Page 47 of Up in a Blaze

He leaned against me and kissed my chin. “It is very lucky.”

“Can we stop with that type of talkin’ and go back to how you know Malice? Shit, I should tell Country, right?”

“Your prez already knows I know him,” I told Tech, curling an arm around Henri’s waist. “Malice is the one I sold my business to.”

Tech opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded. He sighed. “Makes sense.”

Picking up my phone, I dialed in a number. “This won’t take long,” I told them.

It rang a few times before she answered, “Why, if it isn’t my sweet sugar daddy. What are you doing calling me this late? I’m surprised with your age, you’re not tucked up in bed. I can join you if you’re lonely.”

While Tech choked and quickly moved away to cover his laugh, Henri stood, faced me, and waved a hand at the phone with a glare.

“Gwen, please say I’m not actually your sugar daddy and that you call everyone a pet name before I get killed.” Like Malice was the only guy I trusted, Gwendolyn McKenna was the only woman I was sure of and could count on. We’d never met outside of online, but we’d gotten close back in the day when I’d gone to her to teach me more about computers. I already had some skills, but the rest I learned from her. Even still, I knew Tech and I could never measure up to what she knew.

“But, Daddy, I only use those names for you.”

“Gwen,” I warned.

There was a tinkle of laughter. “Hello, Henri, it’s a pleasure to see you, you handsome man.”

My gaze snapped to the monitors. “You fuckin’ hacked us. What have I said about that shit?”

“Relax, Daddy. I’ll slip out at the end, and you won’t have even felt me.”

I palmed my face as Tech jumped back into his seat, his fingers at the board as he tried to work out how she got in.

“Naughty, naughty, cutie. You won’t find me.”

“She’s right, Tech. She’s the only one who can manage this shit. She taught me everything I know.”

“I am but the best. Henri, sweetie, I promise your big horndog is just a friend. I only like to mess with the big grump.”

Henri smiled and waved at the screen. “Well, I suppose I can forgive you since it is fun to mess with my Blaze.”

“Oh, my little dandelion. Blaze told me you sounded like heaven, but I didn’t believe him.”

While I cursed, Henri gasped and quickly sat on my lap again. “He’s spoken to you about me?”

Gwen squealed a little, and her voice seemed closer to the receiver than before when she said, “Oh boy has he. Daddy Blaze is like a big huffing dragon, and you’re his treasure. He’s only threatened me like a million times to not look you up. Not unless I wanted my fingers and toes removed. You’re the light in his life. The one?—”

“He knows all this,” I clipped. “Can we get back to business?”

Henri rested against my chest, patting my other thigh. “Oui, mon amour. But I would like Gwen’s number. Chéri, we will be talking more.”

“Yes! Oh, please do. I would love that.” She took a breath. “Okay, sugar daddy, what do you need?”

“I need information from Malice, but he wants me to find some people. I won’t work with him, Gwen. Hoping you will so I can get my information.”

“Is this about the missing men and women you’re investigating?”

“Stop looking through our system,” I warned. “But yeah.”

“Fuck that,” Tech muttered, and he went faster at finding her to cut off her connection.

“Tell your friend to stop, Daddy.”

“Tech—”