The Revenge by Tijan

The server took the glass from him and asked, all sugary sweet and in a sultry tone, “Want another?”

Matt’s grin was slow back, slow and sly. “Make it a double, please?”

“Sure thing.”

As soon as she was gone, he turned to Hoda. “Who does Camille have a thing for? We need to get her out of that room for a long period of time.”

Hoda’s mouth pressed tight together, and she visibly swallowed.

I inclined my head. “Who is it, Hoda?”

She squeaked, motioning to Matt. “It’s still him. I mean, she doesn’t come out and say it, but I know she’s still got a thing for him.” Her eyes went sideways for a beat before she refocused on us. Sitting up straight, as if coming to a decision, she continued. “Quinn only calls her Friday nights, and on Monday or Tuesday. So she wouldn’t call her tonight. I could call Camille, tell her that I went out with a friend and we saw Matt here.” She looked uncertain, her head almost lowering, the more she offered.

Matt was thoughtful, his head cocking to the side. “It’d have to be somewhere that Kash or my father don’t own. If I’m in a Kash bar, she won’t come in.” He tipped his chin to her. “What friend would you be with?”

“Oh.” She frowned. “Oh! I could call Liam. I could just say I want to talk some more about moving in together, iron out more details. He’d come. He’s always down for a beer.”

“And what? Bailey breaks in by herself? I don’t like it.”

Hoda’s eyes were wide, skirting between us. “I don’t know what else would work. It has to be you, and you have to be alone. If you’re with someone else, she won’t come.”

“You didn’t say that before.”

“Because I just thought about that.” She leaned over the table. “But I’ll be there. Liam will be there. We’ll have your back.”

Matt was shaking his head. “Nope. That leaves Bailey unprotected.”

Hoda’s head turned and she looked from Fitz to Matt’s guard, both positioned near us. “But how? She won’t be alone alone. She’ll have that guy; he’s always around her. And I’m sure another guy will come.”

I sighed.

I understood Matt’s reluctance, but I had just woken up. This needed to be done and the time was now. Camille Story was connected to Quinn, and Quinn was connected to Calhoun. Kash wouldn’t let me go with him on a trip against Calhoun, but this was here. This was local. This was me getting inside a room, and then inside a computer system. That was my wheelhouse.

It needed to be done, and I could see that Hoda wanted to be released from the hold I had on her accounts. I got it. I understood.

“I’ll call Kash.”

Hoda’s eyebrows snapped up, all the way to her hairline. But she didn’t say anything. She grabbed her drink and sucked down some of her ice.

Matt threw a quick scowl my way. “Like he’ll allow you to do this. Come on. Team Batt. I should be going in that room with you, not Kash.”

“You know it won’t work if you’re there. You’re the bait. You have to draw her out and keep her out so I have time to get in and hack her, too.”

He swore, low and dark and under his breath, all the while still glaring at me. “I do not like this plan.”

“I’ll tell Kash.”

He snorted. “No, you won’t. Kash won’t let you anywhere near that apartment, and you know it. You continuing to say you’ll call him is a load of bullshit. Who are you going to actually call?”

Well. Crap. He just called my bluff.

Another snort from him. “Like I don’t know my sister by now. I know you, B. And you’ve got the Chrissy Hayes look in you.”

That made me smile. It made me tear up, but the smile overshadowed the rest. I could handle the smile, and he was right. This was a total Chrissy Hayes move.

“I’ll … I’ll call…” Crap. Who could I call? He was right about Kash.

“You can’t call Torie; she’ll tell Kash. You can’t call Tamara without Torie finding out. You can’t call your friend Melissa, the cute little one. She’ll faint at just the mention of breaking and entering. You need someone who’s good at getting in places, who won’t think twice about any of it, and who’ll keep their damn mouth shut.”

I blinked. “Who?”

He grinned, another one of those slow, spreading ones, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood right up. “I know someone.”





TEN

Bailey


Tony.

I braked going around the corner to where Camille Story had her lair.

Tony?

“You’re kidding me!”

Tony Cottweiler was one of Matt’s friends, the wealthy asshole friend who liked to get away with any sort of sexual act while sitting next to me in their booth. That Tony.

I was instantly growling.

He grinned, leaning one shoulder against the wall, and slid his hands into his pockets. He was dressed for the job. All black. Black jeans. Black shoes. I noticed they were the ones Seraphina was raving about, since they weren’t in stores yet, and he had on a black thermal shirt under a black leather jacket.

“What are you doing after this? Going straight to Naveah?”