Page 59 of His Ruthless Obsession

The room falls silent. Mikayla, who's been unusually quiet, shifts on the couch. Her fingers twist nervously in her lap.

"I might..." She clears her throat. "I might know someone who could help."

Everyone turns to look at her. Sweet, innocent Mikayla who bakes cookies for stray cats and cries at coffee commercials.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"A friend." She sits up straighter. "He works in private security. Like, serious security. The kind that deals with..." She glances at Marcus before continuing. "With situations like this."

"Security?" Kendra scoffs. "She's already got a guard."

"No, it's different." Mikayla's voice grows stronger. "He specializes in hacking. He might be able to help Nerio solve his issue."

We all stare at her, shocked at that reaction. Mikayla is hands down the sweetest girl here — possibly the sweetest I've ever met.

"What the fuck is happening?" Skye asks, looking between the two of us.

I don't have much of an answer.

We manage to make it through brunch, though, with Kendra and Skye calming down marginally. I swear I won't go with Nerio on anymore shootouts — which is probably for the best — and they say they won't push me on why I'm staying with Nerio.

But when it's time for everyone to leave, I ask Mikayla to stay behind. "Do you think I can meet your friend?"

She looks from me to Tony. "Let me give him a call."

I don't question it when this mysterious hacker has time to meet me right now. Instead, I take Mikayla out to Tony's car, and she directs him where to go. We head north of the city, out of Bueti and Mantione territory, and I'm partially relieved to see that this guy isn't entrenched in the dark underbelly. I don't think Mikayla could handle it anyway.

The tech company office building that Mikayla has us stop at looks deceptively normal from the outside. Mikayla leads us through security and up to the fourteenth floor, where sleek glass walls reveal an open workspace filled with monitors and complicated equipment I don't understand.

A tall guy with dark curls and thick-framed glasses looks up from his desk. His eyes light up when he spots Mikayla.

"Hey stranger." He stands, revealing tattoos peeking out from under his rolled sleeves. Not your typical IT nerd. "This must be Jazz?"

"I am," I answer as Mikayla just nods with a soft smile.

"Elliott." He extends his hand, and his grip is firm. Professional. "Mikayla mentioned you might need some specialized assistance."

"That's putting it mildly." I glance at Tony, who gives a subtle nod.

Elliott gestures to a private conference room. "Let's talk somewhere more secure."

Once we're settled, I notice how Mikayla's eyes brighten when Elliott pulls out her chair. Interesting.

"So." Elliott leans forward, fingers steepled. "I understand you're having issues with the Mantiones."

I tense. "How much did Mikayla tell you?"

"Enough to know I can help." He taps his watch and a holographic display appears, showing what looks like security camera feeds. "I specialize in surveillance systems. Getting in, getting out, leaving no trace."

"And you can access their cameras?"

"Cameras, phones, security systems." His smile turns sharp, and I start to wonder if maybe this guy does have a bit of a darker side. "Even their fancy Italian coffee makers if you want."

Mikayla giggles, and Elliott's expression softens when he looks at her. The change is subtle but unmistakable.

"That would be..." I choose my words carefully. "Extremely helpful."

"I thought it might be." Elliott pulls out a tablet, fingers flying across the screen. "The Mantiones updated their security last month. State of the art stuff. But every system has weaknesses."

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