Dirty Deeds

by HelenKay Dimon

  “I’m about to drag Gaige out of here and find someone who can arrest him.” Seth stepped around to Gaige’s side of the desk. “You’re lucky I don’t have that power.”

  “Wait.” Gaige frowned at him. “Why?”

  “No,” Alec said at the same time.

  The word came out on reflex. That was nothing compared to the anxiety building inside Alec. The thought of Gaige being led away…or not seeing him. “I’m not in the mood for this. Both of you, in my office right now.”

  He was still the damn boss, after all. Nothing happened within these walls without his approval. That absolutely included a strict rule that no one touch Gaige but him.

  Alec unlocked the door and walked inside. He expected the two of them to follow, so he didn’t look back. His focus stayed on the far wall and its bank of windows, all of which were blocked by heavy curtains. The security protocols demanded no outside access and a list of other procedures.

  He passed the small seating area to his left and nearly kicked the chair that sat across from his into the wall. Thanks to years of learning how to hone his control, he banked the sudden burst of rage that slammed into him.

  Seth pissed him off just by breathing. Threatening Gaige invited being thrown out the window.

  Alec stepped behind his chair and watched Gaige shut the office door. A few seconds later, Seth and Gaige stood next to each other on the opposite side of the oversized desk.

  Now that they’d all filed in and quieted down, Alec didn’t waste any time. He glared at Seth. “Explain.”

  “Your boy has been poking around where he’s not supposed to be.”

  Seth likely meant to put a scare into the room. His words actually eased some of the tension vibrating through Alec, but he didn’t give up his outward harsh stance. “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “He’s been trying to break into secure emails. Mine.”

  Gaige stood with his hands behind his back and shrugged. “Not just trying.”

  “You’re done.” Seth took a step toward Gaige.

  Enough.

  “Hey!” Alec’s yell had them both looking at him. “Stop with the alpha spy shit.”

  Seth’s eyebrow rose and his voice dropped low. “Excuse me?”

  “That tone might work on someone else, but not me. I invented that damn tone.” Alec used it to intimidate and keep everything running the way he wanted. The last thing he needed was a dose aimed at him.

  Seth made a humming sound as he glanced at Gaige. “Maybe I underestimated your skills.”

  “Which?” Gaige asked.

  Seth toured his gaze over Gaige. “You spend a few days with the boss and now he’s your protector. Late nights. Long shifts. Living at his house…well, things happen.”

  The absolute last person Alec intended to confide in about his sex life was Seth. He looked at Seth, daring him to keep it up. “You have been lying to me from day one.”

  That was the point. Seth set up the meeting with Gaige. Seth planted Gaige in the office. It was also possible Seth created the evidence that convinced Alec to go along with his plan. He’d assumed from the start Seth was off-book on this mission and trying to resolve it by pulling strings rather than leveling with all of them. The few people at the top who were involved in this at the CIA likely insisted, but Alec didn’t care. Seth knew how to get things done. He crossed the lines when needed, and this was one of those times.

  Seth took a step toward the desk. “Believe it or not, Alec, this isn’t about you.”

  “No, it’s about you using all of us without providing any real information about what’s going on.” When Seth started to say something, Alec held up his hand. “And don’t give me the need-to-know speech.”

  Seth snorted. “It’s a real thing.”

  “And this is your phone.” Alec reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the burner. Put it right in front of Seth. “Now do you want to talk about honesty?”

  Seth shook his head as he looked at Gaige. “You gave it to him? It’s like you want to go to prison.”

  Gaige didn’t look even a little concerned about that fact coming out. “You’re half right.”

  “Your role in this is limited,” Seth said to Alec then turned to Gaige. “Yours is fucking over.”

  Gaige didn’t even blink. If the threat spiked panic in him, he hid it well. “As I told you before, if you level with Alec that this is about more than messed-up seed deliveries, he’ll help you.”

  True but Alec needed Seth to work for it. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I never promised to help. Seth should beg.”

  Seth shook his head. “You don’t know what’s going on in Svalbard. Neither of you.”

  “I know you think something more than seed deliveries is happening. This is about one of the empty vaults and security people not being where they should be. About potential tampering with entry logs and seed records to hide a bigger issue.” Gaige’s hands fell to his sides but his temper didn’t noticeably spike. His voice stayed even.

  “God damn it.” Seth turned to face Gaige then. “Do you want to be locked away in a federal prison until you die?”

  Alec slammed his chair into his desk. It didn’t calm his anger but it sure as hell felt good. “Stop threatening him.”

  The fury pinging around the room didn’t seem to faze Seth. “What, because you two are fucking now that somehow makes him off-limits?”

  Gaige’s body jerked. It was the first time he showed an actual reaction to the carnival show spinning around him.

  This time Alec dropped his voice. If throwing things didn’t work, maybe the promise of lethal destruction in his tone would. “You are really close to the line, Seth. Be careful.” Alec put his hands on the desk and leaned forward. “You aren’t the only one who knows people at Langley.”

  Seth’s eyes grew wide. “Now you’re threatening me?”

  Damn straight. “I’m pointing out that someone in power might think it’s more important to keep me happy—me, a billionaire with international ties, someone who steps in and helps without ever saying a word—than you.”

  Seth folded his arms across his chest. “Unbelievable.”

  But he got the not-so-subtle hint. Alec could see it in Seth’s eyes. He knew how people who never saw action in the field—Seth’s bosses—handled these sorts of decisions. It was shitty and sometimes sacrificed the officers who did the real work, but the suit-and-desk crowd would look long-term, not caring who got left behind. Alec depended on that desk-jockey mindset to help him now.

  “Okay, look. It’s just us here, and we really are trying to help you,” Gaige said to Seth. “What do you think is happening in that vault? Tell us so we know what to look for. No more secrets.”

  “I don’t know.” When Gaige swore under his breath, Seth kept talking. “Seriously. I don’t know. There are those who think I’m blowing this out of proportion, but I was given the okay to check into it so long as I didn’t use company resources and kept this out of official operations.”

  So this assignment was happening off-book. Alec had correctly recognized the mission type but he almost wished he’d been wrong. With backing, they’d have access to intel and satellites and the impressive strength and strategy of Seth’s team without question. “I take it only a few people in the CIA know you’re working on this.”

  “Exactly two.” Seth exhaled and some of his anger burned away. “Look, those unscheduled vault openings matter.”

  He seemed sincere but Alec knew to be skeptical. If Seth volunteered information that meant there was a whole lot he held back. “You didn’t set them up to force me to help you?”

  “No.” Seth glanced at Gaige. “And we’re going to have a long talk about how you got your hands on those emails off a secured server.”

  “You know how.”

  Seth shook his head. “You never fucking learn.”

  This was the past Gaige never talked about. He hinted at trouble. That first day he’d met Gaige, Alec
had looked, poked around, even called in a favor, and still he couldn’t track down the truth. His ex had done something shady, but that was the extent of what Alec knew.

  “You’re the one who put me on this assignment,” Gaige said.

  “To save you.” Seth turned to Alec. “Do you know what Gaige did or how much trouble he’s in?”

  He was so close to the answer that had his mind spinning. Alec knew he could ask and Seth would spill it. He clearly wanted to disclose, thinking it would trap Gaige even more.

  The temptation tugged at him but Alec didn’t give in. Now that they’d spent time together, he wanted to hear the news directly from Gaige. For it to be voluntary.

  “I already know all about it.” It was a lie but Alec refused to let Seth think he had an advantage here. If he found a hole, he’d weasel his way in. Now that they were moving forward, Alec didn’t want to fall back again.

  Seth’s head actually pulled back at that answer. “What?”

  That did it. Alec knew he had Seth’s attention now. “If you want us to figure this out, to get you the intel you need to pursue this, then you need to work with us.”

  “Maybe try trusting us,” Gaige said.

  “You earn trust,” Seth shot back.

  Alec was done with this bullshit. “Okay, enough with the trite sayings. You made your point.”

  “Okay, we’ll try it your way.” Seth nodded. “But I want to be kept up-to-date on everything. When you know something, you tell me.”

  “Will this newfound communication run both ways?” Alec knew the answer but he tried anyway. The only way to hold Seth accountable was to push him.

  “You know I have limits on what I can say.”

  Gaige scoffed. “So, no.”

  “Stop hacking computer systems. I’ll protect you—again—but this is it.” Seth stared at Gaige as if waiting for agreement. “Do we understand each other?”

  For a second Gaige didn’t say anything, then he nodded. “Better than you know.”

  That response only seemed to rile up Seth more. Energy pulsed off him. It was as if he were preparing for battle by just standing there. “What does—”

  Alec pointed to the door. “Time for you to go.”

  Without saying a word, Seth turned and marched across the room. He stopped with his hand on the door handle and looked back at Gaige and Alec again. “I want an update in two days.”

  Gaige waited until the door closed behind Seth to say anything. “Apparently he wants an update. We should give him one.”

  “You sound like you have a plan.” Alec sank into his chair. He had a feeling he needed to be ready for whatever bombshell Gaige dropped next.

  “From Norway.”

  Alec didn’t even have to think it through. It was the right answer. The information, the bodies…they were all up there. In the middle of nowhere. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  “I have two words for you.”

  Alec mentally braced. “Go ahead.”

  But Gaige just smiled. “Private plane.”

  Chapter 19

  Gaige held his breath until the plane left the ground. He had this vision of Seth storming the runway with law enforcement right behind him.

  Once they leveled out, he leaned back in the plush leather seat and unclenched his fingers from the armrest. Anxiety no longer pounded him into the floor. For the next few hours he could relax, then the whole process would start again. Seth might be a dick, but he was good at his job, and excellent at manipulating people to do his bidding. If he had pushed his bosses to investigate Svalbard, then something was happening there.

  Gaige reached for the water bottle in the cup holder next to him. Before he could unscrew the cap he glanced over to find Alec staring at him.

  He launched right into a comment as if he’d kept it locked inside for just the right moment. “It’s been four hours since you made the suggestion. We bought you cold-weather clothes, and we’re packed and on a plane. Now tell me the plan here.”

  They had worked fast to make the trip happen. Gaige now knew all he had to do was suggest a strategy and let Alec run with it. Alec made things happen. The reality was: Alec excelled at everything. Give him a problem and he fired off orders and directions until every box got checked.

  There was a potential loose end they needed to tie off, so Gaige asked the necessary question. “The manifest?”

  “It’s fake. Anyone checking will think Finn is flying to Paris.”

  Just as Gaige thought—handled.

  They had a lot to talk about and specific plans to make. Gaige knew the next step but he needed Alec to get him in the door. But all that could wait.

  They’d only known each other a few days but Gaige could feel something unlock inside him. All those secrets, all the worries he analyzed and dissected on repeat. The guilt he punched down. The anger at being tricked by Jase and the very real panic that he might get sucked under because of Jase’s deceit.

  Going to prison for another person’s sins didn’t appeal to Gaige. He had guilt about missing the signs, but he wasn’t a martyr. He didn’t break the law. No, that was Jase and he was on the run. He might always be, which put the focus right back on Gaige.

  Gaige had dealt with it all alone, but with Alec he wanted to share the burden. He didn’t need Alec to solve his problems, but being able to talk about ideas and unleash some of the pressure sounded good. He’d spent so much time having life happen to him. He needed to take charge again.

  Smart or not, Gaige plunged ahead. “You can ask me. About Seth. About his allegations.”

  Alec lowered the window shade next to him. “I’d prefer if you just told me.”

  They were alone in the cabin. The pilot and copilot sat on the other side of a door. Alec specifically had asked that the plane be stocked with drinks and some food but that the two of them fly alone. Tony would meet them there later.

  From the lights to the buff-colored seats, the plane had an open feel. But also sort of a safe cocoon to talk about unbearable subjects.

  “His name was Jase. My ex, I mean.” Gaige didn’t know where else to start so he tried there.

  “Stupid name for a fucking asshole.”

  Alec’s reaction helped. So did the way he sat there, relaxing in his seat with his arm on the rest, but wide-eyed and on alert. He’d skipped the suit in favor of black pants and a sweater. The casual look worked on him. Hell, everything did.

  Gaige’s mind wandered. His brain tried to focus on any topic except the one he wished he could forget, but he forced the words out. “You’re not wrong about the asshole part. He’s actually much worse than that.” When Alec didn’t say anything, Gaige continued. “We were business partners and a couple.”

  “He was a computer guy, too?”

  “Better than me.”

  Alec scoffed. “Come on.”

  As far as compliments went, that was a good one. Gaige sensed Alec didn’t hand them out all that freely, so Gaige accepted it without question.

  “I tried to hack NORAD when I was sixteen. Jase did it when he was twelve. We met in college. He dropped out and I barely hung on, but we worked and after a few years we managed to get a reputation for being able to test supposedly unbreakable security systems. That was our business.” In school he had trouble concentrating on subjects that didn’t matter to him. He spent all of his free time on his computer or playing a game or trying to break into the coding behind a game to figure it out.

  “I hire a company like that for testing,” Alec said.

  Yeah, about that…“Stop payment on the check.”

  “Shit, why?”

  This was off-track, but Gaige let the conversation be pulled in that direction for a second. “I tested your system and was able to get in by leaving jump drives with viruses at different work stations throughout the building. Not knowing, your people picked them up, used them, and I was in.”

  All the color left Alec’s face. “I’m firing everyone.”

&n
bsp; Gaige understood the reaction. He’d seen it on more than one business owner’s face over the years. “Your employees can’t bring in outside equipment, including phones. You have removable hard drives that are locked in safes with digital imprinting. You’re doing things right, but if someone smuggled in something like a corrupted jump drive, people wouldn’t be expecting it. They use it, and the wrong people gain access.”

  Alec blew out a long, pained breath. “I may never sleep again.”

  It was so tempting to stay on this conversation. To launch into a discussion about new protocols Alec could institute. To talk tech and computers and ignore the information he’d hidden for so long as he waited for the espionage charges to be filed.

  Gaige exhaled, getting his mind on track again. “We had a job with the DIA…you know what that is, right?”

  “Defense Intelligence Agency. An agency that deals with military intelligence but answers to the Department of Defense, not any branch.”

  “Let me guess. You’ve done black ops work for them.”

  “You could assume that.” Alec didn’t offer anything else.

  “Well, Jase was working on the DIA’s closed system. It turned out that instead of testing for breaches he was creating one that he then manipulated once the job finished. He created a back door and used it.”

  Alec didn’t look so relaxed now. Tension tugged around his mouth, and a flash of anger showed in his eyes. “Damn.”

  “We were in London at the time. While I thought he was working on a non-government contract, he actually decoded encrypted classified DIA intel about coordinated military campaigns and equipment, and sold it to China. Or tried to.”

  Gaige hadn’t known any of it as it happened. He’d thought they were lucky. They lived in a great city and made stupid money doing something they always loved to do. They would work and joke. Eat and have great sex. He never suspected he was being duped.

  “He hid his trail but did provide a fail-safe so that if anyone figured it out it would all trace back to me, of course. I found out when a group of men beat the crap out of me, then threw me in a van. I woke to Seth’s interrogation.” The memories came rushing back until they flooded him. The pain and shock. Sitting there as Seth set out the evidence and showed him the computer trail leading to him, with just enough subterfuge to suggest he had missed a step in hiding his identity.