Page 168 of Scattered Glitter

“What?” I turn to gape at him. “Oh my God, tell him to come in. It’sfine.”

“Don’t worry.” Levi waves a dismissive hand. “He’s doing some work, and he’s got his own sushi. He’s fine out there, trust me.”

“And Captain Bossy?” I inquire a little more softly.

I haven’t heard from him either.

Levi and Koen exchange a look, something passing between them before Koen sighs. “He tried. Really, he did.”

“That’s still a win.” Sylus shrugs, his arm warm around my waist.

I nod.

He might not know it, but I’m proud of him too.

I notice a USB stick lying next to the plate on the table. I pick it up, turning it over between my fingers. “And what’s this USB stick doing here?”

“That’s no ordinary USB stick, Sparkle. That’s a USB Rubber Ducky.”

“A duck?” I turn my head to give Sylus a questioning look.

He chuckles, brushing a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. “Yeah, it’s got a funny name, but it’s no joke. It’s a penetration testing tool. A hacker’s best friend. When you plug it into Veronica’s desktop or laptop, it’ll automatically run a script that gets me in. In a few seconds, it’ll create a backdoor that allows me to access her files remotely.”

Right, I have to get inside her home.

Shit.

“And then what? I plug it in, and…”

“All you have to do is make sure her laptop or desktop is turned on. Plug it in and let it do its thing. It only needs to be in there for one minute. After that, I’ll be able to get into her system and search for the evidence myself. You’ll have to time a minute, then you’ll pull it back out, and that’s it. You can walk right out of there. Simple.”

I stare at the unassuming USB in my hand. It seems impossible that something so small could hold the power to bring her down. “One minute,” I repeat under my breath to myself.

“One minute,” Sylus echoes, his arm slipping back around me. “You can do this.”

Levi and Koen exchange another glance, this one longer. Koen eventually sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We’re putting a lot of trust in this plan, Sy. You know that.”

Sylus grins, pulling me a little closer. “Yeah, I know. But we’ve got the right person for the job.”

I meet Koen’s eyes, the certainty in Sylus’s words steadying me. Koen’s gaze softens, and he nods, a subtle smile playing on his lips. “All right.”

“Get ready, baby.” Sylus presses a kiss to my temple before whispering, “We’re gonna make some magic.”

It’s then I notice a dress hanging on the back of the front door—midnight black and adorned with delicate feathersthat trail down the sleeves and hem. Next to it, on a smaller hanger, is a matching mask with intricate detailing and even more feathers. The sight of it almost takes my breath away, and I’m so drawn to it that I wiggle out of Sylus’s grip to inspect it further.

“And what is this?” I ask, letting my fingers graze the soft feathers.

Levi comes to stand beside me, leaning against the doorframe with an easy smile. “That, Little Bird, is your attire for tomorrow. Or rather, tonight. The Desert Bloom Gala.”

“It’s a masquerade?”

“Yeah, this time around.” Koen lets out a huff from where he’s sprawled on the couch, and I look over at him as I continue stroking the feathers. “Veronica hosts the gala every year, claiming it’s to raise money topreserve the desert, but it’s mostly a way for her to flaunt her influence and pretend she’s got a heart. Every year has a theme, and this time it’s masks. Last year waswild, which ended up being some rich people’s Halloween party with folks dressed as animals.”

“This is definitely a step up from that fiasco.” Levi shudders, visibly amused at the memory. “No lion costumes this time.”

I let my gaze linger on the dress, already feeling a bit daunted by the whole affair. “So… why do you guys even go to her parties?”

Levi and Koen exchange a glance. There’s a flicker of something darker in Koen’s expression before he speaks. “We didn’t go. Not after she put Oscar in jail. But she’s making an effort now, or at least that’s what she’d have us believe. Tried to play nice at Oscar’s funeral, said she didn’t want any bad blood, and wanted to ‘support us through the loss.’” He scoffs, his eyes hard. “So now we’rereconnectinginhopes of getting closer. That’s why she was at our birthday party.”

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