She eyed him curiously, the continuous movement of her eyelids the only sign that her attention wasn’t fully focused on him. The fluttering paused for a few seconds. She must have found what she was looking for. “Ms. Tremaine is waiting for you. Go on in.”
“Do you know what this is about?” he asked before he could stop himself. Some warning before facing the new head of a multinational corporation would be nice.
No answer. He’d already lost her attention.
Ash exhaled slowly. This was it. If Portia Tremaine had learned that he was involved in the bombing that had killed her husband, he’d need all his wits about him. And it still probably wouldn’t be enough.
She’d never believe that he hadn’t known the bombing was going to happen.
Frosted glass doors whooshed open as soon as he approached, providing his first glimpse of the inner sanctum. The Seattle skyline was visible from every window. The view was breathtaking.
Portia Tremaine sat in the center of the room, dressed in black as she had been since her husband’s death. The stark color washed out her already pale skin and blond hair. When she looked up from her desk, the dark circles under her eyes reflected her deep grief.
Guilt hit like a freight train, a familiar feeling because he blamed himself for his sister’s predicament.
She pinned him with an expression that said he was already wasting her time.
His gaze slid over the room as he stepped fully into her office. The doors shut automatically behind him, closing him in with Portia Tremaine—and no security.
What did that mean?
Her gaze—or was it the guilt?—pressed on him like a weight as he crossed the short distance to the chair in front of her desk.
When she waved him to it, he lounged carelessly in the chair, an intentional reminder that he dressed like a corporate drone, but he wasn’t one.
Her fingers danced over the screen on her desk and he assumed she was flicking through his file. The silence was unnerving.
“Ash Cutter. Fenix. One of the greatest hackers of all time. Until you got caught.”
Derision coated her voice. It rankled, but he didn’t let it show. His time at the company had taught him painful lessons about reacting to taunts.
“How long have you been working for Tremaine Corporation, Mr. Cutter?”
Ha. Working.That was one way to put it. “Five years.” It was an effort to keep his tone polite.
“Five years of constant surveillance. And, according to your record, only one infraction.” Every word in that damn superior tone.
One infraction. An ill-conceived escape attempt right after he and Hope had been captured by Tremaine Security.
Silence stretched between them and he realized that she was waiting for a response.Okay. He’d play.“That’s correct.”
Portia looked up from the file then, her gaze hard and steady as it met his. “Just one. That’s quite remarkable for someone of your talents.”
He tensed, but she didn’t say anything else on that subject. That was good. Right?
“How much do you know about what happened last month?”
More than she probably wanted him to. Was she expecting a confession? “Some,” he said slowly. “What the newsies reported. The little that the corporation’s told us. Hallway chatter.”
“Yes, we can’t disregard the hallway chatter.” She sighed and sat back. “As you may have heard, my father’s assistant came into possession of some Tremaine Corporation secrets that should have stayed hidden. For all his business savvy, my father’s assistant was an idiot when it came to computers and technology.” After the cold recitation of facts, emotion colored her next words. “I know he had help.”
His pulse jumped. He didn’t like where this was going. At all. “Okay, why am I here?” He injected enough I-don’t-care into his voice, like any good captive hacker would.
“Come now, Mr. Cutter. I know you’re smarter than you look.” She paused, looked at his file again. “I need your special skills.”
Tamping down his confusion, Ash contemplated his next move. Was sheaskingfor his help? That wasn’t how this usually worked. But she wasn’t accusing him of helping Leopold Brunswick either. Yet. “What’s in it for me?”
Her laugh echoed around the room. He wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised.
