Page 87 of Captured Innocence

“The best in the world.”

“Says who?”

“All the people who’ve hired me.”

“Fuck. Fuck. How easy was that in comparison?”

“Too much so. You were right in that you were hacked.”

“You’re certain of it.”

“Without a doubt. Let me show you.” Her confirmation was exactly what I needed.

Over the course of the next few minutes, she was able to provide several clear indications that someone had been inside not only our financial records but also corporate documentation providing links to several customers, brokers, and other valuable people used in both our legitimate and more lucrative illegitimate businesses. Everything had been at the hacker’s fingertips, his or her signature left where only someone like Sophia could see.

“That’s why you were abducted.”

“That’s what I expect,” she answered. “But I don’t think there’s any room for doubt that this has to do with our families. Do you?”

“No.”

“Then let me help you. If what your friend said is true, I got closer to the man than anyone.”

“What do you plan on doing?”

Sophia chewed on her lower lip. “Playing a game while leaving him an easy in. Then I’ll place a tracker on the computers he pings off. I can establish a program that will run in the background. It’s like a clock that will tick down, ultimately finding the location of his main series of computers.”

“Are you certain you can do this without being detected?”

She gave me a saucy look before running her fingers down my thigh. “You need to trust me, mio pericoloso padrone.”

“Dangerous master, eh?” I brushed my fingers through her hair. “I do trust you. More than almost anyone. Just be careful. I’ll call D’Artagnan and let him know.”

“You’ll need to have him talk to Lucia. He’s going after the brokerage first and if what I suspect is true, he’s prepared to clean out the accounts.”

Exhaling, I rose to a standing position. “Can you have them transferred?”

“Yes, but if I do that then he’ll know we’re onto him. What I can do is place a stronger security system around every system so that will take him additional time to break through. But it’s only a matter of time.”

“So the clock is ticking. Do it. Then you’re going to tell me one more time everything you remember about being taken.”

“What about the storm?” she asked.

“If all goes well, we’ll leave tomorrow. Will that give you enough time?”

“I’ll only be thirty minutes.” She lifted her eyebrows and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Perhaps I’ll start calling you my lioness.”

“That’s what D’Artagnan calls Lucia.”

“Hmmm… Then I will definitely need to select another predatory animal.”

“I thought you were the predator.”

“Trust me. I am.”

I walked away, grabbing my drink from the desk before yanking out my phone to call D’Artagnan. After walking out of the room, I stopped and turned around, shaking my head. Beautiful princess. That was the term I’d used when I’d had no understanding of the woman inside or the strength she held.

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