Page 7 of Doxed

I rest my hands behind my head, reclining in my chair as I watch Briar walk around her apartment with a fucking butcher knife.

I have absolutely no faith in her abilities to take someone out, and could sooner see her getting the knife turned on her, before she actually used it on someone.

Luckily for her, I already know that no one is in her apartment.

Is this something she does every night when she gets home?

Soon enough, she puts the knife back in the block and moves to her living room, turning on her tv and staring out the window. She looks peaceful, and my hands itch to wrap around her small neck and squeeze. Her big green eyes bulging as she loses consciousness.

I will make my move eventually, but right now isn't the right time.

She bought herself some more time when Carlos Vicario started showing a lot of interest in her.

I installed the cameras in her apartment because I needed to know if he came to her home, but I also wanted to know what she did when she wasn't at the club.

Who she was outside of the small brunette in the colorful lingerie and designer heels.

I needed to know when it would be best to take my shot.

She’s peaceful, cozy, and warm. But she’s also lonely.

Just like me.

I used to enjoy being alone. I preferred it. Everyone was too much. Too much talking, too much time spent doing shit I didn't care about, too much drama, too many emotions that I didn't reciprocate.

No one’s held my interest in a long time, but this interest in Briar isn’t anything good. I’m going to make her suffer. I’m going to make her pay.

Until Carlos showed up, I had determined that Ronan’s request was a deadend.

I wasn't getting anything, but now I don't know if I'm wasting my time or not. I’ve turned down jobs to keep working on this, not that I need them. I’m more than set for the rest of my life, but I enjoy working.

I like secrets, and figuring out what they are.

I like challenges.

After the sun comes up, I watch Briar’s eyes close, and she falls asleep on her small sectional. The blinds are still open, and the TV is on.

I close out of the window with her cameras and start working on remotely cloning her phone. I want to know if she and Carlos talk outside of the club.

Having cloned Briar’s phone and able to see everything she does on it, I turn off my screens and leave my office.

Locking it up and heading to the third floor, which makes up my room, a living room of sorts, my closet, and bathroom.

I’ve stripped and made it into bed when my security system goes off.

Picking up my phone off of the bedside table, I pull up my feed and see who’s waiting at my gate.

A black bike rumbles in front of my camera and I have two guesses who it can be, but only one visits me here. I get out of bed and pull on some black sweats, opening the gates, and start making my way to my front door.

Pulling open my vast wood door, I see Mason walking up the wide, concrete steps. He has a black eye and a bandage over the bridge of his nose. The hood of his black hoodie is pulled over his head, but there’s no hiding what he looks like when he looks up at me with a meek smile.

“You look like shit,” I say, standing in the doorway, crossing my arms over my bare chest. Mason is about an inch shorter than me, but he’s definitely more built.

His passion outside of computers is the gym, and you can tell.

Mine is just computers, so the few times I make it down to my gym, I just do cardio and light weights.

I'm a lot leaner than Mason’s slight bulk.

Mason lowers his head and steps up to the door, and I notice a backpack hanging off of one shoulder. “Can I stay here for a few days?”

“What happened to the clubhouse?” I ask.

He bites his lip and looks over his shoulder. He looks back at me and answers, “Saint and I got into it. I think I should probably stay away for a few days.” I step aside so he can enter and he walks into the house.

“I wasn’t aware Saint had feelings.” I close the door behind him and reset the alarm.

Mason sighs heavily, and I look back at him. His shoulders slump, and when he drops his hood, I see his hair is mussed like he’s been fucking with it. “Yeah, I guess I found his fuse.”

I only know most of the Outlaws in passing, except for Mason and Cale.

And I know way more about Finn than I ever care to remember.

Cale found me years ago when I was just coming up in the scene, and I've done a lot of work for the Outlaws. That's how I met Mason. Cale asked me to mentor him. Take his college graduate ass and turn him into a real hacker. Show him the dark side, if you will. I got very comfortable with Finn when I went to my one and only Outlaw party shortly after meeting Cale. He and Cale were both newly patched in, and I had a little too much to drink. Next thing I know, Finn and I are Eiffel Towering a tourist. “Only a few days. I’ll send you the code for the alarm.” I walk into the kitchen, heading for the freezer, and I can hear him following me. I take an ice pack out and hand it to him. “Bedrooms are on the second floor. You can use the ones to the left of the stairs, and the gym is on the first floor past my office.” Mason’s been here many times before, but he’s only ever been in my office or here in the kitchen for a snack or drink break.

He takes the ice pack from me. “Thanks, Miles.” He turns for the stairs and disappears up them. I text him the code for the security system, and then take the stairs back to my room. My mind drifts back to Briar. There’s only one more place that I don’t have eyes on her.