Corrupted Chaos (Tarnished Empire)(4)

“Let me guess.” I popped a hip. “If I don’t go, my team doesn’t either.”

The woman stepped between Cade and me, like she wanted to break our eye contact. “You’ve done fantastic work, and we’d like you all to stay together, yes.”

“This can’t be protocol.”

“Honestly . . .” She sighed and rubbed her eyes like she’d had a long day. Her wrinkles, testaments to the stress she faced, moved with her hands. “I’m going to level with you. It may not be protocol, but if you don’t comply, you all will most likely be out of a job.”

I leaned to the side enough so that I could see him. “That true, Cade Armanelli?”

One side of his mouth hitched at me sneering his name. “Ms. Hardy, I promise corporate America will suit you.”

The lady nodded. “Cade does run most of the data security teams here, Ms. Hardy. I do suggest you take the offer. Your salary—and the salaries of everyone on your team—has been doubled, and you probably have more opportunities there than you do here.”

I sighed.

I would have thrown a tantrum, demanded they reconsider, and maybe even thrown a pen or two around. But that was the Izzy of years ago, before I lost myself to passivity. I was better now. I’d reformed. I’d packed my emotions up into a nice, neat box so no one could say I was being a diva or indulging in that personality of mine that got me into trouble.

Everyone said I was such a grown-up now, but most days, it felt like I was simply tired. Keeping a lid on so many emotions would do that to a person. Still, I accepted my lot and hoped I could go home soon for a nap and reset. “Thank you for the opportunity,” I told her, the words as sour as limes in my mouth.

Cade’s eyebrows raised. “That’s it?”

I swear, he wanted a fight, but I wouldn’t give him one. The woman hurried on with a nervous chuckle. “I promise, it’s for the best. You’ll thank me once you’re settled into your new position. You’ll see. You’ll probably have more time on your hands there.”

What she didn’t understand was that I wanted to do all I was doing for the government. I wanted—no, I needed—to work hard for them. My mind didn’t do well without a goal or something to occupy it. It was how I kept the indulgent side of me, the side that was bottled up, from creeping out.

Cade was ruining everything, and he damn well knew it.





Three Months Later





Cade: Stop trying to hack into government property.

Me: OMG get a life and stop watching what I’m doing.

Cade: Technically, I’m doing my job. It’s national security and you’re breaching one of our firewalls.

Me: Still, you’re watching what I’m doing

Cade: Me watching what you’re doing is knowing you sold your condo to move to Greene Liberty Apartments where they have a shit security system.

Me: Seriously, stop.

Cade: Stop sifting through confidential data then.

Me: Get over it. It’s only for information on the Albanians.

Cade: That’s not your job.

Me: I’m quite aware of your reassigning my job duties.

Cade: Yeah, about that …

Cade: I’m waiting for a “thank you so much, Cade.”

Me: Fuck you very much.

Cade: You’re welcome to come over.

Me: I wonder if you think that actually works on women.

Cade: I don’t have to wonder.

Me: You do realize you’re my boss. This wouldn’t look very good to HR.

Cade: I’ll take my chances if you’re agreeing.

Me: I’m not. I have a boyfriend that’s actually a good human.

Cade: You sure? Want me to hack his data and see?

Me: You better not.

Cade: Yeah, we’ll let him have his fun while he’s out of the country.

Me: How do you know he’s gone?

Cade. I know everything … Stop poking around

Me: Fine. Whatever.





Three Months Later





Cade: Don’t you have anything better to do at 3 am?

Me: Maybe I would have more work to do if you let Stonewood Enterprises give me a promotion.

Cade: You’re not ready obviously or you wouldn’t be doing something reckless like hacking systems in the middle of the night.

Me: Leave me alone.

Cade: Then turn off your computer and do something else with your time.

Me: Nothing else to do right now.

Cade: Your boyfriend must be gone again, huh?

Me: So what if he is? Stop watching me.

Cade: Get over yourself. I built an alert for when you start digging for Albanian data. Leave it alone.

Me: You’re seriously the most annoying person I’ve ever met.





Six Months Later





Cade: They must not give you enough work over at Stonewood Enterprises.

Me: Well, you’re technically my boss, although you’re never in the office. You might want to tell the manager who’s there every day about it.

Cade: Izzy, I swear to all that’s holy, knock this shit off.

Me: Just let me be!

Cade: Go to bed. Fuck your boyfriend. Watch a show. Do anything other than this.