Hacker Enclosed: A Bodyguard Billionaire Romance (White Hat Security Book 8) Read online

  As if hearing her name, Annabella walked across the bar. She wore a black corset and short skirt. Her blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. When she was within arm’s reach of John, he pulled her into his lap.

  “I will have to decline your offer, Abe. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this woman. When you find someone as great as Anna, you will know what I mean.” John pressed a kiss to Annabella’s mouth for a quick second. “Now tell me what went wrong on your mission?”

  “How do you know anything went wrong?” The mission had gone horribly. For the first time in years, I wasn’t able to get the target out safely. The echoes of her cry still rang through my mind.

  “The cut on your eye, and I noticed a limp as you walked across the dungeon. But Antonio also talked to Brock yesterday.”

  Now everyone knew I failed. Antonio owned AA Security with his twin brother, Asher. They were great men and better bosses. Both knew losing the target wasn’t mine or Jayden’s fault, but it was hard not to blame myself or try to figure out what I’d done wrong.

  “It was a fucked up mission from the start. They filled the woman with so many drugs, she didn’t know who was around her. We were so close to getting her, but when we radioed out, the comms didn’t work.”

  John eyed me for a second. “What brand were you using?”

  “Something new. I’m not sure.” I shouldn’t have relied on technology. If I’d come up with a backup plan before going in, this wouldn’t have happened, and the woman would have gone home to her family alive. Instead, I had to meet with her father to tell him we weren’t able to get her out safely.

  “Does Stark Night sound familiar? They have a blue star on the side as a logo.”

  I nodded.

  “Fuck,” John swore. “We used the same ones and had the issue on our last case. I’m not sure why we made this change, but we need to stop using that company.”

  It wasn’t like Antonio to not look into the company. “I’m not sure why we switched, but we have a bunch of new gear.”

  “Because they gave it to us for free,” Brock grumbled and sat in the last open chair. “Antonio and I were both sent the equipment. The CIA provided it to us. It’s supposed to be the latest, greatest equipment. The government gave them billions of dollars for research and development. That equipment is pure shit. Antonio and Zane are heading up to DC next week and meeting with President Tucker.”

  Zane was President Tucker’s brother. He also worked with me at AA Security.

  “We should shut this company down,” I replied. “If the equipment made it all the way to us, that means they have sent it out to units in the field.”

  Brock ran a hand down his face. “I know. Antonio and I both made as many calls as we could today, but some of the units here that received equipment don’t check in each day. Also, we're not sure how much of the equipment is bad. Maybe we got a bad batch. Mia is going through everything we received. Tomorrow, she’s heading to the range to test the guns.”

  “First thing in the morning, I will talk to Antonio and bring our equipment to test with her. I'll let her know I can meet her at the range.” Shooting some guns would get my mind off the pain in my leg. The doctor had told me to stay off my feet for a few weeks. The bullet had barely grazed my leg, and it wasn’t my first flesh wound, so I wasn’t taking it easy.

  Brock glanced at John with a raised eyebrow. I wasn’t sure if I would like what my longtime friend had to say.

  “I need a favor,” John said, and Annabella smiled up at him.

  I held back the groan. Deep down, I knew he needed me to help do something for the wedding. Wasn’t that what best men were for? Whatever John needed, I would do, even if that meant I wouldn’t get to play with guns.

  “My sister, Addie, arrives tomorrow afternoon from Boston. I need someone to pick her up from the airport.”

  “Okay.” That wasn’t bad. I could chauffer her to Blackwood’s building.

  Brock's lips twitched for a second. “You say that now.”

  How hard could it be to pick someone up from the airport and bring her to another location? Uber does it all the time.

  “I’ll still meet Mia at the range and test out our equipment, before heading to the airport.”

  Brock nodded. Before he could say anything else, a loud scream erupted from a scene, drawing my eyes away from the group. The members-only club was hard to get into. Members didn’t often act out, but I didn’t recognize the man standing at the cross.

  Brock swore under his breath before he stood up and made his way across the dungeon. Matt, one of the other dungeon monitors and an employee of Blackwood Mercenary, was already at the scene, having a heated discussion with the Dom.

  I looked back at John. “I’m sure I know every Dom here. Maybe not by name, but I know who they are, but I’ve never seen that man before.”

  John frowned. “He’s here as Cindy’s guest. Brock told her they could only watch and not play. He wanted to meet the man first. We ran a background check, and everything came back clean.”

  Brock didn’t often allow someone new to come into the club, but if Cindy was dating someone from the outside, I knew Brock would let her bring him in. Anyone in the lifestyle long enough would know to talk to Brock before doing a scene. Tears ran down Cindy’s face, she wasn’t a sub who liked much pain, and her Dom was holding a deer-hide whip in his hand. If he didn’t know what he was doing, it would cause her far more pain than pleasure.

  “She begged to have him come here tonight.” Jessica sat in the chair. “Brock’s going to be mad that she scened with him. He wanted to meet with the man first.”

  Jessica and Brock married a little while ago and had a one-year-old boy, Jared. Both of his parents were geniuses, and he would be one intelligent little man.

  I glanced back at the scene. Matt was taking Cindy down from the cross, and Brock was in a heated discussion with the Dom. Brock escorted the man out of the club, but they didn’t let Cindy go with him. Matt had her in his arms and was walking toward a couch on the other side.

  Brock made his way back over to us. Jessica stood when he got near and pulled her in for a kiss before sitting and pulling her into his arms.

  John raised his eyebrow. “What happened?”

  Brock glared back toward the closed door. “He didn’t obey Cindy’s safe word. I told him never to come back and not to bother ever contacting her again.”

  “Why did she scene with him?” Jessica asked. “I thought you told her to wait and introduce the man to you.”

  “That was the reason he whipped her. He didn’t feel like he needed permission from another Dom to whip his sub. I’m not sure where Cindy found him, but Matt promised to take care of her and find her a Dom. She needs someone with a gentle hand.”

  “Abe, you haven’t taken a sub in a long time. Hell, I haven’t seen you scene since you came back from Houston.” John took a swig of scotch. “Maybe you could take Cindy on as her new Dom?”

  I had one rule. One night. I hadn’t slept with the same woman more than once since my ex-wife left me. She wasn’t the one to blame for the failed marriage. I was overseas more than I was in the States. We didn’t divorce on bad terms. She married a bank manager and moved to Virginia. The split still was hard, she was my childhood sweetheart. “I think Matt is handling her just fine,” I replied. Much hadn’t changed in my life. I still left a lot for missions, though not as many as when I was in the military.

  “You would be a good catch,” Annabella muttered.

  I wouldn’t—my dreams haunted me at night. My work always came first, and I didn’t know what love really looked like. Kacey, my ex, had tried to show love, but no one in the house I’d grown up in ever had. My father had showed his love by hitting me, and my mother was too scared to do anything. She’d cowered behind my father, until he beat her to death. My dad was currently in jail, serving year twenty of a thirty-year sentence.

  “I tried marriage once,” I replied.


  There was never a time I wanted to talk about my love life with my friends. Plus, I’d already had three drinks, so doing a scene was off the table. Club Sanctorum had a hard two-drink rule, and anyone who drank more couldn’t play. My leg also made it difficult to do a scene.

  Brock shook his head. “She divorced you ten years ago. I’m not even sure why you married her.”

  Kacey and I had met in foster care and grown close while we were both tossed around the system. “All that matters is she’s happy now.”

  “What about your happiness?” John asked, his eyes showing a hint of pity. There was a slight frown on his face.

  “When did this turn into my therapy session?” I asked.

  “We care about you,” Brock explained.

  “I don’t need your advice. I came to watch some kinky-ass sex and have a few drinks after a fucked up mission. Not to talk about settling down.”

  “I’ll drop it.” John stared at Matt, but the hint of humor in my friend's eyes had me wondering if he would really drop it.

  “Is everything ready for the wedding on Saturday?”

  “Almost,” John replied, a smirk on his face. It almost felt like I was being left out of a joke. John turned to Brock. “As long as we don’t have a mission, the wedding should go off without a hitch.”

  “No missions. Not saying the bad guys will take a break this weekend, just because you decided to get married. That is why Jessica and I eloped.” Brock placed a kiss on Jessica’s cheek.

  Jessica and Brock took a week-long vacation and went to Jamaica. When they came back, they were married. I never cared about being invited to the wedding as long as my friend was happy. It also made it one less event I had to wear a monkey suit to. Like this weekend, I had to wear a tux.

  “What time do I need to be at the airport?”

  “Her flight arrives around two,” John said. “She’s flying in on Blackwood's jet. So you can call Kyle and ask his ETA. They’re supposed to leave Boston around nine.”

  “If she’s coming in on the jet, why can’t Kyle bring her to the office?” I asked.

  John shifted in his seat. “I think she would do better with you.” John let out a sigh. “My sister doesn’t trust easy, and I’ve talked about you to her before.”

  “How old is she?” I asked.

  John had mentioned his sister a couple times, but I never asked much about her. The only thing I knew was she lived in Boston.

  “She’s my twin. So we're both the same age, but she’s shy.”

  Annabella frowned. “I would say she’s a little more than shy.”

  John shook his head.

  My friend was keeping something from me. How hard could it be to pick someone up from the airport? I didn’t have to be there until early afternoon, so that still gave me time to meet Mia at the range in the morning and blow up a few things.

  “I’ll pick her up.” I shrugged. “It won’t be the first time I babysat someone.”

  ADDIE

  I looked around my house one more time before heading to the airport. I’d packed enough for a week, even though I was only going to stay for the weekend—one weekend in a strange place away from home.

  Cruz and Lena stood next to the door. They weren’t hiding their worry about me very well. It hurt knowing they didn’t think I would step outside the door. Hell, there was a fifty-fifty chance I wouldn’t.

  “Ready?”

  They both nodded, and Cruz opened the door. I’d taken a Xanax. I wasn’t sure how well it would work. I’d done an online session with my therapist to talk about my trip. She encouraged me to go, and I felt like I could do it. I stood in the entryway, staring at the front door. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure I was strong enough.

  My phone dinged in my hand. When I looked down, guilt washed over me. It was my brother, and I was doing this for him. I swiped across the screen to read the message.

  John: Anna and I can’t wait to see you. I know you can do it, pipsqueak.

  Me: See you soon.

  Hopefully.

  I looked back at my friends. Neither of them were pushing me out the door. They were letting me take my time. Lena had agreed to drive me to the airport. Cruz showing up with Lena didn’t surprise me. His aviator glasses were covering his eyes. He was a serial dater and usually didn’t come into work until later in the day. Cruz was a handsome man, but he was more like a brother to me, and I knew how many people he slept with. I had a feeling Lena had a crush on him though.

  I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, threw my purse strap over my shoulder, and headed for the door. My heels clicked on the cement. I was outside for the first time in years. A brisk breeze tumbled the leaves on the ground. Lena’s BMW sat in the driveway. Since I didn’t drive, I’d never purchased a car. My friends flanked me.

  Cruz grabbed the suitcase from my hand. “Come on, boss, you got this.”

  Nodding, I walked down the staircase. A loud bang sounded, and my world narrowed to a tunnel. My ears buzzed, and my heart raced. Before I had time to say anything, Cruz picked me up and wrapped me in his arms, but instead of heading back into the safety of my house, he carried me to a waiting car. Lena swung open the door, and he put me in the back seat. Lena climbed in next to me.

  My heart was still racing a mile a minute. I could see Lena’s lips moving, but the loud buzzing in my ears made it impossible for me to hear her.

  “Ready to go to the plane?” Cruz asked as he climbed behind the wheel. “Or do you want us to drive? Not sure if we will make it in time.”

  Going back to the house sounded like the best plan, but my brain wasn’t on the same page. “Take me to the airport.”

  Cruz nodded and turned on the car. I didn’t know when I’d become so brave. A brief sound in my front yard had caused a panic attack. There was no way a two-hour plane ride would go smoothly.

  Lena kept talking to me about the case on the way to the airport. I wasn’t listening to much of what she was saying, but it helped keep my mind off the road. The airport was only a few miles from the house, and when we arrived, Cruz showed his ID.

  The security guard gave him permission to drive onto the tarmac, where a sleek black plane sat. Cruz pulled up to the jet and parked the car. Before I had time to stop him, he jumped out and took my bag to the waiting flight attendant. Cruz ran back over and opened the door.

  “Time to go, boss.” He held out his hand. I took a deep breath. The bitter wind whipped against my skin.

  Lena was at my side when we got to the stairs. “Thank you, guys. I got this,” I said, not sure I believed the words as they left my mouth.

  Cruz pressed his hand to my lower back. “Come on. We will get you settled on the plane.”

  When we reached the top, a youthful woman in a black pants suit held out three drinks. I grabbed one and took a sip. She hadn’t spared any rum making the Bahama mama. I wasn’t sure mixing alcohol with my drugs was the best idea, but it tasted good, so I took another sip.

  The jet was nicer than anything I’d ever seen. When John said he was sending a private plane, I’d expected a four-seat flight, maybe a little bigger. This jet was huge. Each seat was a luxury recliner, across from the seats were couches, and farther back, I saw a full-sized conference table with a large TV on the back wall.

  I sat down in the first chair and buckled my seat belt. Lena and Cruz sat down on the couch across from me and buckled in. “What are you guys doing?”

  Lena couldn’t leave her mom for the weekend, and Cruz had a case we needed him to work on. I loved my team, but I needed to do this on my own.

  “Lena and I talked to John this morning. We will fly down with you, and then the plane will turn around and fly us back.”

  “I don’t want to waste your time.”

  “You getting to Florida safely is more important than anything. My mom will be okay until I get home, and Cruz can cancel his date tonight so he can work late.”

  “I don’t have a date,” Cruz muttered.

>   “Sure, that’s like saying I didn’t drink a coffee this morning,” Lena countered.

  Cruz frowned for a second. “I’m not sure why you both think I go out every night. I’m not as big of a playboy as you think.”

  Before I had time to comment, the flight attendant closed the door we’d come in through and walked over. “Once we’re in the air, I will bring you snacks. Is there anything else you need before take-off?”

  I took a deep breath. “No. Let’s go before I change my mind.”

  When the flight attendant took her seat, I turned back to my team. “Thank you, guys.”

  Cruz shrugged. “We would do anything for you. That includes hiding dead bodies.”

  Lena rolled her eyes. “What he said.” She pointed to Cruz. “And if you kill someone, I vote we use acid. It would take too much time to dig a deep hole, and I might break a nail.”

  Cruz smiled. “Right there is the reason we should move to Florida. Gators are a much easier way to get rid of bodies. And since Florida has all the crazy people, I highly doubt we would ever run out of cases.”

  John had asked me for years to move to Florida. I used the fact that I was looking for our mom as an excuse. Since finding her, I couldn’t use that excuse any longer. Now he didn’t live in Florida full time. “Lena can’t leave her mom. So we are staying in Boston.”

  Lena glared at me. “Don’t put this back on me. I can move my mom to Florida. If you want to move us, all you have to do is say so.”

  I gripped the armrests, my heart racing, as the plane sped down the runway. When the plane left the runway, my stomach dropped. My fingers dug into the soft leather of the chair.

  “Breathe,” Cruz said. His voice sounded so far away.

  I closed my eyes and counted, trying to forget about being ten thousand feet in the air. When my heart settled back down, I opened my eyes, and both my team members were watching my every move. I cleared my throat. “We might end up having to move to Florida, because I’m not sure how I will make it back to Boston.”