Page 107 of Hacking His Code

“I know, but we can’t just give them what they want. Or at least not the way that they want it.”

“Father, I don’t think you understand what this woman means to me. We have to do something.”

“I have some tricks up my sleeves, but it’s just gonna take some time.”

My phone buzzes, and I reach into my pocket and pull it out. It’s an email from the person that’s been posing as my aunt. There’s an attachment.

Please let Ari be okay.

I open it, and my heart damn near explodes in my chest.

Fuck!

Arinessa

The light hurts my eyes as I try to force them open. I’m pretty sure I’m not hungover, but my memories of last night are hazy.

I twist, quickly realizing I’m not in my own bed.

“There’s water on the nightstand,” a man says.

Slowly, I turn towards the voice, blinking my eyes a dozen times, trying to bring the room into focus.

“Where am I?” I croak out, my throat raw and painful.

“You are safe. For now.”

The nightstand barely comes to focus. A tall glass of water is exactly what I need right now. I reach out, misjudging its distance and knocking it over.

The man grabs the cup and disappears from the room only to return a moment later, take my hand, and press the glass into it.

“Drink.”

I obey, tipping back my head and letting the cool liquid run down my sore throat.

“What are you doing for Hunter Davies?” the voice asks.

“Huh?”

“What are you doing for Hunter Davies?” he says again.

“Nothing.”

“What does he want from you?”

“He didn’t want anything—”

“Bullshit.”

The shape of the person begins to take form. Slender body. Dark clothes.

A black blur whips out in front of me, knocking the glass from my hand. It crashes against the wall, shattering glass on top of me.

“What the fuck does Hunter have you doing?”

Say something—anything.

But I can’t.