a cape-like jacket with a hood pulled up. Langston had told him that members of the cult weren’t supposed to know who the Grand Master was. He and his brothers had seen her without the hood, thanks to the extraordinary circumstances during which they’d met when her husband, Franco, had been shot.
Selene inclined her head. “Grand Master.”
“Dr. Tanaka.” Though her face was somewhat shadowed by the hood, the light from the lamp on the desk allowed them to see her features, making the hood more of a pro-forma gesture. As she looked at Selene, the Grand Master’s lips quirked. “You were here with Mr. Hayden?”
“Yes.” Selene paused. “Having sex.” She looked at Oscar out of the corner of her eye, and he resisted the urge to make a face at her. Something about Selene made him want to kid around with her, laugh even. What the fuck was that about?
Oscar rubbed the spot between his eyebrows as Franco snickered. Luckily his complexion meant a blush wouldn’t show.
“What happened?” the Grand Master asked, turning to him.
He quickly went over what he’d been doing. Sebastian came over to the desk, examining the components and wires. The tablet was still facedown, though cocked at a drunk angle, thanks to laying on the wires and cords still hard-linked to its exposed components. He’d disconnected the other ends from both the laptop and external drive.
“You kept a complete copy of the bomber’s tablet for yourself?” the Grand Master asked coldly.
He’d known this was coming. “Yes.”
“And why would you do that?”
“Because the guy designed a backpack nuke. I thought maybe it would be a good idea to learn everything I could.” Oscar didn’t usually bother with sarcasm, but in this case it felt appropriate.
“You could.” The Grand Master arched a brow. “And what would you, a lone man with limited contacts, do with whatever information you discovered?”
Oscar’s back teeth ground together. He hated feeling stupid and useless, and right now he felt both.
She’s not wrong. Who, besides the Trinity Masters, could you go to with the information? You’re the dipshit now.
“How sure are you?” Sebastian asked, breaking the tight, silent tension.
“That the camera turned on? One hundred percent.”
“And that Luca Campisi was the one who did it?”
“Zero percent. I’d have to try to trace it back, and given that this fucker had a completely hidden backdoor, I wouldn’t attempt anything outside my lab.” Oscar took a breath, shoved his ego to the side, and added, “Or have someone more specialized than me look at it.”
Sebastian looked surprised at that statement.
Oscar raised his hands. “I know computer security, but only because cracking it is sometimes necessary in data mining. That’s my real specialty.”
Everyone fell silent, waiting.
The Grand Master’s face was turned away, so he couldn’t read her expression, but when she cleared her throat, they all stood a little straighter.
“We assume the worst-case scenario,” she said. “Luca knows you copied his tablet and has a way to actively seek out that copy. He was successful, and in doing so, was able to turn on the camera of this tablet. He has seen both of you and the hotel room. He could potentially identify each of you, and maybe even the hotel, via the decor.”
Oscar looked around the room and then at Selene. She might be in danger because of him.
“Dr. Tanaka, we will protect you until this situation is resolved,” the Grand Master finished.
Selene inclined her head, but then frowned. “What about Oscar?”
“While we appreciate Mr. Hayden’s help over the last week, we did not seek his assistance, and he is not a member.”
Oscar stared at her. Was she about to…?
“I would advise you not to return to your home,” the Grand Master went on. “We know Luca is aware of the location, given the fact he ransacked Langston’s lab while searching for his tablet. He was able to bypass your security.”
He ground his teeth again. Damn it, she was.
“Grand Master, surely we can protect Oscar, given—” Selene stopped talking when Sebastian reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Oscar repressed the urge to tell him to get his fucking hands off her.
“I would suggest leaving the East Coast for some time. While we think Luca returned to Europe, we have no confirmation of that. I’d also suggest not contacting your family. You, and those you love, will be safest that way.”
“Just get to it,” Oscar snarled, furious with the thought of being forced to walk away from his own life by some asshole bomber.