Daddies Brat

Jemma

Erik grabs their coats and we’re off. They steer me down one hall and then the other, not another soul in sight-not a librarian, student- nobody. Which is a good thing.

Everyone else had somewhere to go over winter break. Me, not so much. Going home to see my father looking at me sternly over the edge of his paper and my mother locked away in her library on the phone with one colleague or another isn’t my idea of a nice time.

It surprises me Warren asked. No one but Brooklyn has ever cared enough to wonder why I never took a school holiday.

We take a left down one hall and another left which leads us to the first level. We pass row after row and each step of the way Erik and Daemon are beside me. Their heat is like a shield against all the fear creeping up trying to get me to slam on the brakes. Warren leads the way, his massive back blocking out any random person who might catch a glimpse of me.

I cringe inwardly, hoping my father doesn’t jump out of some doorway to see his daughter between three men.

Erik doesn’t seem to care about any of it. He takes my hand in his and gives the back a quick kiss before flashing me a million-watt smile.

Must be nice to be billionaires and not have many people to answer to.

“I don’t have my passport or clothes. I don’t know how well you guys planned this or if you live on the edge and kidnap girls all the time, but this girl needs her lip gloss and clean panties at least. An ID isn’t a bad idea either.”

Warren stops at the last door between us and whatever these men have planned with a wicked glint in his eyes. “If we have our way, you won’t have time to put one on and the other we’ll only smear. Everything else is taken care of.”

Okay. Well, damn. What could I say to that? Before I have time to think up a snappy comeback, freezing Connecticut air hits us all like a brick wall as the men usher me to a waiting car.

I steal a quick look to my right only to find Daemon’s gaze silently asking me, are you ready for this?

We are both about to find out.

My adventurous days extended to the one and only time I tried to sell cookies as a Girl Scout. I got a dog bite and a wicked set of stitches for my troubles.

As soon as I could lift my arm again, I hung up my sash and never wanted another chocolate-mint cookie again.

This is no different. I’ve learned the hard way alphas break hearts. That freaking dog served as my initiation and my latest bout-my last boyfriend -did plenty to remind me of those hard truths.

Daemon’s eyes are dark and his chin looks like he could use a shave as always. It’s part of his broody charm. If Warren holds the gold medal for being a grouch who grunts more than speaks when not giving a lecture, Daemon holds the silver medal.

Twenty minutes of silence later I’m being strapped into a plush black leather seat with the softest carpet cushioning my feet.

“We’ll be right back.” I grab for Erik’s hand before he can follow Daemon and Warren to the front of the plane.

“Hold on. Seriously? You can’t just kidnap me, plop me in a chair and walk away from me, Professor Black.”

“Erik.”

I wrinkle my nose. “What?”

“Erik, sweetheart.” His gaze drops to my lips. “We’ve exchanged bodily fluids, Jemma. Call me Erik.”

Flaming red doesn’t begin to explain the burn creeping up my neck. “Sorry. Old habits.”

I manage to swallow my utter embarrassment and find my voice. “Fine.

Erik. Mind telling me how you have my passport and where we are going?”

“Your school records and first Paris.” He says it with the perfect accent of a Frenchman. “I’ll be right back. Maybe take a look at what’s on the laptop while we make final flight arrangements with the pilot and crew? See if you can spot the error.”

He steals a kiss before ambling after his friends with a parting, “We’ll be in the air promptly.” I’m too stunned to react so I merely watch his retreating back.

I tug at the belt over my lap until I’m sure I won’t go flying up if we hit turbulence. Gazing out into the night, I see flurries of snow swirling by. I know sub-nothing about aerodynamics, wingspan and air currents. The size of this thing and the size of the storm I know coming for our northern town is like matching the Hulk against an ant in my mind.

“Okay, try not to freak yourself out more than usual.”

I survey the luxurious interior. There are ten seats along with a plush couch that looks buttery soft. A large-screen TV, a bar, a dining table. Not too big, but it would fit all four of us if we squeezed.

The whole theme kept with warm coloring to pair well with the polished wood accents.

Despite being pissed I flip the laptop around. I can’t be too mad at the men. I did agree to this semi-kidnapping. My eyes immediately home in on the blinking cursor and I scroll through several sections of the coding language that looks like cyborgs busted in and dropped a new language on humans. It takes years for most people to learn this stuff but it came second nature to me. By the age of twelve I hacked my school database. By fifteen I found out how to erase exam scores and put in new ones among a handful of other “abilities”. Not that I ever acted on these talents. But I had the knowledge.

Not the best start to life and not one I recommend. My secrets.

A short while later Warren joins me, taking the seat beside me. Snow dusts his hair and shoulders.

“Is this your creation?” Because if it is, I want off this plane, but I want an answer too. Color me intrigued which I think is their point. “Do you know what this code is?”

Erik and Daemon enter the cabin and both spread out in chairs, strapping in.

“This kind of thing can land us all in some really hot water if anyone sees this. I’m serious.”

All three level their eyes on me. “We know. What did you find? Something you can fix?”

“Oh no. My questions first.”

No way I put my digital signature anywhere near this thing until I have answers. Before I can reiterate my questions, the engines grow loud. All my questions drop away and I plunge head-first into another problem. “I have a confession.” I clutch the arms of my chair and hope I’m not ripping the soft leather with my nails. We ease forward. “I’ve never flown before.”

A large hand takes mine. “Have you been on a rollercoaster?”

My eyes go wide and I won’t lie, I’m kind of hyperventilating at Warren’s question. “You mean like those carnival death traps that do loops and twists and turns? Yes!”

Warren chuckles, damn him. “Well this is nothing like that. Relax. You’re perfectly safe.”

“But what if the runway has ice?” I look out the tiny window across the aisle. “What if the wings ice over? How bad is the storm?”

The nose of the plane tips up. I squeeze my eyes shut and grip the laptop.

“You worry too much, baby. I assure you; you are in safe hands.”

“Speaking of hands.” Erik moves Daemon’s to the side, pops my buckle loose, pulls me over the arm of my chair-still death gripping the laptop- and into his lap.

Stubble covers his chin and I moan when he kisses me. “There. I think I’ve found the one sure way of getting you to stop worrying.” He moves me back into my seat and fastens the belt. “Soon as the plane is in the air, I’ll pop that belt again and we can take this conversation into the back.”

“Back? As in the bathroom?”

“As in bedroom.”

If the devil were ever a human, he’d be Erik Black.

“You’re too tempting for your own good. How about we start with this?”

I point to the coding. “Mind sharing why you’re showing me a code designed to maliciously unlock half the government computer systems around the world to anyone with a keyboard and a connection?” Now that I’ve had a moment to process everything I’ve seen, I know the men would not risk their reputation over something like this. “Seems kind of irresponsible on multiple levels and a little over my head. Why would you be showing me?”

“Because you’re brilliant and you’re not just anyone.”

“Not to us.”

“This isn’t something we’ve written. It’s a virus picked up off the black market by our potential client-a few acronymed agencies. They want a shield built to protect against someone with this virus or something like it.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

And rightly so.”

Daemon picks up where Erik leaves off. “Catch is, there’s an issue with the code. Whoever created this didn’t complete it. So far, none of us or our teams have been able to write the tail end. In order for us to create the cure, so to speak, we need a completed virus.”

The plane finally levels out and so far, I’m not dead so, ya know. Feeling grateful. I unclench and settle into my seat.

What they say makes sense. “And you need my help?” Seems like they are reaching.

All three nod. “You have a unique way of reading between the lines. Of seeing what’s not there. You’ve solved every equation we’ve thrown at you, every broken code sequence. If you can read it over and see if we’re missing something, we are in the position to repay you in kind.”

Daemon is serious.

“As in work for you?”

“On a temporary basis if you’re willing. See if we are a good fit.” Daemon’s expression is pure wolfish.

A tiny part of me screams with excitement. But I keep it under lock and key. My gaze lands on each of them in turn and I grin sheepishly. “What if I charge upfront?” I know the second it is out of my mouth I willingly trip into the trap they purposefully constructed.

Smart of them, silly of me.

I watch three predatory smiles form. “By all means, please do. We are willing to pay in full.”

Warren is on his feet, scooping me up in his arms. “Let us show you.”