by Ivy Carter
“Holy fuck,” I gasp. My heart pulses a million beats per minute. I’m numb with pleasure, tingling from the aftershock.
Duke falls limp against me, nuzzling his head into the crook of my neck as my breathing returns to normal. I can feel his heart race against mine. See the goose bumps that ripple his flesh. I trail my fingers along his back and a smile curves in the corner of my mouth. This. I’m sure this is what I’ve waited for my whole life.
Chapter 8
Duke hops in the shower and I start to gather my things, feeling a pang as I realize that soon I’ll be leaving this little safe bubble that for a moment felt like my actual life.
This incredible man made me feel things I’ve never felt before, but now it’s all coming to an end and the new day is starting.
A day I’m very much not looking forward to.
Thinking about Marissa—dead—and Jake in jail right now makes my stomach clench and do a slow, sickening roll.
As I walk out of the bedroom, I see Duke’s laptop is open on the coffee table.
Shit. It’s like a lighthouse beacon, drawing me to it. I glance over my shoulder and strain to hear if the water is still running in the bathroom.
I know that I shouldn’t look at it but I’m curious.
Let it go.
I should.
I can’t.
I press the space bar on the keyboard and the screen swims to life. I expected the laptop to be locked, to require a username and password. But then I realize that Duke must have quickly checked in computer before hopping in the shower.
So now I’m in. And I really shouldn’t be doing this.
But my curiosity is killing me. I want to know what he’s really doing with our MicroTracker, I can’t help it. It’s like I’m obsessed.
And can he blame me? He’s taken away my baby and now I’m losing my mind.
I glance over my shoulder again, and quickly log into the Kingston Industries network. Duke’s laptop allows me pre-approved access to all of the sensitive areas I couldn’t tap into with my limited privileges at the office, and I feel a quick thrill of commanding so much power. I scroll through the folders until I spot the MicroTracker files.
The hairs on my arms stand upright.
No going back.
I click on the folder and a series of documents open. I’ve seen most of them, and quickly close them until I find one that’s unfamiliar. And unsettling. The software’s tracking system is live.
Live.
My eyes widen as I realize that Duke Kingston claimed he was burying the project, and yet he obviously was keeping the entire thing running this whole time.
Stranger still, I notice that the software’s actually been used very recently.
My heart begins racing as I dig further into the files to check the logs.
Someone has been tracked in the last twenty-four hours.
With trembling fingers, I pull up the tracking information and my stomach clenches as I realize that Jake was tracking Marissa, and according to the information on the screen, their last known location was at Navy Pier, the scene of her murder.
It never occurred to me that anyone would actually be using our prototypes in such a way.
I suck in a sharp breath. No. It can’t be true.
But of course, it makes sense. Jake used the MicroTracker to find Marissa—and then he killed her.
I’m still reeling from what I’ve learned when a harsh voice from behind makes me jump.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Duke says, his voice harsh with fury.
I spin around, knowing that nothing either of us can say will ever make things right again.
My whole world has come off its axis and I know this is just the beginning.
- The End of Book Two -
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