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“What did she say that has you so concerned?”
“Nothing. She’s said nothing. That’s not like her. When we arrived, she gave us a little grief for taking so long, but when we found, or better yet, she found the Higgins, she opted to go shower and grab a bite to eat rather than go with Seven to retrieve them. Since when has Byte ever wanted to miss the action?”
“Never, but I’m not sure that warrants your fears. What else?”
“She has a bone, a real anger toward Skylar Hines.”
“The undercover ATF agent? What does she have to do with Byte?”
“Not sure. She was on-site when Byte was abducted, but had already left when we arrived. The only thing Byte said was that she didn’t trust the agent and felt like she was double-dipping.”
“Well, she does have a strong sense of right and wrong, at least when it comes to us.”
“Maybe I’m reading too much into this. It’s just, first there was the man from her childhood last week. Between her reaction to Falcon and then Skylar, I just think there’s more going on.”
“Trust your gut, love. We’re wrapping up over here. The office is completely set up; Carter and Voodoo were able to some sleuthing, and Falcon seems to be just as involved in finding Raptor as we are. Our plan is to leave tomorrow, barring any unseen problems. I’ll talk with Byte then.”
“We’ll talk to Byte,” Ivy corrected.
“Of course. Take a deep breath and see if you can get Byte to talk to you.”
“I will. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Even if you told me a hundred times a day, it would never be nearly enough. I’ll see you tomorrow night, babe. Just try to relax. When I get home, I’ll do whatever you want to help get this mess out of your mind.”
“I like the sound of that. Be safe and come home to me.”
“Will do.”
Ivy hung up the phone and couldn’t help but smile. Justin had come into her life at the lowest time in her career. She had been betrayed and targeted by her government, abused by her stepfather, and came face-to-face with her biological father. The fact that she found love at all seemed impossible, but it happening amidst her woes was a miracle.
Now business partners, lovers, and spouses, Ivy was determined to get the answers she needed so her life remained in balance.
Starting with Byte.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Byte tossed her jacket on the sofa and looked around the room. It wasn’t until ALIAS was formed that she had a home. After leaving foster care, she’d tried renting an apartment, but no one would lease to a minor, despite having documentation that showed her emancipation. Ultimately, she had to go on Craigslist and find someone looking for a roommate. That hadn’t worked out too well. She worked from home, or at least made her money while at home. This created conflict with her roomie because she never had alone time in her apartment. Byte couldn’t blame Jamie. Having now had her own space, she’d wouldn’t like sharing it with someone else, especially someone who never left the apartment. Ultimately, Byte got her own place, in a dingy hole in the wall, after putting down a large deposit and paying for the place six months in advance. She learned quick that money talked. It was that understanding that had Byte venture further into the dark web and hacking. Now, she had more money than she could spend in three lifetimes, which was why funding Karma wasn’t difficult. Only Aaron knew about her source of income. Initially, he declined her offer because of her need for retribution, absolution, and resolution for Chloe. He knew that if he didn’t keep Byte close, she’d stop at nothing to right the wrongs they never could.
Thinking of Aaron, Byte rang his cell phone.
“Are you okay, Dani? I haven’t heard from you in a few days. I was worried you’d confronted your mother and lost control.”
“You thought I’d kill her?”
“Not you directly. But you do have friends that would at your request.”
“I have no desire to kill the woman who changed my life. I’ve given your words a lot of thought and I do want answers. So how do you think I should do this? I mean, I can’t just pick up the phone and call her.”
“Why not?”
“Didn’t you tell me she was being investigated for money laundering?”
“At your doing.”
“I didn’t know she was my mother at the time. She was just a Fed trying to track me down. I needed a way of redirecting her plan.”
“By setting her up. How did you expect that to play out?”
