The image of getting down on one knee next to Seven after breakfast one day is so clear in my mind that it’s almost like a memory. Or a vision of what’s to come. I smile thinking about how shocked she’d be if I actually did that one day. I love seeing that look on her face, when she’s surprised or delighted by something.
“You seem to have given this some thought,” Tank says.
I regret thinking out loud when I notice the others exchanging glances. “That doesn’t mean I’m getting married any time soon. I’m just saying.”
“Is your friend the reason behind this sudden change of heart?” Finn asks.
He’s just teasing, I can tell by the twinkle in his eye but I answer seriously anyway.
“Maybe. I’m seeing a lot of things differently since she came around.”
Tank takes another long pull on his beer. “The right woman will do that to you. I know I was a wreck earlier but that’s because I was nervous about screwing up Em’s perfect wedding. Was I nervous about marrying her? Not at all.”
His candid answer is a little unnerving. What is it like to trust someone so completely? There’s so much about Seven that I still don’t know and even though I want to trust her, all my instincts are telling me that something isn’t right. There’s something going on with her and I have to figure out what it is.
“Is everything okay, Luke?”
All eyes swing to me and I squirm under the scrutiny. At least it’s just my brothers. The girls have long ago abandoned us and are clustered at one of the tables oohing and aahing over something Josie is showing them on her camera.
“You know you can talk to us if you need to.”
Zack nudges me in the side. “Come on, I’m sorry for razzing you earlier. It’s all in fun.”
Having people to confide in isn’t something I’m used to but I find myself ready to take a chance. I do need advice and my brothers are exactly the kind of guys who would understand.
I shake my head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just … Have you ever liked someone, a girl, you weren’t sure you could trust?”
Tank leans forward. “You don’t trust your friend? Why?”
Of course he narrows in on the real deal right away. That’s Tank for you. He gets right to the point and doesn’t suffer bullshit. But maybe that’s exactly what I need right now. I’ve been dancing around the problem, too afraid to examine why I don’t trust Seven yet. It’s more than just her weird behavior this afternoon. It’s a gut feeling that I can’t explain.
“Yeah. I didn’t tell you the whole story that day when you met her. The reason the FBI came and got me that day was because of her.”
While I briefly summarize the entire meeting with Agent Walker and everything that happened after, Tank listens intently. Then he holds up a hand.
“Hold on. You said you went to the hotel and got her laptop and suitcase, right?”
“Yeah. That was all she brought with her.”
He narrows his eyes. “But I thought you said she was busted by the FBI for hacking into something?”
“Yeah, she was.”
“If she was hacking into something, wasn’t she using her computer then?”
I open my mouth to reply and then shut it just as quickly. “Which would mean that her laptop would still be in FBI custody.”
Finn and the other guys look confused as hell. Finally Zack asks, “What does that mean?”
I glance at him and then back to Tank who nods slowly.
“It means that my instincts are right. She’s lying to me.”
†
The rest of the guys are dancing and Seven appears to be having a good time with Sasha and the girls. I’m surprised to see her socializing so easily since I know that’s hard for her. But then again Sasha has a way of making everyone feel comfortable.
It’s so strange now to look back at how tongue-tied I used to be around her. When we first met, I had a huge crush on her but now I just see Gabe’s girl. My future sister-in-law. Then I look over at Seven and I see all these possibilities. Even though I know she’s not telling me the whole truth, I just can’t believe that she’s actually trying to hurt me. My gut is telling me she’s being pushed into something against her will. I just don’t know why.
Yet.
I leave the main dining room and wander back down the hall to the rooms where we got dressed. This restaurant is set up with several lounge areas which is great when you need a bit of quiet to think. The only information I have to work with here is that Seven’s story of being arrested by the FBI doesn’t make sense. Thinking back on that day, I puzzle over how that could be true. Agent Walker himself is the one who told me she was arrested.
Agent Walker.
“Son of a bitch.”
I stand, pacing as the pieces of a theory start to come together. Agent Walker came into my life not just because I was accused of something but because he needed me. He needed my skills to help him close his cases. He’s not a bad guy but he’s all about the bottom line. His goal is to get information and he’ll use anything or anyone he has to in order to accomplish that.
When my father first came back into my life, Agent Walker asked if I’d had any contact with him and what I knew about him. I told him that I’d never even met my father before. I could tell he didn’t believe me.
Due to my skills, he was probably assuming that I’d dig into my father’s background and find all the dirt for them and then just hand it over. When that didn’t happen, he wasn’t happy about it but there wasn’t anything he could do. He’s tried to hack me before and failed every time.
I should have known he’d find a better way.
“Luke? What are you doing back here? You should be up front enjoying the party.” Tank’s mother takes a seat on one of the lounge chairs. She looks exhausted. I know she’s been recovering from cancer.
“Yes, ma’am. I was just—” That’s when I notice what’s sticking out of the top of her bag. “Is that a laptop?”
She glances down. “Yes, isn’t it cute? Tank just gave it to me last month.”
“I hate to ask but I really need to check my email. Would you mind if I borrowed it? I’ll bring it right back.”
“Of course. Go right ahead.” She hands it over and I take it to the couch across the room so I don’t disturb her with my typing. It’s a pretty basic model but I don’t need much. I can log on to my server remotely and access whatever I need.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done this but desperate times call for desperate measures. I pull up the last email I received from my father’s assistant. I remember his bank’s name from the legal paperwork so I quickly rip the html source from the legit site and use it to craft an official-looking email claiming she’s been locked out of her bank access.
I modify the source to send any login credentials entered to one of my dummy websites. If she tries to click on anything other than the log in space, it won’t work and she’ll probably figure out that something is off. Hopefully she’ll take the bait and I won’t have to resort to more invasive methods to get her password. I close out of everything and delete the history before logging off.
“Here you go. Thank you.” I put the laptop back in her bag.
Tank’s mother nods and then closes her eyes again. I let myself out as quietly as possible.
I just broke who knows how many laws all because I have the vague idea that Seven’s in trouble. I don’t know what Agent Walker is holding over her head but I’m pretty sure he’s using her against me in some way. I’m pissed that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me so I could help her. But trust is something we can work on.
First, I need to give the FBI something they want so they’ll leave her alone.
†