Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Maybe it's the way Casper has his eyes locked on his computer screen, although his fingers are twisted together in his lap.
Maybe it's the way Hemlock seems nervous, worried about what happens next as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other.
Shadow leans against the wall, arms clasped over his chest, not unlike how he had for most of the meeting, only now he looks sad and mildly uncomfortable.
"We didn't realize that you didn't know your dad had passed," Kincaid says.
The beginning of the conversation doesn't trigger me. I dealt with that rush of news when Zayne mentioned it on our first night in that shitty covert house.
"I don't see a need to discuss it," I mutter.
I try my best to ignore the questions as to how they even know that conversation happened.
"Did Zayne tell you I didn't know?" I ask, despite my previous insistence.
I want to know where they got the information.
Both guys on my team, Hemlock and Casper, clear their throats in the way someone would if they're gearing up to make a confession.
Casper speaks up when it becomes clear that Hemlock isn't going to step forward.
"The house was wired," Casper says.
My blood runs cold, the memories of every fucking thing that happened in that fucking place.
It's bad enough to come back, knowing they all know about our history. Zayne blurted that shit within seconds of walking into the house, but to have proof that something else happened makes my blood run cold.
My palms grow sweaty, a tremble in my muscles that I seem unable to control.
"Just for sound," Hemlock says. "Not video."
That only fucking makes things slightly better.
"In the living room?" I ask.
"Every room," Casper answers as he drops his eyes to his twisting fingers.
I pull in a ragged breath, that urgency to run as if I'm a toddler who got caught doing something wrong, who could disappear out of the room, and their parents wouldn't remember that they were in trouble.
"You didn't think to let us know our privacy was being invaded?" I ask as calmly as I can manage.
Hemlock takes a step forward as if he's facing a battle he has no plans on losing. "It's standard operating procedure, and it's no different from the last job you worked, or any job anyone with Cerberus has worked. We get some level of surveillance every chance we get."
"It's for the safety of you guys," Kincaid adds. "Not a way to spy on you."
They know everything.
Every touch.
Every whispered word.
Every action Zayne and I participated in.
Even if we didn't speak, the fucking grunts of pleasure are obvious enough that anyone listening could decipher what the fuck we were doing.
"Doesn't make me feel any less violated," I mutter, wondering where we go from here, and why Zayne didn't stay in the room.
If I'm going to catch shit for this, then he should be standing right beside me, facing them as well.
"No one has access to the audio, except me," Casper assures me. "Unless there was pertinent info in the recordings."
"He did let us know that the LOL bugged the house when you were gone," Hemlock says, his eyes narrowed as if he hasn't decided whether he wants to punch me in the face or give me the benefit of the doubt.
I lock eyes with Casper, and oh shit, they don't know about what happened between Zayne and me.
I was seconds away from confessing all sorts of shit, ready to defend my behavior, but it looks like I don't have to.
That is until I look up at Kincaid and see the weird grin on his face. Somehow, he knows very clearly what my reaction could've been about.
"We only brought up your dad's passing because it triggered Casper to dig a little deeper," Kincaid says.
"That also feels invasive," I say. "I was certain I was fully vetted before I even got a call from New Mexico."
"You were," Kincaid assures me. "We knew your dad passed. We didn't know that you didn't know. You never brought it up, so we presumed you just didn't want to talk about it."
"Still don't," I assure him.
"We said that to give you different news," Hemlock says.
"I set up an algorithm that searched online for any mention of yours and Zayne's real names and aliases when you started this job," Casper explains. "I wanted to make sure we knew as quickly as possible if someone suspected something was up with you being involved. I didn't know whether Robert Jones would link your aliases to your real names. I had it set up that any mention of your names in a search online would send me a notification."
"Bobby linked us back?" I ask, my brows drawing together.
I wonder how safe it is to stay here if others with the same mindset as those in the LOL know exactly who we are. It could compromise the entire organization.