A bar appears. My nerves are wrecked as a solid blue color slowly fills up the bar. It runs from zero percent, crawling along. Biting my nail, I glance at the time on the wall clock. I’ve already been here for a few minutes. I can only hope the guard doesn’t come down to see what’s taking me so long.
Bouncing my leg, I wait. It takes a good few seconds before the copying is completed. Like Elliot instructed, I shut down the program and close the window. Then I open the USB key to make sure the information is there. I’m not schooled in computer language, but between the characters in the top line a name jumps out at me.
Violet.
Taken aback, I stare at the name.
Violet I.
Leon named his program after me? I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t have time to process the information. I act fast, scrolling to somewhere in the middle of the program before deleting two lines. I delete another one at the bottom, press save, and eject the USB key.
Elliot may be forcing me to steal Leon’s work, but I’m not going to hand it over just like that. With a few lines missing, the program can’t possibly work. It has to be faulty.
My palms are clammy when I drop the key and notebook in my bag. I’m careful to leave everything on Leon’s desk the way I found it, straightening his mousepad and the stack of files at my elbow. A sick feeling sinks to the pit of my stomach when I switch off his computer.
I should be relieved when I finally make it back to the control room and eject the USB key to reactivate the camera feed, but the nausea only increases when I step outside.
“Everything all right, Miss Starley?” the guard asks.
“Found it,” I say, my voice surprisingly normal.
My whole body is shaking when I get into the car. I lean my head against the backrest and wipe the sweat from my brow. After taking a few deep breaths, I start the engine and drive home.
Elliot’s car is parked in the driveway when I arrive.
I don’t want the USB key on me for a minute longer than necessary. The quicker I hand it over, the quicker I can pretend the guilt isn’t gnawing at my insides.
Upstairs, I pause on the landing. No light falls from under my mom’s door. Gus’s snoring reaches me through the wood. They’ve had separate rooms from since I can remember, but if Gus spends the whole night with my mom, he sleeps in her room. Is it significant that he never lets her spend the night in his room?
Going to the end of the hallway, I knock softly on Elliot’s door. He opens it wearing pajama bottoms. His flat chest is naked, the hollow of his breastbone caving inward. When we were young, the other kids always teased him about it. For that reason, Elliot never took his shirt off at the beach. He only exposes his pale skin at the pool at home.
I take the USB key from my bag and hand it to him.
He takes it with a grin. “Good work, Violet. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Hatred pushes up in my throat, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. “I gave you what you asked. Give me the photos.”
“What’s the point? There will always be more where they came from. What matters is that I won’t show them to my father.”
I grit my teeth. “You better honor your agreement.”
He clicks his tongue. “Don’t you trust your own brother?”
“Not as far as I can throw you. And you’re not my brother.”
“Good night, sis,” he says with a mocking smile, shutting the door in my face.
It’s done.
There’s no turning back.
Nothing and no one can help me if Leon ever finds out.
CHAPTER 21
Leon
If I’d known dating was so much fun, I would’ve started dating a long time ago. Only, it’s not the act as much as the person that makes it exciting. Violet is one of a kind. I got to pull down her panties on our first date. On the second, I ate the best burger I’ve ever had while squatting on a pavement. Life with her will be anything but boring.
I can hardly wait to see her again. She’s all I think about on Monday morning. Six o’clock is too far away. Since I’m at work, I have to content myself with a text message, which she ignores. No surprises there. I send another to ask if she wants to have lunch and get the same response.
Nada.
My ego would’ve taken a knock if I didn’t have such a thick skin. I don’t understand why she’s fighting our attraction so hard, but I’ll take as much time as necessary to win her over.