“Tried?” Rebel asked from near the door, his brows drawing together.
I nodded, my fingers still flying swiftly over the keyboard, pulling up the details behind the alert and double-checking my assumptions.
“They couldn’t get deep enough into the system to do it without triggering detection,” I confirmed, keeping my tone level despite the heat building beneath my skin.
Cross pushed off the wall, stepping closer. “So it didn’t work?”
I nodded again, my jaw tightening.
“Then why,” he asked slowly, “do you look like you’re about ready to start snapping bones?”
“Because they triggered a regulatory inquiry.”
“Shit,” Wizard cursed, stepping in close to snatch the laptop back from me, his glare promising a long list of violent payback options the moment this situation was handled.
“For those of us who don’t speak finance-geek,” Echo drawled, raising an eyebrow, “you wanna explain what the fuck that means?”
I forced my fists to unclench, dragging my fingers roughly through my hair to regain some sense of composure. “A regulatory inquiry occurs when oversight bodies suspect potential violations or questionable practices. It prompts a deeper investigation. They’ll look hard at the account, go over transaction histories and paperwork, everything.”
King’s hand moved absently over Cerberus’s head again as he spoke, his tone carefully measured. “I take it this account is for a company protecting our more questionable legal activities?”
“It’s one of our biggest shell companies, but also one of our most protected,” I answered. “They wouldn’t have been able to get in, but even if they did, there was no way they’d be able to inject false transactions without detection. Once they figured that out, they skipped directly to triggering the inquiry.”
Ash frowned, shifting forward slightly. “And we don’t want anyone looking closer.”
I shrugged. “I keep our shit airtight. They won’t find anything we don’t want them to find. But dealing with the investigation will be an annoyance we don’t need right now. And that’s exactly what they're aiming for.”
King’s eyes darkened as he nodded. “It’s a distraction.”
“A fucking good one.” Wizard moved closer, turning the laptop screen so I could see clearly. My stomach tightened as I read what was displayed there. Internal documents and transaction logs linked directly to the company Poppy worked for. Someone had deliberately falsified documentation to leave clear evidence of an embezzler. But it didn’t make sense.
If their target was Poppy, they should have known that there was no way to pass her off as the embezzler. She didn’t have a high enough clearance, and even if she had, her department didn’t have access to the tools needed to embezzle from the company. They didn’t initiate transactions; they only handled compliance for any flagged as suspicious.
“I don’t?—”
My mouth snapped shut when Wizard clicked a few more keys, bringing up a different screen.
Fury blew through me, the rage so thick, so consuming, I could barely see through it.
Somebody—I was positive that someone worked for BAM—had hacked into Poppy’s bank accounts and planted evidence that she had been paid to clear transactions that should’ve stayed flagged.
White-hot rage momentarily blotted out everything else, my fists clenching hard at my sides.
King’s voice snapped through the roaring in my ears, pulling my gaze back to his hard stare. “Ace, rein it in.”
I realized he stood right in front of me, his eyes locked on mine, and his voice low but unyielding. “Poppy needs you to stay in control. Take care of her first. She can’t go back to work, so keep her home or bring her here. Whatever you need so you know she’s safe.”
He paused, his jaw tightening before he continued, “We’ve got your back. But the only way to ensure this threat is fully eliminated is to stay calm, make a plan, and execute it properly.We need your methodical, detail-focused ass polishing every piece of this.”
“I’m not that bad,” I muttered, the air around me continuing to clear.
A faint smirk tugged at King’s lips. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
I exhaled sharply, the tension slowly easing at his familiar sarcasm, enough to steady my pulse. He stepped closer, his hand clamping firmly on my shoulder, a tangible anchor to the moment.
“Go take care of your woman, Ace.” King’s tone brooked no argument. “When we have everything we need to set shit in motion, I’ll call you.”
His words settled the last of my restless anger, grounding me firmly back in control. I nodded, knowing he was right.
