* * *
Rose Benson feltlike she was standing on a knife’s edge. One slip, one mistake, and it was all over. Her lifeline? A hacker she’d only heard rumors about—and if even half the stories about him were true, then she was nowherecloseto his league. She was good, buthewas better. If her sister hadn’t vouched for him, there was no way in hell Rose would be trusting him right now. Poison called Keys “the kid”, but there was a measure of awe in her sister’s voice that took away any bite from the nickname.
Which surprised Rose. Poison wasn’t the type to be easilyimpressed. Then again, Rose looked like an amateur still learning to type next to Keys, and Poison showed her a level of surprise, appreciation, and awe that Rose had never experienced before from her sister. Hell, the first time Poison had told Rose “thank you” years ago when they first started working together, Rose had questioned if Poison was dying or had suffered brain damage. She’dneverheard those two words exit her sister’s mouth in her entire life.
Not that Poison knew it was Rose on the other end of the line. For the years that they’d been working together, Rose felt closer to Poison—which was both sad and pathetic. How had it taken Rose faking her own death for the sisters to actually become sisters?
“Hey, MV. You’ve got all three of us.”
Rose looked to her left to verify Oscar was still fully engrossed in the television show he was watching as she answered Poison. “And you have me and Keys.” The program she used would change her voice without making her hear the echo of the modulation.
“Hey, Keys.”
Rose immediately picked up on the affection in her older sister’s voice. In the past several hours that she’d been on the phone with Keys, she’d noticed several things, like how the two of them wereextremelysimilar, but also remarkably different. Keys was so smart, a true genius in everything he did—online. He had absolutely no social skills whatsoever. Which was as refreshing as it was adorable. She didn’t know what he looked like or how old he was. Some of the things he said made him sound like he was a child in a candy store, while other things made him sound like an old man too impatient for the light to change at a crosswalk before he stepped into traffic.
“Hey, Ivy! Shit, I mean, Poison. Damn it. I’m never going to get used to that.”
Rose covered her mouth to hide her giggle at Keys’ stumbledresponse. Well, at least he stayed true to form. She didn’t mind calling her sister by her road name. As far as Rose was concerned, Poison had earned it.
“You’ve also got me.”
Rose pictured Poison’s hackles rising at the new, masculine voice on the line.
“Who the fuck are you?” Poison demanded through gritted teeth.
“Jack.” Rose heard Kitty chuckle, and realized Poison had the call on speaker. She really needed to get more earwigs to Poison if she was adding as many people to her club as she wanted.
“Robin,” Jack responded.
Rose wasn’t sure if she was surprised that Keys knew who Jack was. In the small town of Whitefish, Montana, Jack was known as a transplant who owned a local convenience store and helped the locals who lived secluded lives up on the mountain that overshadowed the town. In the cyber world, though, Jack had a very different, very deadly reputation. As the head of the Mountain Mutineers, he wasn’t known for his mercy, but for his vengeful wrath against those who preyed upon the innocent.
When Keys had mentioned bringing Jack into the loop, Rose thought about informing him that she was familiar with Jack, as he’d been the one who had helped her escape WITSEC undetected. But in the end, decided to keep her mouth shut. Knowing that fact would not affect or influence the outcome of their current dilemma.
Poison’s voice brought Rose back to the present. “Robin? Really?” her sister asked Kitty in a sardonic drawl.
Rose had never met Kitty in person, but she knew about him from Jack. He’d been thieving since his teen years, and was probably the cockiest person on the planet. But he wasn’t arrogant. He’d earned that title. Personally, Rose liked him for her sister. Thought he was exactly the sort of man who could handle Poison’s own confidence.
“I was sixteen and needed a moniker.”
Someone snapped their fingers. “Jesus, people, can we stay on topic please? Who the hell are Keys and Jack?”
That was Phoenix, Rose’s contact who had already been in Detroit for a completely different contract. Rose hadn’t planned on introducing Phoenix and Poison—at least not yet. But what was that saying about telling God your plans?
“Keys is the tech genius who runs theVia DaemoniaMotorcycle Club in Pennsylvania,” Poison answered. “I have no clue who Jack is.”
“Jack runs the Mountain Mutineers out of Montana,” Kitty said.
Rose winced, because she’d been hoping to keep that part a secret from her sister. Damn.
Poison nearly choked out her next words. “The Mountain Mutineers arereal? I thought that was an urban legend.”
A masculine chuckle filled the line. “Oh, we’re real. We just keep a low profile so no one sees us coming.”
“Is it true you have a Hammurabi-like prison where the inmates get a literal eye-for-an-eye punishment?” There was obvious excitement in Phoenix’s voice as she posed the question in clear violation of her own demand to keep the conversation on track.
Jack took a moment to contemplate his answer before he said, “Whether we do or don’t has no standing on this case.”
“No judgement here,” Phoenix replied. “Personally, I’m jealous. If you’re taking open admissions, there’s a few names I’d like to add to your roster.”
