I think of the way Keira smiles and practically makes heart-eyes when she talks about him. “She didn’t just live to tell about it ... she’s truly happy.”
“Bitch be crazy, that’s all I can say. Anyway, that’s not why you’re here. You’re here for me to work my magic.” Ariel leads me through a modern kitchen with gleaming stainless appliances to a long table that faces an incredible view of Lake Pontchartrain.
“Nice digs.”
“Mount had good taste. I didn’t change much,” Ariel says as she pulls out a chair in front of her laptop. She stretches her hands and fingers before sitting down and looking up at me. “Now, what information are we digging for this time?”
“How do you know I need more information?”
She tilts her head as I sit next to her. “Because knowledge is power. Why wouldn’t you want more? So ... tell me and we can get to it. I won’t even charge you. But I do take payment in cookies if you know how to bake.”
I laugh. “I’ll buy you some cookies.”
“Fair enough. Now, go. I’m ready.”
I swallow, not sure how much I should say to her. “This is not a good situation.At all.Like ... no one can know what we talk about or what you find.”
“Shit. That kind of stuff?”
I nod and Ariel stands, shutting her laptop.
I blink at her. “What are you—”
“We’re moving this to where I handle the super-secure shit. I live for this stuff. You have no idea. Come on.”
I follow Ariel through a massive master suite into a closet and look away as she punches in a code. A panel opens, and she waves a hand toward it.
“Welcome to my safe room.”
I step inside what looks like a luxurious dressing room with ornate cabinets lining two walls, and an island in the center. Two large leather sofas are situated into a conversation area.
At least until Ariel comes in, closes the door, and hits some kind of button.
The whole room changes. The cabinets disappear to reveal a high-tech security center that looks a lot like what Kane has on the second floor of the warehouse.
“You have a bat cave.”
Ariel grins at me. “I sure as hell do.” She pulls up chairs, and we settle in while she hooks up her laptop to what I assume is a secure hardline.
“You can cover your tracks?”
“Better than anyone else out there. I hacked the Pentagon seven times last year, and they never caught me. I’m the best.”
Then she’s exactly who I need. “Good, because these people are bad.”
One of Ariel’s red eyebrows goes up. “How bad?”
“Bad. The kind of people who don’t deserve to actually be alive because they sell other people.”
Ariel whips her head around to meet my gaze. “Whoa. Okay. So real super baddies.Shit.I got you. Now, give me a name or something and we’ll start digging.” She places her fingers on the keyboard and waits.
I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, because I definitely didn’t get permission from Kane to do this first.
“Can you keep a secret?”
Ariel’s expression turns solemn. “I’m keeping more secrets than I wish I was. I’m a vault. That’s how hackers stay alive.”
I suck in a breath. “Giles.”