“Correct, but Dennis is vice president and will vote first. He’ll blast into you and me.”
I ground my teeth together. “You’ll be there. I want him to say all this garbage to your face, in front of the entire room.”
Petra nodded. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
“That doesn’t make it right.” I paced the dining area before gripping the back of a chair. I hated feeling like I had missed something. If they wanted to talk about the CEO role, I could show growth charts and evidence of success. Yet they knew that. This was about Dennis, my father, and some fucked-up feelings I didn’t understand. My CFO and CTO were in a group chat, and I immediately added Petra to it.
Jen:Everything has been restored, no data exfiltrated. 100% confirmed. Checked with our ISP to verify.
CFO:Business as usual. Nate has been fired and all access has been removed.
Petra:Jen, can one of your cyber guys spare half a day on Nate’s device?
“What are you thinking?” I asked, appreciating that our CTO and CFO were competent, intelligent people. “You still thinking there’s a tie from Nate to your ex?”
She shook her head. “I think it’s something bigger.”
“Bigger? What does that mean?” My brain spun with a familiar ache that could only be soothed with whiskey, Laney, or sex. Sometimes, all the above. “Nate received payments thatwe were able to track to your ex—our lawyers are working with law enforcement to see what action we can take.”
“Sure, but the way Blake has been acting…”
“Have you been speaking with him, Petra?” My tone was pure ice. “The man who tried to sabotage you, ruin our business, and make you cry?”
“I never cried, asshole.” She paced on the other side of the kitchen, her hair all over the place again. “He called me four times. I finally gave in two nights ago.”
“Goddamn it, Petra.” The urge to say I wish you would’ve called me was right there, but I didn’t say it. I was glad she hadn’t. That night with Laney had been precious. It had repaired the foundation I’d destroyed over the last year. “What the hell did he want?”
“He assured me that he had nothing to do with what the feds were saying. He’d never do that to me.”
“He stole your idea and used it in his business model. He used you to make his business thrive. He would do that to you.” I placed my hands on my hips and fought the compulsion to kick the chair. “Do not let him manipulate you. You are stronger than this.”
“I know, Connor. I told him to fuck off and speak to me through our lawyers. I am not an idiot, and I’ve seen his true colors. He did make one comment though that has me hesitating.” She chewed her lip, and a nervous look crossed her face. “He said that, when they heard about our breach, their business doubled down on their protection in case someone went after them next. He made the claim that somehow Nate and Dennis know each other well.”
“That’s… okay, them knowing each other is not an issue.” Icracked a few knuckles and stared at the checkered wallpaper. I liked Laney’s hometown, but the décor in the rental was not my flavor. “That sounds like he wanted to place doubt on him, and it’s working. Dennis and Nate knowing each other isn’t a big deal.”
“I want to ask Jen to look into it.” She pursed her lips. “Connor, you’ve known me for years, and I trust my gut. I have a weird feeling about this. I mean, hell, look at the timeline. The breach happened, then they’re questioning the CEO role?”
“He couldn’t have planned for me to try and work on my marriage.”
“Sure, but a cyberattack could have major setbacks on a business. He probably thought we wouldn’t be prepared enough.”
“Jen knows her shit.”
“Yeah, but how does he feel about women in the workplace, Connor?”
Fuck. She had me there. I pinched the bridge of my nose and nodded.
“As my proposed COO, I expect you to handle this and update me if you find anything of substance. Preferably by next Wednesday.”
She was already facing her phone, her fingers flying over the device as she smiled. “Come to think of it, remember that board meeting where Jen spoke about multifactor authentication and Dennis kept rolling his eyes?”
My jaw tensed as I nodded. “What about it?”
“His attitude about the entire thing. He truly thought it wasn’t a big deal. I’m right about this, boss. I feel it. I’ll get you the evidence to prove it. If I get you that, then during the board meeting next week, you can share it with the rest.”
She was so determined, so sure of it, that I smiled.
“Deal, Petra. Find me the shit I need to get Dennis off my back.”
