Chapter Four
Cora was so engrossed with work she almost missed her phone ringing. She had been writing codes all day for other clients and blocking a hacker from getting into her new client, Alejandro’s accounts. She didn’t know what was so special about it, but every firewall she had put up the hacker seemed to break through them. She thought she finally put up enough walls to keep them out for good.
“This is Cora,” she answered her phone.
“Ms. St. James,” a smooth heavily accented voice said on the other line.
“Hello, Mr. Ferrera,” Cora tried to sound upbeat, but she was exhausted. After blocking the hacker and working around the clock, she was in desperate need of sleep. A glance at the clock confirmed it was getting late and she had been sitting at her computer for eleven hours. “How can I help you?” She hoped he didn’t know about the hacker.
“I’ve been told there are problems with the security system you are using, and I was almost…how you say? Hacked.”
“No, Sir,” she quickly assured him. She had never been hacked before and she wasn’t about to start now. “There was a minor incident today, but I handled it. Your accounts are safe.”
“I hope so, mi querido. I don’t trust easily, and you come highly recommended.”
“I have everything under control. I have new firewalls up now. No one will be able to get near your accounts again.”
“Good. I like you, Cora.” He rolled the r in her name making a purring sound. It made Cora nervous. She didn’t know how he could like her when he had never met her. “I would hate for anything to happen to you.”
Cora’s hackles went up. “Are you threatening me?” No one threatened a St. James. She had worked with some high official people around the world setting up their security, but no one had ever threatened her before. She didn’t like it.
Alejandro chuckled good-naturedly. “A mere warning, mi querido.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t care for it. Your accounts are safe. I protect all my client’s information. I have never been hacked before. Besides my clients, the only way to get their information is through my computer, and I am on it all the time. It is highly secured.” She snapped at him. No one threatened her. She didn’t care how much money he was paying her.
“I’m glad to hear that, mi querido.” Not in the least bit offended she yelled at him.
Cora was ready to be done with this conversation and go to bed. “Was there anything else, Mr. Ferrera?”
“No Ms. St. James. Buenas noches, mi querido.” Alejandro hung up leaving Cora dumbfounded. That had to be one of the most bizarre conversations ever. Cora rolled away from her desk and turned her head left and right trying to work the kink out. She stood up and popped her back.
Oh yeah, that felt better.
She rubbed her eyes and grimaced at how dry they were. Too many hours staring at the computer.
You’re going to go blind from all that staring at a screen; her mother used to tell her.
Cora went into the kitchen for a quick snack before bed since she hadn’t eaten in hours when a set of head lights shone through her windows and stopped in front of Ben's house. The headlights turned off as soon as the car parked. Strange. She didn't think Ben and Hannah were back from Portland yet.
Hannah was in Portland to be reunited with her family after being kidnapped a year and a half ago. She didn't think they would be back so soon. Ben was on a short R&R but said he would be back in a few days.
Cora shrugged her shoulders and pulled out a plate of leftovers when she heard the crashing sound of glass coming from the front of the house. Cora screamed in shock and dropped the plate of leftovers she had in her hand. She stumbled over the broken plate and made her way back to her office when she saw the window was smashed and a brick on the floor. Who on earth would do this? In the ten years, she had lived here nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Cora raced to her front door and looked out the peephole. The car that had been in front of Ben’s house was gone. Could whoever had been in the car done this? It didn’t make sense why they would come after her. She had never done a thing wrong in her life. She had never even gotten a speeding ticket. Ben was Delta Force; could someone have come after him but attacked her house instead, by mistake? Or was she just being paranoid and it was a teenager out joyriding? Whoever it was they were gone now. Cora turned away from the door to clean up the glass but hissed in pain when she stepped down on her right foot. Cora gasped in shock when she saw the blood trail from her kitchen into her office to the right of her then the front door. Cora picked up her foot and saw a piece of plate stuck in the bottom of her foot.
Well, crap.
It was wedged in there probably from her walking on it. Adrenaline had made her oblivious to it until now. Cora couldn’t afford to go to the emergency room, and she didn’t think she could pull it out herself. Cora sank back against the door and sighed. This was not her night. Why hadn’t she remembered to wear her house slippers out of all nights? Now, what was she going to do? Just then her doorbell rang. Who could that be at this hour? It couldn’t be Hannah. She was still in Portland with Ben reuniting with her family. It wouldn’t be whoever broke her window.
Cora pivoted and looked through the peephole and groaned. Liam. Why out of all people would he show up now? Didn’t he get the hint she didn’t want to see him? Cora opened the door only a crack, so he didn’t see any of her blood trails. If he saw it, he would insist on coming in and helping her. If she let him in, he wouldn’t want to leave. She couldn’t have that. He had already made sure she was okay after his commander’s attack and asked her out. Was he slowly wearing her down and hoping she would be swayed into dating him again? She contemplated ignoring the door, but Liam would know she rarely left the house and her mother would frown upon her for her rude manners. Decisions decisions. Cora’s foot throbbed reminding her she needed to get the piece of the plate out of her foot. But first, she had to get rid of Liam.
Cora opened the door and glared at him through the crack in her door. “What are you doing here, Liam? I told you to leave me alone.” That should get him to leave. It worked last time. Liam didn’t like confrontations.
“I know you did, but I need to talk to you,” he said almost out of breath.
“And it couldn’t wait until daytime?” Cora balanced her weight on one foot and felt the blood trickle down her foot. It almost tickled, but she didn’t dare move. Liam had hawk eyes and would notice her discomfort easily.
“This is really important.”
“I’m really tired, Liam.” She yawned for effect hoping he would take the hint.
“This will only take a minute. It’s about one of your clients.”
That statement ended her farce. “I don’t discuss my clients, Liam. You know that.”
“I know, but this is an unusual circumstance. If you will just give me a minute.” He tried pleading with her and stepping closer to her.
“No,” she snapped at him. “I have given you all the time I am willing to give. If this is your way of trying to get back together just forget it.”
“This isn’t about us,” he started to argue, but she caught him off.
“I don’t want to see you anymore. I don’t know how much clearer I can be about that. And I refuse to talk to you about my clients. Now goodnight, Liam, and goodbye.” And for the second time in two days, Cora closed the door in his face. It wasn’t any easier than the first.
She leaned her head against the door and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wiped it away furiously that she would cry over this man. Never again. She had wasted enough tears on him.
Cora pushed herself off the door and was starting to head back down the hall when her front door flew open. Cora turned around to see a six-foot pissed off Liam staring back at her. Damn, she had forgotten to lock the door after she closed it in his face.
“What the hell are you doing just barging into my house?” She tried to sound angry, but she was in to much pain.
“Your office window is broken,” he stated as if she didn’t already know. He looked down at her floors. “And you’re bleeding.”
Cora said calmly. "Someone threw a brick through the window which startled me, and I broke a plate and accidentally stepped on it. It’s deep in my foot. I’ll be fine though. I have a first aid kit and can take care of it myself.” Cora had always shown a tough girl exterior and didn’t like asking for help. Especially from an ex-boyfriend. The wound felt deep, and she would have a hell of a time pulling it out herself, but the thought of having to ask Liam for help or for him to touch her was something she would never ask.
“Let me help you. I don’t want you to further injure yourself.”
“I’m fine, just a little clumsy.” Hardly. She was never clumsy. Hopefully, Liam would forget about that.
“I don’t remember you being clumsy before.”
Cora sighed in anger. “Whether I am or not isn’t relevant now. I just need you to leave so I can clean up the mess, board the window and bandage my foot. So please, go away. We’ve already said all we need to say to one another.”