“Serves you right!” she yells through a laugh. “You did it to me!”
I place her in one of the empty seats and pull her closer to me as I squat in my office chair.
“How’d you learn that stuff about me?”
“I’m not supposed to tell you.”
Sitting back, I snort a chuckle. “Okay, either Oz or my brothers.”
She shrugs. “Imayhave run into one or all of them on campus.”
“Good to know whose side they’re on.” I would slit their throats, but my parents and my aunt and uncle wouldn’t like it.
“You want to tell me about Abby?” she asks softly.
Shaking my head, I smile behind the mask. “It used to hurt. But yeah. She was just the first in line to show me that most people didn’t care about much, except money. A family name. And she was my first tip-off that Reggie Blackwell was a monster. But now? It feels as if that chapter is closed. Like it all doesn’t matter. Now that you’re in my life.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “I get that. Is that why you took an interest in me?”
“I didn’t learn about your connection until after that first day I saw you during orientation. But knowing your history just added fuel to the fire already raging inside me.”
“And that’s when you started following me. I never knew.”
“I…kept a low profile. You were busy with…otherinterests.” LikeHunter. “And I did it to make sure you were safe.”
Her head tilts slightly. “From Reggie?”
“From everyone who wasn’t me.”
She goes to pull off her mask, but I stop her. “Leave it on. Someone’s coming soon.”
“Who?”
“ATheta. If you’re going to learn some hacking and stalking with me, then you gotta keep your mouth shut. Just be a quiet accomplice.”
She nods, and the door to the outside hall shudders as someone enters the warehouse. Without me saying anything, Olivia slips under the desk, hidden by the darkness of the space.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
A little giggle is her only reply before a knock on the metal resounds through the room. I warm up my rig and call out,“Come in,” still worried about what she’s up to. At least she’s hidden from view.
Tade Kim enters, stoic and quiet. His only acknowledgement is a head nod.
“You want intel?” I ask, booting up the system and disguising any potential Olivia noises in the room with some music.
“Yeah,” is all he gives me. The man’s always seemed one of few words.
I don’t look away from the screen. “Name?”
“Zoe Griffin.”
I pause. Griffin… That may be Apollo’s relation. Not his sister Athena, though.
Despite that, my fingers fly over the keys. It’s simple. Too simple. The real distraction is Olivia under my desk. Close enough, I can feel her breath on my thigh, through my jeans.
Then, without warning, she unzips me slowly. I clench my jaw and lock my attention on the monitor. Hips raise off the chair as I try to adjust.
“You good?” Tade asks.