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They’re not working long when Ziggy punches his desk. “There’s a hole. Every time the clinic backs up data, it makes a copy which allows a third party to come in and access the duplication.”
Chase and Butch freeze. “Is there a trail?” they both ask.
Ziggy nods. “It’s encrypted, but it’s a silver lining.”
“Follow it.” Chase looks at me. “Programs with holes shouldn’t be backed up. Whoever runs their IT is an idiot. It’s safe to assume your counselor is unaware her database has been compromised. I doubt she has been working with Bianchi, but bringing the counselor in for questioning is a must.”
I nod understanding, but I’m still not going to trust anyone outside the club until the hacker is stopped. “Should I call her?”
“Do you want to, or would you rather Atlas handle it? No one will blame you if you choose to avoid her right now.”
“I’ll call.”
* * *
I stay and observe Chase’s tech team dig through areas on the internet I never knew existed. There really isn’t anything I can help with, and from what the guys tell me, it could be days or weeks ‘till they crack the encryption.
Eventually, I can’t put off my work any longer. I make my way into the gathering area and do what I do best—manage my crew.
My workers need direction, and the rest of the MC crew is twiddling their thumbs, waiting on me to tell them where to move everything. I start assigning tasks to the group and tell them to form an assembly line.
One group unloads the trucks. Another group hauls everything into the main area of headquarters. And the last group hauls everything to their locations inside. I have a few workers doing minor tasks like hanging curtains or artwork. While Jared and I go around adding final touches as areas finish up.
I will have this house done by the end of the day if it kills me. By tomorrow, Maceo and his brothers will be able to move into their new home, allowing me to break ground on Lloyd’s barbershop by Monday.
Jared and I have finished setting up Maceo’s and my new king size bed when Maceo enters our suite.
Silently, Maceo crosses the room, his chest heaving from controlling his rage. He wraps me in his muscled arms, his brawny body encasing me.
Jared clears his throat. “I’m gonna go check on our team and make sure everything is going where it needs to be.” He walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.
Maceo pulls us to the bed and sits on the edge. I stand firmly between his legs, determined to have him hear me. He reaches for me, but I push his hands away and shake my head.
“I’m not going back to counseling,” I say, holding my head high.
Maceo looks at me with his brows pulled together, concerned. “I understand not trusting your counselor, but Chase has built a solid case determining Heather had no knowledge of the breach in security, and there’s no evidence suggesting she gave Bianchi the file willingly. You need to continue therapy, baby.”
Appalled, I back away from him.
Maceo is quick to explain. “Your treatments are important in your emotional recovery process. I’ll be damned if I allow Bianchi to fuck with it. Heather will be here soon to see what exactly has been infringed in her database. We’re going to give her false information to import into her electronic notes and see if we can use this to our advantage. In the meantime, you will continue daily sessions.”
“Is that an order?” I challenge.
Maceo’s eyes open wide with surprise. “What? No, of course not. It’s a request.”
“Well, it sounds like an order, and either way, I’m not doing it.” I shake my head. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to her anymore. I feel like my privacy is continually violated. I’d rather suffer in silence than continue to put my emotions at risk.”
Maceo pinches the bridge of his nose. “Pixie—”
Furious, I cut him off. “I’m not negotiating on this, Maceo! Fuck around with your own mental state if you want, but I’m not going to be used as a damn guinea pig.”
He takes several deep breaths to rein himself in before looking at me with his coal-black eyes. Whatever anger he was about to unleash has died, and empathy has taken over his hard, handsome face.
“I’m sorry if I made you believe your feelings didn’t matter. Obviously, I don’t want you to put your emotional state at risk, but Pixie, we need to at least keep up appearances. We don’t know if he’s got eyes on you when you go to counseling. If you stop going, he may know we’re on to him. Bianchi can’t catch on to us tracking him.
“Right now, we have nothing directly linking him to the hacking. We need to see if he personally slips up with the new intel. I need your help, baby—I can’t do this without you. You don’t need to keep seeing her asyourcounselor. You don’t have to say one peep to her. We can find you a different therapist in the meantime, but go to the appointments and let Heather upload the information we give her.”
Feeling vulnerable, I wrap my arms around my torso to hold myself together.
