Page 8 of Hacking His Code

“Hunter Davies—”

Her jaw falls open. “Oh my God—you’retheHunter Davies!”

“The one and only.”

“The one that people aren’t even sure what he looks like because he’s a reclusive asshole?”

“Yeah, that was my father’s doing.”

“Your mom was a famous Hollywood actress—a legend! And then she just became a hermit. Was it because of the kidnapping?” she blurts out, then quickly downcasts her eyes. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

You mention the name Davies and people think of two things: tech juggernaut Rand Davies marrying Hollywood starlet Ernestine Whitmore and Ernestine Whitmore’s missing twin, my Aunt Lucy.

Over twenty years ago, she just up and disappeared, a cyclone of chaos left in her wake in the form of various offshore bank accounts, emails with foreign militia, and connections with various shady organizations.

My mother was heartbroken, forever left to wonder what had become of her. There was no evidence of foul play. Her personal belongings were simply left behind, with nothing pointing to where she would go.

I offer my hand out for Arinessa to take, which she accepts. Her soft skin against mine makes my heart skip a beat, like I’m a damn teenager.

Once she’s righted, I say, “It’s alright. It happened a long time ago. I can’t even say I remember her.”

Her mouth twitches to the side as though she’s unsure of what to say. If we’d met under different circumstances, I’d be kissing her lips right now.

I give her a moment to adjust her disheveled clothing and hair before continuing. It’s entirely possible that Big Foot’s hair is more manageable but not nearly as sexy.

“My Aunt Lucy worked for my father. One day, he saw Lucy out with my mother, and it was ‘love at first sight,’ as he calls it. There was a short courtship during which I was conceived, and they decided to marry. Things were going great for a couple of years, until my aunt went missing. You should know the rest.”

“That all happened before I was born, but still, I know the story. Most everyone does,” Arinessa says.

“It was all over the papers. My mother couldn’t even grieve properly. After Lucy’s disappearance, Father went into ‘lockdown’ mode. We were never photographed out, and we’d shuffle between homes. He even went so far as to put out fake images of me, so people would debate what I looked like.”

“Gosh, that’s gotta be rough.”

“It is what it is, but it all happened for a reason, and it’s why I’ve summoned you here.”

She casts me an impish look, her brow arching dramatically. “Summoned? Is that what we’re calling it now?”

There’s an addictive quality to the way she addresses me. Most women agree with and nod at everything I say, which is boring, and even exhausting at times. Not Arinessa, though. She has no problem calling me out.

“For lack of a better word.”

She fake coughs, uttering the word ‘kidnapping’ under her breath, and I can’t help but smile. She’s just so…different.

“Tell me more about your aunt.”

“Lucy disappeared when I was three, twenty-four years ago, so I know precious little about her, other than what I’ve been told.”

“Do you think she’s still alive?”

“The truth is, I have no idea, but if I can find a way to give my mother closure, I’ll take it.”

“And of all the professionals in the world, you think I can find her?” Arinessa spikes a brow and points to her chest.

“I can’t think of many better, actually.”

“I don’t know, maybe someone from Anonymous. Or an actual hacktivist that hasn’t been out of practice for six years.”

“I would never let a member of Anonymous gain access to any of the Davies’ systems. God knows what havoc they’d cause, my family being of the corporate world.”