Page 31 of Undeniably Corrupt

“Agent Vega.”

“May I see some ID?”

He makes a disgruntled noise as if I’m wasting his timebut reaches into his pocket and pulls out his ID. Agent Vincent Vega. Is he fucking kidding? Does he not realize that everyone on the planet has seenPulp Fiction? Now mystraight out of a movieandlooks more like a mob bosshits closer to home.

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.” I wave to the chair in front of my desk. “Have a seat.”

He sits himself down, and I do the same, folding my hands in my lap and appearing not the least bit ruffled.

“Vander Moore. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Dick. His eyes are hard on mine, and I smile my bullshit CEO smile. “Is this a professional or a personal visit?”

He leans back in the chair, though far from relaxed. “Let’s call it personal.”

Hmm. “Okay then, though I suppose I’m a little surprised to see you since we didn’t call you and I’ve never met you before. Did Agent Hopkins finally retire?”

And there it is. That flicker in his eyes. He has no clue who Agent Hopkins is when Hopkins is the one who busted me and used to make house calls. He’s legit the only one at the FBI who still gives a shit. And Hopkins is also far from retirement age. Last I checked, he was in DC and had been moved to the science and technology branch.

“Yes. Now I’m in charge of his department.”

Liar.

“Great. What can I do for you?”

“We’re just here checking some things out. It’s been a while since we paid you a visit.”

My thumb taps my desk twice. “After all this time? I don’t quite understand the necessity.”

“You were arrested eight years ago for cybercrimes. There were some serious allegations against you.”

“Yes, but as you say, they were simply allegations, and any charges against me were dropped due to lack of evidence. Assomeone now running that department, I’d assume you’d know this.”

“So you’re saying you no longer commit cybercrimes?”

Is he joking with that question?

I stare straight into his eyes. “Agent Vega, I never was. I had been framed by my roommate and his girlfriend, who were looking to hide their own crimes. That much had been proven when the FBI looked into their computers.”

“So you don’t know how to hack people?”

Weird question. Still, I do my best to appear confused and affronted.

“Hack people? No. I work to keep threat actors out of corporate systems. But truth be told, I’m a CEO. I’m not on the technical side of the company. My major was mathematics and engineering. Not computer science or anything close to it. I’m the face of my family’s company and little more.”

“Hmm.” His fingers run along the metal clasp of his belt as he studies me, trying to make me crack, and I bet he does that well. With men who have shit to sweat over, I bet that look gets him far. “We were also notified you hired two new positions.”

I blink at him. Because who the fuck would bother notifying the FBI of me hiring anyone? “Two?”

“A Sarah Smothers in marketing and a Liora James as your new assistant.”

I intertwine my fingers on my stomach as I lean casually back in my chair. “Yes. Sarah started four months ago, and Liora started a week ago. What does the FBI care about that?”

“We’re just keeping watch on anyone who has close access to you and your work.”

That’s another lie. In the eight years I’ve been here, I’ve hired Alesha, who is the COO and technically the second-in-command, along with several other chief positions, and no one so much as batted an eye. Not to mention I already know the FBI doesn’t track my friends, and no one has closer access tome than they do. He’s throwing bullshit around with the hopes that some of it will stick.

“Sarah is down on the tenth floor if you’d like to say hello. I’d have you meet Liora, but she’s not here at the moment.” I don’t tell them that it’s Monday and she’s at clinical.