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Excitement surged inside me once more. A little pride too. Monaco’s Grande Banque Unie was no longer unhackable. Queen had succeeded where every other hacker the world around had failed.
“I’m in,” I exclaimed, the surprise in my voice obvious. I turned my laptop to face them.
They looked at the screen.
“Oh shit,” Tristan exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement and awe. “You did it. Do you have the account details to search, or do you need me to get them?”
I nodded and blew out a breath. “I have them.” I flicked my gaze up to Ry, who was still tossing up and catching the knife. Where the hell did he get it from?Whydid he have it? “Ry, would you come down? Please?” I asked.
He stood, pocketed the knife, and went inside before appearing at the door on our level a moment later as Flynn came back out, dressed in a hotel robe with a couple spares for Ezra and Tristan.
“Thank you,” I said softly to Ry as he peered at the screen. “I don’t know how long you were there, but I appreciate you watching over me.”
“I’ve been here the whole time.” When I tilted my head, silently asking him to explain, he added, “I heard you go outside after your shower. The guys were already asleep, so I checked on you. When I saw that you were wrapped up, I got dressed and sat on the balcony so I didn’t disturb you.”
“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, Ry. You’re always welcome to sit next to me.” I patted the seat and shuffled closer to Ezra so the three of us could fit on the two-seater. It was snug, but I didn’t mind, and when Flynn and Tristan leaned over the back of the wicker chair, looking over my shoulder, I wanted to sink into the moment and enjoy its simplicity.
But it was anything but simple.
This was it. This could be the most pivotal moment of this investigation.
Of my life.
I might find a lead identifying who was responsible for Mum’s and Asher’s deaths. The person who stole from the company. The person who ordered their murders. The person who might have watched them die.
The person who’d threatened to do the same to Tristan if he didn’t back off.
Or I might find nothing at all.
I wasn’t sure which possibility was worse.
I looked out at the horizon, taking in the early morning vista trying to imprint this moment in my mind. The sun had risen. The sky was a pale blue, unmarred by even a single cloud. Aquamarine water stretched as far as the eye could see, small ripples radiating on its surface from the gentle breeze.
To either side of us, steep slopes stretched above the city. It was so different during the day compared to night. The city was just waking up, stretching its arms in the dawn’s rays. Trucks navigated the narrow roads, and street sweepers were out cleaning up. Restaurants were preparing for their breakfast serving, the early morning cafes opening their awnings and shifting chairs and tables onto the footpaths. Joggers ran along the foreshore, and a few dedicated people swam in the bay.
It was all so decidedly normal. The people below us were settling into their daily routines, and I was facing the possibility of my entire world being turned upside down. I tried to push the thought away for just a second longer, giving myself one more minute of peace.
As I peered down through the gaps in the stone balustrade, the sun’s morning rays lit up the dew on the verdant lawns like scattered diamonds. They were trimmed to perfection all the way to their edges where they were intersected by formal gardens and the sweeping drive.
The temptation to say, “Fuck it,” and go out somewhere—anywhere—and experience everything this city had to offer, to just experience life, was huge. I wanted that. I wanted to lie on a tropical beach somewhere and drink out of a coconut with an umbrella in it. I wanted beach bonfires and dancing. I wanted sand between my toes and warmth on my face. I wanted to go diving again too.
Maybe that’s what had me so unbalanced. We’d spent most of the summer moored rather than in my favourite spots diving and fishing. The sex had been incredible, but I wasn’t myself. I needed things to change.
Except that I had a responsibility.
I owed it to Mum and Ash.
I owed it to Dad.
And to me.
Flynn squeezed my shoulder, Tristan kissed my temple, and Ezra leaned closer, all giving me the support I needed.
But it was Ry who gave me the courage to start my search when he said, “Whatever happens, baby girl, we’re together until the end.”
I smiled at him and rested my head on his shoulder, absorbing his strength. “Let’s do this,” I stated, my tone a hell of a lot more assured than I felt.
I copied over the first of the three account numbers and held my breath. It was closed. After downloading all the data I could find on both the client and their transaction history, I moved onto the next one and repeated the process. It was dormant. No transactions had been processed on it for years, the balance just sitting there, accruing interest.
