Hack, page 7
I wondered if her frown meant my agreement was too easy, so I changed the subject.
“My friend Jackson makes a mean chili and is just down the hall.” I thumbed over my shoulder. “There’s no point in going out. You want to join? Otherwise, I’m not sure what else there is to eat in here. I’ll have someone get your groceries once it stops raining.” I pointed to the notebook. “Make a list.”
M glanced at the window then back to me with an uneasy look on her face. “Actually, that would be nice. Both things.” She pushed to her feet. “Just let me get my shoes.”
It was a perfect example of how her instincts were off. I was being nice. That should have waved a flag of bullshit and danger. Once she left the room, I set the alarm on my phone for an hour later then slipped it back into my pocket. She really was making it all too easy.
We knocked on Lisa’s door five minutes later and Jackson answered with a dishtowel over his shoulder. Cumin, peppers and tomatoes filled the air and my mouth watered. I loved Jackson’s sweet potato chicken chili.
“Jackson, this is M. M, this is Jackson.”
“We met before.” M held out her hand but was met with a quirked eyebrow. We didn’t exactly shake hello in Covington Heights.
Jackson held the door open wider and we entered. Lisa came over with J.J. on her hip. “Hi, I’m Lisa and this handsome boy is Jackson Junior.”
J.J. waved before he slid down the side of Lisa’s body and toddled over to a kid’s table in the corner. A puzzle sat in disarray and he picked up a piece and examined it. Lisa offered a warm smile to M and said, “So you’re the new girl. Nice to meet you. Want a beer?”
M’s eyes lit up and she grinned. It may have been the first genuine emotion she’d shown all day. “I’d love one.” M and Lisa went to the kitchen, Lisa saying how she loved M’s hair but would never be brave enough to do that to hers.
Jackson and I man-hugged. “How was the bench before the storm?”
He shrugged. “Slow. And I can’t get anyone to come to the dice game. There are still rumors about us taking out our clients.”
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “I mean, I know he had his reasons, but other than a couple of streets north, we didn’t gain much. Plus, where the fuck did Leo go?”
Jackson rubbed his bald head and gave me a pained look. “This stays between us. You got it?” His voice was low and more serious than I’d heard in months.
I nodded. Secrets were power.
“Fiona reached out to Lisa.”
“Oh damn.” That was some serious information.
“Yeah. Damn. Now she’s got in her head that there is some sort of ‘happily ever after’ for us, too.” He’d dismissed the idea, but I understood my best friend. He wanted more for his son, for his life. There was a sliver of hope buried under his brush-off.
We glanced over to Lisa and M, who were still talking about beauty products.
Jackson lifted the lid off his big pot and stirred the orange stew. “Anyway, keep that shit to yourself.”
I walked over to the corner where J.J. sat at his plastic table and bent down. I made a fist for him to bump and he did without moving his eyes from the puzzle. “What’s up, little man?”
“Doing this.” J.J. secured the last piece of the border then banged it in with his flat, chubby palm.
I sat and draped an arm over my bent right leg, the left one straight. “You want some help?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I like to do it by myself.”
“I get that.”
His little tongue poked out of the side of his mouth and he held up a plain blue piece that was the same shade as the sky for his puzzle. It was the exact face Jackson made when he counted money. I wondered how much of the emulation was nature and how much was a desire to be like his daddy.
“Let’s eat.” Jackson set the pot in the middle of their table.
I scooped up J.J. and began our game of hand monster. I couldn’t remember when it had started but it always went down with a fit of giggles. With my fingers held high like a crippled claw, I gave J.J. my serious fake face.
“The hand monster has missed your belly, young Jackson,” I said in a slow, deep voice.
J.J. clenched his teeth tight and growled. He made two claws with his own hands. “My monsters have magic powers. They will control your brain.” He reached up and planted them on my cheeks.
“Ah!” I slumped, making my movement as dramatic as my cry. “No, young Jackson, please. Not my brain waves.” I shook, taking him along for the ride, then dropped to my knees. A little giggle bubbled out of him, and with him still in my arms, I fell back onto the hardwood floor in front of the couch. For the final touch, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. I made a few choking sounds before I was stiff as a board below the laughing son of my best friend.
“Nice show. Come on. Time to eat.” Apparently, J.J.’s dad was less impressed with my acting than his son.
I opened an eye in time to see Jackson roll his. Lisa grinned from ear to ear next to him, probably planning to hit me up to babysit again. M, on the other hand, had eyes the size of saucers and mouthed, “So weird,” before she looked away and sat down.
“The hand monster will have his revenge,” I whispered.
“Not without a brain.” J.J. tapped his forehead.
We stood and I dusted off my jeans. I grabbed my water bottle and we headed to the table where Jackson was already serving us.
To M, I asked, “This going to be okay for you? I can get some mayo or find some butter for you to mix in.”
Her reply was a beautiful snarl and I pulled out the chair next to her and sat. She thanked Jackson for her bowl and waited for the rest of us to start eating before she did. Manners. A possible sign of a wholesome upbringing—not unlike myself.
After a round of praises for his chili, Jackson cleared his throat. “So, I want to hear more about what you’re doing for us, M.”
J.J. perked up and studied their new guest while she searched for her answer.
“How come your name is a letter? L, M, N, O, P. It’s a letter. Right, Lisa?”
Lisa answered, “I don’t know, sweet boy. Maybe it’s short for something, like Emma or Emily. We shouldn’t presume.” She gave him a small smile and a quick glance for approval from Jackson. She didn’t want to overstep. To M, she said, “I’m teaching him the alphabet. He likes that part.”
“L, M, N, O, P!” J.J. offered up on cue then took a happy bite.
M scooped a bite of her chili, ate it with a smile, then wiped her face with the napkin she’d placed on her lap. Yeah, manners all right.
“I don’t want to bore you with the details,” she said and did a little wiggle, “but basically it’s online theft—not from individuals, more like…organizations. I’m working on something right now that would lift money off of nonprofits. You know, someone gives an online donation, and I just take a little of that for myself, masked as a handling fee.”
Lisa and Jackson exchanged glances. Yeah, I’d found someone who liked to steal as much as I did. So what?
On cue, the alert on my phone went off and I stood before digging it out of my pocket. No reason anyone had to know that it wasn’t a text message.
“Shit.” I swiped a few times all dramatic-like. “I gotta go handle something for the boss. It should only take me thirty minutes. M, why don’t you stay? I’ll be back in a flash.”
She searched around the room, maybe reading the temperature. Lisa popped up and said, “You should totally stay. Have another beer with me. My days of girl talk are too few and far between.”
“Do you need any help?” Jackson asked. If I’d fooled him, I was set.
“Nah.” I tucked my phone back in my pocket. “Shouldn’t be long.”
M barely acknowledged that I left, either because she was just trying to be cool or maybe she and Lisa had really hit it off. I jogged down the hall and passed Scooter on the way into my place.
“He’s got company.” Scooter’s jutted chin said it all, but I only needed to be in and out.
In my closet, in the safe where I kept some cash, cards and occasionally a gun or two, I found M’s original phone and slipped it into my back pocket. Giggles trailed behind me from Anton’s room as the door closed.
I typed in M’s code and was on the floor in the same spot she’d sat a little over an hour prior. With her loopy passwords from the notebook, I found everything I needed and I had cracked her phone with her own program within five minutes.
It was too easy. It almost took the fun out of it. Almost.
Back at my place, the giggles had switched to moans. Before popping the phone back in the safe, I copied its contents onto my laptop. I’d learned long ago that in theft, curiosity was your enemy and patience was an ushered success. I was dying to know M’s name, home, favorite color, everything. But if I started reading, I wouldn’t stop, and I had a tight schedule. Besides, my headphones and favorite music would be a much more welcome soundtrack to finding out about M than the current one coming from the bossman and his lady friend.
As I walked down the hall back to Jackson and Lisa’s, a strange emotion pestered my gut. I’d stolen so much shit over the years and never looked back. I muttered a little “What the fuck?” then pushed down the twinge.
Chapter Eight
Marigold
Rain pelted against the window and I shivered. Rafael had been gone about a half an hour and Jackson was reading to J.J. in a bedroom. Lisa handed me another beer then joined me on the couch. I liked her. She had a soft kindness that stood out like a vivid flower in a field of weeds. Her smile was gentle, her voice calming.
“Don’t like the storm, huh?” she asked just above a whisper, as if it would stay our secret.
“No. That obvious?”
She shrugged then took a drink.
I didn’t know why I trusted her, and maybe I shouldn’t have—my friend experience was limited at best—but I did.
I cradled my beer and let out a long breath. “I got caught in one when I was little. I was walking home from school and the wind was so strong that I was afraid to keep going. I hid in a doorway and cried until my mother finally found me.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry. How awful. Those things mark us, don’t they?” She glanced to the bedroom where J.J. and Jackson were, then back to me. “My mom was a junkie. She would have never come looking for me if I got caught in a storm.”
Growing up, it was true that I’d been lucky in the parent department. But the day after that storm was when my life had changed. I’d become fearful of everything. I’d refused to go to school. It had taken me months just to go outside again. Forget friends… Little-girl-me had only focused on survival, and that began the smothering from my mother. At first, I’d welcomed it. But after years and years of it, I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d changed, but she couldn’t see that.
“Can I ask you a question?” I set the beer on the low table in front of us.
“Sure.”
I leaned in, the small distance between us suddenly somehow became sacred. “Does it bother you? I mean, you’re living with a criminal.”
“Ahh…the morals.” Lisa let out a little laugh. “Like I said, my mom wasn’t great. I’m just happy having someone who loves me and thinks I’m more important than getting high. Sounds stupid and easy, but it’s true.”
It wasn’t stupid—certainly if she’d grown up never feeling loved. What was my problem then?
Lisa went on with a smile, “I had a huge crush on Jackson for years. I practically jumped at the chance to take care of J.J. When he showed some interest in me, I thought I was imagining it or that he just wanted to get in my pants or something. But he loves me. The rest? The rest doesn’t matter…not to me.”
A light knock came from the door and Lisa went to answer. Rafa’s golden eyes shimmered. Whatever his errand had required, it had been a success.
“Thanks for not banging. Jackson’s putting him to bed.”
Rafa winked at Lisa and a tiny bit of jealousy perked up. What? No. Ugh. His demonstration of being normal at family night had dropped my guard. And him stealing? That hadn’t been hot…just dangerous and thrilling.
Then again, why not admit I was attracted to him? He checked me out every chance he got. Hell, he’d had a crush on me before he’d even laid eyes on me. Why limit my criminal experience? I could go all in.
I stood and thanked Lisa for a lovely night and she told me her door was always open. Jesus, I might have made my first girlfriend in ages—and in the flesh.
At my place, I punched in the code and the door clicked. “You want to come in for a bit?”
Rafa narrowed his light eyes. The black stubble of his beard shaded his face, and damn it if the heat radiating from his chest didn’t hit me in a wave of lust. If he had leaned in, I would have kissed him. He wanted me. What was the point of me denying wanting him?
He dipped a shoulder and pushed by. A dim light from under the cabinets in the kitchen barely lit the open space. I hadn’t remembered leaving it on, but then again maybe people came in and out of the apartments. Shit. I would need to lock my bedroom door.
Rafa walked over to the couch and sat. He dropped his head back and rubbed his neck. For the first time, I allowed myself to admit how gorgeous he really was. His tanned skin, dark hair and light eyes were exceptional. And his body? Insane. The guys I’d been with in the past were mostly nerdy like me. I’d never explored the possibility of being with a man so fit, so rough. Rafa removed his hat and tossed it on the floor next to him then raked his hands through his hair. It was short, but long enough where subtle curls kissed the ends and the shine made it look soft.
“How many people have the code to this door?” I went over to the couch and unlaced my boots.
“Just the main guys. Why?” He stretched and yawned.
“Someone could just walk in here and—I don’t know—rape or kill me.”
He laughed. “Not if I’m here.”
“Because big bad Rafa can protect me?” I kicked off my boots and the cool air relieved my feet. It had been a big day of walking for someone who normally did a couple of trips around the block and sat in her basement.
“Exactly.”
A crack of thunder made me jump.
Rafa peered at me with one eye closed. “You afraid of the storm?”
“No. Don’t be ridiculous.” I crossed my arms and sat down then pulled a blanket around me.
He studied me. “Did you ask me in not to be alone or because you want something else?”
Both. It was very much both. I brought my fist to my mouth while I contemplated sharing the truth. But there was no need.
A dangerous understanding twinkled in his eyes and a smug grin formed on his otherwise-flawless face. He crawled over to me until we were nose to nose. I blinked several times. It was a fruitless attempt to deny the pull he had on me. His confidence, his danger, his body… It was all overwhelming. So what if I’d just met him? He’d already discovered more truthful things about me than any other guy I’d ever kissed. And that was basically nothing. Besides, those lonely nights in the basement of my parents’ house had left me hungry for attention. I should have yanked the emergency brake, but I was already spinning out of control.
His warm breath tickled my neck, and, in my ear, he whispered, “Do you know the best cure for fear?”
I closed my eyes, already surrendering to him. One day? I’d lasted one stupid day. Pathetic.
He trailed a gentle path up my arm and neck with his fingers. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and his way-too-soft lips brush against my jaw. I shook my head.
“No, you don’t know? Or no, you want me to stop?” Rafa cupped my neck and I shuddered. I had a spot just below my hairline that was a direct line to my arousal and that gorgeous shit had brushed it with his thumb. It would have been impossible for him to know about it. He really was a lucky bastard. With his other hand, Rafa drew me closer to him.
I dropped my head back, giving him more access to my neck. Need pooled inside me as the energy around us swirled and created our own perfect storm.
“No. I don’t know.” My words were more of a moan. The trance he’d put me in so quickly with just a breath and a touch was alarming, risky and enslaving. He’d reeled me in masterfully and I didn’t care.
I allowed him to push me to my back and I searched his eyes before they closed and he went back to my neck. I would have given all the money in my bank account for him to have kissed me right then.
“You have to forget fear, M. I can help you. I can make you forget.”
It was already working. And why the hell not? In fact, it was a fantastic idea. It wasn’t like it would mean anything. He wasn’t exactly the caring type—neither was I, for that matter. Yeah. A little hook-up to pass the time and take my mind off of the pouring rain and whipping winds outside. Sign me right up, GoldieLocks.
If I didn’t know better, I would have called him a genius.
Rafa kissed around my jaw and my breath became heavy in my chest. He hovered his lips over mine for far too long without connecting.
“Is that what you want?” he whispered. “Do you want me to make you forget?”
My body screamed for his touch and I nodded.
“You gotta say it, baby girl. Say yes.” His voice, calm and quiet, still held so much command. I didn’t know what his plan for me was, only that he had one. And his tone made it deliciously, sinfully inviting.
“Yes.” There was something wrong with my submission, a faint voice in the back of my head cried foul. But it was muted the second our lips met and his slow hypnotic kiss lulled me farther into the spell he’d already cast.
His deliberate movements ran opposite my longing, and when I tried to kiss deeper, go faster, he hindered my advances by pulling away. It didn’t take me long to understand that he was completely in charge of me, both mind and body.
He must have spent an hour just unbuttoning my shirt. The curiosity of his next move dug its greedy claws into me while the paralyzing grind of his hips was both agonizingly blissful and splendidly punishing.
