Page 9 of Off Her Game
“That’s what we thought.”
“You’ve assumed Symphis knows you’re after him, haven’t you? He’s likely manipulated every bit of info you have on him. That means he might know you’ve targeted me. So, all of you doing this might’ve expedited his interest in getting rid of me. Thanks.” She glanced at each of them. “If I end up dead tomorrow, it’s on you guys.”
“Sure, we’ve assumed that.” Tom’s obvious lie stank. “We’ve been careful.”
“You’ve got no idea who you’re dealing with. Rumor is Symphis can own you—anyone—in about thirty seconds. That he’s a certified Mensa genius.”
“We know he’s smart.” Tom crossed his arms.
School his ass,Noah thought, suppressing the laugh itching to break free.
“If he’s got you checkmated, you’re done,” Tori said. “Okay, that’s the rumor. That’s what floats around the Stadium. In fact, the rumors go further. Most say you won’t know you’re toast until he pushes enter on his laptop. No need for weapons. He can do anything digitally. Any. Single. Thing. He’ll make all your money disappear. Tank your credit. Make you a wanted felon. Hack your car, your computer, or your iPhone. Make your plane crash. Put a hit on you. If he doesn’t have the know-how, he’s got someone who owes him that does.”
“If that’s rumor, then what do you think is real?” Tom asked.
Tori gazed at him in silence before answering. “I think he’s probably a good gamer. Maybe even an entry-level hacker. The fact he has to leverage people with gambling debts and then use them to do his dirty work tells me he’s not brilliant. This might’ve made him rich, but I doubt he could hack the Pentagon or drain a bank account himself. He might have someone he can apply pressure to who could do that for him, though. If he were such a great hacker, why would he stick to gaming, gambling, and drugs? That lacks imagination. Seems so small time. This doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous.”
“You’re going to help us,” Tom ordered.
“I don’t think so.”
Can’t lose her.Noah didn’t know if that came from concern over the FBI investigation or personal drive not to let this goddess walk out of his life. “Can I talk to you in private, Tori? Without all them?”
“You going to spin bullshit about rainbows and happy endings? Or are you going to talk straight to me?”
Damn, he liked this girl. “Straight talk. Detainee to detainee.”
A smiled teased her lips.
“Outside?” He pointed toward the glass doors at the far end of the ballroom.
She preceded him onto the concrete veranda. The moment the door closed behind them a chilly blast of wind pushed at them. “I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m listening.” She wrapped her arms around her and shivered.
“I should’ve known it’d be freezing out here. Sorry. I don’t have a jacket to give you. Here, you stand in front of me. I’ll block the wind as best I can.” He adjusted his position to make himself a barrier. Windy gusts blistered his back, not that he cared.
“Thanks.” Her eyes softened for the first time.
He stared at his hands.Talk to her. Say something.He cleared his throat. “You’re the first person to offer us a glimpse of the inside. You’re already in. A lot of people—programmers, coders, and hackers—have died over the past year. Most by what seems like drug OD, but some in accidents that don’t make sense. The FBI’s in it because it qualifies as serial killing.”
“You’re in it for your brother?”
“That, and what this means for the future of gaming. If they target all the most talented programmers and hackers to suck them into their world of debt, that’s a more powerful army than any on earth. Okay, that sounds melodramatic, but this is about way more than us or my brother. Maybe it’s just about a future where gaming is illegal and goes underground, which I don’t want. We’re cooperating with some of the other gaming companies to help with the investigation.”
“I knew that bit about caring about my life was bullshit.”
“I care. I can’t speak for Tom. He’s a hard-ass. We’ll guarantee your safety.” Noah didn’t know if they could get her out and keep her safe, but he wanted to protect her. “We’ll get you free of the illegal gaming.”
“Why me? Can’t the FBI infiltrate an agent like they do in the movies?”
“They’ve tried. Twice. Both ended up dead.”
“That stinks. Wonder who they were. Most of us know each other in this circle, even if we’re not all BFFs.” Her face scrunched up. “Assuming that it was possible to get free by catching Symphis, is there anything else I have to do other than provide information?”
He cringed. “We have to give you a connection between us other than your sister to get that information from you and to you. I can’t hire you to work for NJ Legacy because we don’t usually hire gamers. Emma said you’re single. I’m single. So, we need to date.”
“What?” She threw back her head to glare up at him. At least she wasn’t laughing. “You want us topretendto date? You and me? The two unlikeliest people to end up across a table from each other?”
