Page 23 of Deadly Hacker

“And we will definitely learn from our mistakes,” Quinn insisted.

Kaylee agreed, “Exactly; we’ll be even more cautious from here on out.”

“We will no longer offer walk-throughs for potential hires,” said Quinn.

“Right, all interviews will take place in a secured area, and it will involve several rounds of discussion and vetting before anyone makes it to the next level,” said Kaylee. “We’re already looking into stricter protocol for who comes up through the elevator or staircase. Maybe even a key card system for clients as well as staff members.”

“I am willing to volunteer my time whenever necessary to guard the entry myself until the position is appropriately filled,” pledged Quinn.

Stacy relented. “We’ll proceed as though the crisis on Friday is a learning experience. Quinn, Kaylee, you will both meet with a security analyst to discuss further measures. Now, if anyone is having any anxiety or residual negative emotions about what happened on Friday, let me know. I’ve hired a temporary therapist to sit down and chat with anyone who needs a little extra support during this time. You can reach out to Kaylee to set up an appointment, free of charge. If there is anything else, come to my office and we’ll talk. Let’s make this week a much better one, okay?”

“Go team,” said Miguel, with a halfhearted punch to the air.

Stacy almost cracked a smile. Instead, she shooed them all out. “That’s all. Have a good day, everybody.”

As Miguel walked Emma Jean back to her studio after the meeting, he let out a sigh of tension release. “Phew. That was agonizing.”

“I feel for Quinn and Kaylee. They were trying their best,” she replied.

“I thought Stacy was going to rain literal hellfire on them. What a hard-ass. Good thing they had you to stick up for them,” he remarked.

“She had to hold someone accountable. The admin team is an easy target,” she said.

“You know, if you ever wanted to aim a little higher in your career, you would make one hell of a leader,” Miguel suggested. “You commanded that room.”

Emma Jean smiled and patted him on the back. “Thanks, Miguel. But I love my job as it is. I have my hands full.”

“Uh-huh. Full of your new boyfriend, of course. Mr. Sexy Sharpshooter,” Miguel said, waggling his brows.

Emma Jean rolled her eyes and looked away, hoping he hadn’t seen her blush. “He’s not my boyfriend. It’s just a coincidence he happened to be here that day.”

“Honestly, I still don’t know how he got into the basement before the cops did. That guy has to be a secret spy or something,” he mused.

“Well, either way, I’ll probably never see him again,” she said, trying to hide the sadness in her voice.

The pair parted ways and Emma Jean rolled right into her first yoga class of the afternoon. She did her best to focus on poses and positive encouragement, but her mind kept wandering away from the guided meditation. Over the weekend, her dreams about Rad only intensified. Her brain was infatuated with him, especially now that he had literally saved her life. He was more than just a gorgeous dreamboat in her head now; he was a brave prince, a charming hero of epic proportions. She imagined him showing up at her house in the dead of night, kissing her passionately, and loving her until the wee hours. With every bendy pose she twisted her body into, naughty thoughts of Rad crept in. She could only hope that her yoga students wouldn’t notice her dreamy expression.

As she was ushering people out after class, Quinn came up to her with a giddy look on her face. “Emma Jean, there’s someone special here to see you,” she gushed.

Her heart began pounding. The last time she’d had a surprise guest, it hadn’t gone so well. But as soon as she saw Rad come around the corner with that thousand-watt smile, her fears melted into nervous excitement.

God, he was so damn good-looking. He looked extra sharp today in a casual white t-shirt and dark jeans. He wore a gray plaid flannel and work boots, and his face was cleanly shaven. As he strutted up to her, Emma Jean could smell his cologne. It gave her a rush back to Friday, when she had thrown her arms around him. She associated the scent with freedom, relief, safety, and admiration now. It was impossible to keep from grinning at him. His very presence was enough to make her heart race.

He was holding a little potted pink succulent in one hand and a large green drink from a cafe in the other. He greeted her with a confident nod. “Hey there, Emma Jean. You look beautiful, especially for someone who just went through a crisis.”

“Well, luckily, someone was there to save me from it,” she replied softly.

`The warmth in his brown eyes made goosebumps rise on her skin. It was like he could see straight through to her bare, vulnerable soul. And he liked what he saw there.

“This is for you,” Rad said, handing her the potted plant.

Emma Jean raised an eyebrow as she took it gingerly. “Um, why?”

“Well, I would’ve gotten you flowers, but I have a feeling you’re the type who would rather tend to something with love rather than simply watch it wither away,” he explained.

“So, you took a look at my life and decided I needanotherresponsibility?” she teased. Truthfully, he was dead on. But she couldn’t let him know that.

He grinned, making her feel like she was standing in a patch of sunlight. “You thrive on helping others thrive, don’t you? That’s a moonstone plant. It should do well in the studio, with all these big windows.”

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