Portia sneered. “You want me to negotiate for Ash’s freedom when he abandoned his post and let a hacker into the system? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Taryn settled into her chair. Now they were getting to the fun part. “He only left because your people—the ones at your supposedly secure hospital—allowed his sister to be kidnapped. Plus, he stopped that incursion.”
Portia pinched her lips. “After he caused it.”
Taryn would never be able to prove it, but she’d swear that Portia was having fun too. “All that matters is that it was stopped and Hope is safe,” Taryn countered. “Now he wants to be free from Tremaine Corporation to spend time with her.”
“Whether he stopped Caspar or not, he still plotted to kill my husband.”
Taryn held onto her temper by a thread. “No, he didn’t. He uncovered a bunch of corrupt programs run by your piece-of-shit father.”
Portia’s mouth fell open. “He really was a piece of shit.”
Now it was Taryn’s turn to be surprised.
“Say I do this,” Portia said. “Say I let him go. What’s in it for me?”
Now they were talking. “What do you want?” Taryn countered. Her goal was Ash’s freedom and a promise to leave him and Hope alone. She had to believe that Ash would trust her to make a fair deal.
“I want to know all my father’s dirty secrets. I want to clean house of anyone else who worked with Leopold Brunswick.” Her tone promised a reckoning.
Taryn almost felt bad for anyone who got in this woman’s way when that day came. Almost. “Let’s get started, then.”
Chapter61
Over coffee and pointed digs,Taryn and Portia hammered out a deal.
Ash would get his freedom, along with papers—real and electronic—that outlined his release to protect him from any overzealous Tremaine security personnel.
Hope was free as well, although Portia didn’t seem concerned about losing her, only her well-being.
In return, Ash was banned from the Tremaine network unless he was specifically working on a contracted project. He and Portia would arrange any consulting projects. He’d be paid an hourly rate for any consulting work and would solely be responsible for choosing projects and determining his hours. One of the projects he would work on—for free—was Portia’s secret project. The one where he was supposed to identify himself.
After spending time with Portia, Taryn discovered she liked the other woman, icy prickles and all.
“Why are you doing this?” Portia asked as Taryn stood.
“Doing what?”
“Why are you so invested in Ash’s freedom? Why put all this effort in for one hacker? Do you want him to work for you?”
No way would Taryn share her true feelings with Portia Tremaine, especially not before she shared them with Ash. “I care about him.”
Portia blinked. Blinked again. A soft look crossed her face but it was gone before Taryn could be sure she really saw it. “Oh. I should have fought harder then.”
Taryn laughed. “I can see why he likes you.”
“Ash does?”
“Yes.” No matter what happened next, she deserved the truth about that. Taryn sensed that she didn’t get close to many people. She’d lost her husband tragically and then her best friend had hooked up with her hated illegitimate sister. It was like a soap opera.
“Why?” Portia asked.
“Why does he like you?”
She nodded.
Portia’s question was one Taryn had asked herself. “I don’t know. He just does.”
