Wicked as Lies (Wicked & Devoted #3) - Shayla Black Page 0,83

than a bank vault. Which meant the chances of anyone on the outside hacking past Trees’s safeguards to mine their information were almost nil. But that also meant anyone on this side of their firewall stood the best chance of wreaking havoc. One-Mile had ruled out everyone except Trees and Tessa, but Zy refused to believe either was guilty. Someone else around here had to be on the take. But when he reviewed the list of suspects again…they were the only two who made sense.

“Is something going on?” Trees asked.

So much I don’t even know where to start. “Nothing important.”

Trees clearly didn’t believe him. “You know I’ve always got an open door and an ear, right?”

“I do. Thanks, man.”

Trees nodded. “What are you going to do about Tessa?”

“Cash is apparently going to rehab, which means he’s out of her house and out of her life for a while…but my hands are still tied.”

“That’s got to be fucking miserable. Sorry.”

Zy nodded. “You still seeing Madison?”

“I’m not dating her. We’re friends.”

“She’d sleep with you if you asked.” But Zy knew what Trees was going to say.

“I know. She told me. But she’s not what I need.”

Trees was looking for the sort of female who could survive by his side through any sort of apocalypse, one he seemed convinced was imminent. And she had to have the birthing hips to give him lots of kids. Madison wasn’t that woman. She was a high-maintenance waif from start to finish.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not okay to want her for now.”

Trees nodded like that had crossed his mind. “I know. But—no offense—she’d had too many guys like you talk her into bed for a night and walk away. Her heart has been broken, and I don’t want to add to her unhappiness simply for a few minutes of thrill.”

Ouch.

Madison had seemed casual and happy for the pleasure. Until now, Zy hadn’t thought he’d actually hurt her. “Shit. Now I feel bad.”

“I told her you’re actually a good guy…deep down.” Trees sent him a wry smile. “Still not sure she believes me.”

Zy hadn’t given her any reason to.

The hours until lunch passed by at a snail’s pace. Tessa usually took her break around twelve thirty, preferring to finish her morning tasks first. A few minutes beforehand, he ensured all the bosses were either wrapped up or out finding food before he approached her.

“Hey.”

She didn’t smile, but her eyes glowed with something like yearning. “Hi. Good weekend?”

“No. I worried like hell about you. Let me take you to lunch.”

“We shouldn’t.”

“I just want to talk.”

Tessa hesitated. “All right. Give me five minutes.”

“Sure.”

Zy hit the head and locked his computer, then headed to Tessa’s desk.

As he arrived, she slipped her purse strap onto her shoulder and dug for her keys. “Ready?”

She drove since he usually rode his bike to work, though this morning’s chill had convinced him that Louisiana definitely had more in the way of winters than he was accustomed to. Maybe having a car wouldn’t be a bad idea. After all, he wasn’t in Cali anymore… But he’d be damned if he wrote home and asked for the overpriced Porsche his parents had bought him. He’d fucking buy something himself.

“Yeah. Mexican? Chinese? Burgers?”

She sighed as he held the door open for her and they headed into the parking lot. “Salad. I’m doing my best to stay healthy. I keep trying to exercise during evenings and weekends like I used to, but Hallie is too mobile now to sit on the floor with a few toys while I do my own thing.”

“You can always call me,” he offered as they slid into her little sedan. “I’ll watch her.”

She smiled, an expression rife with both apology and regret. “It’s not your problem. I’ll figure it out.”

Zy wanted it to be his problem, but she needed this job. And every moment he spent with her was a moment fraught with desire that was getting harder and harder to resist.

“So…what did you want to talk about?” she asked as she backed out of the parking spot.

Anything. He just wanted to fucking be with her. But he had to keep his head screwed on straight and use his time with her trying to get the bosses off his back, not trying to get into her panties. “Nothing in particular. The bosses gave me a, um…side assignment. I’m working with Trees on some internal security stuff. Mind if I ask you about a few things?”

Fuck, he hated lying to her, and he didn’t think Tessa