Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,35
Zach.” He leans closer and whispers conspiratorially. “You sound more and more like your old man.”
“Is that a compliment?” I ask with a smile.
He laughs and claps a hand on my shoulder. “I heard what happened.” His voice grows serious, the humor gone from his dark eyes. “I also heard there’s more trouble brewing. Because of that article and the rest of the issue. Some people didn’t like it.” His dark eyes narrow in distaste.
I lift a shoulder. “I couldn’t care less about white supremacists’ feelings.”
“Exactly what your father said to me when I warned him about the consequences,” he says with a wistful smile. “Call me if you need anything, Zach. I said the same to your father. We’re all in this together.”
I nod and shake the hand he offers me. I watch him walk away with a sense of growing unease. Glancing at Alec, I see his frown deepen as his gaze follows Mr. Norton’s retreating back.
“What’s happening on social media?” I ask Alec.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Maybe I do.”
“We’re handling it.” Finality echoes in his tone, and I bristle.
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I unlock the screen and tap the icon of the store. In quick succession, I download the most popular social media apps.
“What are you doing?” Alec asks.
“I plan on returning to the social media world in all my glory. I wonder if I would get more followers in the first hour than Jennifer Aniston.”
I type my email address and come up with a password for Twitter, but before I can finish the registration, Alec snatches the phone from my hands.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Taking your phone.”
“I want to see what people are saying,” I say, forcing my voice to stay calm. “Maybe I can get a clue what they’re planning next. Or even who ‘they’ are. I can’t just sit here and hide and do nothing, Alec. I won’t.”
He doesn’t waver. “No.”
“I didn’t ask you for your fucking permission. Give me back my goddamn phone.” My voice rises unintentionally. A few people turn to look at us. I lean closer to him, whispering furiously. “That’s not very professional, is it, Alexander? You can’t treat your client like this.”
A muscle jumps in his jaw, but he doesn’t touch the bait.
“You can’t stop me. You know that, right? I’ll find a way to see what’s going on.” I jut my chin out stubbornly.
Alec places the phone on the counter next to his drink, his eyes not leaving mine. “Do you remember what social media did to you?” he asks, propping his elbow on the bar. “How you’d spiral after you read what people said about you? About your family?” He pauses before delivering the final blow. “About Evie?”
I lean away from him. He doesn’t let up. “Do you remember the sort of messages you got? The pictures? The threats? The vile stuff people said? Do you remember what you did after one particularly nasty post?”
I do. I ran to the bathroom and puked. Then sank into a dark place for a while. So dark that even Alec could barely reach me.
Alec must have read my thoughts in my expression because he slides the phone toward me. I eye it, considering throwing it across the room, my heartbeat still in my throat. I don’t. Instead, I unlock the screen, delete all the newly downloaded social media apps, and shove it back in my pocket.
I feel Alec’s hand on top of mine. He squeezes my fingers. I look up at him, and the tenderness in his eyes nearly knocks me off the stool.
I open my mouth to say something; anything. To thank him? Curse him out? I’m not sure.
But I don’t get the chance as my phone promptly vibrates in my pocket. Fully intending to cancel the call, I take it out, but stop with my finger on the red icon when I see Adrian’s name flashing on the screen.
“Adri!” I exclaim. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
I haven’t heard from my best friend in weeks. Last time we spoke, he said he’s going off-grid for a while, but he has everything under control. I believed him, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about him. Being an investigative journalist—and a very good one at that—could be dangerous and alienating.
Adri’s quiet chuckle makes warmth spread inside me. “I’m fine. On my way back to New York, actually.”
I beam at Alec, who’s watching me, expressionless. “Yeah? When do you get here?”