Page 14 of Watched

“Sure was.”

He lifts his eyes, staring through his brows. And fuck, it’s only making my cock thicken. “Why?”

I lean forward, clasping my hands on the table. “He was targeting you and your team. I thought you would be happy I assisted in removing someone who was targeting you.”

“I don’t need your assistance in anything.” His thick, pink lips roll between his teeth, those captivating eyes moving from the silver chain draped around my neck to the Patek watch on my wrist.

“Like it?” I ask.

His gaze cuts back to mine. “I’m not impressed by your watch.”

“Not what I asked.”

“No, I don’t like it. I also don’t like spoiled rich kids who walk around with a chip on their shoulder, believing they can have whatever they want.”

My lips turn up in a smile. “Anything I have or want, I work for.”

His Adams apple bobs. “I-I didn’t mean—”

“I’m not offended. You aren’t the first to take a look at what I wear and assume it’s all because of my father’s money.” He sinks back into the chair, gaze lowering to his lap. “I’m sure people assume the same about you.”

The apprehensive flutter of his lashes is bewitching. “Please, just let me leave. I truly don’t feel well, Rain,” he whispers.

An audible groan tumbles from my lips, and my cock twinges at hearing him say my name for the first time. “I can suck you off. Might make you feel better.” His head snaps up, eyes horrifyingly wide. “That was a joke, baby.”

“You lack humour.” He leans forward. “Let. Me. Leave.”

“Fine,” I groan, pushing my seat back to stand. “I’ll leave, and then whenever you decide it’s been long enough, you leave. I’ll be watching to make sure you get home.”

“I know your name now. I’ll go back to the police about you.”

“Go ahead.”

Chapter eight

RAIN

I’ve always been intrigued by computers; I started reading about them when I was five and fell down the rabbit hole. My parents brought me on vacation to London when I was twelve. They wanted me to see the city and learn its history.

While we were in Dad’s company office—which was The Weston, before his merger with Shane five years ago—I was on my laptop and got bored. I proceeded to bypass every honey pot they had and hack their servers, displaying a message on every computer and television screen that read, useless.

In my twelve-year-old brain, that one word was fucking hilarious, but I still stand by my statement. Dad knew it was me, and although I got scolded for it, he had me set them up with a more secure network to ensure no one else could ever get in.

Given my impeccable intellect, I could have skipped most of my schooling, but my doctor fought my parents, urging I complete each grade to better develop my social skills. My father certainly wasn’t thrilled at the idea—he wanted me in college by age thirteen—but my mother thought it best we follow the doctor’s recommendation. Dad once argued with Mum that I was stripped of being the next ‘child protégé.’ Mum argued I should enjoy being young, and learn how to better socially interact, make friends, have fun.

To satiate my mother’s concerns about my lack of emotional intelligence, I read every book about making friends, social interactions, and emotions I could get my hands on. My newfound information was easily understood but harder to implement.

I have empathy, an abundance of it truthfully, and I absolutely feel remorse.

The doctors assured my parents some gifted children often lack the ability to recognise social cues, but I eventually learnt them. Throughout school, I became what my father always wanted: a bright and gifted child with an award-winning smile and the charm to match.

By senior year, I had one hundred percent on every test, and the principal had my media teacher become my advisor. I was given access to grade certain tests and assignments—it would look good on a college application alongside my other extra-curricular activities, though I wasn’t planning on going. I wanted Ezra Smith as my advisor because of his knowledge of a computer. I learnt a lot from Ezra Smith.

Despite my dislike for tertiary education, Dad forced me and Blade to complete our business degrees at a local university when we moved to London. We would only step foot on campus for tests or exams; the rest we completed online. While I was there, I crossed notes with other IT students, and the extra knowledge allowed me to do things like watch Rome through his laptop camera while he talks to Xander—which I’m currently doing as I send him another text.

Me: You can’t ignore me forever.

He purchased a new phone and demanded a new number, but that didn’t stop me from hacking their system to discover it.