Hacking Mr. CEO (Billionaire Heists #3) by Anna Hackett

“I know you drink your coffee black, but when I’m stressed, I really need my fix from Starbucks.”

Mav sighed. “It isn’t safe to go out. If The Shadow is watching my place—”

“We’ll put on ballcaps and sneak out the back. Just to Starbucks and back. Please? This waiting is killing me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Fine.”

“Yay.” I jumped up and kissed him again. “I’ll get my shoes. Wait. Where are my shoes?”

“They were covered in soot. They’re in the laundry room.”

“Oh my God, I didn’t bring extra shoes.”

He shook his head. “I’ll grab them and get some hats.”

My running shoes were pretty grimy but I cleaned them off the best I could. Mav gave me a New York Giants ballcap and I stuffed my hair under it. His hat was a New York Rangers one.

“Hey, I like ice hockey more than football,” I said.

“Me too.” The hat did little to hide his rugged face. He pulled on a tan suede jacket and I slipped into my own puffy, blue coat.

We headed down in the elevator.

“There’s a Starbucks a couple of blocks away.” Once we got outside, he took my hand.

And I found myself braving the cold day, walking down a pretty SoHo street, holding hands with a billionaire.

Funny, I didn’t really think about the billionaire thing so much now. He was just Mav.

When we stepped inside the Starbucks, I absorbed the warm air. It wasn’t too busy.

“You want something?” I asked Mav.

“Hell, no.” He scanned around the place, eyeing the few people inside, including the baristas.

I leaned into him. “I don’t think any of the baristas are out to kill us.”

He shot me a look.

I placed my order and made my way to the end of the counter to wait. Mav stood beside me, shoulders hunched.

As we waited, I wondered what Mama and the kids were doing.

“Remi?” a voice said.

My head jerked up and I saw a slim man in ironed jeans and a black hoodie. His hoodie had the words “I’d rather be phishing” written on the front. His light brown hair was neatly combed, his skin was pale white, and he fidgeted a little.

“I’m so glad I found you.”

His voice registered. “Wesley?”

He smiled at me.

“God, how did you find me here?” I asked.

“I traced your phone. You haven’t been answering my messages.”

He’d what? Oh, my God.

Mav stepped closer to me, his hand dropping to my shoulder. “Remi, who the hell is this?”

I sucked in a breath.

Wesley straightened. “I’m her boyfriend.”

I felt Mav stiffen. I looked up and my stomach clenched to a tiny point. As I watched, his face hardened, his eyes going blank. His hand dropped away from me.

For a second, I knew he was seeing Hannah.

You idiot, Mav. I faced Wesley. “Wesley, you aren’t my boyfriend. Never have been and never will be. I told you I only wanted to be friends, and I tried to be nice and not hurt you.”

“We’re hackers, Remi,” he said insistently. “We have the same work and hobbies. We’re a good match.”

“No, we’re not. You don’t even know me. This is the first time we’ve met in real life.” I glanced at Mav and saw several things working in his gaze now. “And Wes, tracing me via my phone, that’s creepy.”

Wesley’s face fell. “I…I don’t want to be creepy.”

I tried to remind myself he was just a lonely guy, with limited social skills.

Wesley swallowed. “Is there someone else?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

His gaze moved past me to Mav. “Him?”

“Yes, not that it’s any of your business.”

Wesley straightened to his full height, which still put him several inches shorter than Mav. “She’s an amazing woman. You couldn’t treat her right.”

I swallowed a groan.

“Caramel macchiato for Angel?” the barista called out.

“That’s me.” I grabbed the coffee and turned back.

Wesley was trying to stare down Mav, who now looked vaguely amused.

“Wes, go home.”

“No, I want to know who this guy is? He could be a criminal. He could be using you.”

I choked and heard Mav’s low chuckle.

Wesley glared at Mav. “I think we should take this outside.”

Oh my God, what did my sort-of hacker friend think he was going to do with Mav? Fight him? Mav would take him down with one punch.

“Wesley, no—”

“Remi?” a deep voice said from behind me.

I spun and saw Killian. My boss wasn’t in his suit today, but he was still wearing black. Black jeans and a black turtleneck that fit his lean, muscular form, topped with a black leather jacket.

I blinked. “Killian, how did you find me?”

“I traced your phone.”

I huffed out a breath. I had extra security on my phone. How the hell was everyone hacking into it today?

Wesley was goggling at Killian. My boss looked sharp, sexy, and dangerous in a kind of badass assassin way.

Killian meanwhile was looking at Mav. “Rivera.”

“Hawke,” Mav replied.