The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(28)

She remained there, letting out more disgruntled grunts, growls, curses, until I had emptied the entire folder. Once that was done, I took her entire folder (even though it was empty) and that went into the garbage, too.

The garbage was emptied.

Then I went to my hard drive, and since she knew the coding, she saw me wipe the backups.

After that, I went back into my program, pulled up her name, and wiped that, too .

I waited, letting her digest everything once it was done.

“How do I know you won’t get in again?”

I looked up at her. “Go and change all of your passwords. Other than that, you’ll just have to trust me.”

She was visibly upset, and I got it. I did. But I didn’t feel bad, not after how she had threatened me last semester, and how she treated me. Kash’s conversation from Camille’s office came back to me, and he was right.

Anything. That was my line for what I would do to protect those I loved.

“Fine.” She stormed back to the other side of the table, grabbed her backpack, and hoisted it on. Just before she left, she placed a hand on the table. “I will report you if you ever do anything like that again.”

I gave her a look. Camille Story. Hello?

She flushed. “I mean to myself or Melissa, or anyone else in our class. I will go to the school dean, and I don’t care whose father donated that check, I’ll take everything with me that I have on you.”

Now I started to get heated. “That wasn’t a threat, was it? Meaning you don’t currently have anything on me.” I paused, letting that hang in the air. “Because if you did, then you know me, and you know that I’d have to go and find it.”

Her eyes were almost bugging out. She screwed her face up, her mouth flattening. A quiet scream escaped, sounding like steam leaving a teapot. “No! I don’t have anything. Just, don’t hack me. Ever. Or I’ll go to the feds.”

Hawking’s dean. Now the FBI. I almost retorted, Who’s next? The pope? But I refrained. She was upset. I understood it, and now she needed to maintain a semblance of control. Having the last word would give her that sense of control. So yeah. Whatever floated her boat. I kept quiet and she huffed off a second later .

Fitz came down the aisle. “Was I supposed to have fended her off?”

“No.” I was back in my program, and I changed my password for the entire system. Then I went in and got into her phone. Call me a violator, but I needed to make sure.

A second later, she sent a text out.

Hoda: It’s done.

Quinn: Are you sure? And you watched her the entire time?

Hoda: Yes. I told her I’d go to the FBI if she did it again.

My stomach dropped, but I was waiting, air suspended in my throat, and my fingers were itching to start typing away, when Quinn texted back.

Good. I’m sure with everything Kash and Peter are going through, that’s the last sort of battle Bailey wants. Are we still on for drinks tomorrow night? I know how you can get Liam to sleep with you.

I wanted to puke. My stomach was churning over.

Hoda: Yes! Let’s. Girls’ Martini Night at the Ritz.

Quinn: You’re on. See you then! 8 sharp.

I had meant to close out Hoda’s text messages, too, but not now. And crap. Crap! I had wanted to believe Hoda had become somewhat of a friend. I truly did. But this changed everything.

Quinn.

Fuck.



* * *



I was going to tell Matt first about Hoda and Quinn.

I knew I should tell Kash, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t, and I didn’t know why. It was like when I tried to open my mouth, to tell Fitz that I should be going to wherever Kash was, the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. And my hands refused to pick up the phone and call him myself, or even text him.

Matt I could text.

I asked where he was. He said Naveah, so that’s where we were going. I looked up at the front seat where Fitz and my driver were sitting, and for once I had something they didn’t know about.

Once we pulled up to Naveah, I texted again.

Outside Naveah. Can you come out here? I don’t want to be where Torie is.

He wouldn’t question me on Torie, but he’d question me on where else I wanted to go.

Matt: Sure. Finishing, gotta pay. Can I bring Tony and Guy?

Me: No. You and me only.

Matt: Is this a Team Batt thing?

I grinned, typing fast, and more relieved.

Me: Oh yeah!

Matt: Sweet. Paying now. Out soon.

I put my phone away. “Matt’s coming out here. He wants to go to Octavo instead.”

I was lying.

Fitz frowned at me in the rearview mirror. “He does?”

I nodded. “Hmm. That’s not a problem, right?”

Fitz didn’t respond. He just stared at me until there was a commotion outside and the door was opening. Sounds from the street and the club filtered in. There was a line waiting to get into Naveah, and people began shouting, seeing Matt. Then he was sliding in, his guards coming up behind him, the door shut after him. His guards went to where Fitz was getting out to talk with them.

Matt saw that and looked at me, his eyebrows raised. “What’s going on?”

I locked eyes with him at the same time I texted him.

I spoke, “I told Fitz you wanted to go to Octavo instead.”