Page 4 of Keeping Kasey (Love and Blood #3)

Ford answers Moreno for me. “Nothing yet. I’m starting to think it’s impossible to win, but what’s the point in that?”

“Wow, they weren’t exaggerating when they said everything is out,” a softer voice says.

Elise enters the office with James on her heels, and I stand to pull her in for a hug. It’s only been two weeks since I last saw her in Sacramento, but I don’t take my time with her for granted.

“I’ve missed you,” she tells me.

“I’ve missed you, too.” I look behind her, seeing no trace of our oldest sibling. “Where did Damon go?”

“To get something to eat,” she answers. “We planned on having dinner at the manor, so none of us have eaten in hours.”

“If other wireless devices are down, how are our phones working?” Moreno asks, ruining the otherwise pleasant reunion.

It’s his own head of cybersecurity who answers through the ongoing call. “It has to be designed that way. There’s no way Cam was this thorough and just forgot about phones.”

“Can we use one of our phones to track him?” Elise asks.

Ford dies in the game again, then turns in his chair to face the group. “If he can pull this off, it’s safe to assume he’s untraceable.”

“Get someone on it anyway,” I order. “We’re not leaving any stones unturned. I’m going to kill this bastard when we find him.”

“You can’t do that,” James states from the doorway.

My glare is a warning that my brother acknowledges with a nod. “All I’m saying is this guy is good. Killing him would be a waste. If anything, this proves he’s the best candidate to find the traitors.”

“None of the candidates I recommended would’ve pulled this,” Ford mutters.

“Watch it,” I bite out.

“We can’t let him walk away from this alive,” Moreno says. “What kind of message does that send?”

“Think about it for a second.” Elise places a hand on Moreno’s shoulder. “This kind of skill working for us and not against us could be a game changer. Finding the traitors within our families is worth the hit to our pride.”

“Exactly,” James agrees.

Suddenly, the idea of having a drink in the silent darkness of my office is far more appealing than staying here.

I stand to go, but only make it one step before Ford jerks in his chair. “Check it out.”

The game is replaced by one question in big, bold letters.

Cam: Do you give up?

Two buttons labeled Yes and No sit beneath it.

Call it rage or just plain pride, but I stride to the desktop and hit No .

“What are you doing?” Elise exclaims.

I ignore her and watch the screen as a new message appears.

Cam: Suit yourself.

The game returns, putting us right back to square one.

“We had the chance to do something! What were you thinking?” Elise snaps.

“Of the limited cards in my hand, giving in to this psycho at the first opportunity isn’t one I’m playing,” I tell her.

“What’s going on over there?” Kade asks.

“Keep playing,” I order, and Ford does.

Elise takes the phone and explains the situation to Kade, but it’s not until I hear a sharp inhale that I actually listen to what they’re saying.

“It just came up for me.”

“Hit Yes ,” Moreno clips.

“Got it,” Kade answers, and a few moments pass. “It’s asking what I’m doing, snooping around. There’s a text box for me to answer.”

“Tell him to turn the power back on, or I’m hunting him down and killing him with my bare hands,” Moreno orders.

Elise whirls on him. “Do not say that.”

“Too late.”

“What happened?” Ford asks. He’s given up on his own game and is now being killed over and over again as he leans over the phone.

“Same message Ford got—it has me playing the game again.”

Elise shifts her glare between me and her fiancé. “Hardheaded assholes .”

I don’t dignify the comment with a response.

Two painfully long hours later, Ford’s office is only marginally less crowded. After Damon brought enough subs to feed a small army, he took Elise to the manor for the night. I would’ve preferred she take her fiancé with her, but Moreno was adamant about staying until we figure something out.

Finally— finally —a message appears.

Cam: Do you give up?

Ford doesn’t look to me for confirmation before hitting Yes.

Cam: What are you doing snooping around?

A text box appears beneath the words.

I wordlessly take the keyboard from Ford, who slides away from the desk with his phone to update Kade. I take his place and type out my response.

Me: Recon.

Seconds later, the reply comes.

Cam: Did you find what you were looking for?

“Smug bastard,” James mumbles.

Maybe I’m sleep-deprived or just in desperate need of a drink, but I actually chuckle.

Me: As a matter of fact, I did.

“Kade got locked out of the game once we started messaging Cam,” Ford explains as he shoves his phone into his pocket. “It’s up to us to get things back up and running.”

Of course it is.

The response finally comes in.

Cam: Glad to hear that, Logan.

My back straightens, and James jerks upright in his chair.

“How does he know you’re the one talking to him?” Moreno asks, standing to move closer to the screen.

Ford rubs his temple. “I’m willing to bet he knows a lot more than that. This virus gave him access to our entire database. He probably spent the last two hours deep diving into it.”

The silence is thick as we process the implications.

Cam has gone from an annoyance to a threat—one we need to handle delicately.

“Only one way to find out,” I mutter as I type out my response.

Me: What will it take to get my power back on?

No point in beating around the bush.

Cam: For starters, you could tell me the real reason you’re looking for me.

I carefully consider before giving my answer. There’s no need to show all my cards.

Me: You have a particular skill set that interests me.

Cam: And?

Me: And I’d like to meet up.

Cam: I don’t “meet up.”

Me: What do you do?

Cam: I work remote.

Me: This is a sensitive matter.

Cam: As is the case with all my clients. What makes you special?

Me: Clearly, you’ve done your research, so you know who I am, and you know what I’m capable of. You are walking a fine line between being my ally or enemy, so I’d be very careful about how you proceed.

We sit in tense silence, waiting for his answer.

Cam: I think we both know you’re not in a position to make threats. But you’re right. I have done my research, and you interest me as well.

Me: And?

Cam: And if you can beat my game, I’ll send you a time and place.

“As if I haven’t been trying.” Ford huffs from beside me.

He’s right. This isn’t an ordinary Pac-Man game.

Me: It’s impossible to win.

Cam: Who said anything about winning?

“What is that supposed to mean?” James asks, but before I get the chance to type the question myself, the text box is gone, and Pac-Man is back.

I slam my hand against the desk with a curse, and as soon as it makes contact with the wood, it’s like a switch has been flipped, and the power is back on.

After a long, wary silence, Ford is the first to speak. “Why would he turn the power back on if we didn’t beat the game?”

“He never said we had to beat it to get the power back, just to meet him,” James says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Still,” Ford muses. “What was the point?”

“To screw with us,” I say. “He wants us to know what he’s capable of.”

“What now?” James asks, gesturing to the screen.

“We beat the game,” I tell him. “Cam works for us, or we kill him for what he knows. Either way, we need to meet him.”