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

“All right. Good luck, and keep us posted.”





Remi


I bounced my foot, trying to control my nerves.

Mav put a big hand on my knee. “It’ll be fine.”

I nodded, sitting back in the computer lab chair.

Vander and Ace were getting ready to break into The Shadow’s property. Right now, they were pulling up outside.

“In position.” Vander’s deep voice came through the computer speaker. He was wearing an earpiece.

“Scanning with thermal camera,” Ace murmured.

I chewed on my lip.

“Clear,” Vander said. “Initiating entry.”

For a split second, panic flared. I turned to look at Mav. “He’ll have an alarm.”

“Ace can handle it. He’s former NSA.”

“Screw this.” I couldn’t handle not knowing what was going on. I tapped on the keyboard, and data flowed and flashed.

“What are you doing?” Mav asked.

“I want to see what’s going on. I’m hacking into CCTV in the area.”

Mav made a sound. I looked up and saw he was shaking his head, but he was smiling.

I kept working. “There.”

On one of the screens, several images of the SoHo street popped up.

“That’s the building there.” Mav pointed.

I leaned forward, staring at the dark gray house. “I don’t see Vander or Ace.”

Mav snorted. “You won’t. Have you heard of Ghost Ops?”

I shook my head.

“Teams are made up of the best of the best of special forces operators across all branches of the military. Delta force, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Green Beret, Marine Recon.”

I felt a small shiver go down my spine.

“These teams are made of the toughest, baddest men who did the toughest, baddest jobs.”

“Vander was Ghost Ops,” I whispered.

“Commander of a Ghost Ops team.”

King of the badasses. I wondered just what kind of woman would catch the attention of a man like that.

“We’re in,” Vander murmured.

Wow, he was good. I tapped my nails on the desk. When this was over, and The Shadow was behind bars, I was going to paint my nails a nice selection of pretty pastels to celebrate.

Mav turned my chair to face his, his legs on either side of mine.

“We didn’t finish talking before, in the kitchen.”

Oh, no. The guy was going to wear me down, reel me in, and then, when he finally moved on, I’d be a heartbroken shell. No, a heartbroken amoeba. Just a blob of sadness.

I refused to meet his gaze. “We did.”

He gripped my chin. There was anger in his eyes.

“You’re angry at me?” I whispered.

“No, I’m angry at life. At the things that made you doubt what’s between us.”

I went still. Oh, God. He was serious.

“Mav—”

“Remi, I get it. After Hannah, I shut myself off. Looking back, it wasn’t so much because I loved her. I doubt we’d still be together today. She was nice, sweet, and what I thought I wanted at the time. It was more that she broke my trust. After, I doubted myself, my own judgment.”

I leaned in and touched his leg. “We’re all human, Mav. Even you.”

“I know. It took me a while to accept.”

My lips twitched.

“But the situation, it damaged my trust in myself. In opening up and taking risks again.”

I looked away, my chest tight.

“Life did that to you, too,” he said.

“I don’t hold back. I love Mama, my family—”

“I know, but I’d guess that took a long time. A part of you is still reluctant to take the risk.”

I swallowed. “Look at us, two relationship-phobes with trust issues.”

He gave me that sexy smile that I loved, and I watched it unfurl on his rugged face.

Loved.

Oh, shit.

“I’m asking you to give us a chance,” Mav continued. “After we deal with The Shadow.”

“Mama needs her surgery—”

“And I want to be there to hold your hand. I’m going to prove to you that this, us, is worth taking the risk and facing our fears.”

My throat closed. “Mav.”

Suddenly, the lights went out.

We were plunged into darkness.

“God,” I said with a gasp.

“It’s okay.” He took my hand. “We have backup power.”

A second later, the lights blinked back on, and the computer screens followed.

Mav touched the keyboard. “Ruben?”

A harried-looking Ruben appeared on screen. “Sorry, we had a power surge from warehouse two. The backup power is on.”

“Tisdale?”

Ruben scowled. “It could’ve been him. They haven’t caught him yet. They’ve spotted him again inside the fence.”

“So he’s here inside the park?” Mav asked, brows drawing together in a fierce scowl.

“Yes, but security is chasing him.”

“Keep me posted.”

I turned back to the CCTV feed. I wondered what the hell Vander and Ace had found.

I stared at the unassuming building in SoHo.

Mav pulled me in, and pressed a quick kiss to my temple. “This will all be over soon.”