Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
I frown. Peter? Surely, he can’t mean—
“Peter?” I repeat. “As in Plato’s dad, Peter?”
“Yes, Plato’s dad, Peter. Why didn’t you go to him for help when they caught on to what you were doing?” he asks, pushing on before I can answer. “And why were you hacking into a drug dealer’s system in the first place? Do you have any idea what could have happened?”
“You already asked that,” I say, starting to get frustrated myself. “And yes, of course, I do. I realize exactly what could have happened. But I didn’t know he was a drug dealer when I first started looking into him. I just knew he was the guy who hit my car and got away with it, and I wanted him to face justice.” Dean pulls in a breath, but I barrel on, “And then once I knew how dangerous he was, it was too late. Plato got caught in their system, and they had both of us on video, and I…”
I flop my hands at my sides. “I didn’t think I had a choice but to do what they said, Dean. They were threatening our families. They said they’d hurt Peter and Plato’s mom and you and the girls if we didn’t hand over all our devices and all the information and pretend it never happened.”
“And you really think they were going to let you walk away after you handed everything over?” he asks, the fear in his voice making me shiver.
“No,” I say, my throat tight. “I knew there was a chance they wouldn’t. That’s why Plato put together a dead man’s switch.”
“A what?”
“A dead man’s switch,” I say. “It’s an automatic sequence that would have kicked into place if Plato or I…disappeared. All the evidence we found would have been released to the FBI and the press and a few other agencies I can’t remember right now because it sounds scarier saying it out loud than it did in my head.”
“Jesus, Clover.” He pulls me back into his arms, hugging me tight.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur into the rough wool of his coat, stomach clenching as all the pieces click into place. Suddenly, I realize… “They were going to hurt me, weren’t they? Is that what you and Peter heard from the bugs?”
Before he can reply, sirens blast through the air from the street outside. A beat later, the world lights up with vivid, strobing blue.
I pull back, gazing up at him. “What’s happening?”
“FBI sting,” he says, raising his voice to be heard over the sirens. “They were just waiting to make sure you and Plato were safe before they moved in. I had to beg them to let me be the one to grab you. I figured you’d be more likely to let me get in a word edgewise before you tore me apart like a feral cat.”
I exhale a stuttering laugh. “Really? You said that?”
He nods. “I did.”
My lips twitch on one side. “You think I’m tough?”
“Very tough,” he says, cupping my face. “And very brave, but don’t you ever put yourself in danger to try to protect me ever again. Don’t even fucking think about it. Do you hear me?”
I nod, “I promise.”
It’s an easy promise to make. I don’t plan on getting tangled up with these kinds of people ever again. If Plato wants to keep hacking, he’ll be doing it solo. This is one hobby I’m happy to leave behind. Hell, I gave up cross-stitching after stabbing myself in the finger one too many times, and finger stabbing is way less painful than imagining the people you love being violently murdered by drug lords.
“Good,” he says, taking my hand before nodding toward the street. “Want to go watch? Safely? From behind the side of the building?”
“Yes, please,” I say, following eagerly as he creeps to the edge of the alley. He grabs my backpack from the ground, holding on to it as we both peek out in the direction of the coffee shop as the cop cars swarm.
At first, I’m concerned—does the FBI know that the NOPD is in bed with Dex and Gio?—but then I see the “state police” label on the cars and relax a little. Surely, Peter’s given the FBI the lowdown. He didn’t know about the honeypot trap in Dex’s system, but he knew Dex and Gio were crooked and had cops on their payroll.
Still, I can’t resist asking, “Peter told the FBI that the city cops can’t be trusted, right?”
Dean nods, his gaze fixed on the street as men in SWAT gear swarm into the building. “He did. And gave them all the evidence you and Plato found. He said there were still holes in the investigation, and that he wished you two had given him more time before you kept poking around, but…”
I wince and smile guiltily. “Sorry. We were impatient.” I lift two hands in the air in the universal sign for “I have now thoroughly slowed by roll” and assure him, “But that’s over. I am no longer impatient. I’m just grateful and relieved and shooketh and…things like that.”