Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
“You would’ve found my secret eventually on your own. But I suppose it was time to stop the charade.”
She turns and glares at me. “The coffee shop? My car battery getting messed up?”
I shrug. “I knew you’d be there, and I know how to take the power connections on and off a battery. I also knew that you can find your way through a server full of traps and firewalls, but you don’t know the first thing about how cars work. It was simple, really.”
“You set this whole thing up?” The disbelief in her voice is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Of course.” I wave a hand at the screens. “I’ve been following Duffy for quite a while. Her outfit takes down certain criminals and leaves others that she finds too dangerous or too difficult to get to. She doesn’t even tell you about those, which I respect. She wants to keep you safe, and so do I. But those criminals can’t just walk away–especially not when they’ve padded their pockets with someone else’s retirement money or extorted it from innocent people or even did an old-fashioned hack and theft. I find them, and I make them pay.”
“That’s why Duffy wants you.” She backs away toward the stairs.
“She’s guessed about me, yes. But she doesn’t have any evidence, nothing on me. At least, not until now.” I stare at her pointedly. “You know the truth, and you work for her. You’ve done the job she asked you to do by figuring out what I do and why I make sure my steps are untraceable.”
Warring emotions cross her face, and I move toward her again. I can’t help myself.
“Let’s go upstairs. I’ll make you something to eat, and you can ask me anything and everything.”
She holds a hand out to keep me back. My heart cracks a little at her defensive posture.
“No. I need to think. I need to …” She shakes her head. “Everything is all out of order. I have to put it back straight.”
“Maggie, I can help.” I try again, but she climbs the stairs backwards.
“Just let me go.”
“No.” I follow her.
“Owen!” She turns and sprints up the stairs.
I stay close on her heels, and she whirls as she gets to the hall, pressing her back to the wall and keeping her eyes on me. “I’m leaving.”
“No.” I step to her.
She gasps and looks up, her eyes wide. “You can’t keep me here.”
I rest my hand at her throat, and she doesn’t fight me. Doesn’t move away. Instead, her lips part as she looks up at me, her pupils dilating.
“I know you’re confused.” I lean closer to her, our lips only a breath away. “I didn’t want you to find out like this, but you did come to my house with a sledgehammer.” I brush my lips against hers. “Which is extremely reckless and fucking sexy.”
“This is crazy,” she murmurs, her eyelids fluttering. “Totally psycho.”
“I know. That’s why it’s perfect.” I kiss her hard, staking my claim. With Maggie, I’ll never give up, never give in, and never let her go.
19
MAGGIE
My mind races in a thousand different directions as Owen’s mouth devours mine. This man is crazy obsessed with me. So much so that he’s been stalking me for a while based on how many photos he had of me. I mean, most people would probably think he’s psycho, but I find it endearing. I know I should probably be frightened. That’s the exact opposite of what I am. I think I’ve hit the damn jackpot.
“We can’t,” I say between kisses. “I’ve got, like, questions.” Owen’s hands go to my ass, lifting me off my feet. I instinctively wrap my legs around him. I mean, look–I may want some answers, but I’m not going to pass up a chance to cling to him.
“Ask away.” He carries me up the stairs while nibbling at my neck. It’s hard to think when he does that. Owen gently places me onto his bed. “So no questions?” He smirks.
I smack his chest. “Don’t be smug. I’m the smug one here.” I scramble to my knees. Owen pulls his shirt off over his head. My mouth falls open. This man is so distracting. He’s perfection, even with the scar on his left shoulder. “What’s that?” I reach out and run my fingers across it.
“Bullet.” His answer is straight to the point.
“Right,” I mutter. “But you have chickens and a cat.” Owen is gentle and sweet.
“And now I have you.” A deadly glint flashes in his eyes. “Hacking wasn’t always my specialty. I’ve done plenty of ruthless things, bad things.”
“I have no clue who you are.” I think that’s the first time I’ve ever said that to anyone. Usually, I’m able to uncover anything I want about people. A person’s digital trail can tell you so much about who they are.