But as sweet as that sounds, the things I’m working for mean more to me than my own comfort. Anything else is just a fantasy.

“So, where are we going?”

Luke fastens his seatbelt and waits until I do the same before he pulls out of the parking lot. I’ve never been to Virginia before but West Haven reminds me of several of the small towns in New Jersey where I lived as a kid. Lots of trees, cute little houses that look like they hold happy little families.

Places I never belonged.

“My apartment is close by. I usually hang out at the diner just so that my mom isn’t alone at night. But now I’ve hired her private security, which she doesn’t know about.” He glances at me.

“Hey, I won’t tell her.”

“So I don’t have to stick around as late anymore. My brothers recommended I do that last year and it’s taken a lot of stress off my mind.”

We take a few more turns and then he pulls up in front of a modern apartment complex. Considering what I know about his situation, it’s not as fancy as I was expecting but then maybe Luke is like I am. Saving his money for more important things than impressing others.

I follow him inside and up two flights of stairs. He opens the last door on the hall and ushers me inside. There’s a small lamp burning on the side table next to a beige couch. The rest of the apartment is dark.

Luke walks around, turning on lights and then sits down on the couch. Unsure of where to go, I perch on the edge of the cushion next to him. All of my stuff is still back at my hotel.

“You could have used anybody’s name for your emergency contact. So, why me? After that email, I was pretty sure you didn’t want us to meet.”

I close my eyes, fighting exhaustion. When I open them, Luke is watching me. His dark eyes make me feel things. Things I’m not ready to examine just yet. But he deserves an explanation, especially after the way I blew him off.

“When we first met online, all those years ago, it was at a time when I’d just been put into a new foster home. Remember when I told you that I don’t like staying in the same place for too long?”

He nods slowly, his eyes following my every move. I can feel him assessing me, trying to figure me out. “I remember. I figured you just didn’t want to be tied down.”

“Being tied down isn’t the problem. I’ve just never had anyone who wanted me to stay. The first family was fine until they took custody of their nephew. Then they couldn’t keep us both.”

He shakes his head. “Sorry. That sucks.”

“I was moved around to a lot of different situations that were temporary for various reasons but as I got older, it was harder and harder to place me. And when things got really bad …”

My hand goes up to my cheek again and Luke’s eyes follow the movement. His jaw clenches. Suddenly, he doesn’t look so easygoing anymore.

“Someone hurt you?” he growls.

“One of my foster fathers … I accidentally knocked over his drink. And, well, the bottle was handy, I guess.”

His face twists into a mask of outrage. I look away, unnerved by the display of such raw emotion. This is why I don’t discuss my past. It’s just too hard.

“I don’t know why I just told you that. I don’t talk about this stuff. Ever. Anyway, after that my grandmother took us in until she died. She had a lot of health problems but she did her best. Those were good years.”

His head falls forward. “Seven … I didn’t know it was like that.”

“No one did. But you helped me through it.”

His face betrays his shock. “I didn’t do anything. I mean, fuck. I wish I’d known how bad it was and maybe I could have helped. I don’t know how but … I would have done something.”

He runs his hands through his hair, leaving his fists on top of his head. He looks so frustrated. His concern touches me.

“You did do something. You were my friend. No matter where they moved me, they couldn’t keep me away from a computer forever. You were the one place I could always come back to.”

“The one person you could call,” he says, echoing what I’d said to him earlier.

His face is so expressive. Every emotion shows in his eyes. He’s fighting some sort of internal battle and I know my deception has damaged the trust between us. But over the years, through all the bad stuff, our connection was the one thing I could count on always being there.

Waiting for him to decide whether to trust me is agony. But when it finally happens, I can see it in his eyes before he even opens his mouth. Even though it’s what I want, it’s also one of the most painful moments of my life because I know before it’s all over I’m just going to hurt him again.

He turns to me, his dark eyes intense. “So, tell me what happened with this job. Exactly what happened.”

†

He settles back into the couch to listen, resting one leg over his knee.

I’d really rather not recount the story but I can’t deny that I would be curious in his place. Especially since I’ve always been the savior in our relationship, strange as it is.

“I was contacted through my website to do a security analysis by a new company last week. The guy seemed legit on the phone and filled out my survey no problem.”

“What kind of things do you ask on the survey?”

“The usual stuff, you know. What their expectations are and what kind of security protocols they currently have in place. Usually that gives me enough information to devise a plan.”

He nods. “So after that, they asked you to come here?”

“Not at first. I attempted to access their server immediately, then tried the usual methods to gain access. I sent an email to one of the administrative assistants listed on their website claiming her account had been compromised and she needed to sign in immediately. She took the bait. It only took me ten minutes and I was in.”

Luke is nodding along with everything I’m saying. What I’m describing is hardly a sophisticated hack, just your standard phishing expedition. They’re so popular because they work the majority of the time unless you claim to be an African prince in possession of a stolen fortune. If you craft a phishing email well, you can gain access to almost anything.

“How did the warehouse come into it?” He stands suddenly. “Do you want some coffee? Tea? Sorry, I’m not a very good host.”

It’s funny that he thinks so when I’ve been more comfortable here than I am with anyone else. Talking to him in person feels just as natural as when we’ve chatted online. It’s so surreal to have a conversation and be able to watch his facial expressions and hear his tone of voice.

“No, I’m fine.” I stand and follow him into the kitchen. After he sets the coffee to brew, I pick back up the story I memorized beforehand. I have to tell it just right or it won’t pique his interest. Curiosity is the downfall of almost all hackers and Luke is no different.

It’s what I’m counting on.

“Anyway, I was scheduled to meet with them in the afternoon but I arrived a little early. I had already figured out how to get in to the system earlier but because I connected again from that location, that’s how the FBI knew where I was. I’m not surprised they were able to trace me but I wouldn’t have thought they could subpoena my IP address from the phone company that fast.”

“They have priority so they can move pretty quickly when they need to,” Luke comments absently.

“Yeah, I figured that out when they burst through the door. Scared the hell out of me.”

He pulls down a mug from one of the cabinets. “It’s all going to be okay. You know that, right? Agent Walker is intense but I’ve worked with him a few times before and he’s fair. Mostly, anyway. They’ll find who hired you. But I bet we find them first.”

I pretend to think about it for a few minutes. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Will you get in trouble? I’m sure the FBI doesn’t like anyone poking around their investigations.”