Curls & Chaos

By TK Eldridge

Rizzo Maldonado was an unusually adept hacker. Then again, Technomancy was a relatively unknown power, and unless you were into superhero comics or roleplaying games, you wouldn't know it existed. 

Everything's going great until Rizzo's new mystery client has her hacking into the wrong system. The worst kind of people take notice and Rizzo's about to lose her hard-won freedom, until Blake Nolan steps up and helps her take a different path. 

For someone who's avoided trusting or needing anyone else, Rizzo now has to make a hard choice. Will she open her heart and take a chance on Blake? Or will she risk it all - including her freedom?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Graffridge Publishing
• Release date: Mar 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215236123

Book preview

Chapter one

Rizzo leaned back in her desk chair and watched the activity on her monitors. Carl Wallace was probably freaking out right about now, but that’s the cost of being an asshole. Rizzo’s client, Carl’s last girlfriend, had paid handsomely to get all of the videos and pictures deleted from his computer and his cloud accounts. Seems Carl liked to take sex videos and photos without his partner’s permission, then blackmail them when they decided he was too creepy to continue dating. Unfortunately for Carl, his last girlfriend had the knowledge and resources to hire Rizzo. Also unfortunate for Carl was Carl’s paranoia that kept him from keeping copies anywhere except the cloud, so everything would be gone in the next twenty minutes or so. Forever.

Rizzo got up and stretched, then pulled her blonde curls up into a hair tie and headed towards her kitchen. The loft apartment she owned through one of her business accounts was a point of pride. Exposed brick, huge windows, and enough space for whatever she wanted. A set of stairs to an upper level held her sleeping space and the second bathroom, but the rest of the main area was divided into a kitchen, bath with shower, living room space, work out space, and the area she called ‘the lab’. Metal bars sunk into the floor in a large half-circle allowed light and air, and also acted as a Farraday cage to protect her technical gear and computers.

A cup of coffee and an apple would tide her over until she felt like eating a meal. Rizzo wasn’t much for regular timetables. The whole nine to five gig had never worked for her and now she made enough money that it never had to again.

The ringtone warned her who was calling, so Rizzo made sure to take a sip of coffee before she answered.

Hello, Finn. What do you need? Rizzo said.

Why do you always assume I need something when I call you? Finn replied

"Because you always need something when you call. What is it? I’m busy."

Remember when I told you my friend, Blake, would be in town this weekend? Well, he’s in town and I want to go out to dinner but three is awkward and I was hoping you’d be the fourth.

Finn, you know I don’t date. I don’t need you fixing me up with one of your asshole friends.

You’re one of my asshole friends, Rizzo. And it’s not a date. It’s just making it easier for Lacey and me to take Blake out and not let it get weird.

It’s already weird.

We’re going to Santana’s…

Okay, for a free meal at Santana’s, I’m in. But don’t be surprised if I call him out for being a dick. I’ll just wait until we’re in the parking lot on the way home, okay?

Thanks, Rizzo. It’s tomorrow at eight. Want me to send a car?

Of course. I still refuse to drive in this city.

Alrighty, lovely. Make sure you dress for the place. No jeans and hoodies.

I know, Finn. I’m not a complete loser. Tomorrow at 8pm. Got it. Bye.

Rizzo disconnected the call and closed her eyes. Finn was one of maybe three people in the world she’d do this for. They’d both been in the same foster home until he’d hit eighteen and was tossed to the curb. She’d snuck him food and blankets for a year before she was booted, too. Once they were both out of the foster system, Rizzo used her ‘special’ skills to get them a place to live and put food on the table. Eventually, Finn got a job at Morrigan’s Crossing, their favorite pub, and took classes on bartending. Ten years later, he was co-owner of Morrigan’s with his wife, Lacey – and Rizzo was her own boss in her own home and she didn’t have to share a bed with anyone. For her? That’s just how she liked it.

Back at her computer, Rizzo picked up the stylus and reached over to the drawing tablet. She made sure she had the screen up that showed Creepy Carl’s system files and she drew a symbol on the tablet. It shimmered gold, then faded away.

"There ya go, Carl. Good luck ever saving another photo or video ever again. Technomancy for the win," Rizzo said with a smile. Technomancy was something most people thought was a skill from a roleplaying or video game, but for Rizzo, it was real. She could do things that messed with all tech, no matter what kind. A glyph on her tablet acted like a spell in the system. In this instance, Carl Wallace would never be able to save another photo or video to any piece of tech he might ever own, ever again. Symbols tattooed on her arms could be activated with a whispered word and a tracing of her finger, and no security system or camera would ever pick up that Rizzo had passed that way. DNA and fingerprints were still a thing, but motion detectors, alarm systems, camera surveillance? They wouldn’t even know she’d been there.

She sent a secure message to her client and told her that the system had been wiped, and Carl would never be able to save any kind of image ever again. Five minutes later, a chime notified Rizzo that the second half of her payment had been transferred to her offshore account. Pleasure doing business with you, ma’am, Rizzo murmured and opened up a shopping window. She’d need a dress delivered by tomorrow evening if she was going to Santana’s. Time to do a little shopping.

Chapter two

Although dressing up was not something Rizzo did often, she knew how to do it well. Videos online were a great way to learn the process, and a lot of trial and error showed her what worked. Her dark blond curls, honey-hued eyes, and lightly tanned skin were the perfect contrast to the black lace dress that covered her from collarbone to wrist, to about mid-thigh. With her hair pulled up in a loose twist, dangling earrings that glittered in the light, and one matching bracelet, she radiated simple elegance. The four-inch Louboutin’s in matching black lace on her feet? Those screamed sexy. Hey, as far as Rizzo was concerned, her looks and her body were just another set of tools in her arsenal.

The chauffeur helped her out of the car and Rizzo made her way into the restaurant. As she was guided to the table, she could literally feel every eye that took note and appraised her passage. A shiver ran down her spine and it took every bit of her self-control to keep walking.

This is why I don’t do this, Rizzo muttered to herself, then pasted on a smile as she saw Finn get to his feet. He’d at least reserved a table in a semi-private alcove. She might forgive him for this. Maybe.

You look fabulous, Finn said and kissed her cheek. Thanks for coming.

Not bad yourself, Rizzo replied. Finn’s brown hair curled against his collar and his light green eyes looked lighter with the green dress shirt he wore. Once, he’d been a scrawny kid – but he’d filled out and built muscle, so now he was more of an athletic lean.

Lacey reached up and squeezed her hand. Incredible dress. And those shoes! I need you to take me shopping sometime.Rizzo chuckled and leaned down to kiss the air near Lacey’s cheek. You look gorgeous, and you’re not wearing heels like this until that little one is on the outside. Bad for an expectant mama’s back. But I promise, as soon as you’re ready, we’ll do a day of shopping.

Lacey’s blonde locks in a cute pixie cut made her brown eyes seem even larger. Pregnancy had added a softness to her angled features, and her joy radiated from her barely five-foot frame.

The last person at the table was seated with their back to the wall and he stood in silence, observing the interactions with eyes that glinted in the shadows.

Rizzo, I’d like to introduce my friend, Blake Nolan. Blake? This is Maurizia Maldonado, the sister of my heart, Finn said.

When Rizzo turned to face Blake, she felt that shiver again, only this time it started in her belly and warmed her to her toes. She offered a hand to the man. A pleasure to meet you.

He lifted her fingers and brushed a kiss over her knuckles before he met her gaze. Finn’s stories about you did not warn me that you were gorgeous, Blake said.

Rizzo pulled her fingers away with a polite smile. He’s my brother. He doesn’t see me that way. She took her seat and set her purse to the side near Lacey’s.

I appreciate you coming, Maurizia. While I enjoy my time with Finn, I don’t want to monopolize him when Lacey is around, Blake said as he sat back down. A dark grey suit, pale blue shirt, dark blue silk tie and pocket square brought out the icy blue of Blake’s eyes against the short dark curls he kept in a near military style.

Please, call me Rizzo. Maurizia is a mouthful for anyone, Rizzo said as she accepted a menu from the server and glanced over at Finn, one brow arched.

Finn gave her a wink and bent his head over the menu to make his choices.

She didn’t get out to eat often, so Rizzo was going to enjoy this meal. When the server returned, Lacey went first, then it was Rizzo’s turn. I’ll take the shrimp and salmon appetizer, and the filet mignon – rare, please – and scallops main course with wild rice, and a house salad for the sides. Also, could I get some lemon for my water, please? Thank you.

Blake paused as he listened to Rizzo’s order, then turned to the server. "I’ll take the stuffed clams appetizer and the porterhouse, rare, with baked potato and asparagus,