Hacking Mr. CEO by Anna Hackett
Traitor
Remi
Maverick’s deep voice echoed in my ears.
God, I wanted to share. To unload this burden. I pulled in a shaky breath. No. He’d be the one to suffer from this.
“Like I said, I’m sorry. I wish things could’ve been different. But the life of someone I love dearly is at stake.”
“You said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“I don’t. You’ll shake this off. My…the person I love won’t, unless I do this. I’m so sorry. I have to go.” I lifted a hand.
“No, don’t.”
His voice stopped me. Nothing good would come from interacting with him, but I couldn’t make myself end the call.
“You got into my system,” he said. “Tell me how. I need to work on my security.”
“Actually, big guy, I had to sneak into your office to plant my angel.”
He grunted.
“But now I’m in here, I see a few places where you could beef things up.”
“Oh, really?” he drawled.
“Hey, don’t get defensive. You asked, and nobody’s perfect.”
He made a sound—part snort, part rusty laugh. I felt it in my belly. This man was dangerous.
I rattled off a few suggestions where his system had weak points.
“You know your stuff,” he said grudgingly.
“I do.” Crap. I needed to be careful that I didn’t give too much away. “Anyway, a few tweaks and your system will be rock solid. I mean, it’s good now…”
“Thanks,” he said dryly.
I closed my eyes. Right, me telling a tech billionaire that his system was good.
There was a blip on my screen. My angel had gone deeper.
It had gotten a hit on the Calix file.
I heard a muted alarm and realized it was coming through Maverick’s audio.
Oh, shit.
“Fuck. You’re after the Calix Project.”
“Rivera—”
“I’m a fucking idiot.”
His raw anger came across loud and clear, and my mouth went dry. “Rivera—”
“Once again, I let myself get fooled. I thought first you were just a gray hat, then some innocent being forced to do this.”
“I am!”
“Bullshit. You’re not just a thief out for a big paycheck, you’re a traitor.”
“What?” I breathed.
“A traitor to your country.”
I shook my head. “No—”
“The Calix Project is a government military project. To do with the entire system security of our military.”
I sucked in a breath. My chest hurt. “No.”
“You had to know, or you’re an idiot.”
“Hey.” I felt my own temper stir.
“Do you even know who you’re working for?” He made an angry sound. “They could be a foreign enemy, terrorists—”
My stomach turned. I felt nausea crawl through my body.
No. No. No.
I hadn’t let myself think. I pressed a hand to my churning belly. My hand shook.
“You’re not getting that project,” Maverick growled. “And I will find you, then I’m going to send you to jail.”
He cut the audio.
I slammed my laptop closed. My stomach twisted, and I ran to the bathroom and dropped to my knees by the toilet. I brought up what little dinner I’d eaten.
Flushing, and feeling miserable, I rinsed my mouth and staggered to my bed.
I sat in the rumpled covers, knees to my chest.
Shit. What did I do now? If I continued this hack and handed over the Calix Project, I could be abetting enemies of my country. I could endanger soldiers’ lives.
If I didn’t, I was condemning Mama to die.
Tears welled and rolled down my cheeks. On top of all of that, Maverick Rivera had vowed to hunt me down and have me arrested.
I hadn’t felt this alone since before I’d come to Mama’s foster home.
I couldn’t share with my family.
I couldn’t share with anybody.
I had no idea what the hell I was going to do.
* * *
Mav
Early the next morning, Maverick strode into his trainer’s gym.
Simeon was a former Israeli soldier. He liked to beat Mav, Zane, and Liam’s asses on a regular basis.
Growing up, Mav had been pretty decent with his fists, and Simeon had honed that.
Mav’s eyes were gritty. He’d slept badly. He’d spent half the night working to find his hacker. He’d spent the other half twisting and turning in his bed, gnawing on his anger.
Fucking hacker.
Another selfish woman thinking of no one but herself. Like Hannah. His hacker said it was for a loved one. He snorted. Excuses. The same as Hannah had used.
He got on the treadmill to warm up. He ran hard and fast until he was sweating.
Then he walked over to the large climbing wall.
A good, hard climb was what he needed.
He pulled on a set of climbing shoes, yanked his shirt off, and clipped a chalk bag to his belt. He pressed his hands to the wall. No harness. He was up for a free solo climb.
He picked the hardest route. He moved upward and leaped to grab a handhold.
Grunting, he pulled himself up the wall.
Soon, his muscles burned. Good. He wanted the pain. It pushed out everything else. He dusted some chalk on his hands.
He shouldn’t be this angry. He didn’t even know his mystery hacker.
He wasn’t focused, and missed the next handhold. His body slid partway down the wall, and he muttered a string of curses. He managed to catch himself.
“What the hell are you doing, Mav? You fall, you’ll break your neck.”
He glanced down. Zane, Liam, and Simeon were watching. Zane and Liam were both frowning. Simeon had his arms crossed over his chest.
Mav took a deep breath, and finished the last few meters of the climb.
He took his time climbing down.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked.
Mav stripped off the chalk bag. “Nothing.”
Zane stabbed a finger at the wall. “That was not nothing.”
“I’m just working out some things.”
“So do it with a harness on,” Zane said.
Simeon’s eagle-eyed gaze was on him. “Woman trouble.”
Shit. Mav kept his face blank.
Zane shook his head. “Mav doesn’t let women close enough to cause him trouble.”
Liam nodded. “They get a few hours of his time in a swanky hotel room, that’s it.”
Mav grunted, and grabbed his water bottle. He stayed silent.
Zane’s eyebrows winged up. “Shit, it is a woman.”
Mav scowled. “No.”
“Who is she?” Liam asked.
“Are we going to work out or what?” Mav demanded.
“Avoidance,” Liam said. “Definitely woman trouble.”
Mav sighed. “No, I have a hacker problem.”
Simeon watched him intently. “And the hacker is a woman?”
They weren’t going to let it go until he gave them something. “Yes.”
“Ah,” Liam said.
Zane smiled. “Really?”
“She’s after the Calix Project.”
“Oh, shit,” Zane said.
“Big military project,” Liam told Simeon. “National security.”
Mav ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair. “I’ve been tracking her movements, and talking with her for a few days.”
“You liked her,” Liam said.
Mav heard understanding in Liam’s voice. He’d been in a similar spot with Aspen. At first, he thought she’d been blackmailing him.
Mav shook his head. “This hacker is just another user.”
“What are you going to do?” Zane asked.
“Protect my project, then track her ass down and hand her over to the police. I spent half the night enhancing my tracker program. I will find her.”
“Okay. If you need any help, we’re here,” Zane said.
Liam nodded.
Mav’s chest tightened. “Thanks, guys. Now, can we please spar?”
They paired off. Mav faced Simeon on the mats. The man might be several pounds lighter, and several decades older, but it paid to never underestimate Simeon.
An hour later, Mav was sweating and breathing hard.
He dodged Simeon’s kick, but a second later, took a punch to the side.
He grunted.
“Your head’s not in the game,” Simeon said.
Mav stomped to his water and chugged. His phone chimed, and he snatched it up and thumbed the screen.
He hissed. He stared at the map and the glowing, red dot on it.
His tracker had worked.
He’d found her.
Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
He smiled.
“Uh-oh, he’s smiling,” Liam said.
Mav glanced at his friends. “I need to go.”
“Where?” Zane demanded.
“Out.”
“Mav.” Zane scowled.
“It’s fine. I’m not going to do anything crazy.”
Zane shook his head, and Liam just arched a brow.
Mav quickly showered, and changed back into the jeans and tan suede jacket he’d worn to the gym, ignoring his suit he’d planned to wear to the office. He headed out to his car.
The sleek, red Rivera roadster wasn’t exactly low profile. Rivera Tech had started producing electric cars two years ago. The roadster wasn’t available yet, but he knew it would be a success. It was a sweet ride.
Mav liked cars and had a small collection—an Aston Martin DB11, a Mercedes CLK GTR AMG Roadster, and Ferrari 812 Superfast, among others.
He headed out of Manhattan, calling his assistant on the way to get her to cancel his morning meetings. The long-suffering Bridget was used to it, but would make him pay. He headed over the Brooklyn Bridge. When he reached Sunset Park, he avoided the street where his hacker was located. The dot hadn’t moved. He parked a block away, and headed in that direction on foot.
Slipping his hands in his pockets, he strode down the street. There were rows of older houses, and some industrial buildings at the end of the street. He paused on the other side of the street and pulled out his phone, pretending to look at it.
He discreetly looked across the street and several houses down. The large doors were open at an auto shop.
Then he heard children’s laughter. He glanced at the house next door.
A petite, curvy woman was playing with some kids on the steps.
The woman had dark-brown, shoulder-length hair, and held a blonde little girl on her hip. Two boys were play-fighting, with what looked like plastic lightsabers.
The woman turned and smiled.
Mav stilled.
That wide smile lit up a face with a pointed chin, cute nose, and dark brows. Fitted jeans displayed generous curves for such a tiny woman.
“Charlie, you hit me with that, boyo, and I’ll make you pay.”
Everything in Mav flared to life.
It was her.
It was her voice. As he watched, he realized that he knew her.
The smartass electrician who’d fallen off the ladder in the office. That’s how she’d gotten the trojan into his system.
“Remi! Remi!” the little girl cried.
“I’ve got you, KayKay.” The woman touched the girl’s nose, then set her down. “I smell cookies inside. They should be ready soon.”
Mav scowled. She didn’t look like a hardened hacker out to make a quick buck.
Don’t get fooled for a second time, Rivera.
The front door opened, and an older, African-American woman came out. “Cookies are ready.”
The kids cheered.
“Then boys, you need to get to school,” the woman continued.
The boys groaned, but raced inside with the little girl.
His hacker, Remi, hugged the older woman and murmured something that he couldn’t make out.
“Remi, I’m fine. Quit hovering.”
“I love you, Mama, so I’m going to hover.”
The older woman swatted Remi’s curvy butt. “Get in there and have some cookies before they’re gone.”
“I will—”
The older woman gasped and swayed.
Remi grabbed her “Mama!”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
“Just a little lightheaded, child.” The woman cupped Remi’s cheek. “I don’t want you to worry.”
“You’re sick. I can’t stop worrying. I’ll help you inside.”
“No.” The older woman straightened. “I’m going in under my own steam.”
Mav saw Remi’s face twist. “I’ll be in shortly.”
The older woman disappeared inside and Remi dropped heavily onto the top step. Her face was clouded with sadness.
Mav moved closer, drawn to her, although he wasn’t sure why.
What was it about this woman?
Suddenly, her head jerked up and their gazes collided.
Her eyes went wide and she leaped up.
A second later, she pushed through the metal gate, then sprinted down the sidewalk.
Away from him.
Fuck.
Mav powered after her and sprinted across the road.
She was small, but fast. She disappeared around the corner.
Dammit. Mav pushed harder. He took the corner and saw her ahead.
There was a large concrete parking area, enclosed by a chain-link fence and topped with barbed wire.
He saw her drop and wriggle through a small hole at the base of the fence.
He had a perfect view of her curvy ass, cupped by denim.
He stumbled to a halt. There was no way he’d fit through that damn hole.
She rose and dusted her hands off. She looked at him through the fence and he saw her eyes were a golden brown, with darker striations in them.
She was breathing fast, and now he noted her breasts pushing against her shirt.
Goddammit, Rivera.
“Hello, angel,” he murmured. “I told you I’d find you.”
