Hoping to break some of the tension in the room, I glanced over Menace's shoulder and said, "Looks like somebody's been on the Porn Hub again. When are you gonna learn there are no hot singles in your area, brother? You gotta stop clicking the fucking link!"
"Fuck you, Country,” Menace grumbled. “Don't got time for your bullshit."
I could tell by his tone that this whole thing was more serious than I thought. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Menace answered. “I just got an email on my private account. Someone is requesting a meet at one of the cafés on Second at four this afternoon, but we got no idea who it’s from.”
“What the fuck?” I grumbled. “Any idea what they wanna meet about?”
“Apparently to discuss some kind of business opportunity.” Viper sounded completely outraged. “But they didn’t give us any other information.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I don’t either. I also don’t like that they got the address to my private account.” Menace was scanning through lines and lines of code, trying to get a lead, but he clearly wasn’t having any luck. “This is fucking insane. It’s one firewall after the next with these assholes.”
“So, what are we gonna do?”
“The only thing we can do.” Viper crossed his arms with a huff. “We’re gonna take the meet.”
Two
Kiersten
I’d always heard that losing a mother is one of the deepest sorrows a heart could ever know. It certainly was for mine. I couldn’t begin to describe how distraught I was when I lost my mother. It was so unexpected. A reaction to medication took her from me. I was just thirteen at the time, and I found it nearly impossible to cope with the loss.
I struggled with the fact that I would never see my mother’s smile again, that I’d never hear her voice or feel her arms around me. It was a tough pill to swallow, and not only for me. It was tough on my father, too. He loved and adored her and didn’t want to face the world without her by his side. Unfortunately, neither of us had a choice in the matter.
Days after my mother’s death, he quit his job in forensics and spent the next year focusing on me. No one was surprised by his decision. He was a good man and an even better dad. We’d always been close—maybe even more so than my mother and I had been. He was always there for me, even when I didn’t know I needed him, and after my mother’s death, I needed him more than ever. With his support, I was able to get up and face the day. Each day got a little easier, and I eventually accepted the fact the world hadn’t stopped turning just because my mother died.
* * *
“You all set?” Braylon asked, trying to sound upbeat.
“Yes, Bray.” It was the third time he’d called, and every time he sounded more anxious than the last. “I’ve got everything I need to knock the socks right off these guys.”
“You sound oddly confident. What gives?”
“Not sure what you mean?”
“Last night, you were on the brink of hysteria, and now, you’re all ready to face the world. What’s the deal?”
“Well, I might’ve taken your advice and hit a bar last night.”
“Seriously?” he gasped. “Does that mean you got you a little tension relief?”
A smile swept across my face as my mind drifted to last night’s encounter with the mysterious stranger in the bar’s bathroom. I’d never tried the whole one-night-stand thing or had sex with a total stranger, but honestly, I’d never experienced anything so unbelievably hot in my entire life. Not only because of the random sex, but this man was gorgeous with a touch that set me on fire.
As much as I wanted to exchange names and numbers, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I was trying to get a business deal off the ground, and the last thing I needed was to be distracted by a hot guy in tight jeans. I cleared my throat before answering, “I might’ve, but you know I’m not one to kiss and tell.”
“You little slut,” he snickered.
“Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Well, I’m glad you got a little action, but I don’t want it to derail your focus.”
“Don’t worry. I’m focused,” I assured him. “I’m ready for this.”
“Are you sure? I mean, really sure?” I could hear the skepticism in his voice. “’Cause if you aren’t, we can forget this whole thing. You can get in your car and come straight back—”
“I’m not backing out.” Braylon had been with me from the beginning, and I adored him for being concerned about me, but I’d worked too hard to chicken out now. “It’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t know.” His voice sounded strained as he reminded me, “I have a bad feeling about all this.”