Page 65 of Silk and Sirens

I lit the cigarette and took a long drag, letting the smoke burn in my lungs before I exhaled it into the cold night air. My gaze swept the alley, making sure I was alone before I made the call.

“What’s the update?” I asked, keeping my tone calm.

“Same as this morning,” Hendrix grunted. “You calling every few hours isn’t going to make the code write itself faster.”

I bit back my reply. Hendrix had more than earned his reputation as one of the best. He walked the line between the Underworld and the law with ease, making him an asset I was willing to be patient with.

Not many people managed a double life as a cybercrime detective while still operating as an experienced hacker on the dark net.

“The data’s coming in,” he continued, “I can nuke anything tied to the Beast. But if you want this done properly, I need a RAT in their system. Full access.”

I frowned, dragging in another breath of smoke. “And how exactly are you planning to do that?”

“That’s the issue. I need an initial foothold, preferably on Selene’s personal network. Once I’m inside her devices, I can pivot across the whole infrastructure. It’ll be more controlled. She won’t know she’s been hit until you’re ready to push the button and erase everything.”

My mind returned to Aeris, and my jaw tightened.

Crushing the cigarette out against the wall, I watched the ember die. “Leave it with me.”

Disconnecting the call, I slipped the phone into my pocket and stepped back into the club.

I looked around to find my company gone. Sebastian and Arabella had likely dragged Langdon home before his self-destructive tendencies could reduce the night into smoke, ash, and screams. I already planned to play for him later, something slow, dark, and hypnotic. The kind of music that could bleed the excess adrenaline from his veins before it devoured him whole. It was as if Langdon’s mind didn’t know how to process that kind of fire. It simply unhooked from reality and spiralled back into memories he was never meant to relive.

He was the priority, but I still scanned across the crowd, expecting to find her waiting …

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” a feminine voice gasped just as cold liquid splashed across my shirt.

I reacted instantly, hands shooting out to steady the woman before she could stumble in her heels.

Her dark eyes met mine, framed with thick lashes and purple shadow. A slow, delighted smile curved her lips. “Oh … it’s you.”

I released her arms, but she didn’t step back. Instead, she let her fingers linger on my damp shirt.

“Excuse me,” I said, voice even, already shifting to move past her.

Her hand caught mine. “Vivienne. Vivienne Blackwater.”

I stilled, my eyes narrowing a fraction as I finally connected her face to the information. Aeris had included pictures, her report professionally thorough.

“We met at that mixer,” she added, a touch too eager.

I masked the irritation and offered a polite nod.

“Right.” I had no memory of meeting her, which meant she hadn’t been important. Or I’d been distracted with a certain fucking temptress. “How are you, Vivienne?”

Her smile brightened, stepping closer until the sweet vanilla-cherry scent of her perfume drowned out the scent of sweat.

“Much better now that you’re here,” she murmured, tilting her head so dark waves spilled over her shoulder. Her gaze drifted, slow and deliberate, down my chest, lingering on the damp fabric. “God, I made a mess of you. Let me fix it … maybe buy you a drink?”

Her fingers danced over my arm, and disgust coiled tight in my gut. How was it that her touch stirred only irritation, while Aeris—the woman blackmailing me—set my blood on fire with nothing more than a fucking smirk?

I let a beat pass, just enough to make it seem like I was considering it, before I gave her a faint smile. “Careful,” I said quietly, hoping my voice wasn’t cold. “People might start talking.”

Her lips curved into a triumphant little smile, clearly taking it as encouragement. “Let them talk,” she whispered. “I’ve never been one to care what they say … especially when I see something I want.”

“Unfortunately, I have somewhere to be,” I added, holding her gaze just long enough to sell the reluctance.

Vivienne’s fingers tightened on my arm, sliding higher in a slow caress. “Then give me your number,” she said quickly, voice dropping into something huskier. “Maybe we could meet somewhere more … private.” Holding out her phone, she waited as I input a burner number.