Page 36 of The Deals We Make

“I even had a preliminary conversation with someone. My father had looked into enhancing our data security last year. Even went so far as inviting their CEO to come and do apreliminary investigation, but because my father is a sexist asshole, he fired her before she could even take a proper look. Moray, I think her name was. One of the big cybersecurity firms.”

My mouth is suddenly bone dry.

I’m not sure how to process the fact Calista was here, messing with the Cosa Nostra, and was fired because she was a woman. That’s the exact kind of environment Calista would take as a dare.

And I can’t believe that fifteen years after she left, I’m doing a fucking cleanup job for her.

Again.

She might have thought she could clear her tracks, but I know her. At least, I did. And I know a thing or two about hunting people down. I love how primal it is. Like any good hunter, the secret is to not let the prey know you are on to them.

It would be easy to storm over to Mrs. Moray’s house right now and ask Calista outright. But given the nature of our conversation, she’d lie to me and deny it. Then, she’d change her methods, go back in, and scrub her trail.

I want traps in there to catch her in the act if she does.

Not that I’ll ever tell Viscuso.

All he’ll see is an impenetrable wall that will stop anyone from hacking him again.

“That’s fine. I can pick it up from there. I got a shit ton of software I need. If you want to make sure we don’t breach data, get your guy to meet me with a new laptop. We can download all the software together. I can leave the laptop with him at the end of each time we work together on getting you protected from any kind of cyber-attack.”

Alessio narrows his eyes. “How do I know you won’t put a switch in there somehow? So you can take control of all our systems?”

“If your guy is any good, he’ll be able to understand what I’m doing. However, the fact you even need me suggests he isn’t.”

“Fuck it up, screw me over, I’ll kill you,” Alessio says.

I hear the readying of a weapon to fire.

“Threaten my brother again, and I’ll shoot you and all those fuckers dancing around the perimeter of this room,” Niro says.

Alessio smiles, like he didn’t threaten me at all. “You can put that down.”

Niro doesn’t. He keeps his Glock pointed straight at Alessio Viscuso.

“Fine,” I say finally. “You’ve got my word.”

11

CALISTA

“Itold you to leave all my things alone,” my mother sobs at the kitchen table.

It’s a change from the screaming rage earlier. “Mom. I’m sorry. But it was a health hazard. All I’ve done is clean it up.”

“You had no right to throw anything away.”

This has gone on for two hours, since I tried to make a start on the bathroom. I was on my knees, pulling stacks of cardboard from beneath the vanity, when she hobbled out of her room, obviously in pain, and let out a cry a Viking shield maiden would be proud of.

Then, she pulled my hair to make me stop, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get me off my knees.

I take a deep breath, recenter myself by looking out of the window at the garden. There’s a wintery sun today, and it glints off last night’s snowfall that thankfully covered over the debris from Switch and Vex power washing things in the yard.

I can hack many things, but not my mother’s health. And the patience I have when I’m up to my eyeballs in code is somehow escaping me.

But at two o’clock this morning, I realized this is a turning point in mine and my mom’s relationship. Vex’s words hit deep.

You’re gonna leave her like this?