Submission Impossible (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 1)

Noelle didn’t want that. She wanted the class where she didn’t know anyone.

“I guess you have to hope she gets a training Dom with zero desire to fuck her,” Kyle said with a tip of his glass. “Good luck with that. She’s pretty cute.”

She was gorgeous and sexy and strong. She’d been broken and come through it with all of her light intact. He wanted that light.

That was what he’d decided this afternoon after his conversation with Ian. She was worth the potential heartache. “I want her to get everything she needs. I don’t understand why she feels like she has to take this class, but I’m comfortable taking the risk.” It was time to move on. “Speaking of risk, how much of one are you taking with Jessica?”

Kyle frowned. “Like am I risking falling in love with her? Dude, no.”

It was Hutch’s turn to roll his eyes. “I was thinking more about your body. Are you going to sleep with her? The way she was looking at you, I think you could easily slip into her bed.”

“I’m going to avoid that if I can. I don’t like the idea of fucking for information, and honestly, I don’t think sleeping with Jessica would buy me much,” Kyle replied. “I think I actually get more if I play it cool, let her chase me for a while. I also can’t protect Noelle if I’m sleeping somewhere else.”

“I can handle Noelle,” Hutch promised. “I know I’m not in the bodyguard unit, but I can shoot.”

“I think I would prefer to handle that part of the gig.” Kyle got up and stretched his long limbs. “All of that said, I do believe taking that job is already working. I can buzz you up whenever I like. Like I did today. I’m going to see if I can get you a badge.”

That would be helpful. “How close is she keeping you and what have you learned about the security system?”

Kyle seemed more comfortable talking about the case. “I sent you the name of the system, but that’s building security. Jessica’s office has its own system, and I couldn’t find any identifying paperwork when I went through the system manual. I suspect it’s something she’s put together herself. Or had custom made. Once you get into her office, there’s more security. Her desk itself has a biometrics component.”

So she was paranoid. That was good to know. “How about her laptop?”

Kyle shook his head. “I didn’t get a good look at it. She doesn’t leave it on her desk when she’s not in the office like a lot of people would. She locks it up.”

“I would bet it’s not connected to the building’s network. It makes me suspicious about what she keeps on it.”

“My job is going to be in-building security for now. She’s got two bodyguards she uses outside the building. From what I can tell at least one of them has been with her for years. The other has changed every couple of months. I think she hires someone she thinks is attractive, plays around with them, gets bored, and she lets the dude go.”

“The bodyguards are all men?”

“Yes. I’m going to quietly get as much info on the security systems and her personal laptop as I can. Anything else you want?”

“Eventually I’ll need access,” Hutch explained. “I need to get in that building when there’s not hundreds of people there. I can’t hack her security without being there, and I’m going to need to take out the CCTVs to do it.”

“Noelle works later from time to time,” Kyle mused. “I overheard Jessica talking to her CFO about how much money she thought they could raise off Noelle’s experiments.”

“Raise? That’s an odd word to use.”

“It’s how she put it. Maybe she meant make, but I heard raise.” Kyle put his glass on the table. “The CFO didn’t blink, just asked how fast they could get the word out. She’s expecting Noelle to get her initial results soon. I’m saying that because it wouldn’t be shocking for Noelle to work late and her boyfriend to bring her some dinner.”

It was a good plan and one he’d thought about himself. “I’d like to go in knowing a little more about the systems. I’d also like to figure out what we’re looking for. If the feds are involved, we have to be looking at something that crosses state lines, maybe some kind of fraud.”

“Give me a couple of days. From what I can tell Jessica isn’t careful about who she talks around. Not when it comes to her bodyguards. She thinks we’re something pretty to look at and that she can intimidate anyone with her lawyers.”

“Yeah, I’m going to do a deep dive into her legal activities. MaeBe’s working a dossier on our cop. Hopefully we know something more tomorrow.” Hutch glanced back into the apartment where Noelle and Cara sat. Noelle’s back was to him, but he could see the tight set of her shoulders. “Maybe we need to do a deeper dive on Cara, too.”