Hacked (Warriors of Light Book 5) (7 page)

“We should also ensure that the security cameras are linked in not only to security but ran through my department as well. I would be able to run a program that would tell us if anyone snapped in and was looping feeds where your guys couldn’t see it.” If she was going to do this, she was going to be the best at it. She had to protect Demaratus, after all.

“No one but those with access can get into your department. All the security does go through your computers, inside and outside. The warning system runs through to you, too. It also goes to the security department offices on the main and upper levels of the complex. Everything is closed circuit, from what I understand. You have to be inside the base to screw up any of the feeds. It was a measure Mercury implemented as soon as we were able to put in the first of the cameras.” Demaratus stopped in the hall and pointed up at a light fixture. “What do you see?”

“Yeah, but even then the closed circuits can be bypassed.” Holly looked up and smirked. “I see what you guys have done there. Smart, very smart.” They had used hidden cameras in the lights.

He laced his fingers with hers and pulled her along. “The decorative strips on the walls hide scanners that look for body temperature changes. The system originally freaked out over all of us. We’re warmer than a normal body, so it saw us as a threat. We had to tweak it a little more to allow a slightly larger gradient. Our head doctor helped with that one after a number of tests to get us to our warmest possible temperature, which is on average fifteen degrees warmer than a healthy human body.

“The floors on every level can be turned into a minefield. Depending on the code of the day is where the mines are placed. Which means, if you are aware of what the code is when they are activated, you know the pattern and how to avoid blowing yourself up. And the last resort is the several hundred pounds of C-four equivalent explosives that will bring the entire mountain down in on itself to destroy everyone and everything inside.”

Holly’s eyes were huge. She knew that they were because of how shocked she was. “Would you really do that? Kill everyone in here?” She had no idea what the base held, but now she wanted to know more about what secrets they were keeping from the world. Just the idea that they were willing to destroy everything spoke volumes of their determination to keep humanity safe.

“If it was the only option, yes. It’s the last resort if every other viable, or insane, option has been taken away. While not a one of us likes it, we also know exactly who we’re fighting against. They wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to us.” He lifted her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles. “I would hate to do it, especially now that I have you in my life.”

“I would really hate it if you did that, too. I don’t look good wearing mountain, you know.” She was trying to make light of the situation. It was serious, and she hoped that there was never a time for it. “You’re all great. You know that, right? What you guys fight for … it’s amazing.”

“You haven’t even read the files yet,” he said. “You should do that before you start complimenting us. We didn’t always play by the rules.”

“I know. You forget that I
have
read the files, most of them anyway. Remember why you were sent for me? Granted, I thought they were for a series of books.”

“Those weren’t
all
the files,” he corrected. “Those are only the recent ones with some background Helen had obviously put in. But she was missing huge chunks of time. If you ever saw our personnel files, you’d understand. Everything in them is now file numbers, because if we didn’t do that, we’d each need a room to hold everything we’ve done over the last centuries on paper.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” she told him. “Okay, I’ll amend my former statement and tell you that what I did read about you guys made me think that you’re the good guys. You’re all honorable, with a few exceptions, of course.” She thought about the file she’d read on Billy the Kid, and it made her teeth ache.

Squeezing her fingers lightly, he stepped into the elevator again and pulled her into his arms. He turned them so her back was to the corner, with his large body blocking her view. “We are who we are, Holly. We were once mortal men, but the medallion doesn’t stop us from suffering the same foibles as others.”

“This is true. People are people, sadly. It doesn’t matter if they live for a blink of an eye or for a thousand years, they are simply human. They are flawed beings, through and through, right?”

“Some of us have a few more flaws than others, but yes.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he shifted enough to rest his head on hers. “What about you? Do you have any flaws that I need to be aware of? Don’t tell me you eat crackers in bed, though. That’s a deal-breaker for me.”

“Nope, no crackers in bed. I’m claustrophobic, afraid of the dark and a few other things. It’s all good, though. I’m also one of those women who, once I have something on my mind, I can’t let go until I have the problem figured out and all that fun stuff. You know how it is. I also code, like seemingly all the time. I always have some program or another running through my mind.”

“Impressive,” he said. “I’ll try to remember your fears, so I never put you in a situation that is uncomfortable for you. In training, if something is too much, you have to let me know. Especially when we get to grappling.”

“Grappling? What? Wait, that means going up high, doesn’t it?” She was frowning now. “I have a plethora of things that I hate to do and that I’m afraid of. Sorry that you got saddled with me.”

“No, little warrior, it doesn’t. It means to grab hold and to hold fast. Hand-to-hand combat, without any weaponry, is a form of grappling. You’re thinking of rappelling, which is when you are using ropes to descend a mountain.”

“Yes, that thing. Never want to do that,” she agreed, then suddenly smiled. “So, will I get to hold on to
you
? Will you hold on to
me
, too?”

“Of course.” Putting action to his words, Demaratus slid his arms around Holly. He rested his cheek against her temple as he spread his hands over her back.

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out just as quickly.

“You’re such a tiny thing. I worry about hurting you,” he said. Exhaling, he lifted his head when the elevator let out a discreet
ding
. “Let’s get back to the suite so we can be more comfortable and out of sight of the cameras.”

“Good point. And you won’t hurt me. I know that you won’t. I might be tiny, but I’m sturdy. I won’t break. I will also try very hard not to break you, too.”

He didn’t laugh at her words. Instead, he tipped her chin up to press a kiss to her lips. Taking her hand in his, he hooked it over his arm and walked with her through the corridors back to their rooms.

Holly was very proud of her restraint. She didn’t say or do anything until they were inside. The moment the door closed behind them, though, she jumped into his arms, her mouth closing over his in a desperate and hungry kiss.

He caught her easily, his hands landing on her butt to hold her up against him. Teasing her lips, he moved slowly through the space. She didn’t care where they went, not as long as he was kissing her. Demaratus fell down onto the sofa, one palm moving to cup her head so their teeth didn’t bump.

Her knees settled on either side of his thighs, and she ran her hands down his chest. “I need you,” she said against his lips. She felt the heat of the medallion against her skin and whimpered. “I want to be with you, Demaratus, in all ways. I never want to give up how good this feels with you. Please?” She hoped that he understood. They’d just met, and she had never believed in fate or love at first sight, but she felt things for him she had never felt with anyone, ever.

Slipping his fingers into her hair, he tugged to draw her head back. “Soon,” he said. It was a promise, she knew, even though she didn’t understand the delay. “First, we need to discuss a few more things.”

She inhaled deeply and nodded. “Okay. I know that our lives will be tied when we come together. You said I’ll die when you do. I’m good with that. So, what else?” She rubbed her cheek to his hand.

“Boundaries,” he threw out, like she’d know exactly what he was referring to. “Everyone has limits to what they are willing to do. Then there are the things they’re willing to try. We need to discuss what your boundaries are, which are flexible until we’ve tried something, and which are hard no’s.”

Now she understood what he was getting at. She felt her face flush. “No potty or blood play and no humiliation. I do want to know what it is to be bound, blindfolded, and taken in every possibly way. I’ve never been able to trust anyone to be all of that to me, for me.”

“Any other things you’ve fantasized about but never thought you could do? It can be anything, Holly. We’ll always have open discussion when it comes to our sexual wants and needs. Nothing is taboo. Whether we both agree or not is entirely different. To talk about and to do are two very different things.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve read a lot of stuff and watched a lot of porn, but I’ve never, not in practice, and well…” She was stumbling over her speech but couldn’t help herself. “I’ve never been able to trust anyone that much. No one before you, and we’ve just met. How odd is that?” And he had held a flipping gun to her head. She should hate him, and scratch and claw at him, but couldn’t find it in herself at all to do that.

As if he knew where her thoughts had drifted, he brushed his fingers lightly to the temple the weapon had rested against before continuing down her cheek. “So, just the one time when you were sixteen? Nothing after?”

She shook her head. “Just lots of porn.” She lived inside her computers more often than not. She didn’t do relationships, and she certainly didn’t trust men. Well, save for one seeming exception.

Stroking his fingers over her throat, he nodded slowly.

“The only thing that has given me true satisfaction before you kissed me was my computer system. Shit, my computers,” she grumbled. “Those were my babies. They got me through all kinds of stuff, from
Steel Magnolias
to
Deep Dick Nine
.”

“Your computers are in storage. Depending on how quickly Alexander was able to pull the plugs, there may still be something there. Of course, that also depends on how fast you were working on things. I suppose you’ll have to take a look,” he said. “Though one would think someone of your talent would have had everything backed up somewhere nice and secure.”

“Who, me?” Holly smirked. “I would never, ever have anything backed up.” When Demaratus just looked at her, she smiled. “Okay, yes. Everything is backed up, but the computers are likely toast. For sure. I was working double time to get that shit nuked because I thought you guys were the feds.”

“They identified themselves as Marines, even had Marine Corps credentials, and yet you thought it was one of the agencies? That, I don’t understand. When I tell them about this, you may need to make some apologies. They tend to get miffed about such things. Only thing worse is lumping them in with the Navy.”

She snorted. “I just thought that you guys were the feds because I had also been dipping into some things I shouldn’t have.” She knew her face was red this time. She felt the heat flooding her cheeks. “How did we get from talking about sex and boundaries to talking about me and my hacking?” she asked suddenly and leaned into his light touch once more.

“Because you were talking about the satisfaction only your computers have been able to supply up to this point, and how you’d miss them. Which then brought about you remembering that they were fried and going on about your addiction to pornography. Something we’ll need to wean you from, I think.”

“Oh believe me, Demaratus, if I have you in my life, I don’t need pornography. Crap balls. I keep blurting out whatever the hell is on my mind when I’m with you. Is that normal?”

“No idea, but I happen to like that you’re completely honest me with me, even if you’re not fully aware of what you’re saying until you’ve said it.” Pulling her closer, he kissed her cheek and brushed his lips slowly down to her neck. “You think I’m enough to keep all your kinky little needs happy so you don’t have the urge to watch more?”

“Hell yeah. And if I ever do get the urge to watch one, I’ll have you with me. Naked.” She let her gaze roam over his beautiful form, then fanned herself. “Is it getting hot in here? Maybe we should turn on the AC?”

“The air conditioner is on,” he said, nibbling at her throat. “But if you’re feeling a little too warm, we could pull off your shirt.” Demaratus slipped his hand under the garment to rub his fingers up and down her back.

“I need you. Desperately. We have my boundaries, so what are yours?” she whispered.

He lifted his head to stare into her eyes. “I only have one. If you aren’t happy with me, or anything I’ve done, tell me. Too many have tried to kill me for being who I am, and I don’t think I could survive having someone who I truly care about do the same.”

“Then you need to tell me, too.” She cupped his face in her hands and nodded. “And do you honestly think with how I keep telling you every single thing on my mind that I would not tell you if I were unhappy?”

“I just don’t want anything to fester between us, Holly. We need to be open about all things and always talk to one another.” Spreading his palms over her skin, he kissed her gently.