minutes before Sebastian found Gentry and told him the truth.
So I ignored all the prickling of my conscience and the roaring of my fear-instinct and sat down at the computer desk. I checked the computer and saw it was on, so I click the mouse to clear the blackened screen.
If there’d been a login required, I’d never be able to get on. I wasn’t any sort of computer whiz, and I wasn’t even very good at guessing games.
But the desktop came up immediately. Evidently, Gentry hadn’t logged off the last time he’d used the computer.
So everything was available to me. It was like a gift from heaven.
Quickly, I pulled up the folder list and scanned them. I had absolutely no idea what I was looking for, so it all looked like gibberish to me.
How the hell did people do this sort of thing in movies—managing to land on exactly the right document in the three minutes they had before the bad guys showed up?
I clicked a folder and then scanned the documents, but none of them looked like they’d be helpful.
I was just opening another folder when the office door opened.
It didn’t happen in slow motion, the way the approach of doom should really occur. The door just swung open, and Gentry and Sebastian appeared in the office.
I froze.
If I thought it was bad being caught in the pool house, it was nothing compared to being caught now.
There was absolutely no way to talk myself out of this.
I just stared, completely frozen, too stunned to even be scared.
“What the hell?” Gentry demanded, stepping farther into the office with an angry glare.
“So you managed after all?” Sebastian asked, sounding light and innocuous. He moved until he was beside Gentry. “How long did it take you to get on?”
He was looking at me, talking to me, but I had no idea what he was talking about. He was acting like he and I understood each other, but we definitely didn’t.
“You know what’s going on?” Gentry asked, sounding angry and confused. “What is this woman doing in my office?”
“Nothing that’s a threat. I was worried that we were too lax on security in the private rooms, so I asked her to see if she could sneak back here and get onto your computer. She works for the event planner, so she has no experience in doing this sort of thing. But she obviously managed with no problem.”
I stared at Sebastian in even deeper shock than before. He was saying the words—casually, like they were true and not that big a deal—but I couldn’t understand how it was happening.
He was making an excuse for me. He was covering for me.
Why the hell would he be doing that, when I’d done nothing but resent him for his family ties?
“How long did it take you?” Sebastian asked again, giving me a discreetly significant look that was impossible to misinterpret.
He was telling me to get it together and play along. So I did.
“Less than ten minutes. It was easy. The computer was left on.”
Sebastian shook his head at Gentry. “Sloppy. I have some suggestions about improving your security habits so this sort of thing can’t happen so easily.”
“Okay. Thanks, I guess. I’d prefer you to have told me you were doing this little stunt beforehand, but I can see that I was vulnerable here. You’re just like your dad. Always thinking outside of the box.”
I could tell Sebastian didn’t like that comment, but the expression just barely flickered on his face before he smiled. “I guess so. You can go, Ali. Thanks for helping out.”
I got up and stumbled toward the door, baffled and disoriented.
Sebastian had just saved me, and I had no idea why.
***
I made a quick exit, even though there was some more I should have done at the house that afternoon. I was too rattled to get any more work done.
I went home, stopping by the grocery store on the way and then doing some housecleaning and fixing dinner. But Tyler wasn’t home and Dad and Rosie were both quiet and withdrawn, so I had nothing to do but think about
So I ignored all the prickling of my conscience and the roaring of my fear-instinct and sat down at the computer desk. I checked the computer and saw it was on, so I click the mouse to clear the blackened screen.
If there’d been a login required, I’d never be able to get on. I wasn’t any sort of computer whiz, and I wasn’t even very good at guessing games.
But the desktop came up immediately. Evidently, Gentry hadn’t logged off the last time he’d used the computer.
So everything was available to me. It was like a gift from heaven.
Quickly, I pulled up the folder list and scanned them. I had absolutely no idea what I was looking for, so it all looked like gibberish to me.
How the hell did people do this sort of thing in movies—managing to land on exactly the right document in the three minutes they had before the bad guys showed up?
I clicked a folder and then scanned the documents, but none of them looked like they’d be helpful.
I was just opening another folder when the office door opened.
It didn’t happen in slow motion, the way the approach of doom should really occur. The door just swung open, and Gentry and Sebastian appeared in the office.
I froze.
If I thought it was bad being caught in the pool house, it was nothing compared to being caught now.
There was absolutely no way to talk myself out of this.
I just stared, completely frozen, too stunned to even be scared.
“What the hell?” Gentry demanded, stepping farther into the office with an angry glare.
“So you managed after all?” Sebastian asked, sounding light and innocuous. He moved until he was beside Gentry. “How long did it take you to get on?”
He was looking at me, talking to me, but I had no idea what he was talking about. He was acting like he and I understood each other, but we definitely didn’t.
“You know what’s going on?” Gentry asked, sounding angry and confused. “What is this woman doing in my office?”
“Nothing that’s a threat. I was worried that we were too lax on security in the private rooms, so I asked her to see if she could sneak back here and get onto your computer. She works for the event planner, so she has no experience in doing this sort of thing. But she obviously managed with no problem.”
I stared at Sebastian in even deeper shock than before. He was saying the words—casually, like they were true and not that big a deal—but I couldn’t understand how it was happening.
He was making an excuse for me. He was covering for me.
Why the hell would he be doing that, when I’d done nothing but resent him for his family ties?
“How long did it take you?” Sebastian asked again, giving me a discreetly significant look that was impossible to misinterpret.
He was telling me to get it together and play along. So I did.
“Less than ten minutes. It was easy. The computer was left on.”
Sebastian shook his head at Gentry. “Sloppy. I have some suggestions about improving your security habits so this sort of thing can’t happen so easily.”
“Okay. Thanks, I guess. I’d prefer you to have told me you were doing this little stunt beforehand, but I can see that I was vulnerable here. You’re just like your dad. Always thinking outside of the box.”
I could tell Sebastian didn’t like that comment, but the expression just barely flickered on his face before he smiled. “I guess so. You can go, Ali. Thanks for helping out.”
I got up and stumbled toward the door, baffled and disoriented.
Sebastian had just saved me, and I had no idea why.
***
I made a quick exit, even though there was some more I should have done at the house that afternoon. I was too rattled to get any more work done.
I went home, stopping by the grocery store on the way and then doing some housecleaning and fixing dinner. But Tyler wasn’t home and Dad and Rosie were both quiet and withdrawn, so I had nothing to do but think about
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