Page 66 of Cold Bastard

“Well, if it was just keeping an eye out, let me say that you’ve done a crappy job.” The song ended, and he escorted her away from the dance floor. When he spoke next, he almost whispered.

“It’s your opinion, but from the start, there’s been a mole inside Blackwood Corporation. That much I gathered. And like your friends at Purgatory, I found the links inside the servers, somebody trying to access data. My first guess was Cynthia, the receptionist, but when she died, and the poking didn’t stop, it was obvious that the traitor was still inside. Or another possibility is that it was a very good hacker.”

Zoe grew pensive. Could that be the reason Finch had never ordered her to retrieve any information about Archer? Because he already had someone working on it? But who? Everyone within Blackwood Corp were long-time employees, with years and years of loyal service. The more she thought about it, the more she leaned toward it being an outside job. “Purgatory is checking on the possibility of a Trojan horse Cynthia may have used to infect the system. It would have opened a door within the server. They are monitoring it, trying to limit the damages while keeping an eye on the intruder.”

Sam nodded, scanning the area.

“When are you going to tell Archer?”

Sam blinked before lowering his head to her. “What?”

“You heard me.”

The man stood still for a moment longer. “Archer has to process enough at the moment. The man is a ticking bomb, ready to explode when you think everything has calmed down. Don’t be fooled. When all this is over, he’s likely to blow up from everything he’s been forced to deal with.”

“So, your strategy is to duck and run for cover. I thought you were a military man, where’s your courage?”

Sam smiled at her teasing. “I must have left it on the plane.”

“You’re going to disappear without letting him know? Purgatory is aware of who you are, and if Beatrice is, Lazarus King is. He’s your brother too.”

“I’m well aware of that. Lazarus has been looking out for me, the same as I’ve done for him. But we’ve always kept our distances.”

The glare he gave her was a warning to drop the topic. But Zoe being a hard-headed woman risked one more question. “And your other brothers?”

Lightness returned to his eyes. “What makes you think I haven’t made contact with any of them?”

Double entendre, evading topics, he had all the personality traits of Finch’s other bastards.

“And now, I will return to my duties. My brother has chosen well with you. I think that because of you, he has returned to his former self.”

Zoe followed Sam’s gaze to see Archer glaring at them, his annoyance barely disguised.

“I did nothing of the sort. It’s all his personality.”

“I meant since his wife and daughter died. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll always be a cold bastard, but underneath all that ice, something has thawed.”

And before she could reply, Sam bowed to her and walked away.