He blinked a few times. “That’s not why—”

  “I know.”

  Josh and the others had already bypassed us, setting in motion their jobs, but I headed for the back door.

  I could hear her.

  The door was left ajar just an inch. It wasn’t latched, but it was still closed for some privacy.

  I opened the door and waited, taking her in, and it was just as Fitz said, but more. I doubted he had stepped back to watch her work. If he had, I would’ve gotten more of a speech. No, no. He said what he did because he saw her planning, but this, seeing her bending over, frowning, squinting at the computer like it was her personal opponent in backgammon, would’ve hit him in the same way but on steroids.

  She was breathtaking.

  Her hair was falling forward, and she wasn’t tucking it back. That said she was more than distracted. She was obsessed.

  Curses were falling from her mouth.

  Her back was arched over.

  Her fingers were typing like lightning over the keyboard, and she had pulled up her own laptop. It was plugged in. She was alternating between Camille’s system and her own, back and forth, back and forth.

  Then she was back to the main system. Her hand on the mouse. She was clicking through screens so fast that I couldn’t make out what each screen was about. Clicking. X-ing. Bringing them back up. Cursing more.

  She paused, her breath held.

  She was reading, biting her lip.

  Another curse, then she brought up a new screen and went back to typing like her life depended on it.

  I intended to watch her a moment, then pull her away.

  I couldn’t do either.

  I watched her and I couldn’t stop.

  I took in her pride, her stubbornness, her will to right the wrong—and she cared. I was remembering another time when I saw her hack, when she cared enough not to harm Sera- phina, Cyclone, or Matt’s accounts. She got in. She wanted to let Quinn and Peter know that she could get in, but she didn’t harm them. She cared even at the start.

  “You love.”

  She screeched and whirled around. Blood had drained from her face, but seeing me, she scrunched up her face in frustration. “No, no, no. I need more time.” She wheeled back, taking a moment to press the bottom of her palms to her eyes. She lowered them, shook her head, and started back. “I need more time. This girl is crazy with her firewalls. She has like five backup systems, and I had to get them online in order to get everything from them.”

  I waited.

  It was a minute later when she paused and looked at me. “What did you say?”

  I knew where we were. I knew what she was doing. But this moment was important, so I was taking it.

  I nodded at her. “I told you that you had siblings, and you loved them immediately. I gave you their files. I let you see their faces, see their names, and that was it. You sunk for them. Then I took it from you and said you’d be a stranger to them. I saw how that crushed you, but you did it anyways. You didn’t cry or whine or become resentful. You didn’t hate them, and you could’ve. Others would’ve. Most would, but not you. You loved them first, and you loved them pure. That never changed. You’ve been angry at your mother, and you were angry at Peter, and I know you were angry at me. The three of us, we could take it, but never at your siblings. You only loved them. You never let anything else in there when it came to them. No anger. No jealousy. Nothing. Only love.”

  I remained in the doorway. I knew she needed space, and I wasn’t going to crowd her. I was going to do what I could to give her as much time as she needed, but I needed to tell her this much.

  “It’s that same love that’s motivating you now. It’s driving you. Marie misjudged you. Quinn insulted your upbringing. But when they did that, you knew it wasn’t you being insulted. It was Chrissy, and that’s what pissed you off the most, because in your core, you are all Chrissy Hayes.”

  Her eyes were watering. Her bottom lip started trembling.

  I nodded at her. “Obliterate this bitch, because I know you’re not just doing this for you, for me, for Matt. You’re doing this for Chrissy.” I inclined my head to her. “Thank you.”

  She sniffled, drawing in a deep breath. A tear fell and she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

  She grinned, though it was still shaky. “You’re not supposed to make me a blubbering mess.”

  “I’m not supposed to do anything except love, cherish, and protect you.” I gestured to the computers. “Do your thing. We’ll cover you until the last second.”

  Her eyes were clear again, locked on, focused, and when she looked back to the computer, I knew she was immune even to me being in that room. A circus could’ve thrown a show with elephants and she wouldn’t have let them pull her concentration away.

  Fitz had been on the phone with Matt, who reported that Camille Story was fast becoming drunk and that her lips were getting looser and looser as the night wore on. She’d started talking about Quinn, so Matt wasn’t staying for Bailey anymore. He was staying because he hated Quinn more than anyone. When Fitz asked about her phone and if she was getting any alerts, he said she pulled her phone out once. She frowned at whatever she saw on the screen but clicked out of it and never pulled it out again. He had a plan in motion to try to sneak it away from her because he saw the key to get in.

  I was okay with all of it.

  Josh reported they found the hidden cameras in the apartment and everything was pulled. “You think your girl in there could loop some background video and make it look like the place had been empty the whole time?”

  “I’ll ask her, but we need an ETA as soon as Matt calls when she leaves. I want to give Bailey as much—”

  “I’m done! Hell yes, you motherfucking bitch!”

  Josh and I both had to look down for a second.

  Bailey continued cheering from the office and I nodded to him. “Call Matt. See if he can sneak her phone sooner than later. Have him erase any alerts she might’ve gotten.”

  “If she saw the first one?”

  That was a gamble. “I’m judging by the fact that she stayed and chose not to worry about it. When it goes missing, she’ll pretend she never saw it.”

  He grunted, nodding. “You think she’s really that hard up for him that she’d choose to ignore a security alert?”

  That was the gambling part. “I’m hoping that she never got any follow-up alerts and assumed it was a momentary glitch.”

  “Maybe your girl could put her spy stuff on this chick’s system?”

  Josh had been fully briefed on everything Bailey was capable of.

  “I’ll ask, but knowing Bailey, she’s already ahead of us.”

  She proved my point when I entered the office again.

  She wheeled around, all smiles and literally glowing. A sheen of sweat covered her face, and she jerked her hair up in a hair tie and gushed. “I got everything. Everything! It’s all been transferred to an account that’s off-line. Take that, you bitch. You want to fight by keeping shit off-line, I’ll do the same. I cleaned everything but let her keep certain items that aren’t harmful to any of us. She had a crap load on Quinn, things that will be helpful if we need to use it. And”—Literally. Fucking. Glowing.—“I uploaded my hacking program. It’s the ghost program I was working on before.”

  Some of the glow lessened. She bit her lip, looking down. “I got the codes for her security system. I looped footage from earlier in the day, changed the time stamps and put them in. I also wiped two alerts she got on her phone. They showed that she hadn’t seen it yet, so we’re good on that account. Now we have to leave, and she’ll have no clue we were here.”

  She started to wheel back but stopped. Her hand in the air. “Oh!” She pointed around the office. “Could you take pictures of everything in here? Just to have. When she has the computer on, I can watch her from there, but you know.” Some of the glow was fading, and fading fast. She’d been on an upswing of adrenaline and emotion. She was going to crash soon. “The psych part of this office is probably off the charts.”

  I crossed the office and leaned down.

  My arms went around both sides of her.

  She looked up, her eyes wide and trusting—starting to cloud over, but still so trusting.

  I stifled so many other things I wanted to say to her at that time. I brushed my lips to her forehead, tucked some of her loose strands behind her ear, and turned her back around. “Finish up. We’ll take care of the rest.”

  Her shoulders slackened a second.

  She was losing her steam at a faster rate than I thought. Her arms went up to the keyboard, but they looked like they were suddenly under a crushing weight.

  Shit.

  I brushed more of her hair back. Her eyes closed. She savored that touch, so I leaned down again. My lips found hers and I whispered there, “You did amazing.”

  She nodded, her lips finding mine, and as I stepped back, she had a little more gusto than just a split second earlier.

  She was working again. It wasn’t with the speed and force she had before, but it was steady. She’d be done before we would.

  That meant I’d change our plans.

  I waited, and as soon as she was done, I helped put her stuff in her backpack. When she stepped out of the office, I told her to head to Fitz. She did, and then I waved Josh over. The guys had been spot-dusting any places their fingerprints might’ve been left.

  Josh watched her go with Fitz, then turned to me.

  “Take photos of everything in the office. Copy anything left in the copy and fax machine. See if there’s a history there we can get. Then close up. Bailey said she got the codes. Matt doesn’t need to grab the girl’s phone. Bailey did it all remotely.”

  “Got it, boss.”

  I left, and Fitz had Bailey in my car. I stepped around him, taking the driver’s seat. He nodded, going to his car. He’d follow us back to the Chesapeake. Once on the way, with Bailey’s backpack sitting in front of her and with Bailey curled in a ball on the passenger seat, already asleep, I called Matt. I relayed to him everything that happened.

  Forty minutes later, Matt texted.

  Camille Story was in a cab, heading back to her apartment.

  Hoda and her other friend had left earlier.

  Josh called.

  “I got everything. Place is locked up.”

  “Take the night off.”

  Bailey would be asleep most of the night, but I needed her. I needed to hold her. I needed to be there in case she woke, because when she did, I knew she’d be hurting. It was always that way after a high that she was on. There’d be the low and then her haunts would slip in.

  I’d be there.

  She was back, and I intended to keep her back.

  TWELVE

  Bailey

  I was falling.

  I felt it.

  It was a pull, tugging me down. I knew it. I knew the consequences.

  I was back there.

  The shots.

  Matt tackled me.

  They were bursting through the doors.

  More shooting.

  Trembling.

  Weeping.

  Shrieking.

  The smell of burning and urine in the room.

  Sweat.

  Dust.

  Then I was up. They were gone.

  I was running.

  “Bailey!”

  “Mom!” A panicked breath in. “Mom!”

  Chrissy.

  I had to get to her.

  Chrissy.

  My legs were weak, shaking.

  Chrissy!

  I slammed into the wall, and then I saw them.

  Outside.

  He was dragging her.

  He was looking.

  He pushed her to her knees.

  The gun was out.

  He looked up, right at me.

  And he smiled—my chest squeezed.

  I’d forgotten.

  I’d forgotten!

  Bam!

  I jerked upright. Someone was screaming.

  It was bloodcurdling.

  “Hey.” A soothing hand. Down my hair. “Hey. Hey, Bailey. Baby.”

  Whispered and frenzied kisses.

  I was rolled over.

  There was still screaming. More shaking.

  Then sobbing. Hiccups.

  It was me.

  I was the one screaming.

  “Bailey!” I was pushed down, and a body came over me.

  I froze, the same panic as before. My fists were up. I was fighting. Shoving.

  I had to get free.

  I had to get my—

  “Bailey!”

  A mouth came down over me.

  It was Kash.

  That was him.

  It was his mouth kissing me.

  That got through.

  Everything quieted, except there was a pounding. A thumping sound.

  I gasped as Kash lifted his mouth. He ran a hand down my face, a face that was sweating.

  Sweat mixed with tears.

  He didn’t care, and I could see him now. The moonlight was outside, filtering in, and I was still crying.

  Oh, God. It hurt. Everything hurt.

  “My mom,” I choked out. My hands were curled around his arms. “My mom, Kash.”

  “I know.” Another whisper, of such understanding and pity and sympathy. It unraveled me.

  I couldn’t hold it back anymore.

  I bent my head to his chest and gave in.

  His arms tightened around me. I felt his kiss on my shoulder, and he was moving us. I was cradled in his chest. He pushed up, sitting against the headboard. I was on his lap, curled into a ball.

  More tears.

  More pain.

  Slicing me.

  He held me. He ran a hand down my hair, my back, sweeping up my arm and repeating.

  He did it all night long.

  I cried all night long.

  She was there, all night long.

  And right before I fell asleep—later, much later—I swear I heard my mom whisper in the air, “My baby girl.”

  THIRTEEN

  Kash

  Six A.M., and Bailey was finally sleeping.

  It wasn’t a restless sleep, but one where she was out out. No sounds were coming from her. She hadn’t moved an inch for the last hour. The only way I knew she wasn’t dead was because I felt her breath as I held her, but six meant I needed to get going.

  I was coming out of our section of the house when Matt bypassed me, yawning widely.

  He stopped, took me in, and let out an audible sigh. “What happened?”

  I frowned. “You smell of martinis, cigarettes … and I’m hoping that last smell isn’t what I think it is.”

  He frowned right back. “Fuck you. You weren’t the decoy while my sister played at breaking and entering.”

  “I wasn’t judging. I meant that I hoped you didn’t have to do what it smells like you did.”

  “Oh.” He blinked, bags under his eyes. “I’m tired.”

  He hadn’t answered.

  “Matt.” I inclined my head toward him. “You didn’t fuck her?”

  “What?” His nose wrinkled and he stepped back. “No. That’s what I smell like?”

  I didn’t want to test my theory and take another whiff. But, shit. Nope.

  I knew what I was smelling on him.

  “Matt,” I was cautious here, proceeding slowly. “The last relationship you had was with a mar—”

  “God. I know.” He glared at me, rocking back on his heels. “You don’t have to tell me, and no, to get ahead of this awkward-as-hell conversation you’re determined to have with me, it’s no one. It’s not a thing or anything. Had an itch, knew someone who’d scratch it, and that’s all.” Another heated look from him. “You okay with that, Dad?”

  “Stop with the jabs, dick.”

  “Prick.”

  “Asshole.”

  He blinked. His mouth twitched. “Fuckup.”

  “You wish,” I deadpanned back. “You’d be loved more.”

  “God!” He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. “That one almost hurt.”

  My own mouth twitched.

  His laughter faded, but he was still grinning. He jerked his chin up. “What happened last night? Did Bailey get what she needed?”

  “She did good.” And he had to know. “She was on a high.”

  He jerked, his eyes shuddering for a beat. “Wait. What? She was high?”

  “No. When she hacks, she can get a high from it.” I needed to spell it out. “And then afterward with how she is, with the grief…”

  His eyes grew wide and alarmed. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s sleeping, but she went low. She remembered that night and woke up thinking I was Calhoun’s men.”

  “Shit.” His nostrils flared. A keen, murderous look entered his eyes. “If I had a gun, if your grandfather was here—why isn’t he dead yet?” He was gone. All rationality checked out, and he was breathing fury. “That’s your job. What’s the problem? I know you know where he is at every goddamn minute of the day.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  I wished it were.

  For a second, a minute, I considered it.

  Could I just go? I could. I could get to him. I could even get him isolated, and I would have weapons at my disposal. I could kill him. It’d be so easy. I could do it slow, torturing him. Or I could merely slit his throat and watch him bleed dry. Or I could slice him all over, make his last breaths so painful, puncture his lung and have him choke on his own blood. That was a different type of dying that was its own hell.

  But it was the after that I had to consider.

  “Calhoun wasn’t stupid. If he dies, there are policies set in motion. People will come after whoever killed him. He still has resources I need to turn against him. I’m digging. I’m trying to find everything.”

  He whistled. “He’s a sick bastard.”

  “He has a contract out to go after not only me but also Bailey. Maybe you guys, too. I’m working on isolating him from all his assets, but it takes time. And money. And diplomacy.”

  “Yeah.” His voice cracked, and he looked exhausted once again. The bags under his eyes grew in size just during our conversation. He rubbed at his jaw, swearing softly under his breath. “I’m going to collapse, man. I gotta hit the hay.”