Catfish grins. “I’m glad, because that would’ve been really fucking awkward if I’d misread it.”
I can’t help but chuckle at the relief in his voice. “Maybe it’s best if I explain how I know Calista, first.”
Catfish nods. “Start wherever makes sense to you. I got nowhere else I need to be today, now that I know you don’t have a problem with me being here.”
“Calista and I met about ten years ago. We’d moved in some of the same dark web circles, agreed with some of the same philosophies.”
Catfish watches my lips as I speak, and my mouth feels dry. “And what philosophies would those be?”
“That there are too many billionaires, considering about seven hundred million people live below the poverty line around the world. To an outsider, we were both extremely talented. But to each other, it was obvious that Calista was more talented, had more finesse than I did. And to Calista, it was clear that for all my skills, I was going to end up in prison. I was in my wild and reckless era and had that invincible energy that teens do. I wanted people to know it was me who did the things I did. I was looking for a measure of respect from anyone. I was driven a lot by ego. I guess I still am, sometimes. Calista knew I was one step away from revealing my true identity on what she called my ‘glory quest.’”
“So, you were young when you started doing this?”
I nod. “Thirteen. Mom got me a second-hand laptop to help with my schoolwork.”
“Wait, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-five. How old are you?”
“Thirty next birthday. I like red velvet cake.”
“You’ve been hanging around with your niece and nephew too much. That’s the kind of detail a three-year-old would add.”
“The detail was relevant.” The reverberations from his chuckle rattle through his chest beneath my ear. “When you throw me a surprise party, you’re going to need to know what cake to get. I like red velvet. Now you know.”
His audacity makes me laugh. “Who says I’m going to spend physical labor or cold hard cash on a birthday cake for you?”
“Bet if I asked Mom to read your tarot cards right now, she’d say things like, there are big changes ahead for you, and that you know it’s time to move on both geographically and personally, and you should make River a red velvet cake for his birthday.”
I squeeze his hand. “Your mom sounds like an original. I’d love to meet her…I mean. Not like…a couple or…God, I’m making this weird.”
I bury my face in Catfish’s shirt as my cheeks flame. “My mom and my sister are already wanting to meet you.”
When I look up at him, I’m struck by how incredibly handsome he is. I can see why someone chose to use him as their catfishing identity. Sharp cheekbones throw shadows, and from this angle I can see his eyelashes are almost unnaturally long. “Why?”
“Meh. Might have mentioned you to them. Don’t generally talk to them about girls…not that I said you were a girl. Shit. That’s not what I meant. I don’t normally talk aboutanyoneI’m interested in. So, they’re curious about the person I’m suddenly talking about.”
We’re quiet for a moment, and I wonder if he’s overthinking what he just said like I am.
“You were telling me about Calista,” he says finally.
“Calista has this…well…squad. Like, she was the ringleader. And she taught others, especially social-minded young people, how to do what she did. We stayed in touch over the years.”
Catfish wiggles so that we’re both a little more on our sides, can see each other a little easier.
“And then you were in trouble, somehow? Needed help?”
I nod. “I didn’t go to her for help from the Outlaws, though. That came after. I went to her to see if she could help me figure out how to undo the mess I was in.”
“Which was?”
I blow out a breath and feel the wave of shame creeping over my skin. My cheeks rush with heat. “I was hired to do what I thought was a typical black hat hack gig. A southern Mexico cartel. Steal their money, clean it and wash it, then forward it to a private individual who would pour it into a charitable organization.”
“Who hired you?”
I shake my head. “Technically, I don’t know. Their username was CamGriseus6. It’s hard to explain to the average layperson, but on the dark web, I’m behind a series of closed doors. It’s not like I’m out there with a poster sayinghacker for hire. Most of my work is referrals.”
“What kind of name is CamGriseus6?”
