Page 52 of Violet Spark
And now he was doing a clean sweep. Damage control.
“They don’t know anything about this,” I told him.
“You didn’t mention it to your mother?”
My hand itched so bad. “No. It would freak her out.”
Stay away from my mother.
“What about someone named Jacob Aaron?”
I shrugged as my mind raced. “He’s an asshole, so you’d like him. He called me because he, uh, wants me to design some skins for him to sell—”
“Skins?”
“Yeah, like, outfits for characters to wear,” I said. “Digital design is really my thing, not fucking smoothies. But the pay he’s offering is shit, and I can blow him off when I get this money.”
“But did you speak to him about Brayden or the nanotech?”
“No.” I scratched my hand again.
“What about this friend of yours, Swann Singh?”
“Damn, Dane, you’re really reaching here. She’s a fashion student in New York. She doesn’t know a joystick from a vibrator.”
“You’ve had a few rather long calls with her in the past few days. What did you talk about?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. “Honestly? Sex mostly. She’s seeing someone new. I needed the details.”
Dane smiled again, and it got harder for me to breathe. He was going after my family, and there was nothing I could do to protect them except lie and lie and lie.
“How about anyone from your work?” he asked. “Did you talk to them about your situation?”
Oh. Them. “I definitely told those two teenage assholesallabout it.”
“This is serious, Imogen.”
“Then why ask a ridiculous question?” I shot back. “No, I didn’t talk about it with them. This is my own private hell, and you’re its dark overlord.”
Jen straightened in her seat. “Dane.”
They both leaned into the computer, and for a sec, I debated bolting. Could I get out the front door in time? And if I did, where should I go? The trees were my best bet. The orchard might give me some cover, reminiscent of the Ancient Grove in Legendelirium. My heart rate ramped up, as if I were already bolting, but my legs seemed to be anchored to the floor, my butt deep in the ancient couch cushions.
“Yeah, I see it,” Dane said. “Have them bring him in.”
Him?
Jen typed something I couldn’t make out from where I was standing. Hit return.
Dane looked back at me. “That would be your friend Jacob.”
My one hope. I tried to act casual. “What about him?”
“It seems you weren’t telling me the truth. He’s our hacker, and in a minute, he’ll be in our custody.” Dane walked toward me. “Do you realize that all your other answers are now suspect?”
“I think you’re suspect.”
“I’m trying to help you.”
