arms wrapped around Zayla. When he broke the kiss, he whispered in my ear. “My worst nightmare came true. Don’t you ever scare me like that again. I fucking love you, CJ…and I’m also falling in love with Zayla.”

“I love you. And we should tell her.” I replied. His hand squeezed my side, and together we turned to Zayla. Her glossy eyes stared up at us.

We both leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheeks before we moved to her ears. At the same time, we told her we loved her. She sobbed in our arms.

Asher stared over at me.

“Sweetie, you don’t need to say it back. We can take it slow.”

She pulled back. "No... I love you both as well..." She stopped and ran her hand over her nose. "...and I almost didn't get to tell you."

* * *

Zayla

I stretched out on the lounge chair in the library. I giggled out loud, when I turned the candlestick light on. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to how huge Asher and CJ’s home was. They had a billiard room and a panic room larger than my house in Raleigh.

We’d been in Ft. Lauderdale for only three days, and it already felt like home. Asher had made the right call having Paolo hide all the evidence. When the police arrived, they weren’t alone. Vincenzo was with them and he ordered the lead detective around. The Don demanded that we tell him everything my sister and her father had said. We explained they wanted what was in the box and were upset when it wasn’t what they’d expected. Vincenzo wanted us to tell him what was in there. CJ explained that the files were my dad’s family lineage.

---