Bad Teacher (Temp Title)

14| Encrypted Code

Nickolai

“You are sure this is the place?”

My thoughts were in agreement to her question. This diner didn't seem like it housed one of the best ex-hackers that had the fortune of working with my family for more than two decades. He retired a few years back, and his son, Christoph had taken it upon himself to continue the family legacy. Not only had his father been a great hacker, but a damn good killer, too. It didn't seem possible for a man like that to reside in a place like this, but anything was possible.

Especially with how long I've been in charge. You find the weirdest people in the most shocking of places.

This didn't involve the young woman with the green eyes. Though she certainly fell under the same category.

“This is where Christoph said his father worked. Accountant for this place, apparently. P. I job on the side.”

Helena scoffed underneath her breath and turned to eye me. She had questions. The same ones that I had been asking. “An accountant? For a little diner?”

“My thoughts exactly,” I grumbled roughly. “Told him we’d be paying him a visit so the old man is expecting us.” My eyes roamed the outside, taking in the red and white themed walls. Open glass windows that allowed for a peak of the inside.

“My favourite type of place to commit felonies in.” It's her smirk that had me responding with a scoff. She wasn't lying. This was a great place to use to cover up crimes.

“What? I'm peaking through his files later. Old man is definitely not as innocent looking as this place.”

The little bell above announced our arrival. I almost smiled at the sound. Seemed that old habits died hard. A smart way for intruders to announce themselves.

I followed behind Helena, my eyes roaming every nook and cranny I find, marking anything or anybody I thought might be suspicious. I hated surprises, and wanted the next 10 minutes to go down smoothly. No distractions. Just business.

To find the thief.

It wasn’t so much the issue of short supplies—never. I had concluded three major business deals in the last month. Millions of dollars, all safe and sound in my pocket. It was the sudden realization that somebody attempted to fuck with me and my money. And they were going to continue doing it until  I couldn’t allow it, despite the fact that it had been done, and successfully. I was mature enough to admit I felt the tiniest inch of respect for whoever managed to steal.

But they had to die, whoever they were. This was just business after all.

My job entitled running the underground that my grandfather had started decades ago. To cover up the crimes my family committed, my he had started a law firm that had developed in to to be one of the biggest law firms nation wide. A law firm. I could chuckle every single time I thought about it. He also started a Casino chain, of which we owned two giant organizations of. My father, whilst building on the existing businesses, thought it would hilarious to start more. He started a P. I company, and proceeded to buy a chain of luxury Hotels. There was range I’d say. The duties had been split between my brother and I when we were old enough to take over. My brother ran the casino’s, the firm and the P. I business. I owned the fun parts. The drugs and guns. The Hotels and all the bars and clubs—of which there were several.

My eyes scanned the red booths, taking in the people occupying them. A young couple sat to the left, hunched together, whispering. An elderly man all on his lonesome and...

Our eyes clashed the moment she turned around to look over her shoulder.

Her eyes flashed with surprise, even from here, and mine stayed neutral, portraying nothing of what I was thinking. Not that seeing her here sent a pleasant feeling coursing through me. Not how she’s been running through my thoughts none stop since I’d met her. Not how I had Blaylock finally get me a file on her. The one I had been reading through for days, page by page.