Sexy Liar (Dirty Hacker 1)

That was two minutes ago. For those last minutes, Ryder had been drilling her. “For the last time,” Alex said into her phone, “I. Am. Fine. Please stop worrying about me.”

“You were attacked and hurt, and someone tried to kill you,” Ryder snapped. “How can I not worry?”

“You sure know a lot for someone who is not supposed to be having me watched,” she grumbled back at him.

“Alex,” he warned.

She ignored his snippy voice, knowing having Ryder there would only cause more tension, considering even she realized the stakes now. The killer knew who she was, and apparently, had hired Valens to take her out. Which, of course, only told her she was looking in the right place. Something she’d get back to just as soon as could. “Did you run Valens?” she asked, refocusing on what mattered—finding this bastard. “Get anything on him?”

“He’s a hired thug that’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted List,” Ryder reported “Rich. Obviously good at his job.”

“Well, not good enough, since I’m not dead,” she pointed out.

“Without Hawke, that would not be the case.” It was a rare thing for Ryder to sound impressed over anyone, unless they were a member of his team. “Run that name by me again, the guy who you’re with now.”

“Wes Lanning,” she said, glancing toward Rowan and Wes who were still standing by the yellow tape. “He’s an old military buddy of Rowan’s. FBI.” And Wes was the only reason they were allowed there.

“All right,” Ryder said. “You’re at the location of the murder now?”

“Yup, just waiting to view the body,” she said, noting the tension along Rowan’s shoulders, even though he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets, obviously trying to portray calmness in a moment he couldn’t have been calm at all.

Ryder hesitated for longer than necessary, and when he spoke again, some of the tightness had left his voice. “Dare I ask why Rowan needs to identify the body?”

Alex fought against the roll of her stomach. She’d wondered the same thing and asked that very question when they had arrived. She hadn’t liked the answer she got. “The head is gone.”

“The woman’s head?”

Alex groaned, pressing her hand against her stomach. “Please don’t make me say it again.”

Ryder harrumphed, paused, then said sternly, “I’m coming there.”

“You’d have nothing to do,” Alex countered gently. Of course, she appreciated Ryder wanting to keep her safe, but the last thing she wanted was to get Ryder dragged into all this. “I’m closing in on this guy. Tonight’s event is proof of that. We’ll get somewhere safe after this…and honestly, if the victim is Mia…” She couldn’t even finish, hoping with everything in her that it wasn’t.

“If it’s Mia, you’ll come home, and let the FBI and CIA handle this, right?” Ryder finished for her.

The question hung in the dark night. Which was…odd. Of course, Alex was going back to San Francisco…right?

As if he knew where her thoughts lingered, Rowan turned around, his intense gaze boring deeply into hers. He finally waved her over.

“Listen, I gotta go,” she said to Ryder.

“You never answered my question,” Ryder grumbled.

“Talk soon.” She ended the call immediately, not ready to answer the question. Not even understanding why she couldn’t answer that question. She tucked her phone into the back pocket of her jeans then hurried to Rowan’s side. “It’s time?”

Rowan nodded.

Wes interjected and said to her firmly, “Put your hands in your pockets and do not take them out.”

Alex blinked at him. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Wes nodded. “Hawke shouldn’t be here. The only reason he is here is because I got clearance for him to identify the body. You absolutely have no reason to be here. Do not fuck with my crime scene.”

She’d met hard-asses over the years. Hell, she worked for Ryder, and he was the king of being a hard-ass. But she got the feeling that Wes was not a man to push around, and knowing she was there for Rowan, and Mia, she shut her usually loud mouth and shoved her hands into her pockets.

“Good,” Wes said, giving her an approving nod. To Rowan, he said, “I’ll say it again: Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s…” His lips pinched in a firm line before he continued. “This isn’t a good scene.”

Rowan didn’t even hesitate. “I need to know. Let’s go.”