White-Hot Hack (Kate and Ian #2)(5)

“Try not to create too big a scandal. We’re still on the down low.”

That was a bit of an understatement. Before Kate’s parents left Roanoke Island, Steve had pulled Ian aside and asked lots of questions, namely how he planned to keep his and Kate’s identity hidden. Phillip had helped to reassure Steve that it wasn’t the first time they’d dealt with an issue like this, and they would follow the protocol designed to ensure they left no trail, digital or otherwise. Ian knew if Steve wasn’t satisfied with the plan, he’d rally hard to keep his daughter from being part of such a risky endeavor, and he understood. Someday he might have a daughter of his own, and the thought of her being in Kate’s shoes gave him all the perspective he needed. Though he and Phillip felt the odds of someone nosing around Kate’s parents or brother were fairly low, they’d spent a considerable amount of time discussing how the Watts family should respond should they be approached by anyone looking for Kate.

“What about the commute? Are you sure the drive in to headquarters won’t bother you?”

“Phillip’s been commuting roughly the same distance from Frederick for almost the entire length of his career. I won’t be going in every day, so it’s not a big deal to me.”

“I’m going to miss Susan.”

“She’ll be less than an hour away.”

Ian had done the preliminary work on the pentesting he was doing for Phillip from his laptop while sitting on the couch, which wasn’t ideal and gave him no room to spread out. Kate hadn’t wanted to disturb him, so she’d spent most of her time with Susan while he was working, either up at the main house or visiting the many tourist sites DC had to offer. It made him happy to see the two women getting along so well, but he’d felt guilty about displacing his wife.

“Who would have thought we’d end up on a horse farm in northern Virginia?” Kate said.

“Virginia is for lovers, sweetness.” He pulled her onto his lap, slipped his hands under her jaw, and gave her a number six kiss.

She kissed him back, letting her lips linger. “Clearly it was meant to be. But come on, Ian. We both know Linda had me at wine.”



The cash sale went through quickly, and after the closing they drove to the house to wait for the movers. Ian turned off the car, but before they got out, Kate said, “What are we going to do with a barn and stable?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

They walked up to the front door, and after Ian unlocked it, he reached for Kate’s wrist to stop her from taking a step inside. He looked into her eyes and said, “This is it, Kate. This is where we begin.” Then he swung her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold.





CHAPTER TWO

Kate was in the master bedroom unpacking the last few boxes. She’d finally located her pajamas, but when she carried an armful to the dresser and opened the drawer, a stack of them— brand-new, in a rainbow of colors—were waiting there for her to discover.

Ian was in his office hooking up computer cables. He was wearing jeans and a worn, faded T-shirt that said HACK NAKED. “Hey, sweetness.”

She hopped up on the desk. “Nice shirt.”

“I found it in a box I hadn’t opened in years. It’s a souvenir from a hacking convention I attended a long, long time ago. You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve mellowed since then.”

“I can barely wrangle you now. I can’t imagine keeping you in line back in the day.”

“I’ll admit I was a bit of a handful.”

“I’ve almost finished unpacking. It seems as though the pajama fairy has already paid me a visit. Can I just tell you how much I love that? I can’t wait to wear them.”

He winked, and her heart did a little flip because no one looked sexier when they winked than her husband.

He reached into an envelope sitting on the desk. “I have something else for you.”

Kate examined the Virginia driver’s license with her picture and the name Diane Smith. “Strange. I do not recall making a visit to the DMV. Where did you get this?”

“I made it.” He looked so proud.

“Is it fake?”

“It’s legit…ish. I hacked my way in, created our IDs, and had them mailed to our new PO box. It wasn’t that hard. Your mom could probably do it.”

“Please do not tell her that. Let me see yours.”

He reached into his wallet and withdrew his license. He’d used a photo she’d taken of him a few weeks before the wedding in which he was darkly tanned and shaggy-haired. A blond surfer. The name on his was Will Smith. They’d decided their middle names would be a good compromise: familiar enough that they’d respond to them, but common and therefore quite anonymous. Kate’s biggest fear while house hunting was that she’d accidentally call Ian by his real name in front of Linda, but luckily that hadn’t happened.

Kate handed the license back to him. “This is all very Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If I find out you’re really an assassin, you will be in so much trouble.”

“I promise I’m not an assassin. And legally you are Katherine Diane Bradshaw and I have the documents to prove it. They’re just hidden safely away. The online records are, unfortunately, missing. Shame about that.”

Their home had been purchased by the LLC they’d created for Ian’s new company and neither of their names—real or otherwise—appeared anywhere on the title.