Jaded (Jaded #1)

“What are you doing?” I asked and moved behind him.

“The guys were…just before I got punched the tech guy was telling me that it was weird because there was already a feed going on in the house. I didn’t think about until…”

“They didn’t say anything,” Corrigan spoke up. “I told them just to fix the video where you told them and not worry about it.”

“Yeah, but,” Bryce frowned. His fingers went to work on the keyboard.

I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Are you a geek?” Corrigan asked.

Bryce rolled his eyes. “Luca has a thing for this stuff. Playing one on one with him—he tends to ramble about this stuff. I’ve picked up some of it after shooting hoops with my brother for years.”

I arched an eyebrow. “That’s a nice skill to suddenly come in handy right now.”

“Shut up,” Bryce snapped.

I grinned.

“Seriously.” Corrigan shifted closer. “What are you doing?”

“The other feed is bothering me. It could’ve been the other alarm system. They didn’t remove it. I told them just to use the old wires, because they were already there, but…what if…”

He hit a last button and my eyes filled in horror.

Bryce finished, numbly, “What if…an alarm system wasn’t installed the last time…”

My insides hurled as I saw images of myself on the computer screens. In the shower. On the couch. In bed, sleeping…and…my eyes fixed on the bottom screen where Bryce pistoned into me. We were both grasping the bed in desperation and instead of the remembered passion from that night, disgust rolled over me in waves.

“That’s the night…”I swallowed, but forced myself to finish. “That’s the night…”

Bryce finished my thought, “…of the candlelight vigil.”

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

I shot to the bathroom and emptied my stomach that had been filled with nothing.

I stayed there, even after a tentative knock sounded at the door. Someone shuffled in, saw my ashen features through their drunken glaze and shuffled back out.

I held onto the toilet and rested my forehead against my arm.

I don’t know how long I stayed there, but it was long enough for Bryce to have regained control over himself. Or—that’s what I assumed when he entered the bathroom, silently locked the door, and curled around me. He rested his arms on both sides of me and dipped his forehead against my back.

Neither of us said a word, but the images flashed through me. I saw every single time where I had thought my home was private, where I was alone. And everytime my stomach rolled from the violation.

“Did…,” my voice cracked. “Did you guys stop the feeds?”

Bryce heaved a deep breath and said, “No.”

It took me another moment before I was able to formulate a rational response, but I asked, “Why not?”

“Because…” I wasn’t the only one fighting for composure. Bryce trembled, just barely, but he managed out, “Corrigan called Hoodum. He’s got a technical guy that might be able to follow this feed to wherever it’s going.”

My throat dried.

“Are you saying…this stuff could get leaked to Hoodum?” I asked.

“No. Hoodum won’t do anything with it. Corrigan will make sure and Hoodum’s already agreed. The guy’s supposed to just follow it back to where it’s transferring somewhere and that’s it. He’s supposed to find the address and hand it over.”

“How can we be sure? Not a lot of trust going on with me.”

“Because…we don’t know, but we both know that Corrigan will kill Hoodum if this is leaked.”

I rested my forehead on my arm and Bryce scooted closer behind me. His arms tightened and he rested his head in the crook of my shoulder. I felt him breath my neck when he murmured, “He’s gonna fry. You know that.”

I sighed, but it didn’t help.

“He’s already seen…” So much. Too much. “Can…” A worse thought came to mind. “…was there sound?”

“No,” Bryce whispered in my ear.

So he didn’t hear everything, not everything…

“God,” I choked out again.

Bryce took a deep breath, “If…”

“Don’t!” I said sharply and shoved him off. I stood up, suddenly fed up with feeling the victim. “I want to know who this guy is and I’m going to kill him before the police get here.”

Bryce stood, slowly, and watched me tentatively. Cautious. He reminded me, “They are parked outside.”

“I know.” We’d just have to get around it.

I led the way back into the small room and saw Corrigan bent over the computer keyboard with another guy speedily punching the buttons. Both of them glanced up, caught our gaze, froze for a moment, and then returned to their work. I stood in front of the screens and watched. I wanted each image branded into me. I wanted to see what he’d done to me when I was going to do what I needed to do, to him.

Bryce kept his eyes on me, but he circled beside Corrigan.