Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Sleep does not come easy.
My brain keeps spinning. The new setup downstairs means they expect me to start hacking soon. Some system Serafina needs cracked. I wonder what it is. Financials? Security feeds? Something that could take down Maddox from the inside? The thought makes my stomach turn.
Eventually I drift off, but it’s shallow and full of half-dreams about Enley’s voice on the phone and Ozzy looking at me with betrayal in his eyes.
Morning comes too soon. I wake to the smell of coffee drifting up from downstairs. My body still aches, but the few hours of sleep helped. I pull on the fresh clothes left for me, jeans and a plain gray long-sleeve that fits better than I want to admit. When I step into the hallway, Orchid is already waiting, looking fresh and alert like she didn’t spend the night babysitting a traitor.
“Coffee’s ready,” she says. “Then the office.”
I follow her down. The kitchen is stocked with the basics. I pour myself a mug and take a long sip while she watches. The office turns out to be a serious setup. Three large monitors, a high-end tower that looks custom built, multiple external drives, even a secure router with cables running into what I guess is a Faraday cage somewhere. It’s a helluva lot better than what I’ve got at home.
I set the coffee down and sit in the ergonomic chair, fingers brushing the keyboard. It feels familiar and wrong at the same time.
“What exactly am I supposed to be hacking?” I ask, turning to look at her.
Orchid leans against the desk, arms crossed again. That seems to be her default pose. “Need to know basis. You’ll get the target when it’s time. For now, just get comfortable with the system. Make sure it’s tuned to your preferences.”
I lean back, studying her. She looks beautiful in the morning light coming through the window, hair pulled back but a few strands loose, eyes sharp and guarded. It’s infuriating how attractive she is while holding all the cards.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask quietly. The question slips out before I can stop it. “Working for Serafina. Keeping me here like a pet hacker. Why?”
She doesn’t answer right away. She just looks at me, expression unreadable. Finally she shrugs one shoulder. “Everyone has a reason for why they do something. Mine’s my own.”
I watch her face, searching for any crack. “Must be a hell of a reason. You don’t strike me as the type who enjoys playing enforcer for a trafficking ring.”
Her eyes narrow slightly. “You don’t know anything about me, Poe. Don’t pretend you do.”
I lean forward, elbows on the desk. “Then tell me. What is it? Money? Power? Some debt you owe her? Or do you actually believe in what Goldenbell is doing?”
She pushes off the desk and walks to the window, looking out at the trees. Her back is straight, shoulders tense. “Belief has nothing to do with it. I do what I have to do to get what I want. Same as everyone else.”
I wonder what that want could be. Money would be too simple for someone like her. Power, maybe, but she doesn’t carry herself like someone chasing a throne. Revenge? A secret she’s protecting? The possibilities spin in my head, each one more complicated than the last. She’s a locked box, and part of me wants to pick the lock just to see what’s inside.
We don’t talk much after that. She shows me a few more features of the setup, then leaves me alone in the office with strict instructions not to try accessing the outside world. I spend the next few hours familiarizing myself with the system, testing limits without crossing any obvious lines. It’s good fucking gear. Too good. The kind that could do real damage if pointed in the wrong direction.
By the time evening rolls around, I’m drained again. Orchid cooks food. Simple pasta and chicken that tastes better than it has any right to in a prison. We eat in silence at the small table in the living area, the enemies vibe thick between us. Every glance feels loaded. Every word she says carries the weight of her control.
After dinner she walks me back to my room. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we start the real work.”
I pause in the doorway, looking at her. “Still no call?”
“Tomorrow,” she says. “If you behave.”
Fuck that shit. “No, I call her now or I riot.”
Orchid crosses her arms over her chest. I can’t tell if she’s smirking or annoyed. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, I’ve done everything you’ve asked since we got here. Let me talk to my fucking sister.”
Orchid stands and steps closer. We’re toe-to-toe. “Or what?” she challenges.
“Or. I. Fucking. Riot.”
She steps back, holding out her arms for me to proceed. “This I’d love to see.”