Coming Unplugged (Welcome to Carson Book 6) Read online

  The men remove their glasses and stare wide-eyed at a chest-heaving Norah.

  “What did you do?”

  “The government requested a device and I made it. That’s all I’m allowed to say until I get a hold of Jameson.”

  “What happens if we don’t let you inside?”

  “Then I’m going to be kidnapped and a bunch of bad guys are going to have the most powerful weapon in the world.”

  They look at each other as Norah bounces on her toes anxiously waiting to either get inside or get away. Finally, they move to the side and let her pass through the doors.

  “Thank you,” she cries out as she scampers down the hallway heading for the pavilion located at the back of the building.

  Crowds of people mingle at the entrance and Norah pushes them inside not even noticing the acoustic sounds of Exoneration playing in the background. No, her eyes lock on Jameson swaying to the music with a gorgeous blonde and her heart jumps into her throat.

  She rushes forward and loses her balance causing her to collide into Jameson’s back who spins around ready to set straight whoever plowed into him. But as his gaze lands on her his demeanor changes and he grips her shoulders tightly.

  “Norah? What are you doing here?”

  Her lips suddenly feel dry and she licks them before she says, “I sent you a message and tried to call, but . . . Jameson, I’m in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “The worst kind.”

  Without a word, he ushers her from the dance floor and Norah can feel the surprised gazes falling on her as she passes through toward the back door.

  “Alright, now spill,” he demands as he settles them away from the crowd hanging around the beach.

  She begins by telling him about how she woke up to a bad feeling and went to the lab to find Dr. Lewis gone and their project missing. His eyes grow in fear and anger with every word and Norah hates that she’s doing this to her best friend. He may be a computer nerd and science whiz, but Jameson is built like an MMA fighter, it’s too bad she’s never felt any attraction to him. Not like the way she feels for the man that steps up behind his brother and pins her with his gaze.

  Norah can feel a blush rushing up to her cheeks, and she tilts her head downward and whispers, “Ryker.”

  *

  CHASING AFTER A WOMAN at his sister’s wedding isn’t what Ryker had expected to do today. But his heart leaped to attention the moment she slid into the room.

  Outside he glances around until he sees Jameson’s broad back and assumes that he is hiding the woman in the shadows. Ryker looks into the room one last time and watches as Jameson’s date begins dancing with one of his cousins. His siblings are all grouped together, and his parents continue to spin along the dance floor like a pair of teenagers in love. That’s where he should be, with his family enjoying their time together but something about this woman pulls at him, awakens a part of him he didn’t know existed.

  Just one quick fleeting look at her porcelain face and dark hair and Ryker was infatuated. He now understands how Harlan had been obsessed with his one-night stand with Cassidy a year ago; he had felt a higher presence take over – fate.

  Ryker makes his way over to the shadows and watches as the woman wraps her arms around herself as she explains something to Jameson. His brother’s shoulders creep closer to his ears and Ryker can tell that he’s growing in anger.

  “What’s going on? Who is this?” Ryker asks Jameson defensively. He doesn’t like the way Jameson spins around and stands in front of the woman in a protective stance.

  “This is Norah.”

  “Norah? You’re friend Norah?”

  No way could this be the brainy female Jameson drones on about. Ryker had imagined her to be short and stocky with glasses and braces – pretty much a quintessential nerd. Not that Ryker thinks there anything is wrong with that, he loves women of all shapes and sizes; she just isn’t what he was expecting to see when they were introduced.

  “Yeah, I mean, haven’t y’all met before?”

  Ryker watches as Norah’s cheeks darken in color and he decides that he underestimated her beauty. He saw her quickly and knew she had high cheekbones and dark almond-shaped eyes, but he hadn’t been able to see the flecks of navy blue in them that match her dress – only able to see it now as the sun shines in her gaze.

  “No, we haven’t crossed paths until now. I’m Ryker,” he says holding out his hand praying to the Heavens that she puts her delicate one in his.

  She doesn’t disappoint.

  It takes her a moment to place her shaking palm against his, but the moment she does he feels warmth travel through his veins. She doesn’t remove her hand right away, just stares at him openly until Jameson coughs interrupting their moment. Ryker squeezes her hand gently then releases it and Norah tucks it back into her crossed arm.

  “Nice to meet you,” she whispers, and Ryker is mesmerized by the plumpness of her lips as she speaks and he’s hypnotized as she bites down on the lower flesh.

  “So, what’s going on?” Ryker asks and watches as her face pales once again and she looks to Jameson for guidance.

  “Fuck, man. We have a major problem.”

  “Well, you’re the smart one, you can figure it out.”

  Norah’s eyes narrow and then scan him from head to toe, and he likes the way it feels to have her eyes on his body, the way she takes him in.

  “So, what does that make you?” she purrs, and her eyes widen in surprise as if she didn’t expect to speak the words aloud.

  “That makes me the sexy one,” he says with a wink though he doesn’t believe the words.

  He’s always compared himself to Jameson, the good-looking twin as he was called in high school. Ryker didn’t mind it then, he had a big enough ego to compensate for it while Jameson never paid much attention, but as they got older he still always felt that he never compared to his brother.

  And watching the way Norah reaches out and grips Jameson’s arm he wishes that just for once he could get the girl.

  “Hey,” his brother says as he wraps his arm around Norah’s shoulders, gripping her tightly to him. “We need to get her someplace safe until we can figure this out. Someplace secure.”

  Now is his chance. He can make his mark with her, protect her. Because he sure as hell doesn’t want his brother doing that job.

  “We can take her back to Carson on my plane. It’s at the airport now. And maybe she can tell us more about what’s going on.”

  “Thanks, man. At least, for now, Carson is the safest place for her. Let me tell the family that we’re leaving.”

  Jameson walks off leaving Ryker and Norah together and he’s thankful for the chance to have her alone, but as he tries to make small talk he clams up like a teenage boy meeting his fantasy.

  Thankfully Norah chimes in during the awkward silence. “So, it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

  “Same. Jameson talks about you all of the time.”

  “Pshh,” she sounds in disbelief.

  “No really, he does. But he never mentioned how beautiful you are.”

  That blush he loves so much returns to her cheeks as she bites down on her plump lip again.

  “Stop,” she whispers, and Ryker can’t help but feel the pull to move toward her, so he takes a step forward closing the gap between them.

  He reaches out and tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear and watches her body react to his touch as she stifles back a gasp as his thumb caresses her cheek.

  “It’s the truth. You’re beautiful. It’s a shame Jameson has you all to himself.”

  “We’re not like that. Jameson and I are just friends.”

  Ryker hears a commotion on the deck and watches as Jameson exits with two security guards and Dylan, their brother-in- law, in tow.

  “Hmm… you may want to tell him that,” Ryker explains as he steps back from Norah’s confused stare and watches Jameson storm toward them, his eyes narrowed in
Ryker’s direction.

  “Come on,” he commands. “We’re going to figure out exactly what we’re up against and then we’ll figure out what to do.”

  “Jameson,” Norah utters grabbing Ryker’s anger-fueled brother’s gaze. “Thank you. You’re the only one I have to count on.”

  Ryker is confused by her statement, but all is forgotten as he trails behind them and she peers over her shoulder to gaze back at him with a pleading look in her eyes. One that tells him not to leave her.

  He has zero intentions of ever doing that.

  Chapter Three

  THE SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM of the museum adjacent to the pavilion is cold and dark, even with the fluorescent overhead light turned on. She sits at the head of the table and she feels as if she’s under interrogation as all of the overly muscled men crowd around her expecting answers.

  Her teeth chatter as she tries to fight off the coldness until a large tuxedo jacket is draped over her shoulders. Norah looks back to find Ryker stepping aside with his back against the wall after sacrificing his jacket for her. She takes a deep inhale of the manly scent he’s left behind and she memorizes it. If it were possible to create the smell in a lab then she most definitely would.

  Dylan, Jameson’s sister Sydney’s husband and ex-FBI agent, speaks first. “Norah, give us the lowdown on the events and then tell us how it directly affects you.”

  She doesn’t raise her head she just begins to let the words flow as she describes the last 48 hours.

  “Dr. Lewis and I had packaged up the commissioned device to take it to DC on Thursday. I last saw him Wednesday afternoon as we traded shifts. Someone was continually keeping watch of the case; we didn’t want it to get into the wrong hands.

  “I woke up at two in the morning from a dead sleep and felt panicked. I had this gut feeling that something had happened, so I saved my software on the thumb drive and crashed my computer. As quickly as I could, I rushed to the lab and found the secure lock disengaged and Dr. Lewis gone.

  “At first nothing seemed amiss, and I thought perhaps he ran to the bathroom, he was there for the second-night watch, but as I approached the case I scanned my finger in the biometric lock and the scanner and device were both gone.

  “When I was getting ready to leave, I heard a lot of footsteps coming down the hall, so I found a basement window and jumped through after snagging Dr. Lewis’s personal server. I took out all the cash I could and rode the bus to Elizabeth City. From there I hitched a ride on a charter bus, and now here I am.

  “Can you help me?” Norah asks as she finally raises her eyes to meet the stares of the men in the room with her. There is a mixture of surprise, fear, worry, and pride.

  Dylan looks up from the pen and pad of paper he must have had hidden in his suit jacket and asks another question.

  “What is the device and why are you in danger?”

  “I’m not really sure if I am able to share with you. It’s a secret project commissioned by the government. I haven’t even had a chance to reach them and tell them it’s missing.”

  “Ok, let’s do that now,” the man with the pierced eyebrow that let her into the wedding states as he dials a number on his phone, immediately relaying the information to the caller.

  “What’s your full name?”

  “Norah Marie Blakely.”

  Suddenly Cohen, as she learns is his name, turns on the speaker for his phone and sets it in the middle of the table.

  “Ms. Blakely, this is Commissioner Jones. I’m glad to hear that you’re safe, though I am disappointed to hear that the project has been hijacked.”

  “I am sorry, Commissioner.”

  “Is there any chance that they will be able to get the project to work?”

  “There is only one way to get the device to run as planned, all they can do right now is turn on the scanner and track the test device.”

  “Ok, that’s not a problem.”

  “Well, it sort of is.”

  “Why is that?” he asks at the same time everyone’s eyes turn back to Norah once more.

  “Because I’m the only one that can launch the program with my codes.”

  The Commissioner takes a moment of silence, his knowledge of the program and the testing evident to the others in the room.

  “Can someone please fill me in on what the fuck this device is?” Ryker says from behind her. His deep concern should alarm her, he barely knows her, but instead, she feels . . . protected.

  “The device is a barcode of sorts that is placed behind the ear and can be used as a form of tracking device. It’s made of the same type of material as liquid stitches and embeds itself into the epidermis. It fully dissolves after eight years, but the person scanning can disengage the coding at any time.”

  “Ok, so it’s a tracker. We can deal with that,” Dylan says, but Jameson shakes his head and murmurs, “That’s not all it does.”

  “He’s right. The tracking is a plus and an easier way to find lost soldiers and POWs, but once the device embeds under the skin it can emit neurological transmissions at the push of a button. It can increase or decrease adrenaline rushes in the body related to fear, anger, and panic. It can also help keep someone awake and more cautious when they’re on long and intense missions.

  “Its intention is to be used on soldiers when they’re entering a high combat zone to keep them more responsive. Small emissions are harmless, but in the wrong hands too much adrenaline can be lethal to a soldier due to increased heart rate and breathing. But if the program scanner is unlocked the coding could be overridden to a point where the person with the device can pretty much control every aspect of the person’s brain, changing their personality and decisions. You already have soldiers on edge, it wouldn’t be too difficult to have them fire against each other or bomb their own country.”

  “Wow,” Dylan responds, astonishment written all over his face.

  “But that’s not all. I’m going to need a concentrated form of sodium hydroxide.”

  “Why?” Jameson asks, and Norah turns her attention to her friend knowing he’ll be devastated by her secret.

  “Because I was the original test subject.”

  “Fuck,” she hears Jameson say, but it’s the voice behind her that mutters a few curses that have her chest constricting.

  “Let’s say that I need this laid out in layman’s terms. What does it mean that you’re the test subject?” Dylan questions as his thirst for knowledge runs rampant.

  “It means that I’m the original person with a device embedded in my skin, just below the ear, and so if they didn’t know what they were doing and somehow unlocked the scanner, they could try to launch the program. We built it so if the device got into the wrong hands and the program was hacked that it would automatically release a transmission to the wearer that would cause them to fall into a coma. We didn’t want to run any risk of the device being hacked and used for something other than its purpose until it was presented to the Department of Defense.”

  “So why were you chosen to be the test subject if you knew that something could potentially go wrong?”

  Norah turns her face away from the stares, she knows that they won’t like her answer. She wipes her sweating palms against her dress, the softness comforting her.

  “I’m one of ten selected, and I was chosen because I was the only one without something to lose. The rest were soldiers that volunteered.”

  A growl sounds behind her and she doesn’t have to turn around to know that it’s Ryker’s deep voice. Hell, millions of fans would have recognized it from the radio. Only now she’s confused as to why her comment would cause his reaction.

  Jameson scoots his chair closer to her and takes her hand in his, his touch soothing her frayed nerves.

  “You know you always have me, Norah. Why would you go and do something like this? You knew it would make you a target.”

  “I guess we just never expected it to happen. No one knows about the device, it’s top secret. The on
ly people with any partial knowledge are my team and the Commissioner from the Department of Defense. And in all reality, I’m the only one that knows how to work everything in sequence. Without me, they can’t do anything.”

  “What about Dr. Lewis, do you think he’d be able to break the coding? Or perhaps it was him all along?” Cohen asks as he reclines back in his seat crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Dr. Lewis couldn’t hurt a fly, believe me. It’s not him. I’m more worried that he’s hurt,” Norah adds as she grips Jameson’s hand tighter.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because Dr. Lewis is around eighty-years-old and the size of a twig. It takes him about an hour to climb a flight of steps. But he’s a genius, and I will not stand for you claiming that he is the one at fault. He’s probably tied up somewhere hurt or worse, and you’re sitting here accusing him of this awful act!” she defends as she stands from her seat and leans over the table with her fists pressed firmly on the top. She never understood why people automatically assume the worst out of others. Norah had always been taught innocent until proven guilty, but that was rarely the case.

  Cohen pops up from his recline and holds his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m sorry. Calm down.”

  “No, you all fucking calm down! All I want is someone to help me burn this shit from my skin and take me away.”

  Dylan stands from his chair and gestures for everyone else to join him outside the room.

  When Norah is finally alone she crumbles back into the seat and rests her head on the table, pure, unfiltered fatigue taking over her.

  She startles when she feels a hand on her back and turns her head to find Ryker kneeling beside her.

  “I thought everyone left.”

  “Naw, they don’t need my help. But I can leave you alone if you want,” Ryker suggests as he stands and pulls his hand away.

  Norah moves so quickly she almost shocks herself as she reaches out and grabs his hand.

  “No, please don’t. I’d like you to stay.”

  Ryker kneels back down but doesn’t release his hold of her hand, and she relishes in the rough calluses of his palm and fingers against her skin. This is the hand of someone that plays hard. Their faces are close, only a few inches away, and if she possessed any boldness she would lean forward and press her lips against his. Instead, she shifts her gaze away from his mouth and focuses on his eyes.