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“We need to call Pyotr,” he says.
“What’s wrong?”
Luka chews on the inside of his cheek as he prods through the different chips and wires. “There’s no internal memory on this thing.”
“And I’m supposed to be concerned because…?”
“Because if this thing was taking pictures of you, those images aren’t stored here. We can’t destroy the data.” He points to a small receiver. “Whoever was spying on you has likely already uploaded the images to a server.”
My stomach flips. An ugly, clawing worry sinks its nails beneath my skin to tear at my muscles and bones. “Why would someone do this?”
“Someone’s clearly trying to watch you from afar.”
A chill races down my spine. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more violated. Even a hundred stories up in one of the tallest buildings in New York, it’s clear to me there’s no such thing as privacy.
“Take her inside,” Luka tells Ben. “I’ll take this up to my office and see what information I can pull from it.”
“Come on, Alina,” Ben says to me gently.
I wander back into the penthouse, alarmed and confused. What the hell is going on? Who’d go to such lengths to take a couple of pictures of me? Were they trying to catch me in a compromising situation? I don’t know how long the drone was buzzing around out there, but the thought has my brain spiraling. If I was being watched this whole time, did the sicko controlling the drone happen to see me getting dressed? It’s too creepy to think about.
It makes me want to close all the blinds and curl up in bed. Is there really nothing I can do? Maybe we should call the police. Isn’t this a violation of my rights? At the very least, it’s trespassing.
I sit down on the living room couch, the tips of my fingers numb. I can’t shake this sickly feeling dripping down the nape of my neck. I don’t know what to do. All Idoknow is that I want Pyotr here. Surely, he’ll know what to do. And if not, at least I feel safer when I’m with him.
Reaching for my phone, I dial his number, trying to hold back my tears.
Chapter 20
Pyotr
“You look great,” Eileen says kindly. “I’m really glad.”
She sits across from me in one of the guest chairs, my desk the only thing separating the two of us. It’s like the air’s been sucked out of the room and I’ve forgotten how to breathe. It’s been almost twenty years since I saw her last. She’s a ghost from my past I never thought I’d see again.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, perhaps gruffer than intended. Eileen’s taken me by surprise—and Ihatesurprises. Though she’s certainly not an unwelcome one.
Eileen looks around my office with a twinkle in her eye. “My goodness. CEO, huh? You’ve done well for yourself. I still remember when CyberFort was nothing but a dream you and your brothers were trying to build out of your garage.”
I chuckle. “That certainly brings back memories.”
“How are they, by the way?”
“They’re good. Mikhail and Dimitri both moved back to Russia. They’re married now, big families.”
Eileen’s face lights up. “Oh, that’s wonderful! And Luka?”
“Still a pain in my ass, but he’s fine. He works here in the development department, actually.”
“Is he here today? I’d love to drop in to say hi.”
“No, he’s at home. Prefers to telecommute.”
“And what about you? Pretty busy, by the look of things.”
I shrug, finding myself growing more and more at ease in her presence. I’d almost forgotten how easy it was to be around Eileen. It’s almost enough to forget all about how she broke my heart. “I’m never bored,” I answer vaguely.
“I’m sure.”
