Page 18 of Targeted By Desire

But, watching from afar, I quickly noticed how well their auras twirled around each other. They always covered each other’s flanks, protecting their smiles from anything that threatened to wipe them away.

Maybe my initial thoughts were right. Maybe I could use this other woman to my advantage.

Buzz. Buzz.

I looked down at my burner phone, vibrating in the cupholder, and picked it up.

Maria was the only one who knew the number. She was surprisingly early for a check in.

Raising a brow, I unlocked the phone and peered at the text she wrote.

Unknown

Check the computer.

I climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked to the loading bay where our tiny colony of desktops lived. I logged into the main monitor directly in front of the chair.

Instantly, a few files popped up. A zip file with the federal bureau of investigations watermark and two software mirroring tabs. The former I’d been waiting on, but I was curious about the additional tabs. Curious, I clicked on them and nearly smiled at what appeared on the screen.

Wallpaper of Simone and the other woman with an abundance of tabs on one and a dark floral wallpaper with desktop icons on the other. Did Maria give me access to her phone and her computer?

Testing my question, I hovered over one of the desktop items. Beneath the cursor, a blue square appeared around the icon. When I clicked on it, the app opened and I could automatically see the last thing Simone had done inside of it.

My phone buzzed again before I could take a closer look at the contents on the screen.

Unknown

I’ll tell Miles you said thank you.

I almost smiled.

Maybe her fucking this hacker guy would come in handy after all. I knew he’d been doing good work for the Ruiz cartel, but not this good. Not only could I see what Simone was doing in real time on her electronics, but I could access all her information too. The surprise couldn’t be sweeter.

I watched as her phone screen came to life and the calendar app opened on the screen. “Dinner with the Ex” was typed into the title. A time and location quickly followed.

Hm, looks like she’s going on a date next Saturday.

My lips tugged at the ends as a lightbulb went off in my mind. Perhaps I wouldn’t have to wait much longer to get my hands on her after all.

THE AGENT

“Ooo, hello gorgeous,” Gabriel greeted as I answered his FaceTime call. Grinning, his eyes raked up and down all he could see of my torso through my phone camera that was propped up on my dresser. “You looking finer than a glass of wine. Where you headed off to?”

Rolling my eyes, I continued brushing mascara on my eyelashes. “Out to dinner,” I replied. I was applying my last bit of makeup when Gabriel called. As reluctant as I was to even entertain the idea of tonight, I had to dress accordingly. Even though our relationship didn’t work out, my family’s friendship with his was still on the line. I needed to play my part for a few hours.

“Oh, right. With your ex. I remember you telling me.”

“I’d much rather be spending the night in with Mr. Gideon,” I said, referencing the series by Eric Jerome Dickey I’ve been reading this week. Logan put me on desk duty as yet another layer of precaution for my injuries, and the series has been keeping me company between the monotonous paperwork.

“Sorry to break it to you, mamas, but that man is fictional - and he’s a hitman. You don’t want or need any parts of that nonsense.”

“Shit, I might. Those people may not be real, but they get down. I need some of that in my life.”

“Well, maybe Justin can put a little something on you. For old time’s sake.”

I froze in place and gave Gabriel a blank stare.

His grin grew wider as he broke out into soft cackles. “What? You said he was a little boring, but you never said that dick wasn’t good.”