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He pulls out his phone, his face grim. “Let’s call Fox and find out.”
The video call connects and Fox appears on the screen. His eyes have dark circles underneath them and his dark brown hair looks like he’s been running his fingers through it. He’s been up for hours looking into Nova.
“Hey, how is she?” he says, glancing at his phone but returning his attention to his computer.
“She’ll be ok, with time. Luke is up. We’re ready for an update,” Mark says.
He sighs and types something, then leans out of the frame. “Hey boss, I’ve got Luke on the phone.”
A chair squeaks in the background, then they both appear on the screen. I didn’t ask Jim to look into my case, but I’m not surprised he did.
“Luke. How are you holding up?” His gruff voice fills me with comfort. He was around a lot when I was growing up. My dad remained close friends with him after he left his employment. He knows I’m inches away from spiraling into a dark hole, but he’ll never say it out loud. I ignore his question and get right to the point.
“Tell me what you know.”
He sighs and turns to Fox. “Secure the connection.”
Fox nods and picks up his phone. The screen goes black for a second, then they both reappear.
“I’ve got John and Brando here too,” I say.
They both nod. If I trust them, then they do too. “From what Liv said in her police report, Scotty was working for someone. Liv’s mugger is David Randall. His involvement suggests there’s something bigger at play. He was a janitor at Reilly Tech in San Diego for the past two months. I doubt it’s a coincidence. I’m willing to bet its related to your mom’s death and what your dad was trying to warn you about,” Jim says.
My blood boils. Even more blame to lie at my feet. The room feels warm. Mark meets my eyes. His look tells me to keep it together, so I take a deep breath.
“Do we know who hacked into Nova?”
Jim shakes his head no, but Fox speaks. “Not yet. They had insane skills. They didn’t leave a trail and used a back door. They’re probably who hired Scotty and the other perp.”
“Why did they let us in?” I ask, recalling the front door unlocking on its own.
“From what I can tell, there was a malfunction. Just dumb luck,” Fox says.
In my experience, things like that don’t just happen. We fall silent for a few minutes as I digest the information. “Anything else?”
Fox shakes his head no. “We’re still digging.”
I sigh and rub the back of my neck. What a fucking nightmare. We still have no clue who’s after me. My gaze moves towards the hall where Liv sleeps. Her dad’s words echo in my head. She won’t be safe until I eliminate this threat, but I don’t know how long it will take. Is it fair to her to keep putting her through this? God, I don’t know if I have the strength to let her go. Mark speaks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
I blink at him, then look at Jim. “Keep digging. We need to find this asshole.”
Jim and Fox nod. “We’ll call you if we find anything else,” Jim says.
“Thank you.”
Mark ends the call, and I rest my hands on the countertop. “We need a game plan. Any news on Dylan?”
“He’s still stable but hasn’t woken up yet,” Mark says.
“We’ve got your back, brother. Nobody will touch her again,” Brando says and squeezes my shoulder.
I nod and we get to work.
