Heidi whacks me on the back. “Ewww. But hell yes to public humiliation for alpha pricks. I’m happy to see if I can add a small compilation of incriminating images to the video presentation that always accompanies the Alpha Gala. If Sim can pull it together in time that is.”
And since we’ve had to watch every Gala at Unity, in preparation for the day we’d be attending ourselves, every omega alive knows the way the night works. Canapes and drinks first, letting everyone mingle before dinner and dancing proceeds the announcement of those packing. It’s slightly gaudy, predictable but a highlight and a sell out event. Which makes it a perfect place for us to start applying pressure on Reid, plus, if what Dad is true, kind of means we drive the drama ourselves.
“Did you have any luck with your… research on Xavier Memorial?” I spin around to face Heidi. Reid is one thing, but more importantly I need resolution on Hayes, and that video I suspect will highlight Hayes’s innocence and Reid’s guilt.
Heidi is a whiz at ‘research’. Hacking is such a nasty word. Plus, it comes with a lengthy prison sentence if you get caught.
“I started, but then Koz lured me away with the invitation of watching one of the most amazing people I know get packed,” she snarls through a tight smile.
“I knew you loved me,” I laugh. “Did you bring your laptop?”
“Does slick ruin French lace?” She rolls her eyes at me.
“Hypothetically speaking, do you think Xavier has everything stored on a mainframe server,” Simona asks. These two constantly feed each other’s love affair for technology.
Heidi nods before she answers. “They would operate off a series of protected servers. Probably onsite and off, a couple of people would have access. Limited to only a few for security reasons.”
I reinsert myself into their discussion before they spin away into an argument on cyber this or that. “How long would it take you to do a search of people employed at the hospital between say a month before I was attacked to a month after Hayes was there.”
“Half an hour,” Tristan answers on Heidi’s behalf.
“And if I gave you a list of people associated with the Anders dynasty to also run?” I ask, a way forward starting to crystallise in my thoughts.
Heidi rolls her eyes. “I could do it at the same time.”
“Why?” Tristan asks.
“The baby thing threw me. Like why would you do that? It makes no sense, which means they did it to protect themselves. I think Reid has ADV, but I also think they used Hayes as a cover for Reid. I’ve said it before, so it’s not really a surprise. But because the Anders are so repugnant they couldn’t really risk people knowing their son was an alpha out of control. Imagine if he was responsible for hurting that woman, it would destroy his father’s political career. But it makes sense.”
“With regard to ADV, the fastest would be confirmation he’s on the Omara register. But yeah, the video of what happened at Xavier would answer the other question.”
Not only do alphas afflicted with ADV have to suffer the disease, they also have to suffer the humiliation of being on a register. Although the government doesn’t call it that, it doesn’t detract from there being one.
Her response stops my thoughts. “How?”
Heidi looks sheepish. But not remorseful. “I never ask questions about what you do for Koz, Raney. I don’t ask how you make me money. I give you cash when you tell me to, and you return a lot more than I originally gave you. Which means, professionally speaking, you have to return that trust and favour to me by not questioning anything about what I do. Give me names and addresses. If you know dates of birth, I need that too. Then find me somewhere safe where I will not be disturbed.”
“You’re not hacking into Xavier, are you?” I push.
Heidi walks over to the window, and not for the first time, the sadness that leaks from her ruins her sweet apple scent. “Let’s not turn this around into something about me.”
“Which is impossible, because if it involves you, it involves us,” Simona says, beating me to the crux of our sisterhood.
“We all have secrets we can’t share.”
“Don’t do it,” I demand.
She shakes her head. “Yeah, fuck that, Raney. You need to know about Hayes now. We don’t have time to play around. He won’t notice anyway. He hasn’t noticed me for the last how many years?”
And without saying it, she also lets us know exactly what she is going to do. Hack into her father’s company.
“He won’t notice, you’re right. But on the off chance he does, what do you think he will do?”
“Nothing I haven’t faced before.”
Even before I’ve reached her physically she’s shut herself away emotionally. That doesn’t stop me from going to her. I ignore the way she flinches as my arm curls around her shoulder, I hold her to my chest. Heidi is so similar to King in a lot of ways, she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders but has the fortitude of titanium. Nothing will break through her walls, although she sometimes lets us in.
“You know,” I start but she interrupts me.
