“Just don’t publish anything while we’re still here,” I clarify. “We want to get as much dirt as we can while we’re on the inside before we leave.”
“Got it. Send me anything you can find, and I’ll do the same,” Jordan agrees before we all say our goodbyes.
Next, we call my brother, Oakley. He and I are close, so I want to tell him anyway, but we’re also hoping for some advice from his best friend, Parker. Parker’s in finance, and we’re wondering if he might have advice for what Cody can use as an excuse with Viktor to transfer out as much money as possible into a new bank account so he’ll have it when we get back to Chicago.
I’d support Cody financially, even if things didn’t work out between us in the long run. But I respect his wishes to remain independent, and if he needs his own money to feel free, then I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.
“Hey, man! How’s Cody?” Oakley says after answering on the third ring. It looks like he’s walking through his apartment and isn’t actually in the camera’s view yet.
“I’ve been better,” Cody replies with a small laugh before saying hello as Oak finally props his phone up so that he’s on the screen sitting at his kitchen table.
“We have some stuff to tell you, and we were hoping Parker might be around to get his opinion on it too,” I add.
“He’s around, but I don’t want to bother him,” Oakley says. It’s weird enough that they’re not already in the same room.Are they fighting or something?
“Come on, man, this is serious. Can you just get him?” I complain.
“Shit, okay, sorry. One second.” I can hear him call out for Parker. After a minute, he’s on the screen.
“Hey guys, what’s up?”
Once again, we dive into the whole story, telling them everything we told Jordan, going into more detail about the financial situation and seeing if he has any advice on how Cody can get his money out of Viktor’s control.
He has some ideas, and after agreeing to rope Adrian into our plan, we promise to nail down the details and update them later. Then, they spend some time updating us on their girlfriends and chatting. They seem like nice women, but the whole dynamic of their double dates seems a little off. I’m not about to say anything when my own life is such a mess right now, though. It’s nice to have a few minutes that feel normal after how crazy the last twenty-four hours have been. Eventually, we say our goodbyes, and I stand up to wrap my arms tightly around Cody, where he’s still sitting in his chair.
“I’m glad we have a plan,” I admit, kissing the top of his head.
“Me too,” he agrees. Then he tilts his head back to kiss me, and I get lost in his taste, content in feeling like we have a shot at a real future together for maybe the first time.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Cody
Pretending that everything is normal for the past few days has been harder than I expected.
I’m mentally questioning everyone that I talk to—do they know? Are they a victim, or are they helping him? Am I hurting them by not somehow stopping him sooner?I’ve tried to stop that line of thinking because I can’t change the past, and I do think that almost everyone here is a victim to some extent.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m sure there are probably people within the upper management team who are actively helping Viktor blackmail people or squeeze more money out of them. But then there’s also me, and I had no idea. I don’t know what he’s told people to justify his actions, and until I have more information, it isn’t my place to pass judgment.
“Here’s another external hard drive that’s been uploaded,” Beck says as he hands it to me to put away and find another.
Beck and I have been attempting to download any and all information that I have access to as a member of upper management into a cloud that he and Jordan can both access from anywhere. Viktor’s distrust of cloud technology means nearly everything is stored on external hard drives, which works in our favor.
Beck has been pretending to work in my office, just like when we first arrived, but now his only task is uploading as many files as he possibly can. Adrian’s been a lifesaver, covering for Beck’s actual work back in Chicago, allowing him to focus on our plan here. Meanwhile, I’ve been uploading my entire email history to the cloud.
We both agree we want to be in Linna for the least amount of time possible. The goal is to take as much information as quickly as we can and then sort through it when we’re safely in Chicago.
I’m not sure when that will be, but we’ve packed go-bags in case we need to literally run. We each have one in the trunk of my car and another at my house. I have no idea what Viktor is capable of—whether we’re in physical danger or if we’re being dramatic—but I’d prefer not to find out.
The hardest part has probably been my guilt over not telling Nick. I’m certain he’s just as much a victim as I am, and keeping him in the dark feels wrong. Beck actually suggested that I tell him because he can see how much it’s been bothering me to keep him out of the loop, but ultimately, I agree that it’s safer for now if we don’t.
“It’s almost time for my meeting with Viktor. I should head down there,” I say, handing Beck the next hard drive.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you in case he starts asking questions?” Beck asks me for the hundredth time.
“I’m sure. I think it’ll seem less suspicious if I’m alone, and if I can’t answer a question, he’ll assume it’s because I’m not great with money. He already knows that about me,” I explain.
“Fiiine, I’m sure you’ll do great, I just hate you being alone with that asshole,” Beck mutters, and I lean in for a quick kiss before leaving my office and heading down the long hall toward Viktor’s door.
