Page 21 of Web of Lies

His arm jerks, and his drink sloshes dangerously close to the rim, but it doesn't spill.

Dalton reacts swiftly, catching my arm with his free hand and stabilizing me.

His grip is firmer than necessary, his fingers wrapping around my upper arm.

He draws me a little closer, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I say in a high-pitched, panicked voice, interrupting the conversation between Dalton and the man beside him. The beeping of my in-ear device picks up, counting the seconds.

"You okay?" he asks in a casual tone. The smile on his face is polite but distant, not quite reaching his eyes.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed by the crowd. I hope I spilled nothing on you, sir." I nod and place my palms flat on his chest to check him over.

"Not at all, darling. Everything's fine," he says with a smug chuckle.

A long beep sounds in my ear, followed by a smooth, robotic voice. "Data successfully transmitted." Relief rushes through me. I force a smile and take a polite step back. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, gentlemen. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Oh, there are worse fates than being interrupted by a beautiful woman," Dalton replies, his voice dropping an octave.

The surrounding men erupt into amused laughter, and I let out a soft, flustered chuckle, careful not to overdo it.

"Hope to see you around later?" he adds, his eyes drifting down to my cleavage, where they linger for a few seconds too long.

"I hope so," I say with a smile, taking a step back before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Mr. Hunt is standing at the edge of the event, talking to Ethan. With hurried steps, I approach them, and at the sound of my heels clicking against the marble floor, they both turn to look at me.

"There you are," Mr. Hunt says, offering me his arm. I slip my arm through his and curl my fingers into the crook of his elbow.

"Sorry, I got a little lost," I say with a soft smile. "But I found what I was looking for."

"Wonderful. Ethan has also successfully placed the access point." His lips twitch into a fleeting smile before he turns to Ethan. "Be so good as to accompany Riley. Drive her home once she's done."

"And what about you, sir?" Ethan asks.

"I still have business to attend, but I'll be fine. Thank you."

"Of course." Ethan nods and steps closer. His hand hovers just a few inches above the small of my back, but never touches me. Regardless, I feel the heat radiating off him through the thin fabric of my dress.

I slip my hand out of Mr. Hunt's hold and allow Ethan to guide me toward the exit.

As we approach, I steal one last glance at the boss, who is talking to someone new.

A young blonde I've never seen before, standing closer than anyone usually dares.

She looks like she stepped straight out of a magazine, wearing a soft pink gown that clings to her slim frame.

Ethan pushes me forward, and we slip out of the building, heading back to the car in the nearby parking lot. He opens the back door for me, and I climb inside while he stands guard.

I pull my laptop onto my lap to start the process.

After plugging in the skimmer, I begin transferring all the collected data.

A progress bar crawls across the screen, gradually filling up until it reaches 100%.

Instantly, the screen switches to the company intranet.

Dalton's information autofill’s into the login fields, and after another loading screen, a message pops up.

Login confirmed. Welcome, Malcolm Dalton.

With full access to EmergentNet's internal systems through Dalton's account, I dig deeper.

A few clicks later, I locate the configuration for the secure Wi-Fi access point.

My fingers fly across the keyboard as I deploy the reconfigured Evil Twin that mirrors the company's official network.

I spoof the SSL and reroute the DNS to Hunt Corp.

's servers. All that's left is to boost the signal.

I set my laptop aside, bend over the center console, and press the buttons on the car radio to activate the hidden repeater in the trunk. After that, I fall back into my seat, scoot closer to the door, and glance up at the building.

Dalton's office on the top left floor is dark except for the soft blue glow of the network hardware.

After pressing the activation command and waiting through a brief loading delay, the Evil Twin goes live.

A list pops up on my screen showing all the devices disconnecting from the original network and reconnecting to mine.

One by one, they form secure sessions, and the data starts to flow.

Credentials, file transfers, session tokens, and the list goes on.

My earpiece crackles with static, followed by Mr. Hunt's voice. "Status?"

"Twenty percent of the devices have been switched," I say, stealing a glance at my screen. "We should have full access within ten minutes."

"Any sign you were noticed?"

"No."

There's a pause. A second too long. "Good." The words send a shiver down my spine. They aren't suggestive, but the low purr in his voice lights something inside my chest. My pulse quickens, and my palms grow damp against my laptop.

"Thank you," I murmur, my fingers tightening around the edge of the keyboard.

"Send me a quick message when it's done."

"Sure."

"Good. Have a good night, Riley."

"You too, sir." The connection ends with a static buzz.

I slump back into my seat and pull the earpiece out.

My gaze shifts to Ethan, who is still standing beside the open door.

He holds a cigarette in one hand; the other hangs loosely at his side, gripping a hidden pistol.

To any passerby, he looks like a man who has stepped away for a quiet smoke break.

"Ethan, can I have one, too?" I ask, glancing up at him.

He looks down at me with a raised brow. "Of course." He traps his cigarette between his lips and reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket to pull out a lighter and a pack. With a practiced flick of his thumb, he pops one loose and holds it out.

"Thanks," I say as I take it and bring the filter between my lips.

Next, he holds out the lighter. With a flick of his wrist, the flame catches.

I take a long, deep breath as the familiar burn settles deep in my lungs.

I close my eyes and hold it in for a moment before slowly exhaling, watching the smoke disappear into the night air.

"I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't," I say with a dry smile, watching the smoke curl from the tip of my cigarette. "I'm more of a social smoker, or when I'm in a stressful situation. It helps me feel less wired."

Ethan huffs a quiet laugh. "Right. The illusion of calm. Classic."

I keep my eyes on the ground as I bring it to my lips again and inhale.

"You handled yourself well in there," he adds after a moment, his tone sincere. I tilt my head back and find him looking down at me.

"Thank you." I offer him a smile, and the corners of his mouth twitch into a soft one.

When my phone suddenly vibrates inside my clutch, I pull it out and see the new text message. A familiar warmth fills my chest, and my smile widens.

Sidekick: Got time tonight?

Me: Yes. I'm about to head home from work. Does 11 sound good to you?

Sidekick: Great. I'll pick you up at 11.

When I lower my phone again, I catch Ethan watching me out of the corner of his eye. "Someone's put a smile on your face," he comments with a half-smirk. "Got more plans tonight?"

"I do," I say with a soft chuckle. I flick the ash from my cigarette onto the ground and take another slow drag. "How about you? Will you come back?"

"No, I'm leaving too. I'm going to an art show at midnight."

"Art show?" I raise an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for an art lover."

"Well, I'm full of surprises."

A jingle from my laptop cuts through the quiet, signaling the transfer's completion. I whip around and glance at the message confirming the success on my screen. Then I turn back to Ethan.

"We can go," I say, pulling up a chat with Mr. Hunt and shooting him a quick message to let him know we're done.

"Okay," he says, circling around the car, stubbing out his cigarette before climbing into the driver's seat. I flick mine away too and pull the door shut, and he starts the engine and maneuvers us out of the parking lot with practiced ease.

My attention drifts back to my phone. My thumb hovers over Kyle's contact image. A swarm of excited butterflies flutters in my stomach, tugging at my insides.

I can't wait to see him.