Part of me calculating my next move.
Maybe I should scale back the encryption on the chat room. Make it more visible to prying eyes.
Mason’s eyes.
I could feed him false information….
He inched closer, his breath hot on my face.
My heart hammered in my chest as the idea formed.
I had to talk with Toxicwrath first, but this was why he had insisted I meet Mason.
To gain the information necessary to stay one step ahead.
And I would always be just out of reach. I felt confident. Emboldened.
I was Mata fucking Hari.
Only there would be no firing squad.
Mason’s hand went around the back of my neck. Heavy and proprietary. For a moment I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed. Immobile.
I’m playing with fire.
“You just have to learn to trust me,” he said.
“Can you trust me, Mason?” I countered.
He was quiet for a few seconds, searching my face. Looking for something that would make him question his feelings. Make him doubt.
He frowned and my stomach dropped.
I had to get out of there.
He would see right through me.
He leaned in and kissed me, quieting my instinct to flee. “I think I can, Hannah. I really do.”
And just like that, it all fell into place.
Yet I didn’t feel happy about it. I wasn’t sure I could celebrate the victory.
Chapter 15
Mason
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Her voice was excited in my ear and I couldn’t help but grin. She sounded like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Yeah? What is it?”
Perry dropped a file on my desk and raised his eyebrow questioningly. I shooed him away with a scowl.
“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?” Hannah teased. I could hear people murmuring in the background. I knew she was at work.
“Not even a hint?” I asked, chuckling. I opened the file and saw that it was more of the same. Logs and logs of chat transcripts from meaningless IRC chat rooms that had nothing to do with anything. As the days wore on, I was feeling like I was searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
