"Mr. King, I understand you were asking questions about Kylie McDaniel before the breach. Did you have reason to suspect her?"
I go for the truth. If Douglas is smart enough, he'll follow my logic. If not, we're no worse off than before. "Actually, I was wondering how she got hired into the position. The assumption was she was a hacker, but nothing on her resume would have told us that. I wanted to know who flagged her for this position and why."
"You think she has a partner on the inside?"
I shrug. "Maybe. Something's off with this whole thing, and it's more than a twenty-four-year-old hacker who called herself Catgirl as a teen."
"She's long been associated with vigilante thieves. This could be an organized attack from that direction."
I consider the man. He seems sharp. "Mr. Douglas, I'd like to share some information with you in private."
My team looks outraged, but I stand and walk to the door, knowing Douglas will follow. I take him to my office and toss the packet Kylie brought to me the night everything started.
"Ms. McDaniel turned herself into me after she received this," I explain.
Douglas shuffles through the papers, assimilating the information quickly. "But she still installed the code. From your office, I understand."
I rub my forehead. "Yes. I brought her into my office the next day and asked her to decode the malware on an un-networked computer."
"But she used the opportunity to load it onto yours."
"Yes."
"So what do you think happened?" He holds up the packet. "This was a ploy to get into your office? Save herself the trouble of having to hack through your firewalls?"
I shake my head. "No. She contacted me later to tell me her grandmother had been kidnapped and was being held hostage. The grandmother wasn't returned after she loaded the malware, so she offered her help."
"Contacted you how?" he asked sharply.
This is where it gets dicey. I sure as hell don't want them looking for Kylie at my place or around me. "She was waiting for me in the parking lot."
"The hacker who took down your system was waiting for you in the parking lot, and you didn't call the police? Something's definitely off with this story, Mr. King. What aren't you telling me?"
The need to protect Kylie makes anger curl in my stomach. I don't answer.
"Oh, I get it. You have a thing for Ms. McDaniel, don't you?" There's no missing the note of scorn in his voice. "I heard the two of you were trapped in the elevator together on her first morning. Think that was a coincidence?"
A chink of doubt sticks in my chest. Would Kylie orchestrate such a thing? Why? To get close to me? Seduce me?
But no, her terror in that elevator had been real. No claustrophobic woman would choose an elevator to stage a seduction.
I pace the office, shoving my hands into my pockets.
"So she met you in the parking lot and offered to help. What did you do?"
"I let her go." I'm facing away from Douglas, staring out the full length window. Lying isn't my forte, and I don't like the dishonor of it, but I'll do anything to protect my mate.
Fuck. Not my mate. Can't be my mate.
"Bullshit. Where is she, Mr. King?"
My fingers tighten into fists. "She's trying to find her grandmother," I snap.
He stares at me a long moment. "Okay," he says finally. "We'll follow up on that lead."
I force my teeth to unclench.
"And when you're ready to tell me where to find your mysterious Catgirl, "I'll be waiting." He tosses a card on my desk. "My cell phone is on there."
I nod.
He picks up the packet. "All right for me to take this?"
I'm surprised he asks for permission, but it's probably just a courtesy.
"Yes. Let me know what you find on the grandmother."
He pauses on his way to the door. "Am I working for you Mr. King?"
I clear my throat. It's not in my nature to grovel, so this makes twice today. Once to Kylie, once for her. "Please."
The ghost of a smile plays around his lips. "I'll keep you posted."
I sink into my chair when he leaves. The alpha in me wants to tear things apart and howl.
The moon is full. My company's under attack. My female's in danger. A human knows my secret, which means by pack law I must do something about her. And while telling Kylie should have ended our relationship-now that she understands why we can't be together-my wolf won't stop seeing her as my goddamn mate.
~.~
Ginrummy
The plan is unfolding. Kylie hacked SeCure and installed his code. That much worked. As did the leak to the press to get the FBI onto her. He didn't care whether the FBI found her or not-the point was just to throw them off his trail.
Mr. X said they took care of her grandmother. He didn't ask what that meant. He knew.
Time to issue the next blackmail threat. He shifts around in his seat, heat building under his collar. The feds are all over the building, and everyone is talking about the private meeting King had with one of the agents.
What in the hell did it mean? What could King have to say to the agent that he wouldn't say in front of his executive team?
He doesn't like it.
He spent all morning answering the same questions about Kylie four times to different agents. Now, he's supposed to give them access to the SeCure system so their infosec people can do their own investigations.
He has nothing to hide. Kylie uploaded the malware; his IP or prints aren't on anything.
He checks his phone. A message has come through from Mr. X.
Making the call to King, now.