CHAPTER 1
Gavin
3:27 am.
The numbers on my alarm clock glowed neon in the dead of night as I shook off the dregs of my recurring nightmare and rolled out of bed, yet another night’s sleep ruined. Rattled as I was, there was no point in trying to get back to sleep, and so I found myself, once again, staring into my bright computer screens, tapping away on my keyboard, and ignoring the very real fact that I had a problem that wouldn’t go away—a problem that had been haunting me for far too long.
If I was going to be up, I might as well get some work done—and that meant working out the bugs in my latest program. It was a slight departure from the security work my tech company tackled, but had the potential to change the lives of those most vulnerable… the ones who fell through the cracks… the ones that others had forgotten… the ones even the Feds had a hard time tracking.
The dark web traded in blood and people’s misery—and I wanted to break its back.
My business partner, Kane, thought I was insane to even attempt it, though he was happy to leave me to my hacking and my delusions. I knew there was a good chance the criminals might just burrow deeper, but I still might manage to save some lives in the meantime.
Like this one here…
I knew it was a hit of some sort, and though the details were sketchy and I hadn’t figured them out yet—I would because someone’s life depended on it.
After copying the ad and all the data associated with it, I eliminated the hit, but only after I managed to put up some smoke and mirrors, so that whoever put up the ad would still think it was active. That would buy me a little more time before they figured out that something had gone wrong with the post, and they’d have to put up a new one.
Though I didn’t know when the hit might take place, the clock was ticking down for this person, since I had no doubt another post would eventually go up. The information was encrypted on someone’s server, so I tweaked my code and ran it, hoping I’d get through the levels of security and find more information this time around.
And there it was… a name.
Charlie Wenham.
I didn’t know what good ole Charlie had done, but someone had gone to a fair bit of trouble to put out a hit on him. Gathering what other information I could get off the post, I ran the info to see who I was dealing with, and why anyone would want them dead.
And… that was not what I’d been expecting. Because Charlie wasn’t a he—he was a she.
Most definitely a she.
I groaned as my cock went hard at the mere sight of her. The girl was fucking adorable. There were a handful of pictures of her, though less than what one would expect from a woman in her mid to late twenties. There wasn’t a whole lot of her on social media either—a birthday party at work, a picture of her with her dog, and a picture of her at a breast cancer run with a group of friends.
I couldn’t keep my eyes from drifting to that last picture. Her long mahogany hair was in two braids, and she had on a hot pink tank top which showed off her generous curves. But it was her eyes, the color of candle-lit whiskey, and her hesitant smile that had me looking back at her, time and again.
Continuing my search, I couldn’t find anything in her past or present that turned up any red flags for me. So then, why in the hell did someone want her dead? It didn’t make any sense. This was not the sort of person people usually put hits out on.
I needed more time—time I didn’t have—and more information. Because one thing was for sure—the girl would be dead before long if I didn’t warn her.
With Thor in tow, I headed to the park just around the corner from Charlie’s home, knowing that since she had a dog and seemed to be fairly active, there was a good chance she’d probably take her dog for a walk, especially since it was a gorgeous Saturday morning. Beyond that, I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do, short of knocking on her door—which is exactly what I’d be forced into if my plan failed.
Yet I had no doubt that if I approached her and told her someone wanted her dead, she’d look at me like I was insane—and would likely think that I was the threat. But beyond casually running into her as a fellow dog owner, I hadn’t a fucking clue as to what came after that. I’d just have to keep my fingers crossed that she’d show up at some point, and that I’d be able to charm my way into her life and find a way to keep her safe.
I groaned at the thought of having to turn up the charm, since I wasn’t exactly the sort of guy who flirted with every woman I met—if at all. Though there was never any lack of interest from the women I came across, I tended to keep to myself, given my past. Not that I was completely anti-social. I couldn’t be when Kane insisted on dragging me out of my hole and forced me to socialize—though that happened less often now that he was busy with Anna, and they were starting their life together.
Yet seeing Kane and Anna so happy together reminded me of all that was missing in my own life, and the truth was, I wanted what they had. I wanted to find someone to share my life with… someone to wake up with every morning… someone to share life’s ups and downs. And though Thor was a great dog and technically fit the bill—someone a little less hairy and female was more of what I had in mind.
Someone I could fall in love with.
I got to the park bright and early the next day, not sure of her routine, and not wanting to miss her if she was the sort to get an early start to her day. Having already checked out the area, I positioned myself in the part of the park that was closest to her home, figuring she’d likely come this way. And in the meantime, Thor would get plenty of exercise playing fetch with his ball. He was still young and rambunctious, and had a tendency to get himself into trouble if he didn’t burn off some energy.
Knowing that she lived alone, I was relieved to see she lived in a nice area, and as a scientist at a biotech company, she certainly had a decent job. But none of that would matter if I couldn’t find a way to keep her safe.
I tossed the ball for a few hours, and was starting to think that I’d have to think of another way to “accidentally” bump into her, when Thor’s ears perked up and a shepherd mix came bolting towards us, looking to play.
And wouldn’t you know it… there she was, chasing after her pup. She caught up to it and grabbed the mutt by the collar, pulling her back. “So sorry about that. She’s friendly—and usually she’s better behaved.”
“Don’t worry about it. Nothing tires them out like playing with another dog. And Thor… he’s so big that most other dog owners freak out about it, and won’t let their dogs play with him. But honestly, he’s just a big goofball. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I aimed for my most charming smile, hoping that I didn’t look like an idiot.
“I’ll admit, he’s scary huge.” She let out an adorable laugh as her eyes lit up, and I swear, I may have fallen in love—just a little. “I totally get it though. Ripley gets a bit of that, though she looks tiny compared to Thor—and great name by the way, especially for a dog that big.”
I might be reaching with my guess, but she had on a vintage Firefly T-shirt, and I had a feeling... “Thanks. And… Ripley? It’s not from Aliens, is it?”
“As a matter of fact, it is.” Fucking hell, she had a great smile that made her eyes sparkle and come to life. “Color me impressed.”
“I’m Gavin Reid by the way.” So far, this was going a hell of a lot better than I’d expected.
“Charlie Wenham. My dad… he wanted a boy…” And just like that, the light in her eyes dimmed. But she shrugged it off, managing a bit of a smile as she tilted her head towards our dogs as they played and leapt around, trying to get one another to give chase. “Looks like they’re having a good time.”
“If Ripley can tire out that beast of mine, I’ll be indebted to you.” I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jeans, hoping it’d kill the urge I had to reach out and touch her. No one had ever had this sort of effect on me before.
“Indebted, huh?” A blush crept across her cheeks, making her even more adorable. “I haven’t seen you here before…”
I didn’t want to lie to her, knowing that I’d have to tell her the whole story before long, and it’d bite me in the ass if I gave her any reason not to trust me. “I live about three towns over, but the park near us gets a bit crowded, and this one had great reviews on the dog park site.”
“Guess that’s not too far away to travel if it makes your dog happy.” She shot me another charming smile, leaving me not only smitten, but wondering why the hell anyone would want her dead.
“He’s so happy here, I might have to make this our new park.” I’d happily make the twenty-minute trip if it meant getting to see Charlie again.
“I think Ripley would love that.”