I used a piece of a Post-it to cover up the camera. I had heard stories and was kind of paranoid when it came to the camera inside our computers. You never knew when someone could be hacking in and taking a looky-loo.
“Bingo!” I was in and so far, nothing that was going to burn my retinas. I clicked around, following the path he had instructed me to, but weirdly coming up empty.
I opened up a file I thought looked promising, only to have it also be empty. I checked my text and realized I was searching in the wrong path and backtracked to start over.
Quickly finding the details that I needed, now that I was in the right spot, I closed down the file and decided to be a bit of a bitch of a boss and open another file labelled with a string of numbers.
Sifting through the files, I could see bank statements, video files, photos that I decided not to click on, and lots and lots of code. So weird. Robert must be working on a side project that I had no clue about. Or, it was possible he was just storing personal stuff here on his work computer so his mom wouldn’t snoop inside his personal computer. And, if that was the case, I was so closing this file before I accidentally opened the pictures or videos. If they were that top secret, I did not want to see them. Nudies of Robert gave me the dry heaves just thinking about them.
I quickly closed out the file, feeling like a shit for invading his computer and vowed to refrain from doing that again. It was summer in Galway so things were just getting started. I decided that tonight, I would find a new pub to humiliate myself in, and I ran upstairs to grab a quick shower, change and head back out.
Chapter 9
Nixon
The alert pulled me out of the daze I had slipped into, nearly jolting me from my chair. Hawk rushed in, slamming the door, waking me up completely.
“Shit, Hawk,” I called to my partner. “What the hell?”
Having heard the alarm, he was already on the move, shoving in beside me to watch the large monitor come to life as I woke it up. The bots we had deposited on Keeva’s systems had alerted us to activity.
“Okay Keeva. What are you up to hanging out on Robert’s computer?”
“How do you know it’s her?”
“It’s her. Who else would it be? We’ve already watched her guy leave.”
“Well then, your girlfriend’s gonna get herself in a world of trouble if he finds out she’s been messing with his computer.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“I know, I know.” He entered a few codes and we were in a little deeper. She was looking for something on her assistant’s computer and had stumbled across the file we were watching. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for us. We had been struggling with getting remote access to that file and needed to be online when the user was accessing the file in order to gain access to the file on our own.
“Should we get video?” Hawk loved getting video. Sketchy was his forte.
“Sure, let’s just make sure it’s her.” We were just running on the assumption it was her logging in. Hawk had been out following Robert when he had left for the day, so logically, we thought this was Keeva on the computer, but we needed definitive proof. We hadn’t cleared her and this would help in uncovering her part in the leak.
“Shit, she covered up the camera. Romeo, can’t you someone slide in there and do your agent thing and your super suave “Oh, I’m such a hot geek, you must let me help,” thing?”
He was flitting and prancing around the room, using his fake sing song voice and asking me to drop kick him.
“Shut up. Let’s just hope she remembers to take it off, otherwise she’s put our mission and herself, in danger.”
We sat there for a few minutes, watching absolutely nothing thanks to whatever was covering up the camera installed inside the monitor. “You need to go over there again.”
“Ah, no. Not happening. She’s not talking to me anymore, remember?”
He waved a distracted arm at me. “Women always say shit like that. She’ll talk to you again. You just have to incentivize her.”
“Incentivize?”
“Yeah, like I don’t know, give her something she wants. Like, for you to be nice to her, or even better than nice.” He wiggled his eyebrows like an off-his-rocker old-timer.
“Mature, Hawk. Real mature.”
“Yeah, yeah. But now I’m gonna need you to step it up. Forget about what I said before. She’s all yours. Yup.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Alright, I don’t like the thought of you trying to date her. It can only end badly and quickly for you and her. Remember, we signed away our chance to have a personal life when we signed up for this gig. So, kill those pesky two birds, with one stone thing. Get a girlfriend, get shagged, and get our intel. It’s a win win. How can you say no?”
I scrunched up a piece of paper and chucked it at his head while he cracked himself up. “We don’t know if she’s in on this thing yet. We need to sit and watch and wait. Just like every other operation.”
“Yeah, or we can move in and speed things along.”
“Not happening. She hates me. Oh, yes, that’s a good one. Or, how about the fact that I’ve accidentally seen her naked and she’s so freaked out by that fact that she never wants to see me again?”
Shit, I realized my mistake nearly immediately. He jumped up, dancing very strangely around our desk. I looked at him and raised a single eyebrow, willing him with my mind to stop dancing. “You’ve seen her naked. You. Have seen. Her naked. And you didn’t think to tell me? How did that “accidentally” happen? Does she have a rockin’ body? Wait, don’t answer that. Of course she does.”
“Fuck you. Stop thinking about her body.”
He smirked and gave me his signature “you’re an idiot” stare. “I knew it! You’re into her. I’ve known you for quite some time, Nix. In the past three days, you’re angry often, your temper is quick, you’ve been hiding things from both me, your partner, and Keeva, our “consultant,” and your entire body changes when she’s around. Which, admittedly, has only been once when I’ve been present, but all I needed was once to notice. You like her. You more than like her. I don’t know about all that woo woo love at first sight shit, but there’s something different there for you.”
I hated that he wasn’t only a kick ass agent physically, but mentally, the guy majored in once glance situation assessments. It’s why our superiors drag him in to consult on so many projects. He can sit across from someone, not utter a word, and spit out all their deepest, darkest secrets in an hour. He’s handy to have around, but when it came to having him as a friend, it was annoying.
I scrubbed my hands down my face and pushed back my chair. Nothing on the monitor had changed. We weren’t going to get anywhere as long she had the camera covered and if she didn’t close the file down properly or remember to remove all traces of her being there, she could be in danger from people much more dangerous than her IT guy, Robert.
I looked at my watch. It was late and she was coming in the next day for a meeting. I didn’t need to go over there. There was zero reason to believe she was in danger, but there was a sliver of a chance she was involved. I needed to rule her out quicker than we had been and maybe the best way for me to do that would be to pay her a visit. Shit, I had no clue how to proceed. This mission had me off-kilter.
“I’m not dating a target again, let’s just be clear. I’ve got responsibilities that can’t be ignored and I can’t mess up this assignment.” I got up, grabbed my keys and headed out. “Text me if there are any changes.”
I left with his maniacal laughter following me out into the cool Galway night. For the second night in a row, I was heading into a situation I should have been running away from. I needed a relationship with Keeva Murphy like I needed a lobotomy, but what kind of man would I be if I just turned my back on her now? A smart one, that’s what. I should hand this whole assignment over to Hawk and head back to the States, as I kept on driving towards her building.
But first, I needed something to eat and some liquid courage.
I parked my car on the street out front of her office and stared at the road ahead of me. This was a bad idea. There was no longer any reason to deny that I was attracted to her, but now I had a choice. Act on it, or ignore it. We hadn’t ruled her out as an accessory, or she could be in danger, or she could just be an innocent bystander.
All her lights were out. She had either gone to bed or was out. I slammed my fist against the steering wheel and went off in search of a pub, a cold beer and a distraction from the traitorous thoughts bouncing between my dick and my brain.
Chapter 10
Keeva
Well, that was a bust. It was official. I needed to get some friends. This lone wolf thing was getting old. I had found a new pub close to my home, sat at the bar and ordered some food and a whiskey. I had enjoyed listening to the band and for a time, forgot about the loneliness. Then the crappy part happened. A decent enough guy sidled up to me, we started talking, he bought me a drink and my prospects were looking up. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw those damn glasses, sitting on that perfect nose which was attached to that chiseled face and that glorious, wavy black hair and I knew the fairies hated me.
I had always suspected I was the black sheep in the family and lately, it appeared that my suspicions were not unfounded. The Irish fairies gave me the gift of never quite finding where I fit in, and therefore the gift of wandering. And looking at who just wandered across my path, I think it’s time I extricated myself from this pub and wandered home. It looked like another night of lonely drinking and my Android box.
I turned to the guy sitting next to me, but still feeling Mark behind me. Studiously ignoring him, I smiled at my stranger. “So, thanks for the drink, but—"
An arm reached around me and grabbed my drink. “She was just leaving.”
Furious, I spun around to see Mark toss back my remaining whiskey, slam the glass on the bar and tilt his head, with an “I dare you” look on his face. I turned away from him, only to find my stranger long gone.
I spun back around to face the smiling asshat. “What, in the hell, was that all about?”
“You didn’t really want to go home with that guy, did you? He looks like his mom still irons his pants and packs him a lunch every day.”
“What! He was a nice guy. And so what if he still lives at home. Lots of guys I know do.”
“That, my dear Ms. Murphy...” he leaned in close enough for me to inhale an intoxicating whiff of his all male cologne, “...is your problem. Your choice of men. You’re hanging out with boys, my dear, not men.”
He tipped his glass at the bartender, signaling another whiskey. “I’ll have a menu too then, please?”
The bartender pulled out a menu and I sat back down, trying my hardest to give him my best, evil stare down. “You’re eating?”
“Yes.”
Well, I was suddenly over this pub. I gathered my bag and hopped off the stool.
“Heading home?”
“Why do you care? I’m not speaking to you, remember?”
“Sounds like you’re talking to me now?”
“Ugh, you’re infuriating.”
He laughed and my girly bits sent a spark of warmth around my downtown. “I’ve been told that a time or two.”
He placed his order and pulled out his cell phone, effectively ignoring me. I gathered up my purse, slung it across my shoulders and tried to leave. I say tried, because as I was walking away, my hand lightly brushed his and for some reason, I full stopped. My heart hurt, my body was alive and my eyes closed, savoring the feeling of a connection I wasn’t expecting.
I looked down and his hand had caught mine and his thumb was softly drawing circles around my index finger. Time slowed and I knew I was getting invested in the outcome of being with this man. What I didn’t know was if he was feeling the same way. This gentle contact was my first indicator he was just as affected by me as I was by him.
“I thought you were leaving?”
“I am.”
“I also thought you weren’t talking to me anymore.”
“I’m not.”
He dropped my hand and I turned to face him. He smiled and winked and the heat went to level nine and my irritation to level ten. “Did you just wink at me? What is wrong with you?”
He only started smiling harder, if that was even a thing. It was driving me crazy and not in the traditional sense. The more he laughed, the more he smiled the more my insides melted and my heart took another step towards total control over my brain. It was DEFCON 1, people. I needed to scram.
The server decided right then was a great time to bring Nixon his dinner. Oh man, it was fish and chips. My absolute favorite. My stomach chose that time to give of the loudest growl, just to join my heart in giving my brain the finger.
“Hungry?”
“No.”
He just shook his head and shoved the plate over ever so slightly. The smell of malt vinegar, salt and grease mixed with the slight scent of fish and the sea had my stomach performing an encore, this time, much, much louder. I leaned in, closed my eyes and took another whiff.
“Jesus, would you sit down and eat? It’s like you haven’t eaten in days.”
“I may not have. I’ve been busy and when I’m busy, I kind of forget to eat. And yes, I know I sound like one of those girls, but I’m not. I like to eat. I eat, okay? I just, sometimes get so wrapped up in what I’m doing, and drinking so much coffee that I kind of just stop eating. And now, it looks like my brain and stomach are finally on the same page.”
He laughed softly and signaled to the bartender to order another plate of fish and chips and I resigned myself to yet another night of fighting between my heart and brain. With every interaction, it was getting harder and harder, but I needed to keep reminding myself that this guy deceived me. Big time. And he was my main client. Oh, and the big one: he probably wasn’t interested.
I pulled the plate all the way over to my spot and dug in. Oh my God. Nothing better. I sighed and was pretty sure my eyes were rolling back in my head with ecstasy.
“You need to stop that.”
I turned to see he was looking at me with an odd intensity. “Stop what?”
“Enjoying your food. I’m having a hard time remembering why I’m not supposed to be attracted to you.”
Oh boy. That right there was dangerous. I had no idea what to do with that information, other than continue to fill my face with fries. I turned away from him and intently started eating with a single-minded focus I wasn’t often able to pull out of myself.
I could hear him squirming beside me, but refused to look at him. This mad, crazy attraction between us was putting us both off balance it seemed.
His food finally came and we both silently ate while pretending that the other wasn’t there. I finished up and washed it all down with the remainder of my beer. I threw enough cash to cover the bill and hopped off my stool and headed out the door.
The cool night air felt amazing against my overheated body and I was yet again reminded of how much I loved this city I now lived in. I could smell the sea in the air and all around me. Galway pulsed with a vibe that you had to experience to understand. I let out a huge amount of oxygen that was suddenly sucked right back in.
I had made the decision to move to Galway on a whim. All my siblings had landed in Kerry when our mom died, but I was the kid who always had to stray a little bit further. I took a trip up the Wild Atlantic Way as far as Galway, and stopped. The vibrant colors, the cobbled streets and the thriving music scene lured me in, but the people and the personality of the city made me decide to settle here and open a business.
You could walk in the city center and never tire of the welcoming shops, pubs and citizens. Even though I hadn’t been here long enough to grow any strong friendships, I knew that everyone I met treated me like an old friend. Actually, this was often true anywhere I’d travelled in this country, but in Galway,
there was something else. I couldn’t explain it, but it was here.
He was also here. I could feel him. He wasn’t right beside me, but he was close by. The weird thing was it wasn’t giving me the creepy stalker vibe, but the safe, protected vibe. Damn, I was turning into one of those girls I couldn’t stand. Oh please, stay close by so I can feel so safe and taken care of. Barf.
I picked up the pace as my building came into view. He was so not coming in. Only heartbreak happened every time he got close.
“I’m coming in.”
I stopped, tripped on a cobblestone and fell right into his waiting arms. Damn, I had wanted to give him a very large piece of my mind. I repelled myself off him and sorted myself out, trying hard to find my wandering dignity. When I turned back to finish my thoughts and let him know he wouldn’t be coming in, he wasn’t there. Whipping around, I found him lounging against my front door.
“How in the hell?”
He didn’t answer, just held out his hand for my keys, which, like the mature person I was, I shoved behind my back. He pushed off the door, prowling towards me, matching each step I took backwards away from him with a slow, measured stride.
This was my home! What was happening? How had this night gotten so turned around? Why was I retreating from this guy? I was Keeva Murphy, for shit’s sake. I didn’t take to intimidation well, so why was I letting Mark make me feel this way? I probably knew the answer to that if I was honest with myself, but for now, I was going with righteous indignation.
“Okay, well, thanks for walking me home...” I shoved past him, “...but, I’m all good. Right and tight. Just gonna head to bed and read a good book. You can go now and thanks ever so much for walking me home.”
I heard him sigh heavily behind me and froze. Looking up from where I was I was hit with a sense of longing so fierce for this man that I struggled to see past it. I stood still while he took a single step towards me, gently sending his right hand down my arm, skimming my fingers, sending shivers up my body from this small point of contact.
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