by Jayne Castle
“Thanks.” He took her arm and started toward the door. “Sorry to catch you by surprise. I thought about calling, but I figured it would be better to talk about this in person. Some things can’t be said over the phone.”
“Especially in view of the fact that all of our recent communications have been conducted through lawyers,” she said.
His mouth edged up slightly at the corner. “That does tend to limit the conversation.”
“Actually, it turned out to be a pretty one-sided conversation.”
“That was because you had a pretty bad lawyer.”
Heads turned as Cruz steered her through the room toward the glass doors. Like most members of the notoriously reclusive Sweetwater clan, he tried to keep a very low profile. Until recently, he had spent his career working as an agent in the various field offices of AI Security. It was that anonymity that had allowed him to deceive her three months ago. But his recent appointment to the CEO slot had brought with it a lot of media attention. Her lawsuit had only added fuel to the fire. These days, in a gathering like this one, he was bound to be recognized.
An eerie silence descended on the crowd. It was followed almost immediately by a buzz of conversation that sounded a little too forced. The unmistakable rhythms of hot gossip, Lyra thought. Tomorrow there would be talk on the streets of the Quarter where the galleries and antiquities shops were located and possibly a mention in the art section of the Frequency Herald. Harriet Swan was no doubt giddy. Nothing could have elevated the status of her modest gallery more than having word go out that Cruz Sweetwater had been present tonight.
Three months ago this kind of attention had not been an issue. In his guise as a secretive underground collector, Cruz had favored secluded, dimly lit restaurants and romantic meals in her loft. But tonight things were different. Tension twisted her insides. She did not like this feeling. It was like being onstage.
“Ignore it,” Cruz said.
As if he read my mind. She did not like that notion any better. The experts were certain that telepathy was impossible, but they had never met Cruz Sweetwater. He might not be able to actually read minds, but there was no one better when it came to predicting an opponent’s next move. He was always one step ahead. She must not forget that.
Nancy caught her eye from across the gallery and waggled her fingers in a subtle high-rez sign: closed hand, thumb and pinky extended in the air.
Lyra took a deep breath. One thing, at least, was clear. This was not another one of the horrible waking nightmares. Cruz was no illusion. She could feel the power in him, sense the energy resonating between them. Whatever happened this evening, at least it would be real.
She went with him out into the glowing night.
Chapter 2
NIGHT WAS NEVER TRULY DARK IN THE OLD QUARTER of Frequency City. The gentle emerald light that illuminated the streets and rooftops emanated from the massive green quartz walls that surrounded the ruins of the Dead City.
The four major city-state capitals, Frequency, Resonance, Cadence, and Crystal, had been founded in the shadows of the largest of the walled cities that had been abandoned by the long-vanished aliens. But the free street lighting wasn’t the only reason that the First Generation colonists had built their initial settlements directly adjacent to the aboveground ruins. In those early years there had been no way to know what dangers lurked in the vast wilderness of the new home world. The four Dead Cities—their towering quartz barricades impervious to even the most sophisticated machines and weapons of Earth—had offered the promise of protection.
As it happened, there had never been any need for the colonists or their descendants to seek refuge in the ruins. Harmony had a wide assortment of wild animals, but it had soon become apparent that there were no local inhabitants to object to the newcomers from Earth.
In the two hundred years that had passed since the Curtain had closed, stranding the colonists, Frequency, like the other major cities, had grown far beyond its humble beginnings. Its gleaming office towers were clustered downtown, not in the Quarter. Neighborhoods and suburbs sprawled far and wide. The most expensive properties were now found on the hillsides and along the river, far from the colonial heart of the city.
But it wasn’t just the cheaper rents in the Quarter that had attracted Lyra, although that was certainly a huge factor. It was the subtle effect of the paranormal energy that leaked from the ruins and the strange catacombs underground that made the neighborhood attractive to her. Walking through the glowing streets at night was always something of a rush. Walking through them with Cruz at her side was even better.
“My car is over there,” Cruz said.
She looked at the sleek black Slider parked at the curb. It was the same vehicle he had been driving three months ago.
“I see you didn’t change your car when you changed your name,” she said.
“I didn’t use a fake name. Marlowe is my middle name.” He opened the passenger door of the Slider. “Came from my mother’s side of the family. Are you going to snap at me all evening, or can we have a reasonable discussion?”
“That probably depends on your definition of reasonable.”
“What I have to say is important, Lyra.”
She hesitated, her grandfather’s words echoing down through the years with a warning she had heard since childhood: “Never trust a Sweetwater.”
But the ridiculously hopeful side of her nature was in control.
“Okay,” she said. She slipped into the embrace of the leather seat and looked up at him. “I’ll play nice. At least until I know what this is all about.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. This conversation is going to be hard enough as it is.”
That did it. She suddenly felt sorry for him. An apology of this magnitude would not be easy for anyone, let alone a man like Cruz. He was always so sure of himself, so certain that he was doing the right thing, so determined to carry out what he felt was his responsibility. As far as he was concerned, he had been doing his job three months ago. She had to remember that the situation between them had placed him, along with his rigid code of honor, in an untenable position.
Great. She was not just feeling sorry for him, she was actually making excuses. She had to get a grip.
Cruz closed the door before she could ask him any more questions. A few seconds later, he got in beside her and rezzed the engine. Flash-rock melted, and the Slider eased away from the curb. Cruz turned at the corner, driving deeper into the Quarter. Navigating the maze of twisting streets in the Colonial neighborhoods was not for the faint of heart or those who depended on maps. But Cruz piloted the Slider with unerring precision. She did not have to prompt him even a single time. She was not surprised. Cruz always knew exactly where he was going.
He did not speak until he parked the Slider in front of her apartment building. For a moment he sat quietly, his hands resting on the steering wheel. The black stone in his heavy gold ring glinted a little in the green-tinged shadows.
“Did you get the new sofa?” he asked.
Startled, she looked at him. “What?”
“Three months ago you were planning to buy a new sofa. I’ve been wondering if you got it.”
“Right, the sofa. No. I didn’t get it.”
“Why not?”
“Turns out suing Amber Inc. is sort of an expensive hobby. I’ve had to economize lately.”
“You had a really bad lawyer,” Cruz said grimly.
“You’ve already mentioned that.” She unbuckled her seat belt. “Turns out really good lawyers are even more expensive than sofas. I thought we weren’t going to snipe at each other.”
“Sorry. Just wondered about the sofa.”
It struck her that his curiosity about the sofa was another positive indicator. Evidently he had been thinking about her a lot, and in a personal way, if he had been musing about homey things such as her plans to purchase new furniture.
He got out from behind the wheel. She opened her own door before
he could get around the front of the Slider to do it for her. At the lobby entrance of the apartment building, she took the key out of her small green clutch and rezzed the lock.
They got into the rickety elevator and stood, a little distance between them, until the door opened on the fourth floor. Without a word they went down the hall. She opened her door, stepped into the apartment, and turned on the light switch.
A large ball of dryer lint with bright blue eyes tumbled toward her, chortling a cheerful welcome. Its six paws skittered on the hardwood floors. A small, jaunty red beret was clipped to the tatty fur in the vicinity of the top of its head.
Lyra scooped up the dust bunny and plopped him on her shoulder.
“I’m home, Vincent,” she said.
The greeting ritual satisfied, Vincent burbled happily and hopped onto Cruz’s much broader shoulder.
“At least the bunny is glad to see me,” Cruz said. “Hey, there, pal. How’s it rezzing?”
Vincent chortled again.
Dust bunnies were not overly concerned with petty things like the legal ownership of spectacular amber discoveries in the jungle, Lyra thought. Nor did they fret about having fallen in love with the wrong man. But she rose above the impulse to make that observation out loud. She had to stay focused. The window bench was at the far end of the room, still in shadow, but she could make out the curves of the bra cups
“While you two reminisce, I’ll get out of these heels,” she said.
She hurried toward the window bench.
The plan was simple. She would keep her body between Cruz and the bra.
She reached her goal, grabbed the end of the towel, and rolled the bra inside with a few quick twists. Still moving fast, she darted behind the sliding screens that concealed the bedroom area and dropped the towel and its contents onto the dresser.
In the outer room, Cruz rezzed another light switch. The resulting glow permeated the bedroom through the translucent screens.
“I see Vincent is still painting,” Cruz said from the other side of the screen.
Oh, damn, the painting. She had been so focused on the bra that she had forgotten about the artwork. Well, there was nothing for it but to brave it out. The odds were seriously against Cruz ever discovering the truth.
She went back out into the main room, deftly sliding the screen closed behind her to conceal the bed. There was something about having a bed clearly visible when you were alone with a man who could heat your blood and excite all your senses with just a look; something dangerous.
Cruz was standing over Vincent’s latest work of art. The canvas lay flat on the floor atop a protective layer of newspapers. The one attempt at setting up an easel had ended in disaster when Vincent had tried to climb it to get to the top of the painting. He’d had a blue rez-brush in one paw at the time. The easel had toppled over. Vincent had landed with his usual adroitness, but the rez-brush had shattered when it hit the floor. The little tube of paint attached to the brush had broken off, splattering blue paint on everything within range, including the artist. It had required a great deal of paint remover and repeated baths to restore Vincent’s fur to its customary shade of nondescript gray.
“Painting is just a game to him,” she said. “I keep thinking he’ll grow tired of it. But so far he hasn’t. I still have to lock up the rez-brushes whenever I’m not around to supervise, though. Three weeks ago, I went downstairs to take out the trash while he was playing with his paints. I was gone for only five minutes, but by the time I got back, the lower portion of the refrigerator was green.”
Cruz studied the bright, chaotic swipes and blobs of color that covered a third of the canvas. “Looks like he’s heavily into magenta. When I left he was still in his blue period.”
She thought about what had happened to the three blue paintings and cleared her throat. “He’s gone through several colors since we last saw you,” she said.
Cruz looked at her across the room. He had removed his jacket and tossed it over the reading chair, just as he had done so often during the time they had dated. His black tie was unknotted, and he had opened the top three or four buttons of his shirt. Making himself at home, she thought wistfully. Just as if nothing had happened.
The coffee table, with its vase of amethyst orchids and the little stack of cards, stood between them. He must know that she had gotten the message of the unsigned cards. A woman would not keep flowers from a man unless she was prepared to forgive him. The anticipation was almost unbearable.
“Things got very complicated three months ago,” he said.
“Yes, they did.” She went around behind the kitchen counter. “Would you like a drink? I still have the Amber Dew you bought before the complications set in.”
“Sounds good.” He lowered himself onto one of the counter stools and hooked a foot over the bottom rung. “I’m surprised you didn’t throw out the bottle.”
“I considered it a few times, but it seemed like a waste of good liqueur.”
“Smart thinking.” He watched her take the two-thirds-empty bottle down from the cupboard. “Looks like you’ve been enjoying it. We only had one drink each out of that bottle.”
“Well, it has been three months, and I must admit it is rather nice to be able to serve a fancy liqueur like Amber Dew when I have guests.”
“Guests?” he repeated very deliberately.
“Mmm. They’re always very impressed.”
She gave him a warm smile and set one of the filled glasses on the counter within reach of his hand. Let him think that she’d been dating madly since he had shattered her world. She was not about to tell him that the only person she had invited to dinner in the past three months had been Nancy, and that every time they had shared a glass of the fabulously expensive Amber Dew they had chanted, “To the bastard, may he rot.”
He picked up the glass. “Thanks for trusting me enough to let me come back here with you tonight. I know that must have been hard for you.”
She took a small sip of the potent Amber Dew, lowered the glass, and went for sultry. “I’ve had a lot of time to think in the past three months, Cruz.”
“And you finally realized that I had no choice but to do what I did?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I still think Amber Inc. had no right whatsoever to confiscate my find. But I understand that you sincerely believe that you did what you had to do. I can respect that.”
“The ruin you discovered down there in the jungle was potentially dangerous, Lyra. By law you should have reported it immediately to the authorities.”
“Oh, wow. A lecture.”
His mouth tightened at the corners. “You know as well as I do that under the Alien Antiquities Act, any find that poses a potential hazard or generates unknown power of any kind must be analyzed and classified by the appropriate authorities.”
“Who will then confiscate it. If said antiquity happens to be made of amber, especially an extremely rare form, the appropriate authorities will naturally hand it over to Amber Inc., which has a contract with the federal government.” She widened her eyes with mock astonishment. “Gosh, I wonder why so many small, independent prospectors like me don’t routinely tell the appropriate authorities about their little finds.”
“The amethyst ruin was no small find. You knew that better than anyone. And it wasn’t stolen from you. Amber Inc. offered generous compensation.”
“Hah. There was no way your company could possibly compensate me for what you snatched from me. That ruin was priceless.”
“This isn’t about the legalities, is it?” he said quietly. “It’s about us. You and me.”
That was another thing about Cruz Sweetwater. He always went straight to the bottom line. She exhaled slowly, leaned against the counter, glass in hand, and looked at the coffee table with its vase of exotic flowers.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s about us and the fact that you lied to me.”
“I had no choice.”
“I understand t
hat now. I don’t have to like it, but I’m okay with it. I’ve moved on with my life.”
“That’s why you dropped the lawsuit?”
“Well, that and the fact that I finally came to my senses and realized that I could not afford to go up against Amber Inc. for even another week.”
There was a silence while they drank the quartz-green liqueur. The champagne had not done diddly-squat, but the Dew was succeeding where the lightweight stuff had failed. Her nerves were settling down nicely.
“I got the orchids,” she said after a while.
He regarded the flowers, eyes narrowing faintly. “I noticed them when we came in.”
“They’re very beautiful.”
He did not take his attention off the orchids. “Expensive.”
“Mmm.” She ran the tip of her finger around the rim of her glass. “Amethyst orchids are very pricey. Especially when you send that many of them twice a week for six weeks.”
“Someone has been sending you orchids twice a week for six weeks?”
She froze. Okay, this was not another waking nightmare episode, but in some ways it was a whole lot worse than one of the hallucinations.
Dread in her heart, she made herself look at Cruz. His hard face was set in implacable lines. She did not say a word, but words were unnecessary. She saw sudden comprehension burn in his eyes.
“You thought I was the one who was sending the flowers,” he said softly. It was not a question.
She could feel herself turning as bright as the magenta paint on Vincent’s latest canvas. She set the half-finished Amber Dew on the counter with great care and cleared her throat.
“Well,” she said. “This is certainly embarrassing. Now that we’ve cleared up that little misunderstanding, why don’t you tell me exactly why you decided to walk back into my life tonight?”
Chapter 3
