Page 21 of Blazing Joysticks
Keir sighed, reluctant to break the moment but knowing he had to address the looming threat. “I received word this morning that Obsidian Tech has escalated their threats against us. With the mole gone, they’re getting desperate. We need to upgrade our security measures, and fast.”
“Why do they hate you so much?” She frowned. “It seems they’re determined to take Sharpe Drakon Games down.”
Keir nodded, his jaw clenched. “Yeah. The owner of Obsidian Tech, Jason Grimes, was a former employee who had a sore spot for me paying women the same amount as men.”
“What?”
“He originally worked for my sister Amelia’s company and because her husband was the face of their team, he didn’t realize she was the actual CEO. He quit when he found out but asked to join my team which was still pretty new. I didn’t think he was a fit but Amelia told me the jerk was good at his job so I thought I’d give him a shot.”
“What happened?”
Keir let an angry sigh. “He’s an obnoxious macho lion shifter who feels women are beneath him. He was always angry when a woman got promoted to a position he felt a male deserved. Even if the woman had worked harder.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish,” he sighed. “It all came to a head when Beck informed people were implemented new policies which I was damn proud of. It allowed employees to take time off for mental health and we had a grant for those wanting to adopt. He came into my office and told me I was ruining the company with all my accommodations. I was in the middle of an important meeting so I wasn’t going to have that. I fired him on the spot, but he had the nerve to argue with me. He thought himself too important for me, the owner and CEO, to fire. So when Beck and security kicked him out, he was angry.”
“I bet.”
“He has a vendetta against me, accused me of embarrassing him and promised he won’t rest until Sharpe Drakon Games goes down. He immediately started Obsidian Tech and mimicked a lot of my products but I was ahead of the game.”
“Holy crap.”
“He seems to think I owed him something for working for me when I created my first game design. Our old lead engineer was his mentee and I knew he could turn at any moment, but the guy had a family. I hoped he wouldn’t make me regret keeping him. I should’ve let him go along with everyone who worked with Jason.”
“That’s awful. To be targeted because you’re a decent employer is crazy.”
He chuckled at her outrage. “You’d be surprised by the stupid reasons people target me. I don’t care.”
She cupped his cheek and smiled. “Such a badass.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Determined is all I am. Now we need to really make sure Guardian’s security is top-notch.”
Cat straightened, her expression shifting from soft to resolute in an instant. It was one of the things Keir adored about her - her ability to switch gears and rise to any challenge.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked.
Keir couldn’t help but smile. This was his mate - brilliant, brave, and ready to face any obstacle by his side. “We need to meet with Beck and the security team. But first,” he added, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “I think we should seal our new understanding with a kiss. Don’t you?”
Cat’s answering smile was radiant as she rose on her tiptoes, meeting him halfway. As their lips met, Keir knew she was the only woman he’d ever want for the rest of his life.
TEN
Cat’s fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes fixed on the multiple screens before her. The soft glow of the monitors illuminated her face in the dimly lit office, casting shadows that danced across her furrowed brow. It was well past midnight, but she barely noticed the time. The new security measures for Sharpe Drakon Games demanded her full attention, and she intended to deliver nothing short of perfection.
A strand of chestnut hair fell across her face, and she absently tucked it behind her ear, never breaking her concentration. Lines of code scrolled past her eyes as she implemented intricate firewalls and fail-safes. Each keystroke brought the system closer to impenetrability, a digital fortress of her own design.
The quiet hum of the computers and the rhythmic tapping of keys created a soothing symphony that Cat lost herself in. This was her element, where social anxieties and self-doubt faded away, replaced by the certainty of logic and the elegance of well-crafted code.
A sudden vibration from her phone shattered her focus. Cat blinked, momentarily disoriented as she was pulled from her digital trance. She reached for her phone, expecting a message from Keir or perhaps an update from the security team.
Instead, an unknown number flashed on the screen. Curiosity piqued, she opened the message.
The words that greeted her sent a chill down her spine:
“Leave now. You’re a pawn in a game you don’t understand. Stay, and you’ll be a casualty in something you have nothing to do with.”
Cat’s heart began to race, her palms suddenly clammy against the smooth surface of her phone. She read the message again, hoping she’d misunderstood, but the ominous words remained unchanged.