Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I don’t allow myself to miss her. Not anymore. Her loss drove me on for the first few years after her death—my need for survival fueling my business decisions, helping build my fortune. But every now and then, I’d like to be sure of someone. Anyone.
I thought I had that in my friends, and now even that’s gone to shit.
What am I left with?
I manage to sit through the next three hours without flinching every time Leo speaks to me. But it’s not easy. And now I can’t help questioning everything Worth says or does, as well.
Why are we at his place again? Are he and Leo making sure these evenings happen at one of their places to ensure things go according to some secret plan? Is that how I ended up here? Was I tricked? I wish I had my phone so I could scroll through my messages. Why didn’t Fisher, Jack, or Byron offer to host?
Maybe they’re in on it too.
I scrub my hand through my hair as if I’m trying to pull every thought from my brain.
“You seem really focused on the game tonight, Bennett,” Fisher says.
It’s almost like I’ve forgotten people can see me. I’m losing it.
“What can I say? I’m a Broncos fan,” I deadpan. I get up to go and fix myself a drink. “Anyone want anything?” I ask.
“Sure, I’ll take another beer,” Leo says.
Next Monday if he asks me for a drink, I might be lacing it with arsenic. I head over to the bar and it feels good to get some space.
Until Worth follows me. He doesn’t say anything, just takes the bottle from me and tops up his whisky. He grabs more ice from the machine and plops a huge cube into my drink, then another into his.
“You know you could talk to her,” he says. “I’ve never seen you with anyone who seems to get you. And isn’t equal parts intimidated and hoping to get a ring on her finger.”
My brain careens from thoughts of my friend’s betrayal to thoughts of Efa. What’s worse? Her betrayal or Leo’s?
“Yeah, she wasn’t intimidated,” I think aloud. “That would have been…” Worth’s right, if she was trying to get close to me to launch an attack on Fort Inc., she would have been more likely to have been submissive and uber charming rather than call me, what was it? Oh yes, dickwad.
I really hope it’s not her.
But that means it’s Leo. I’m not sure what hurts worse.
“Is it irreparable?” he asks.
I sigh. I haven’t spoken to her in a week. I have no idea if she’s even still in the country. “I don’t know.”
Finally, I reach my limit. I need to be alone. “I’m out.” I can’t bear pretending to be anyone but myself among these five people. And I won’t do it any longer.
I grab my phone and jacket and head out—ready to find out who has betrayed me.
THIRTY-ONE
Bennett
I’m used to being called cold and emotionless. It doesn’t bother me. It’s not that I don’t feel anything, I’m just used to doing the feeling inside. I don’t like to show people what’s going on.
“Your pacing is making me nervous,” Aarvi says.
I understand her nerves. She’s not used to seeing me like this any more than I’m used to being like this.
“So it’s definitely Leo?” I ask.
She told me last night, but I wanted her to go through everything again today.
“Definitely.” She winces slightly, but I catch it.
“What?”
“There’s just one thing that doesn’t add up.”
“Tell me,” I say.
“Well, yesterday, I replicated some of our systems—put dummy files in and routed the hack through there.”
“So they think they got into Fort but didn’t?”
She nods. “Yes. I was hoping it might lead to some kind of clue as to what they’re looking for. The only thing is… I don’t know, maybe I’m misreading it, but it’s like they knew it was a booby trap. The door was open but they didn’t come through.”
Efa’s face comes to mind. “Efa knew we were on the case. She’d probably guess that we’d rerun the trace.”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t Efa. She and I chatted and it’s clear she’s out of her depth with this. She relied on Tristan heavily. She’s been taught the right stuff by professors, but she hasn’t had experience putting it into practice.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Some of the questions she’s asking. The assumptions she’s making. This is routing through Leo’s phone. But I wonder if there’s someone using that as a cover.”
“I suggested that. But who?” I ask.
“It didn’t seem probable before, especially as the only people to have access to you were the five guys plus Efa—”
And then the penny drops like a fucking ton of bricks on my foot. “Nadia.”
“Who?” Aarvi asks.
“Leo’s girlfriend. New girlfriend. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! She’s been right there in front of me. Why didn’t I think about her?”