Exploited
Page 70
After an endless few seconds, he put them back in the bin and passed it over to me.
I felt weak with relief as I gathered my things and then headed for the elevator. I was feeling incredibly light-headed. I felt like I was in the belly of the beast. I was surrounded by FBI agents. They had no idea that one of their most wanted stood at the back of the elevator headed for the third floor.
The irony was almost humorous. I would have laughed had I not wanted to pass out.
I somehow got to the third floor without losing consciousness and stepped off the elevator.
Now to find Mason. He had told me he was toward the back. I walked slowly past row after row of desks. Agents working. Agents hunting.
Looking for people like me.
It was almost overwhelming how dangerous this was.
The adrenaline coursing through my body made me dizzy. This could all crash down on top of me….
“Hannah!” Mason waved from behind a desk at the very back of the room. As I approached, he smiled, getting to his feet.
“Hey,” I said a little breathlessly.
“You found me okay?” I nodded. Mason pulled out a chair on the other side of the desk and I sat down, pulling my keys into my lap and hiding them with the fold of my jacket. I surreptitiously pulled the thumb drive from its compartment and palmed it.
“You have one messy desk,” I joked, hoping my laugh didn’t sound as fake as I thought it did.
Mason picked up a pile of files and dropped them into his desk drawer, making sure to lock it afterward. “I work best in chaos,” he said. His eyes heated for a brief moment. “I can’t get anything done today. I keep thinking about last night.”
My palms were sweaty and my belly erupted in butterflies. The tingling between my legs indicated that I too was thinking about last night.
“Don’t talk like that here, Agent Kohler, or you’ll get us both into trouble,” I flirted, lowering my lashes just enough.
I needed to distract him long enough to put the thumb drive in the port at the back of his computer. He wouldn’t even see the root kit installing. It would take only a few minutes.
But his focus was entirely on me.
Crap.
“Maybe you can stay with me tonight. We could stop by your house after seeing Charlotte and get you a bag,” he suggested, still looking at me. The thumb drive burned through my skin.
“I’d like that,” I said.
Mason grinned, his eyes warm. “Okay, then.” He sat back in his chair. “I just have to talk to my partner, Perry, and then we can leave.” He stood up. “Are you okay to sit here? I’ll only be a minute.”
I almost sagged in relief. I nodded, trying not to be too enthusiastic. “Of course. Go do what you need to do.”
Mason grabbed a file and walked over to a man seated behind a desk only a few feet away. His eyes kept flitting back my way. I would have to be quick.
I leaned across the desk, the thumb drive between my fingers and quickly inserted it in the USB port. I was breathing quickly; sweat dripped from my brow.
Mason was still talking to Perry. He handed the other man the file and patted him on the shoulder.
I checked the time on my watch. Only thirty more seconds before I could remove the thumb drive…
“What are you doing?”
I sat back in my seat and looked up at the beautiful blonde looming over me, a scowl on her face.
I recognized her instantly as the woman I had seen Mason with when he was nothing more than a name on a screen. They had been involved. She was an ex.
“Excuse me?” I asked, feeling instantly defensive. I tried not to stare at the USB drive still stuck in the back of Mason’s laptop.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Civilians aren’t allowed on the floor,” she informed me, crossing her arms over her chest. “And what are you doing with Mason’s computer?”
I gave a nervous giggle. “I’m not doing anything with his computer.”
The woman leaned over the desk. “I saw you—”
“Madison, what can I do for you?” Mason had reappeared and momentarily distracted the overly observant blond woman. With her back to me, I reached across the desk again and deftly removed the thumb drive, tucking it back into my purse without being noticed.
“I was just wondering why you had a civilian on the floor. Especially when I saw her messing with your computer,” Madison snapped, turning to me again.
Mason frowned. “What is she talking about, Hannah?”
I opened my mouth to answer but Madison cut me off. “I saw her put something in the back of your computer. Look for yourself.”
“I was wiping some dust from the port, that was it. I certainly didn’t put anything in your computer,” I remarked, sounding offended by the accusation.
Mason checked his computer and, finding nothing, let out a noisy sigh. “Madison, seriously, I know you hate me, but leave my girlfriend out of it.”
“I saw her,” she huffed.
“Madison, please.” Mason grimaced. Even if I hadn’t known their history, my girlfriend radar would have been going off at the tension that radiated between them. I felt jealousy uncoil in all its nasty glory.
I stood up, standing purposefully close to Mason, claiming my territory.
A move that clearly said, Mine.
“Madison was only trying to be helpful, weren’t you?” I addressed the other woman, who looked as if she had been sucking on a lemon. I slipped my arm around Mason’s waist, angling my body close to his. I pressed a hand to his chest, staking my claim.
Madison’s eyes flickered between Mason and me, reading the vibe I was tossing her way. She understood the silent female code for Back the fuck off.
“Forget I said anything,” she spat out, storming off in a blaze of irritation.
“Sorry about that,” Mason apologized, taking my hand briefly before dropping it and pulling away from my hold. Clearly PDAs were a no-no at the FBI.
“I’m assuming that was an ex.” I grabbed my purse and waited for Mason to put on his coat.
“Not an ex. Well, not exactly. There’s nothing really to tell.” He waved goodbye to several people as we made our way to the elevator.
“If there was nothing to tell, then why are you acting like there is?” I asked, following him into the empty elevator. I sounded bitchy. I couldn’t help it. I remembered watching the two of them go into her apartment building, hands all over each other. The memory of his mouth on Madison’s made me want to puke.
I felt weak with relief as I gathered my things and then headed for the elevator. I was feeling incredibly light-headed. I felt like I was in the belly of the beast. I was surrounded by FBI agents. They had no idea that one of their most wanted stood at the back of the elevator headed for the third floor.
The irony was almost humorous. I would have laughed had I not wanted to pass out.
I somehow got to the third floor without losing consciousness and stepped off the elevator.
Now to find Mason. He had told me he was toward the back. I walked slowly past row after row of desks. Agents working. Agents hunting.
Looking for people like me.
It was almost overwhelming how dangerous this was.
The adrenaline coursing through my body made me dizzy. This could all crash down on top of me….
“Hannah!” Mason waved from behind a desk at the very back of the room. As I approached, he smiled, getting to his feet.
“Hey,” I said a little breathlessly.
“You found me okay?” I nodded. Mason pulled out a chair on the other side of the desk and I sat down, pulling my keys into my lap and hiding them with the fold of my jacket. I surreptitiously pulled the thumb drive from its compartment and palmed it.
“You have one messy desk,” I joked, hoping my laugh didn’t sound as fake as I thought it did.
Mason picked up a pile of files and dropped them into his desk drawer, making sure to lock it afterward. “I work best in chaos,” he said. His eyes heated for a brief moment. “I can’t get anything done today. I keep thinking about last night.”
My palms were sweaty and my belly erupted in butterflies. The tingling between my legs indicated that I too was thinking about last night.
“Don’t talk like that here, Agent Kohler, or you’ll get us both into trouble,” I flirted, lowering my lashes just enough.
I needed to distract him long enough to put the thumb drive in the port at the back of his computer. He wouldn’t even see the root kit installing. It would take only a few minutes.
But his focus was entirely on me.
Crap.
“Maybe you can stay with me tonight. We could stop by your house after seeing Charlotte and get you a bag,” he suggested, still looking at me. The thumb drive burned through my skin.
“I’d like that,” I said.
Mason grinned, his eyes warm. “Okay, then.” He sat back in his chair. “I just have to talk to my partner, Perry, and then we can leave.” He stood up. “Are you okay to sit here? I’ll only be a minute.”
I almost sagged in relief. I nodded, trying not to be too enthusiastic. “Of course. Go do what you need to do.”
Mason grabbed a file and walked over to a man seated behind a desk only a few feet away. His eyes kept flitting back my way. I would have to be quick.
I leaned across the desk, the thumb drive between my fingers and quickly inserted it in the USB port. I was breathing quickly; sweat dripped from my brow.
Mason was still talking to Perry. He handed the other man the file and patted him on the shoulder.
I checked the time on my watch. Only thirty more seconds before I could remove the thumb drive…
“What are you doing?”
I sat back in my seat and looked up at the beautiful blonde looming over me, a scowl on her face.
I recognized her instantly as the woman I had seen Mason with when he was nothing more than a name on a screen. They had been involved. She was an ex.
“Excuse me?” I asked, feeling instantly defensive. I tried not to stare at the USB drive still stuck in the back of Mason’s laptop.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Civilians aren’t allowed on the floor,” she informed me, crossing her arms over her chest. “And what are you doing with Mason’s computer?”
I gave a nervous giggle. “I’m not doing anything with his computer.”
The woman leaned over the desk. “I saw you—”
“Madison, what can I do for you?” Mason had reappeared and momentarily distracted the overly observant blond woman. With her back to me, I reached across the desk again and deftly removed the thumb drive, tucking it back into my purse without being noticed.
“I was just wondering why you had a civilian on the floor. Especially when I saw her messing with your computer,” Madison snapped, turning to me again.
Mason frowned. “What is she talking about, Hannah?”
I opened my mouth to answer but Madison cut me off. “I saw her put something in the back of your computer. Look for yourself.”
“I was wiping some dust from the port, that was it. I certainly didn’t put anything in your computer,” I remarked, sounding offended by the accusation.
Mason checked his computer and, finding nothing, let out a noisy sigh. “Madison, seriously, I know you hate me, but leave my girlfriend out of it.”
“I saw her,” she huffed.
“Madison, please.” Mason grimaced. Even if I hadn’t known their history, my girlfriend radar would have been going off at the tension that radiated between them. I felt jealousy uncoil in all its nasty glory.
I stood up, standing purposefully close to Mason, claiming my territory.
A move that clearly said, Mine.
“Madison was only trying to be helpful, weren’t you?” I addressed the other woman, who looked as if she had been sucking on a lemon. I slipped my arm around Mason’s waist, angling my body close to his. I pressed a hand to his chest, staking my claim.
Madison’s eyes flickered between Mason and me, reading the vibe I was tossing her way. She understood the silent female code for Back the fuck off.
“Forget I said anything,” she spat out, storming off in a blaze of irritation.
“Sorry about that,” Mason apologized, taking my hand briefly before dropping it and pulling away from my hold. Clearly PDAs were a no-no at the FBI.
“I’m assuming that was an ex.” I grabbed my purse and waited for Mason to put on his coat.
“Not an ex. Well, not exactly. There’s nothing really to tell.” He waved goodbye to several people as we made our way to the elevator.
“If there was nothing to tell, then why are you acting like there is?” I asked, following him into the empty elevator. I sounded bitchy. I couldn’t help it. I remembered watching the two of them go into her apartment building, hands all over each other. The memory of his mouth on Madison’s made me want to puke.
