Page 86 of Out of the Shadows
“Nah, you’re an idiot for not asking me how to secure it better.” Hunter sounded unemotional as always.
“Oh, you mean like with the folder he somehow got into?” Colt snapped.What folder is he talking about?
“I told you to keep that shit out of your cloud,” Hunter said matter-of-factly.
“That’s not really helping right now. We still have no idea how the hell he got access to that.”
“I told you, the only way this could’ve happened is if someone got into your phone first. Once they cracked your phone, the cloud’s just an open door. They probably guessed your passcode.”
“Fuck!” Another dull thud made me jump, but the pieces slowly fell into place in my mind. Someone had gained access to Colt’s phone, and he wouldn’t have mentioned our little tape if it hadn’t been compromised. The real question was, who had gained access to his phone? My mind was working overtime, but I needed more information to get to the bottomof this.
“Now, if you would be so kind as to stop trashing my room, I kinda like it the way it is.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Colt growled.
Hunter sighed. “Think about it, man. How could someone have gotten hold of your phone?”
Colt paused, his voice low. “There’s really only two ways — during practice or after, when I’m in the shower. Other than that, it’s always on me.”
“Please don’t tell me your passcode is something completely predictable?” Hunter asked in an exasperated tone.
A short silence was followed by a soft “Hailey’s birthday.”
“Dude …” Hunter groaned. “You couldn’t have made this any easier.”
“Why don’t you rub salt in the wound, huh?”
“At least it narrows down the pool of suspects. They’d have to be someone who not only had access to your phone but knew the passcode. That means it’s almost definitely someone on the team.”
“I suppose. At least, I can’t think of any other way it could have happened,” Colt grunted.
“Okay, I know you don’t want to consider the possibility, but what if it was Hailey herself?”
“Careful.” Colt’s voice turned dangerous. “That’s my girl you’re talking about. Besides, she has absolutely zero motive. She has no idea that her father was planning to use her like a fucking poker chip to enrich himself. There’s no way she’d have gone along with it.”
I beg your fucking pardon? My dad wanted to use me? How?! My pulse quickened as I processed Colt’s words. I needed to hear more, but this was getting way too personal.That must be what had been on Colt’s mind.
“So who has a motive?” Hunter’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Yes, indeed. Who? My fingers plucked incessantly at the waistband of my top.
“I have no idea.” I could just picture him running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
It was time to make myself known — having three minds on this was better than two, and I was desperate to know what this whole thing was about. My curiosity got the best of me.
I pushed the door open, not bothering to announce myself and just stood there, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at the scene in front of me.
Hunter was totally unfazed, like my appearance was no big deal. But Colt — he looked like he was seeing a ghost. His lips parted, and he made a strangled sound before whispering hoarsely, “How much did you hear?”
“Enough.” I kept my voice steady, even though my pulse was racing. Colt nodded slowly, his face pale.
“Good thing you’re here,” Hunter said bluntly, breaking the silence.
“You mean that?” You could hardly blame me for being skeptical, considering Hunter’s voice portrayed as much emotion as a wooden stump.
“I don’t usually say things I don’t mean.”
“Right.” Shaking my head, I turned to my boyfriend, who was still standing there silent and rigid as a statue. “Sooo … my father has our sex tape?”
Colt swallowed hard, a sound that was audible in the room, before nodding curtly, clearly struggling with the weight of the situation.
