“This will only take a minute. It’s about one of your clients.”
That statement ended her farce. “I don’t discuss my clients, Liam. You know that.”
“I know, but this is an unusual circumstance. If you will just give me a minute.” He tried pleading with her and stepping closer to her.
“No,” she snapped at him. “I have given you all the time I am willing to give. If this isyour way of trying to get back together just forget it.”
“This isn’t about us,” he started to argue, but she caught him off.
“I don’t want to see you anymore. I don’t know how much clearer I can be about that. And I refuse to talk to you about my clients. Now goodnight, Liam, and goodbye.” And for the second time in two days, Cora closed the door in his face. It wasn’t any easier than thefirst.
She leaned her head against the door and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wiped it away furiously that she would cry over this man. Never again. She had wasted enough tears on him.
Cora pushed herself off the door and was starting to head back down the hall when her front door flew open. Cora turned around to see a six-foot pissed off Liam staring back at her. Damn, she had forgottento lock the door after she closed it in his face.
“What the hell are you doing just barging into my house?” She tried to sound angry, but she was in to much pain.
“Your office window is broken,” he stated as if she didn’t already know. He looked down at her floors. “And you’re bleeding.”
Cora said calmly. "Someone threw a brick through the window which startled me, and I broke a plate andaccidentally stepped on it. It’s deep in my foot. I’ll be fine though. I have a first aid kit and can take care of it myself.”Cora had always shown a tough girl exterior and didn’t like asking for help. Especially from an ex-boyfriend. The wound felt deep, and she would have a hell of a time pulling it out herself, but the thought of having to ask Liam for help or for him to touch her was somethingshe would never ask.
“Let me help you. I don’t want you to further injure yourself.”
“I’m fine, just a little clumsy.” Hardly. She was never clumsy. Hopefully, Liam would forget about that.
“I don’t remember you being clumsy before.”
Cora sighed in anger. “Whether I am or not isn’t relevant now. I just need you to leave so I can clean up the mess, board the window and bandage my foot.So please, go away. We’ve already said all we need to say to one another.”
Chapter Four
Cora was so engrossed with work she almost missed her phone ringing. She had been writing codes all day for other clients and blocking a hacker from getting into her new client, Alejandro’s accounts. She didn’t know what was so special about it, but every firewall she had put up the hacker seemed to break through them. She thought she finally put up enough walls to keepthem out for good.
“This is Cora,” she answered her phone.
“Ms. St. James,” a smooth heavily accented voice said on the other line.
“Hello, Mr. Ferrera,” Cora tried to sound upbeat, but she was exhausted. After blocking the hacker and working around the clock, she was in desperate need of sleep. A glance at the clock confirmed it was getting late and she had been sitting at her computerfor eleven hours. “How can I help you?” She hoped he didn’t know about the hacker.
“I’ve been told there are problems with the security system you are using, and I was almost…how you say? Hacked.”
“No, Sir,” she quickly assured him. She had never been hacked before and she wasn’t about to start now. “There was a minor incident today, but I handled it. Your accounts are safe.”
“I hope so,miquerido. I don’t trust easily, and you come highly recommended.”
“I have everything under control. I have new firewalls up now. No one will be able to get near your accounts again.”
“Good. I like you, Cora.” He rolled the r in her name making a purring sound. It made Cora nervous. She didn’t know how he could like her when he had never met her. “I would hate for anything to happen to you.”
Cora’s hackles went up. “Are you threatening me?” No one threatened a St. James. She had worked with some high official people around the world setting up their security, but no one had ever threatened her before. She didn’t like it.
Alejandro chuckled good-naturedly. “A mere warning,miquerido.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t care for it. Your accounts are safe. I protect all my client’s information.I have never been hacked before. Besides my clients, the only way to get their information is through my computer, and I am on it all the time. It is highly secured.” She snapped at him. No one threatened her. She didn’t care how much money he was paying her.
“I’m glad to hear that,mi querido.” Not in the least bit offended she yelled at him.
Cora was ready to be done with this conversationand go to bed. “Was there anything else, Mr. Ferrera?”
