Kane clears his throat.
“Okay, um, well—it seems Marco is involved in a data theft operation.The people he stole from want their access keys back.We haven’t been able to locate him yet, but we’re trying to reach the people involved.Unfortunately, they seem to think you have those keys.”
“Me?”Her voice rises in disbelief.“I’m a kindergarten teacher.I don’t even know what a data access key—or whatever the heck you just said—is!And what I’d really like to know is why I had to come all the way here to hear this?”
Angry eyes snap to mine, and it hits me like a punch to the gut.
Fuck.I fucked up.
Royally.
Kane, to his credit, raises one brow at me, then leans forward, hands clasped on his desk.
“We’re aware of chatter that’s been circulating concerning a revived operation linked to an old trafficking network.You were flagged after your brother’s name popped up in a digital sweep, likely due to his connection with a former case that was involved in a broader investigation under our cybersecurity division.”
I tense.“Marco’s done this before?”
Kane nods.
“He was the missing connection.That case was the breadcrumb that connected Miss Rosetto to all of this.See.Marco’s pattern is that he uses those close to him, and unfortunately, that’s you.”
“He intentionally put her in danger?”I growl.
“Oh, Marco,” she murmurs, closing her eyes on a wave of pain I can see.And it makes me furious for her.
“I don’t know his intent, but he’s done this before.With your father, I’m sorry to say.Before your parents’ tragic deaths, he’d cloned Mr.Rosetto’s phone and used it to carry the stolen data from overseas stateside.”
“Our parents died a few years ago,” she whispers.
“Is that when you last saw him?At the funeral?”
“Yes.”
“He likely cloned your phone at that time and he’s just been holding on to it until now.The people he stole from aren’t the kind to play.When they discovered the theft, they traced it to you.”
“Jesus,” Sabrina breathes out, eyes wide.“I thought, I thought it was maybe a random person.At worse I suspected a stalker or something.Maybe some disgruntled ex-employee or a parent or relative I met at school.”
“What?Like who?”I ask because now I’m fucking curious.
I need to know who I’ve got to kill for even making my Angel suspect them.
She ignores me.And I let it go for now.But it’s not easy.
“So, you’re telling me I was probably being tracked for months, and I didn’t know?”
She turns her wide eyes on me.“You knew about this?”
My jaw flexes.
“Angel, I was going to tell you?—”
“When?”she snaps, finally turning to me fully.
Her voice is low, shaking, but her eyes are lit with fire.
“After dinner?Before or after round two?”
I wince, and not just because we’re in my boss’ office.
