Damien
Ididn’t sleep much, heading into the office early the next day, making a point of driving past Raven’s place. I parked and went to the doorway I’d found Andy in and took a couple photos, noting in the dull light how clean the glass was on the lightbulb fragments. I planned to call the building later and find out if the broken lightbulb was a one-time only thing, or if he had been using this spot for a while. The street was deserted, and I checked out a couple other places I thought he might frequent. I found some other evidence of broken bulbs swept into corners, and I had a feeling he had several locations he liked to use.
I also had a feeling, no matter how much I warned him, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
In the office, I made coffee and poured a cup, knowing I was going to need the strong brew. I headed downstairs to my secure server room, the banks of monitors bright and showing me everything I needed to know.
After Julian left, Leo and I changed several things. Julian had run both businesses as separate entities, and I’d widened the gap even more. Leo had nothing to do with Hidden Justice. I ran all their servers and programs for Hidden Justice. No one got past my security—firewalls or encryptions. But I was no longer part of a crew. I was firmly in the background, although I knew if needed, I would step up to help, the way Marcus and Matteo had come forward when Julian needed their help to rescue his wife and daughter. Elite Security took precedence, and I expanded its clientele and staff, making us the most sought-after security firm in the city.
I tapped the keys, looking over the system I had put in place. Everything was fine, exactly as I expected it to be. Then I opened a new window and began to hack. I knew how to keep the world out of Hidden Justice, but there were few places I couldn’t get into. The Real Connection was an easy one. Their firewalls and security were simple to slip through. I found Raven’s profile and started going backward. I dug into their databases and found Andy’s deleted profile, but nothing more. I hit dead end after dead end. I couldn’t find anything but an empty profile with a stock photo and a simple match line.
Seeking friendship—a real connection, not a hookup. Are you that girl for me?
Finally, frustrated, I started digging into his name. I came up with zero. Andrew Smith did not exist. At least, not this one. I grew frustrated, yanking on the back of my neck to ease the tension in my muscles. As I suspected, his burner cell gave me no clue. It was as if I was looking for a needle in a haystack.
I grabbed my phone and sent off a text, smiling grimly when I received a reply.
On my way, was all it said.
I stood and rolled my shoulders. I had to go upstairs and attend to business there. I could keep digging, but I hoped the text I sent would give me another angle to come at this.
In my office, I sent a text to Raven.
Me: Morning, pretty lady. Hope all is well and you got some sleep.
Her reply was fast.
Raven: I’m fine. All was quiet.
I frowned.
Me: And the sleep?I asked again.
This time, there was a small delay. I could picture her sitting on her little sofa, staring at the screen, trying to decide whether she should lie or not. Finally, she replied.
Raven: Not much.
I wasn’t surprised. I had spent some time on the dating site, creating a fake account and going through all the processes and looking around. I had hoped my programs here would have come up with more, but they, too, had struck out. But I hadn’t been able to rest much, worry about her staving off my sleep.
Me: I would like to take you to dinner.
Raven: You took me to dinner last night.
Me: No, although I enjoyed having dinner with you, that was necessity. Tonight would be pleasure. Different thing. I want to take you out. Somewhere casual but nice. Please.
Raven: Parent/teacher night. Working late.
Me: Great. So am I. I could pick you up, we can eat, and I’ll drop you home. I would really like to see you, Raven. Please.
I waited for her reply, smiling when she agreed and sent me her school address information. I smirked and didn’t tell her I already knew it. Instead, I thanked her and told her to let me know when she was ready and to wait in the school for me. She replied with a smiley face.
I set down my phone, feeling pleased.
A few moments later, my door opened and Egan Vulpe strolled in. I stood and shook his hand.
“Thanks for coming.”
He smiled widely. “You need a favor? I’m here to help. But first, coffee.”