Page 78 of Their Stormy Reunion

Before I could answer, Simon let out a low whistle. “Well, this just got interesting.”

I turned as he pocketed his phone.

“Sid’s former cellmate? His kid is a hacker. A good one.”

I crossed my arms. “How good?”

“Good enough to get himself arrested for breaking into a government database when he was sixteen,” Simon said. “Roan, your guy just confirmed that Sid’s been in contact with him.”

Roan’s expression darkened. “So that’s who’s been helping him with all this tech bullshit.”

“Looks like it.” Simon shook his head. “This kid could have given Sid the tools to wipe this thing remotely. Hell, for all we know, he’s still watching us through a backdoor feed.”

I felt my jaw tighten. “That little bastard could be watching Fallon right now.”

Roan swore. “We need to get this piece of junk back to your place, stat.” He motioned to the computer tower. “If Fallon’s as good as she says, maybe she can find something on here, even if it’s just a trail of breadcrumbs.”

“Do, you think he ran for good, or just laying low?” Simon asked me.

I studied the apartment again, searching for signs of finality. The fridge was still plugged in, though mostly empty except for an expired carton of milk and a half-drunk bottle of something that might’ve been whiskey. The closet door was open, a few wire hangers swinging gently from the rail.

“He didn’t take everything,” I mused. “But he took enough.”

Roan hummed in agreement. “Bet he left in a hurry. Maybe the weasel got spooked.”

Simon nodded. “Agreed. Let’s get the comp out of here.”

I bent down to pick up the computer, but Roan stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

“You sure you wanna be the one to carry Sid’s junk?” he asked, smirking. “What if his bad juju rubs off?”

I scowled. “I’ll risk it.”

Roan snorted. “Worst case scenario, you start writing unhinged letters in all caps with even worse grammar than you already have.”

I shot him a glare. “I don’t write in all caps.”

“You do when you text.”

“That’s for emphasis, asshole.”

Simon chuckled as he picked up the monitor, tucking it under one arm like it was a football. “Man, you two bicker like an old married couple.”

“And yet, you still tag along on dates with us.”

Simon flipped him off as we made our way out of Sid’s apartment, hauling the potentially compromised hardware with us.

By the time we pulled up to my place, Fallon was already waiting on the porch, arms crossed.

“That was fast,” she said, eyeing the computer tower as I carried it inside.

“Sid might have wiped it,” I said. “Or some hacker wiped it remotely, or it’s in fine running order and it’ll be spying on you, so keep your clothes on while you’re working on it.”

Her lips twitched. “You boys really know how to bring me gifts.”

Roan grinned. “What can we say? We’re thoughtful.”

Roan dropped the monitor onto the dining table with a thud. “You think you can get anything off of this?”