Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
5
GREY
I grinned at Lorelei’s stunned expression as she took in my Secret Sanctuary. Sure, I couldn’t fly or anything, but I liked to think my skills qualified me to be a member of the Justice League.
“Remember I told you about the skills Kesha encouraged me to develop?” Lorelei nodded, still taking in her surroundings. “I’ve been writing code since I was five. My dad used to play this really old text-based computer game, and I’d sit on his lap and watch. Then one day, I decided it was too boring without pictures. I’d seen videos about building games, and the next time my dad left me alone with his computer, I rewrote the game. Kesha came in and saw me playing it. She watched me for a while, then asked if she could play too. I—”
My phone beeped again, and I winced, remembering why we’d come down there in the first place. I’d almost forgotten. “I have to take care of this. Come sit with me, and I’ll keep explaining.”
Lorelei let me lead her over to a large desk and sat in the chair I pulled up for her. I followed suit in my big, leather desk chair and opened my laptop. I typed for a few moments before glancing up at one of the walls of monitors. Since I was filtering through security footage, and the computer would alert me when it found something, I went back to focusing on my woman.
I told her about how Kesha talked my parents into enrolling me in a computer class for kids, but I got bored quickly. By the time I was in high school, I’d built unhackable encryptions for the government. This was when they realized I’d hacked it first…but Kesha convinced them I needed to see their weakness before I could build a suitable defense, which was somewhat true.
Lorelei listened without comment, although she did giggle at a few of my stories. I also told her how I’d become a Silver Saint. “They typically classify me as a grey hat hacker, which is how I ended up with the road name Grey. I’ve always been good with numbers, so I’ve played the stock market too and…” Too much detail would probably bore her, so I simplified. “I’m just very good at what I do, so I’ve been able to…keep myself outfitted with everything I need to do my job.” That was a bit of an understatement. I didn’t live like it, but I was worth a fuck of a lot of money. Living in a mansion with a fleet of cars, servants, and fake people was not my scene. I did have one vice, though. Other than my state-of-the-art Secret Sanctuary, nicknamed by my cousin, I owned seven motorcycles.
The computer beeped, and I swiveled around to look at the laptop screen. The program had located the car I’d been searching for. I copied some location markers so a couple of brothers would be able to follow the path and catch up with the vehicle. After sending the info to Hack, one of my brothers who owned a cybersecurity firm that hired me as a consultant from time to time. The guys who would be tasked with finding the motherfucker who’d boosted a shipment worked for Hack, so he’d pass the information along.
I was about to turn off my computer so I could focus on Lorelei when my cell rang with the ring tone for my prez. Fucking hell.
“Yo,” I answered.
“Cash filled me in,” he growled. Shit. I realized that my obsession with Lorelei had made me forget to check in with the prez and let him know what was happening with us. “He also said you took yourself a hostage.” This time, there was laughter in his tone, and I realized he was needling me. Cash had obviously told Mac about my reaction to Lorelei, and since he’d reacted pretty much the same way when he met his old lady, Bridget, he understood. “She the one?” he clarified.
“Damn straight,” I muttered.
“Good. Now, did everything go to plan with the false trail you laid for Cash and Karina?”
I put on my headset and went back to my computer, my fingers flying over the keyboard. “Found a new article about the hotel I’d checked them into being trashed. Had a couple of buddies from the Cobra Wraiths drop some shit in the room to make it look like someone was actually staying there. So I’m gonna say yes.”
Mac grunted in approval, then he asked, “You at home?”
“Yeah.”
“Send me her name, and I’ll get one of the old ladies to put it on a vest. When shit blows over, someone will bring it to you.”
“Thanks.”
Mac grunted again and hung up. The prez was a scary motherfucker that no one wanted to mess with. He was a cold, calculated son of a bitch except when it came to the Silver Saints old ladies. Mac had been head over heels and obsessed with his woman from the moment he laid eyes on her.