Hacking His Code (Beguiling a Billionaire Book 7), page 16
“Shut it!” I snap, casting him an aggressive glare.
“You know, with all the attention given to our mothers, it’s easy to forget that our fathers were far bigger rivals,” Gabriel says. “Though they competed for contracts.”
“Let’s not become them.”
“Deal.” Gabriel looks down at the file I gave him, thumbing through the papers. “I can continue to work on your case if you could provide me with copies—”
“Do you think I’m a fucking idiot?” I snap.
Gabriel’s expression doesn’t change. “We all have our secrets.”
“And apparently you’d like to be privy to mine.”
“I have a half brother that tried to sell out Icor Tech to a Chinese corporation two years ago.”
My brow shoots upward in surprise.
“Family shit is never pleasant, and boy does it stink. You had nothing to do with whatever it was your aunt was into, or still is into, though something tells me it’s not her who’s been in contact with you.”
I soften my gaze, just shy of looking warm. Despite the fact that he’s a corporate enemy, Gabriel has been helpful, and I don’t think he’s looking to make personal enemies out of me.
“I trust you, Icor, but I can’t let these files leave my possession.”
“I understand. I can try to hunt down the origins of those emails if you’d like.”
“I’d appreciate that, but no involving Dallanger or anyone else. Just you.”
“And my wife?”
“And Remi.”
Gabriel nods. “That girl you were working on this with, I’d like to utilize her.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m not headhunting her. I’m trying to run a tight ship. An additional set of eyes is a boon, and you won’t allow me to employ my own.”
His logic checks out, and I could certainly make it worth it financially to Ari, but her mother is in a coma, and she’s about to start school. It wouldn’t be fair.
“Her life has taken a rather difficult turn, and she can’t manage the additional stress.”
“You know as well as I do that money can fix damn near anything, or at least make it better,” Gabriel says.
“Her finances are taken care of.”
Gabriel’s eyes bore into mine, but I refuse to divert my gaze. Men like us are always dick-swinging, as they call it. Alphas of our packs. A clear, strong, dominant presence is essential to our success.
“You are a stubborn man, Davies. And so full of secrets.”
My phone vibrates with a text from Sam, or as Arinessa would call her, Neon.
“This will take just a moment.”
* * *
Sam: I did as you asked. She is NOT okay. She feels guilty over her mom and is about to drop out of school and take on like three jobs.
* * *
Hunter: But I paid for her college and made sure she was taken care of. Why would she do that?
* * *
Sam: She’s not taking your money. This woman is a piece of work. She’s not like any of my clients, and quite frankly, I’m glad. You were stupid to lose her.
* * *
Hunter: There’s nothing that can be done about that now, so it’s best to move on.
* * *
Sam: I did give her a mini-makeover. You’d be drooling.
* * *
Hunter: Do me a favor and keep an eye on her over the next couple of weeks. I’ll make it worth your while.
* * *
Sam: Roger that!
* * *
Arinessa is never going to make it on her own. She doesn’t have connections and isn’t cutthroat enough.
A notification in my email shows that she’s reversed the cash transaction, and my guess is that it’s only a matter of time before the tuition is returned as well.
God, Ari, why do you have to be so stubborn?
Gabriel sits patiently across from me. I loathe having to ask him for anything else, but I see no way around it.
“I need to ask you another favor.”
Gabriel chuckles, taking a sip of his scotch. “Another one? What would it be?”
“That girl you wanted to assist you, her name is Arinessa. I want you to offer her a job, but you can’t have her working on my stuff, and you can’t let her know I had a hand in her getting hired.”
He furrows his brow, mulling over my request. “Consider it done.”
Arinessa
“You’ll be working directly under me on a small team dedicated to analytics.” Remi Icor hands me a badge with my face on it.
“But I don’t understand. I came in for an interview. How do you already have this?” I hold up the badge. “I literally just told you I wanted the job.”
“To be honest, we’ve been watching you for quite some time. When one of your professors told Gabriel that you would not be returning to campus, we assumed it was because someone recognized your talent and made you an offer. We figured we’d put together a competing bid to give you another option.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
“Are you surprised? Talent like yours is hard to come by, and tech companies know they need to be quick to snatch it up or someone else will.”
Everything she says makes sense, but it just feels too convenient.
Remi isn’t an unfriendly woman, but she is firm and direct. Someone who would make a great mentor. Passing up this opportunity would be insane.
“Is there anything else we should know before we continue?”
Don’t tell her. Let sleeping dogs lie.
“No.”
“Good. The background check for your security clearance will include your criminal history, credit—”
“Excuse me, did you say security clearance?”
“At the level you’ll be hired in at, it’s standard to obtain one of the highest levels of clearance.”
I hand her back my badge. “Then you should probably take this back.”
Remi furrows her brow. “Why? What is it we will find?”
I clench my hands into fists, trying not to become emotional. “It’s supposed to be expunged, but with your resources, you’ll surely sniff it out.”
“Sniff what out?”
“When I was fifteen, I hacked into a bunch of shit and gathered a bunch of evidence on some human traffickers. I forwarded the evidence, thinking I was being anonymous, but the FBI found out it was me, and…well…it landed me in trouble.”
Remi sits back, a dumbfounded expression on her face. “Huh?”
“There’s no way I’m going to pass whatever clearance check you have going on.”
She folds her arms across her chest, her brow narrowing. “You went after human traffickers?”
“Yeah, and I royally fucked up a case against them.” I look down at my hands, trying to gather the courage to own my past. “I was fifteen. I didn’t know.”
Remi rises from her seat. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She leaves the room, allowing me to unleash the floodgate of tears I had been holding back.
For the thousandths time in two weeks, I’m bawling my eyes out, though this time, it’s not at my apartment.
I check my phone to see if there’s any word on my mother. I’m not too optimistic with her having spent ten days in a coma, but eventually, there has to be a new development. I just hope it’s a turn for the better and not the worse.
The door opens again, and I quickly try to dry my tears and look as nonchalant as possible.
“Arinessa Sylvan,” a male voice says, and I turn to see Gabriel Icor approaching.
My jaw drops, amazed by the tech juggernaut, a man who is known for both his technical genius and his debonair good looks.
But he doesn’t hold a candle to Hunter.
“My name is—”
“Gabriel Icor,” I finish without thinking.
He holds out his hand for me to shake, but I’m paralyzed, only able to stare up at him.
After a moment, he retracts his hand as though he’s used to bad manners like mine.
“Remi asked me to join in the meeting because of a unique situation.”
All I can do is continue to stare back at him.
“Here, take this.” He hands out a handkerchief.
It takes me almost a minute before I realize it’s for me to dry my face, and I hurry to blot my eyes.
“That’s better,” Gabriel says with a stunning smile. “Now, I don’t want you to feel upset or stressed in any way. I just want to know what happened with your case.”
He takes a seat in the chair Remi was in, and Remi pulls up another chair for herself.
Finally, I find my manners. “I…got into a lot of trouble,” I mumble.
“We’re not going to judge you,” Remi says. “Go on.”
“When I was fifteen, I fucked up an FBI investigation,” I start, throwing refinement to the wind. “I got upset when I learned what human trafficking was and hacked a bunch of shit, sending whatever evidence I could find to the police.”
Gabriel blinks back at me, brow lifted, mouth gaping.
“I got a slap on the wrist, but it got me kicked out of school, and although it happened when I was a minor and my name was never released, my guess is that it’s easy to find.”
After a long moment, he says, “That’s…impressive.”
“Yeah? Tell that to my parents.”
Gabriel eyes me curiously. “I’m sorry, but did you say you did that when you were fifteen?”
I nod my head.
“Remi, change of plans. She’s not working for Icor Tech. She’ll be hired on as household staff.”
I furrow my brow in confusion.
“I’ll get right on it,” Remi says with a smile.
“I’m sorry,” I reply. “But am I going to be like a maid?”
“You’ll never make it past Icor Tech background checks, but to work for the Icors, you don’t need one.” Remi grins. “So Gabriel and I will hire you on to work for us. You’ll be doing different things, but we’ll make sure to start you out at the same salary as you would if you were starting with Icor Tech.”
“No,” Gabriel cuts in, “double it. I hate traffickers.”
“Agreed,” Remi says. “When can you start?”
“My mom is in the hospital.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Remi says.
“I mean, I want to start now, but I could be called away at any moment.”
“It’s a nonissue. I have a mother too. Scarlet Primrose,” Gabriel says with a wink. “You may have heard of her.”
“Of course. If my mom ever gets the chance to find out I’m working with Scarlet Primrose’s son and have met the Ernestine Whitmore, she’d be floored.”
“So you’ve met Ernestine?” Gabriel asks with a wry look on his face.
Shit…
“I…saw her at brunch a week ago. She was at a crêpe place.”
“Well, if you see my mom around, try not to mention that. They were rivals back in the day.”
“Understood.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I have your project,” Remi says.
“And what’s that?”
“I need you to, by any means necessary, hack into a server and download the data on it for me.”
Why, oh, why does my first project have to sound illegal?
I exhale audibly. “Just point me to my workstation.”
Hunter
“They’ve already expanded into an online app, and I’m one of their top influencers, or as they like to call them: Topless Influencers!” Sabrina holds out her phone displaying the centerfold she shot for the new magazine LaLa’s. “I could earn seven figures!”
I force a smile. “That’s wonderful.”
“And then maybe I’ll be taking you out for dinner.” She winks at me, grabbing the collar of my work shirt and pulling my lips to hers.
My brain tells my lips what to do, but for some reason, the message doesn’t come out right, and my lips strew against hers awkwardly.
“What is going on with you?” Sabrina giggles, pulling away and giving me a playful slap.
If she had done that the last time we had been together, I would have scooped her up into my arms, pressed her against the wall, and buried myself in her.
And that’s exactly what I went to her apartment to do.
So…why am I just standing here?
Sabrina stretches her arms upward, revealing a hint of her taunt, tanned belly.
I force my hands to the gentle curve of her hip, pulling her close to me.
“I’ve missed you,” she purrs, nipping at my chin playfully with her teeth.
My breath hitches in my throat. The last thing I want to do is make Sabrina feel bad, but I can’t stand being in the same space as her. It’s like I’m suffering some kind of allergic reaction.
She presses forward with her body. “Whaddaya say we take it on over to my bed…”
She snakes her hand into my pants, and at this point, I have to grab her by the wrist and pull her away.
Her face falls, her cheeks flushing pink.
“Sabrina, I’m—” My phone vibrates, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“I just realized I have a meeting scheduled to start right now.” I hold up my phone. “They’re hunting me down as I speak.”
Her mouth twitches in annoyance, but at least she’s no longer embarrassed.
“A big deal is coming down the pipeline. I’ll call you later.” I cast her a smile, then exit her apartment, making my way down to my car.
Once the door closes behind me, I pull out my phone and open a text from Gabriel.
* * *
Gabriel: Arinessa was quite a catch. I should pay you to headhunt for me.
* * *
My gut twists with jealousy, but I’m determined to keep it at bay.
* * *
Hunter: How has her first week been?
* * *
Gabriel: Good, she’s exceeded mine and Remi’s expectations. She has a very interesting past.
* * *
Hunter: And, might I add, an admirable one.
* * *
Gabriel: Wish you would have told me first. Hiring her to work for Icor Tech isn’t an option. So, I hired her onto my household staff to work on personal projects.
* * *
Hunter: Thanks. Treat her well.
* * *
Gabriel: If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you offer her a job?
* * *
Hunter: I mind you asking.
* * *
Gabriel: Noted.
* * *
I shove my phone back into my pocket, trying not to fall into misery. It’s been two and a half weeks since I last saw Ari, and there’s not a day I don’t feel her absence.
At least Arinessa is able to have a real start to her life, free of the strings of her past. And I had a part in that.
Cassius has been keeping me in the loop, assuring me that his team is working round the clock to figure out what’s wrong with Ari’s mother. No expense is being spared, and she couldn’t be in better hands.
What more, Cassius has invited me out for drinks with the guys. With my history, I’ve always shied away from tight bonds, betrayal lurking around every corner, but his crew has been friends for over a decade with very little drama. Who’s to say I wouldn’t get along with them?
“Take me home,” I tell the driver, closing the patrician between us.
For the hundredth time today, I close my eyes to see Arinessa’s staring back at me, wanting me. I miss the weight of her in my arms, the gentle touch of her hand, her sweet scent.
Mother took our ‘breakup’ fairly well, giving me a tight smile and telling me, “Maybe next time.” Father looked at me with pity.
To say I’m haunted is an understatement. Sabrina can’t take my mind from her, and neither can throwing myself into my work. I’ve abandoned trying to figure out what’s happened with my aunt.
Whatever happens, happens.
Instead of being productive, I spend entirely too much time replaying every moment with Arinessa that’s etched into my brain.
She’s always going to be the one who got away.
I can’t go on like this, but I also can’t go back to the man I was before her. I can’t travel alone in this world. Not anymore. I may not ever find love, but I can potentially forge lifelong connections.
I enter into Gabriel’s text box because I’m in over my head, and I desperately need help.
* * *
Hunter: Your friend Cassius invited me out for drinks with his circle next weekend, which you are a part of. Would you mind if I accepted the invite?
* * *
Gabriel: Not at all, but the hazing is brutal.
* * *
Hunter: Hazing?
* * *
Gabriel: It used to be we’d get shit-faced drunk and hop on a private jet to unknown lands and continue to get shit-faced drunk. Now, it’s find a woman to fall head over heels for, somehow manage to fuck it up, and spend a considerable amount of time, money, and effort making things right.
* * *
It hadn’t occurred to me until now that their circle seems to be settling down. Cassius, Gabriel, and Zev are all either married or with serious partners.
The land of happy couples is a place I don’t belong.
* * *
Hunter: Never mind. I would have precious little in common with your crew.
* * *
Gabriel: Oh, I insist that you at least go to our newcomer orientation.
* * *
