Techno Crazed (Hacked Investigations) (2 page)

“Hi, Hannah.” His gaze swept down her body. He pushed into her office and shut the door behind him. He bumped into her slightly, causing her to stumble into him. Grabbing her with his warm hands, he steadied her. “Are you okay? We need to go back to my place. Looks like you’re in shock.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but after the car bomb, she didn’t feel like arguing.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” he asked, cradling her chin in his hand.

“Yes. Bottom right drawer.” She leaned against the desk and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Behind her, Ian rummaged through the drawer before walking back around.

Opening the kit, he frowned and raised an eyebrow at her. “This is the first aid kit? All it has are a few Band-Aids. Better than nothing, I guess.”

Her knees weakened, and the wetness on her blouse seemed to increase. She placed her hand on her side and grimaced at the pain.

“What happened?” he asked, pulling her hand from the wound and lifting her shirt.

“An ex-employee of MAX Home Security named Rich called my office and told me about the government officials. He was in trouble and told me to contact a hacker named Malloc. I think they killed him. He wanted to meet me at a donut shop on Fifth and Main Street, but there were gunshots. My car blew up right before I would’ve gotten in.” She sighed and shook her head.

“Damn.” He pulled a sterile wipe from its package and cleansed the wound before pressing a large bandage against her side. His gaze rose to meet hers. “I’ll help you. C’mon, I know someone who can fix you up.”

She slipped on her jacket to cover the growing bloodstains and grabbed her purse before following Ian out and locking the office door behind her.

He slid his arm around her shoulders and walked her outside. Sirens in the distance proved that firefighters were on their way. People had started to gather around at the sight of her car still in flames, but there wasn’t any other vehicle around.

She grimaced.

“It’s not too bad of a walk. If you start feeling bad, let me know.”

“Okay.” Hannah sighed and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Ian was the only person she could trust right now. Yet after what they’d been through before and the pain she’d suffered at losing him to his work, she wondered if she’d lose him in the permanent sense this time.

* * *

Ian shoved open the door to hear his garbage disposal running, and it looked like every light in the apartment was on. Was this payback for knocking the gnome off the counter with his precious turnip? Crap, not what he needed. He didn’t have time to play nice with his house companion. At least the stereos weren’t blaring like when he’d forgotten to get Bernard sweets last month.

Hannah’s knees gave way. He reached for her, but she fell, landing on her back in the hallway. She looked up at him, her unfocused gaze reminding him of the accident.

“Bernard, get your shit together and help me out.” His blood pressure rose with his frustration.

“Who…?” Hannah asked, but her voice faded.

“After what you did to my turnip, you expect me to help you out, asshole?” Bernard’s voice rose again in typical fashion, even though he trudged toward the door. Yes, of course, he needed the neighbors to think he was weird.

Ian lifted Hannah into his arms and stared down to see Bernard watching him with his cheerful little face and pointed red hat. He brushed past the gnome and walked into the living room, resting Hannah on the white leather couch.

Within seconds, Bernard had perched on the coffee table and stared down at Hannah’s half-closed eyes. “This the one you’ve been talking about forever?” His voice held curiosity, and he reached out a small hand to caress her hair.

“Fix her,” Ian said, sitting in the armchair nearby. He didn’t want to leave the little guy alone with her while she was vulnerable. Ian knew exactly what the gnome was capable of. It was Bernard’s curse. Something Ian’s abilities could bypass.

Bernard ran his fingertips around the bandage-covered wound. “Hey pretty girl, take off those clothes, or you won’t get fixed.” He ducked before Ian could swat him.

“Who is that, Ian?” Hannah tried to sit, but she winced and leaned back.

“Sure, move around. You’ll die faster,” Bernard said and looked at Ian. “Those clothes have to come off, and I need my kit from the back. She’s nice, but if we wait, we’ll get another corpse!”

Ian nodded, not bothering to keep Bernard quiet. He retrieved the small leather bag from the kitchen but kept his eyes on Bernard. He handed the bag to the impatient gnome. Hannah had passed out again.

Sighing, he slid her skirt down her hips, then turned his attention to the dainty, blood-soaked blouse she wore. It couldn’t be saved. He grimaced and grabbed a pair of scissors from Bernard’s bag to cut it off of her. Stepping aside, he let Bernard get to work.

Gnomish magic hummed through the air as Bernard chanted soft words and made small gestures near the wound, which still bled heavily. He was quiet, never a good sign, focused solely on his magic and the cleaning of the wound.

“What’s taking you so long?” Ian asked and nudged Bernard’s hat, which normally drove the gnome mad.

Bernard glared and punched a slightly curved metallic tool into the wound, making Hannah scream in pain. Before Ian could do anything, the gnome muttered something and pulled the instrument back out. A piece of metal and cloth from her tattered shirt rested on it.

Muttering something about infection, the gnome pulled a few talismans from his bag and continued chanting. Finally, the bleeding seemed to lessen, and Bernard stitched the wound closed.

Hannah had passed out again. Her skin was stark pale, and her chest rose and fell in even, peaceful breaths. While the gnome’s methods were crude, his magic more than compensated for it. His healing abilities were great, but he rarely bothered to help anyone.

Bernard’s gaze fixated on Hannah’s breasts. His small hand reached out toward them. “Stop that. Let her rest.” Ian walked over to the couch and draped a blanket over her, much to Bernard’s evident dismay. Not that he blamed the little guy… much. The soft curves of her body invited him to caress her. “And please, go turn everything off. We can’t afford another huge electricity bill.”

The gnome huffed and stomped off, doing as he had been asked.

Ian sat in his favorite armchair again, watching Hannah as she lay unconscious. He wanted to be there when she woke up. Well, he also didn’t want Bernard to molest her. That wouldn’t earn him any points. Not like he felt worthy of her after the neglect he’d put her through.

What had that brought him? Loneliness, no job, and possession of a very annoying gnome.

Sighing, he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. He could really go for some whiskey, but he dared not bring alcohol into his home, lest he have a drunken gnome roaming around.

CHAPTER THREE

Hannah blinked and stared at her unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she? Her gaze landed on Ian, reclined in an overstuffed chair. His eyes were closed, and his breath came out deep and evenly. She calmed… a little. The small, creepily cheerful-looking guy with the pointed red hat sat on the coffee table watching her.

Touching her side beneath the blanket, her fingertips brushed a few stitches in her skin. Wait! Bare skin. Glancing under the quilt, she groaned. Just her bra and panties.

She held the blanket against her and sucked in a deep breath. Pain lanced her side, and she winced. Her hackles rose as the small person continued to sit there and stare at her curiously. Why was he doing that?

“What are you?” she asked in a low voice, not wanting to wake Ian.

The little guy stood, cocking his fists on his hips. “What am I? What am I! I’ll tell you what I am. A gnome.” His voice was crazy loud.

She raised her eyebrows and scooted away, but he marched as close as the coffee table would allow, which wasn’t the distance she wanted between them. “A gnome?” Skepticism filled her voice.

“Do you have a problem with that? I didn’t have to help you! I deserve more RESPECT than what’s being SHOWN!” He twitched and stomped around with a grumpy look on his face. “Hhrrrmpf!”

Ian straightened in the chair and rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a gnome in your living room.” She sighed and buried her face in the blanket. Even with everything she’d experienced at her office, she was having a hard time believing that this wasn’t some messed up fantasy.

“Yeah, I know. He saved your life.” Ian moved to sit next to her feet and placed a hand against her leg. She peeked up at him. “His name is Bernard. I found him a couple of years ago. He’s like a pet.”

“Pet? You’re calling me your PET?” Bernard’s eyes twinkled with hints of craziness. Definitely not something to mess with.

Ian grimaced. “Poor word choice. Anyway, I think you should stay here. They might’ve staked out your apartment to capture or kill you.”

Bernard jumped up and down on the coffee table. “What? Why don’t I get a say in this?” He threw himself down and rolled around, a little too close for comfort.

She stood, heedless of the pain, and wrapped the quilt around herself tightly. Of course, she was happy Ian and the gnome had rescued her, but this was too much for her. Backing away from them, she headed toward the other side of the couch. She didn’t want to be this frazzled. Not when people were out to kill her.

Her clothes lay on the floor next to the coffee table. Just great. She tugged her lower lip between her teeth and sighed.

Ian watched her, narrowing his eyes. At least he noticed her uneasiness. “Because she’s my guest, Bernard. That’s why. Go to your little house. You need to rest after casting all that magic.”

Bernard stopped flailing and looked between Ian and her. “Why? You want to GET IT ON with the pretty girl? No, I’m not leaving!” The melodramatic tone of voice the gnome used grated on her last nerve.

Ian gave him a blank stare. “Don’t make me force you.”

“You wouldn’t!” The gnome hopped to his feet.

“I would.” Ian leaned forward, and just like that, Bernard ran. Ian tossed his hand out, throwing small shreds of electrified cables he kept in his pocket that wrapped around the gnome. He grabbed the little guy and checked the restraints before carrying him off to another room.

Hannah blinked and took a few steps back, unable to believe what she’d just seen. What had Ian done? Reality really had to be screwing with her now. Her knees gave out, sending her to the floor. The agony in her side made breathing hard.

A loud, metallic click sounded from the other side of the room. Then footsteps raced around the couch.

“Hannah? Are you okay?” Ian’s voice drew her gaze to his concerned face.

“What did you do? What are you?” She gulped, unsure if she wanted an answer to that.

He frowned, and a muscle clenched in his jaw. “I probably shouldn’t have done that in front of you. I… well… I’m a technomage. Basically I use and simulate magic through technology.”

“What?” She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Pain formed at her temples. “Whoa. How long have you… ?”

“Since puberty. My mother was also a technomage.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s always been part of who I am. I’m just pretty good at hiding it.”

She blinked. Wow, his mother had seemed so normal when she’d met his parents. Had she really known him? He seemed like a stranger. No, she wouldn’t throw away their memories together because he’d hidden part of himself. She wouldn’t do that to him. Or she’d try not to, at least. “Were you ever going to tell me? Like if things had progressed between us?”

He helped her up and grabbed the blanket, keeping her covered. “I would have, eventually. Wouldn’t be nice of me to do otherwise, you know?”

She nodded and stared into his brown eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

He released a breath and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve missed you too. God, I really screwed things up, didn’t I?”

Placing her hand against his chest, she angled her face to brush her lips against his. “We both did.”

Ian ran his hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head before deepening the kiss. His mouth possessed hers like a thirsty man at a well. He always kissed hard and desperately, and she loved it.

“I hear you two.” The gnome’s yell was muffled. “At least go to the bedroom, but take me with!”

Ian scooped her into his arms, making her feel desirable. He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. Crossing the room, he set her down and ran his hands over her neck, shoulders, and down to her hips.

“You’re so beautiful, Hannah. I missed out on a lot when—”

“Hush. Don’t think about that. We’re together now.” She drew his face down to hers, kissing him.

He held himself over her, obviously being careful of her wounded state. She appreciated that, but part of her didn’t care about the injury, she just needed him.

He stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, looking at the door. She followed his gaze to see the gnome peeking inside.

“Sorry to disturb the party. As much as I’d like to listen to you two HAVE SEX, there’s stuff to be done!” Bernard looked as happy as ever, and she so wanted to wipe that cheerfulness off his face.

Yet he was right. Damn it. She still needed to check out the donut shop. There was a possibility they might find evidence of a struggle that they could bring to the police. But hadn’t she heard a couple weeks back about someone spreading rumors of police involvement with MAX Home Security?

Ian rolled next to her and placed his hands over his face. He let out a ragged sigh. “Fine. We’ll be out in a moment.”

“No more SEX!” The gnome slammed the door behind him.

“Why do you put up with him?” she asked.

“I don’t know. He tends to be okay. Most of the time, that is.” He propped up on his elbow and ran a fingertip along her arm. “He’s dangerous, though. Don’t antagonize him. He drives people to suicide. That’s what happened to his previous owner. I happened to be nearby, and Bernard started following me no matter what I did.”

“How do you keep him from killing you?” Hannah frowned.