Restrained Under His Duty (Dirty Little Secrets 3)

She gives me a cute little laugh, and of course stays silent in agreement and begins matching my stride, as we walk hand in hand down the sidewalk. “So, back to nonsexy things, but where exactly does this all leave us now? Fucked?”

With my free hand, I reach for my bow tie and undo it, then open a couple buttons, finally able to breathe. “No, we’re not fucked,” I tell her with a frown. “Alex will come through before the night ends.”

Ha

dley looks straight ahead at the couple approaching us on the street. “I still don’t get how you can be so sure of that.”

“Because Alex doesn’t fail me.”

“Not ever?”

“Never,” I confirm.

Obviously Hadley accepts what I’ve told her, since she stays quiet as we pass another couple. But as soon as we continue on down the street toward my truck, I begin to see her silence isn’t a good silence. Even from the side, I note the strain in Hadley’s eyes and the way her face is tight with worry, and it guts me. There’s nothing I want more than to tell her the video is in my possession and she no longer has to worry.

She finally breaks the silence. “It’s very hard for me to trust that this is all going to go away and my life isn’t going to become very public tomorrow.” Her eyes meet mine, her expression twists. “You do realize how little time we have, right?”

I move out of the way, giving the couple on the sidewalk space to walk by us. “All that matters is that we’ve got time. Five minutes, an hour, whatever, the video isn’t out yet. That means we can still stop it.” I firm up my voice and squeeze her hand, giving the only comfort I can right now. “And I won’t stop until time runs out.”

She gives a soft nod and a gentle smile.

While Hadley doesn’t look convinced, she also doesn’t know Alex the way I know her. Alex will get me what I need, and she’ll likely get me even more than what’s required. Because that’s what Alex does.

At the three-way junction, we cross the street, and I spot my truck off in the distance parked behind a BMW, exactly where I’d left it, as Hadley asks, “All right, so what do we do now? Sit around and hope that Alex calls?”

I frown at the concern tightening the corners of her eyes. Even I know the odds are stacked against us. I would say yes. Because that’s the honest answer. Finding the hacker at this point is our best bet to stop the video from getting out, considering we have no idea who the other man in the video is or who the blackmailer could be. I open my mouth to answer her, when my cell begins to ring. I grab it out of my pocket, look at the screen, and snort. “Alex’s ears must be burning.”

“It’s her?” Hadley exclaims.

I nod and raise my cell to my ear. “Alex, what have you got?”

“Why, hello there, Alex,” she says, voice annoyed. “Thank you for working so hard when I’m off attending parties with my hot new lover.”

“Alex,” I mutter, not in any mood for our usual playful banter.

“Fine. You’re no fun.” She pauses, and through the phone line I can hear her fingers clicking against the keyboard. “Well, it’s time to put Hadley in a cab and for you to go meet your team…” More clicking of fingers on a keyboard, faster now. Then, “I’ve just sent the location of the target to your cellphone. The team is already en route.”

Hadley’s eyes begin to widen, as I ask, “You’ve found him?”

“Of course I did,” Alex states.

“You are honestly the best, Alex. Job well done.” I can’t look away from Hadley, finding happiness, relief, concern all there in her expression. A little bit of the unknown, too. And maybe there’s even worry for me there as well, as it sinks in that tonight I have to face down that hacker, who may or may not be a violent criminal. “Anything else?”

“There’s nothing special about this hacker. He must be new. My inner circle hasn’t heard of him.”

Which tells me he’s either moved to the area or is a young kid getting involved in an adult game he shouldn’t be in.

“That’s it. Be safe,” Alex says before the phone line goes dead.

I shove my cell back into my pocket, my heart rate kicking up a couple notches. The adrenaline that always comes with the end of a hunt begins surging through my veins as I scoop up Hadley’s hand, tugging her gently but urgently toward the curb.

“Okay. Wait. She found him?” Hadley’s running now to keep up with my brisk walk. “Where is he? Who is he?”

I stop at the curb, stick my fingers into my mouth, and whistle loudly, hailing a cab. One spots me and does a U-turn from the opposite side of the road, not wasting any time getting to us. All of which I appreciate. I open the door for her. “Get in. I’ll call you when this is all over.” Then I reach into my pocket and take a fifty out of my wallet, handing it to the driver through the open passenger-side window.

“Ryder,” Hadley says sternly, holding her ground, not getting into the car.

I gently nudge her toward the back seat, but she pushes against me. Frustrated, I sigh and turn her to me, holding on to both shoulders. I drop my head, bringing my eye level to hers. “Let me go and take care of this. You don’t need to be there. Please go home where I know you’ll be safe. I will call you right after. Promise.”