Page 18 of Landon (In Safe Hands)
Thisman is driving me crazy. I’ve never met someone so mercurial. Sometimes hetreats me like more than an employee, like a friend, and other times he seemsannoyed I’m around. It’s confusing. “Fine,” I mumble, taking a seat across fromhim.
Hisblue-green eyes meet mine. “You’re doing a great job here, Zoe. You’ve reallywhipped the place into shape. It needed a woman’s touch.”
“Thankyou. I enjoyed redecorating the bedrooms. I don’t decorate much at home.”
Hiseyes land on a cutting board on the counter full of chopped peppers. “Youmaking something else?”
“Ithought you might like an omelet for breakfast tomorrow. There are alsopancakes in the freezer with directions for heating. They reheat well.”
Mycheeks heat as he gazes at me. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Shrugging,I pay attention to my food. “I don’t mind. You said you don’t cook.” I know heonly asked me to make a few dinners, but he seems to live on toaster pastriesand frozen waffles, so I thought this would help. I don’t know why I give ashit what he eats, maybe because he’s helped me out.
“Imake a mean grilled cheese,” he defends with a grin.
“Istand corrected.”
Thenext few weeks are hectic with Ethan going back to school. We finally getsettled into our schedules and fall back into a routine. Landon has beenbehaving himself, no flirting with me or biting my head off. I’m a littlesurprised that Jason never calls me since I thought our date went well, but Idon’t brood on it. My days are too full for a relationship anyway.
ChapterFour
Landon
Forthe past few weeks, I’ve been working in my office and then heading to Dare’sapartment as soon as it’s dark. After seeing Zoe with her boyfriend, andfeeling like I wanted to kick the little weasel’s ass, I realized I’m in overmy head. I shouldn’t be thinking of bending her over every piece of furniturein my house.
It’snot just that she’s sexy as fuck. She’s funny and sarcastic, and won’t take anyshit from me. I know she works hard to take care of her brother while trying tokeep up with her own education. She’s amazing, so I need to keep my distance.
Darejust moved into his apartment. I’d hate to live crammed in with so manyneighbors, but I guess after spending two years in prison, it must feel likeparadise to him. “Hey, asshole,” I greet, handing him a file folder. “Reportsfor the authorities.”
“Great.I’ll send them tonight.”
Glancingaround the room, I remark, “You’re really packed in here.” Two large computermonitors sit on a desk along one wall, while another desk holds a third monitorand two servers. Wires loop and twist along the walls between them.
“Well,get your place ready, so we can move this shit.”
“I’mworking on it.” Our operation has officially become too large to hide easilyand the plan is to move everything to my house. We started ISH—In SafeHands—eight years ago. Dare and I have been friends since we were kids and weboth learned to hack as teenagers. We were shocked at the amount of pervertsand predators lurking online, trying to lure children and abuse them or worse.
Wemet Jeremy and Justus online when we realized they were doing the same thing wewere, trying to call attention to the predators and reporting them to the cops.Eventually, we all got together and formed ISH.
There’stwo sides to our operation. The legal and illegal. I’m going to be honest, noneof us are boy scouts. Dare may be the only one who has served time, but we’veall done shit that could have landed us in prison. We just do it for the rightreasons.
Theauthorities are happy to have our help, though they don’t know who we are andcan’t track us. Some offenders, though, don’t get reported. There are somepeople who don’t deserve to take one more breath, and sometimes it takes acriminal to stop a criminal.
Jeremyis typing furiously, his eyes on the large monitor in front of him. “I’ve gotyou now, you sick bastard,” he mutters.
Iknow better than to talk to him when he’s in the zone. He won’t hear a word.“Justus working tonight?”
“Idon’t know, why? You want to go see him shake his ass?”
“Pass.”
Asmart ass grin stretches across Dare’s face. “Where are you going to hide fromyour little maid when we work at your place?”
Shit.Is it that obvious? “I’m not hiding from shit. I just stopped by to drop offthe files,” I lie.
“Uh-huh,like I said, you need her off your hands, just bring her to me.”
“Fuckoff, Dare,” I call back, heading out the door. Now, where am I going to go?
