Total D*ck(18)

“Look.” Carey handed my phone back to me. The screen showed a series of locations, my personal information, and credit cards. I scrolled down to see even more identifiers, including my social security number and bank accounts.

“This is in my phone?” I kept scrolling, deleted photos and messages popping up.

“Everything you’ve ever done is right there.” Carey put his arm around me. “You just have to know where to look. That’s what hackers do. We look for things, find things that are hidden or that people think are destroyed. Nothing’s ever destroyed. Even if you smash a hard drive with a hammer, it can be put back together. Data can be found.”

“Is that the hacker code or something?” I leaned into Carey, snugging under his arm. Kennedy inched his fingers higher and dug into my thigh, trying to pull my legs apart. Asshole. I kept them glued together, though there would be fingertip bruises on me the next day.

“No, just facts. Now I know where you live.” He snorted and took another sip. “I already knew that, though.”

“That’s kind of stalkerish.” I giggled, but couldn’t tell if it was a real giggle from the alcohol or just the part I was playing.

“A little.” He shrugged.

“Do you think it will be as easy to find Fluffy?” I held my breath.

“No, he’s a tougher quarry.” Carey spoke easily, unaware I was leading him down the path he’d shied away from before.

“But you’re Gorepheus, the biggest hacker in the world.” I batted my lashes at him and gripped Kennedy’s wandering fingers before they reached my panties.

“Could I find him? Of fucking course. I could find him in a heartbeat. It’s just Discord. I don’t want to find them.”

“I understand. I do.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and arched my back a little, jutting my breasts out. “I want to keep you safe. I just need to get some info on the hack at Rhone so we can get this case going. Can you help me?”

Carey’s eyes darted down to my breasts, my nipples pearling from the attention. “I—I guess . . . Yeah. Yeah, I’ll talk to him, okay? Tomorrow, when I’m thinking clearly.” He grinned and leaned closer, like he wanted to kiss me.

“Granade, is that you?” A woman walked up behind Kennedy and draped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressing into the back of his head.

I gawked at her. She was tall and thin with an impossibly large chest and long blond hair.

“Oh, hi there.” Kennedy patted her on the arm and she stood straight and walked around to the empty side of our table.

“Aren’t you a sight. Still one big, fine man.” She smiled, her red lipstick giving her more of a joker flair, in my opinion.

“Thanks.” Kennedy smiled and gave me an uneasy glance.

Another alcohol giggle escaped me. “Oh, by all means.” I lay my head on Carey’s shoulder and stared at Kennedy. A flame of jealousy licked around the edges of my mind, but I stomped it out. This was Kennedy Granade, a womanizer through and through.

I bet he didn’t even remember her name. “Introduce us to your friend.”

“Okay.” He forced the words through the fake smile. “Scarlett Carmichael and Carey Fellowes, this is . . .”

“Gina Rae. You remember me. From last year’s Rex Mardi Gras ball? You wore black, I wore, well—” She looked down with a demure smile. “—eventually I wasn’t wearing much.”

“Oh, classic Kennedy. Am I right, Carey?” I snuggled even closer to him. He trailed his fingers up and down my arm.

“I wouldn’t really know since we only just met, but maybe?”

“I can assure you this is his MO. He has a reputation.” I waved my hand for emphasis, though I almost knocked my glass over. “Did you know that, Gina Rae?”

“Not really, but it’s well deserved either way.” She put a hand to her waist and glanced at me and back to Kennedy. “Can I speak to you for a second? Alone?”

“Don’t let me make it awkward. I have to go to the ladies’ room anyway. Not an issue. You two chat it up.” I dislodged Carey’s arm and stood with a wobble. “You all behave while I’m gone.”

I took a step and stopped to steady myself, then another and another until I felt like I had the wavy floor almost under control. I may have had my feet into a lockstep, but my head was in a jumble. Though my desire to snipe at Kennedy wasn’t new, the feeling Gina Rae evoked in me was. I wasn’t the sort to lie to myself. I was jealous. Like a total moron. Kennedy wasn’t going to change his ways, and did I even want him to? No. We were going to work this case and go our separate ways.