“I’d rather look someone in the eye when talking than listen to their voice over the phone,” Thorne defended without apology. “Harder for them to lie to me.”
Keys could understand that, and while he could understand a career military man’s natural distrust, personally he’d still take the phone. “It’s fine. We were just finishing up. If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat,” he indicated to the chairs across the way, “we’ll be right with you.”
As the two headed over, Keys felt his phone buzz in his pocket.
Gl!tch.OS: Holy Hunkamole. Who are THEY?
Keys’ frowned down at his screen. The amount of time thetwo of them spent together might seem unhealthy to some, but Keys didn’t care. He—normally—loved his conversations with Glitch, though recently he’d been contemplating answering the question ofwhoGlitch was. It wasn’t because his respect for her had waned or his trust in her had lessened… In fact, it was because both of those hadincreasedthat he needed to know.
How could he protect her, help her, watch her back, if he didn’t even know who she was and why her anonymity was so important to her?
She was a hacker. There was a good chance she’d done the same to him.
Or maybe he was just making excuses when the truth was that he wanted to know who she was because he wanted to know more abouther—while she was cyber-mooning over his potential new hires.
Fucking pathetic.
WiseWave620: Why are you in my system?
Gl!tch.OS: You know, taken out of context, that could be taken a completely different way.
Keys’ left eye twitched.
WiseWave620: Not helping your cause.
Gl!tch.OS:
Gl!tch.OS: I was just checking in to see how you were doing. You never messaged me back after breakfast.
Shit. Why did he feel like blushing at that? He had two potential hires waiting for him, possibly watching him, right now. He couldnotbe blushing like a schoolboy. Glancing up, his intent was to slyly check to see if either brother waswatching him.
Problem was, he completely forgot about theotherset of brothers still in the lobby, too.
Swallowing hard, he stared up at Jumper and Pirate. “I, uh, thought you guys were leaving?” Damn it, he hadn’t meant to make that sound like a question.
“We were,” Jumper answered, one arm leaning on the tall reception counter.
“Then we saw you staring down at your phone like a loon,” Pirate added, looking far too much like the cat that ate the canary.
Keys put his phone on the counter, facedown. Sophia, Jasmine, and Simone were standing by the door with Tom, but from the glances the three women were throwing Keys’ way, they too were curious. Fuck.
But instead of cowering, Keys straightened his back and lifted an eyebrow. “What? I’m not allowed to talk to a friend?”
Pirate’s grin grew at Keys’ reaction. “Is this the same friend who paid fifty grand for a date with you?”
Fuck. Keys was never going to live that humiliating day down. “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Either way, it’s none of your business.” Neither brother looked like they were going to back down. “I’m allowed to have a social life!” Keys argued, indignant.
“You are,” Jumper agreed. “And honestly, I’m proud of you for…” He waved a hand towards Keys’ phone. “Whatever that is. I just want to make sure you’re being safe.”
While Keys knew Jumper meant the statement literally, Pirate took his brother’s comment in a completely different direction. “He can’t get her pregnant over the internet,” he quipped. Then frowned. “Wait, this is Keys we’re talking about… If anyone could figure out how to impregnate someone through a computer, it would be him.”
For fuck’s sake! “I’m not impregnating anyone!” Which was saidwaytoo loud in a lobby that he just realized echoed. A lot. Fuck. When all other conversation in the lobby stopped, Keysdropped his head into his hands and groaned. “This has got to be against the Geneva Convention. I have rights!”
Pirate and Jumper laughed, and Pirate reached across the counter to slap Keys on the back. “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll stop.” Keys slowly lifted his head. “But in all seriousness, are you being careful?”
“Oh, you mean like being more careful than getting drunk and ending up on a pirate ship with my brother’s fiancée’s best friend?” Keys asked pointedly. He was vague enough to remind Pirate that Keys knew that his and Sophia’s current marriage wasn’t their first one while also keeping that fact a secret from Jumper and Jasmine. Keys didn’t know if the other couple was still in the dark about that, and as embarrassed as he was by his club brothers prodding into his personal life, he was not about to break that trust.
Pirate’s eyes narrowed just slightly, hinting that fact was very much still a secret. “Precisely.”
