DARK ANGEL'S SEDUCTION

by I. T. Lucas

  In fact, he was so comfortable he was considering adopting the same setup once the doctor cleared him to leave.

  William’s assistants, a bunch of super nerds Roni felt right at home with, were quite enterprising. They had rigged him up a contraption that suspended two large monitors over his bed, which he could move every which way he pleased. A regular hospital rolling table doubled as his keyboard desk, and the large towers were cooling behind the bed.

  Bridget wasn’t happy about the freezing temperature in the room; it wasn’t the optimal environment for someone sick with pneumonia, but perfect for keeping the equipment running at optimum level.

  Roni was used to working in a cold room.

  Besides, Sylvia had brought him a sweater, a scarf, a knit beanie, and fingerless cashmere gloves to keep him nice and warm. She was a keeper, just as Mildred had told him.

  Damn, he missed Barty and his wife.

  Working on and off all morning, Roni had been taking occasional naps when he’d gotten too tired. The fucking pneumonia was making him not only weak like a baby, but melancholy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be thinking about his old crusty handler and his wife, Mildred.

  Being sick literally sucked the life out of him. It might have been his imagination, but Roni was convinced his hard-earned muscles were shriveling by the hour. Once he was back on his feet, he would be back to the scrawny scarecrow he was before a year of working out had filled him out a bit.

  Fuck. He hated working out.

  What a waste of time. The hour a day he spent working on improving his unimpressive physique could’ve been put to better use hacking and programming.

  Someone knocked on the door.

  “I’m busy!”

  Another disadvantage of working from a hospital room was the doctor or one of her nurses interrupting him with their unnecessary checkups. He really didn’t need his temperature and blood pressure taken once an hour every hour, day and night. It wasn’t as if pneumonia was a deadly disease, at least he didn’t think it was.

  Ignoring Roni’s clear dismissal, the knocker, a Lord of the Rings elf prince lookalike, opened the door and strode in as if he owned the place.

  “I’ll be brief,” he said in a monotone voice. All that was missing was an Austrian accent, and it would’ve sounded a lot like the famous “I’ll be back.”

  Roni gave the intruder a once-over. An intimidating dude. “And you are?”

  “Brundar.” The elf lookalike didn’t offer his hand. Instead, he inclined his head in a gesture that looked more like a nod than an attempted introduction.

  Wait a minute…

  Brundar? The guy who gave Andrew the shivers?

  It was good Roni was meeting the guy here, where he’d established his position as king, and not at the dojo. Otherwise, he would’ve felt intimidated as hell.

  “I heard about you.”

  Brundar lifted a brow.

  “Anandur threatened Andrew to bring you as my initiator if Andrew refused to do the honors.”

  Brundar regarded Roni as if he was an ant under a microscope. “Anandur should’ve done it.”

  Roni grimaced. “He couldn't get aggressive with me. I was not enough of a challenge.”

  Brundar nodded. “I can see how that could be a problem for him.”

  “But not for you?”

  The guy affected a chilling smile. “Not for me.”

  He could see why Andrew didn’t like the guy. From now on whenever Roni imagined a cold-hearted assassin, he would see this guy’s face. And the fact that Brundar was enviously good-looking, like a fallen angel, only enhanced the chilling effect instead of softening it.

  “What can I do for you?” It would be in Roni’s best interest to have the guy indebted to him. If he ever needed anyone taken out, Roni would know who to turn to.

  “William is not here, and you’re supposedly one hell of a hacker.”

  “Not supposedly. I’m the best.”

  Brundar’s lips twitched. “And modest, I see.”

  Roni shrugged. “It’s not boasting when it’s the truth.”

  “Can you hack into a university's computers and change the name of a student? A friend of mine got accepted, but she needs to go under a different name.”

  “So you need me to change her records to reflect a different one?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I will need a new social security number for the new name.”

  “I’m having them done. Birth certificate, social security, driver’s license, passport, the works.”

  “Excellent. When do you need it done?”

  “How soon can you do it?”

  Roni had a lot on his plate, and hacking into hundreds of security camera feeds was time-consuming. If he waited until he was done with all of that to help Brundar’s friend, it would be several days before he could get to it.

  “William left a big project for me, but I’m willing to take a short break to help your friend. It will set me back a couple of hours.” Let the guy think it was a bigger deal than it really was.

  “Thanks. I owe you, kid.”

  Roni smirked. Music to my ears. “Get me her old and new papers.”

  “I’ll come later when I have them. Does it matter to you what time?”

  Roni shook his head. “Not really. I’m sick, as you can see, so I need to take short naps from time to time. If I’m sleeping when you come back, wake me up.”

  Brundar nodded, then smoothed his palm over his blond hair. “I don’t know how it works with you being a human. Do I pay you? Can I get you something in return for the favor?”

  “I’ll take an unspecified IOU.”

  It was funny to watch the guy who was pale as a vampire to start with, getting even paler. “That can be anything.”

  Roni chuckled. “Don’t worry. I don’t want your first-born or anything like that. I don’t even know what kind of favor you’re good for.”

  “I obey the law. So whatever you have in mind it can’t be illegal.”

  Roni lifted a brow. “Says the guy who just asked me to falsify records.”

  Brundar shifted, putting his weight on his other foot. “That’s different. Think of it as a witness protection program.”

  “What did she see?” Roni got excited. He was so bored with the project he was working on, he was hungry for a good story.

  “It’s not like that. Her ex-husband is dangerous. If he finds her, he will harm her.”

  The smile evaporated from Roni’s face. “Say no more, my friend. It shall be done. No future favors required.”

  For the first time since he’d arrived, Brundar regarded Roni with real respect. Apparently, his hacking skills hadn’t impressed the guy as much as his gallantry.

  “I appreciate that. Whatever I can help you with, I will. Not as a favor, but as one warrior to another.”

  Roni snorted. “Warrior?” He looked down at himself. “Damn, this sweater must make me look good.” He patted the sleeve. “But regrettably it’s all false advertisement. There isn’t much underneath.”

  Brundar didn’t laugh at his joke. Hell, the guy looked like he never did.

  “We utilize different weapons, but we fight on the same team.”

  Roni lifted his palm for a high five, but Brundar ignored it.

  Strange dude.

  He let his arm drop. “Thank you. I always thought of myself as a cyber warrior, but you’re the first one to acknowledge me as one.”

  Brundar inclined his head. “I’ll be back with the papers.” He turned on his heel and walked out without saying goodbye.

  Kind of impolite, but then Roni often acted just as rude if not worse. The difference was that Roni was well aware of it and did it on purpose, while Brundar was just weird.

  CHAPTER 19: CALLIE

  Callie’s afternoon walk almost always ended at the neighborhood grocery store. With no car, she could only carry so much back home. The solution was to buy only what was necessary for whatever she planned on cooking for
dinner and for breakfast the next day.

  Her lunch was usually leftovers from dinner.

  Unless Brundar came over, and then she had to stock up on more stuff.

  Callie smiled. Feeding him was such a pleasure. The guy ate the way he made love, giving it his complete and undivided attention and savoring every little bite.

  Absentmindedly, she rubbed a spot on her neck that held a ghost memory of a bite. She must've dreamt it because her neck was spotless. Brundar hadn’t even left a hickey.

  Probably a tiny bug bite she couldn't see or feel.

  It had been two days since he’d made love to her. He’d said hi at the club, but that had been the extent of their interactions.

  The logical part of her brain told her that he was busy. Guarding his cousin during the day and helping Franco run the club evenings and nights counted as two full-time jobs. It was a wonder Brundar had managed the little time he’d spent with her. In fact, he’d told her that he’d asked for a half a day off just so he could have an early dinner with her.

  The other part of her brain, the one that was more emotional, felt neglected and unwanted.

  He was avoiding her.

  Today, Callie was once again eating dinner alone. It was no fun to cook for one, but she needed to eat, and there was no way she was going to stoop to sandwiches or frozen dinners. A simple dish of spaghetti with mushroom sauce that took about fifteen minutes to make was what she was planning for tonight. It was inexpensive, which was important since she was saving as much as she could to pay for school. Tomorrow, she’d eat the leftovers for lunch.

  The only time Callie splurged on food was when cooking for Brundar.

  Back at her building, she took the stairs up to her apartment. At her door, she put the grocery bag on the floor and shuffled through her purse looking for her keys.

  The sound of the elevator doors opening had her turn around. Maybe it was her next door neighbor. The apartment adjacent to hers had been dark and quiet for the entire time Callie had lived there.

  A woman was muscling a suitcase out of the elevator while pushing a carryon in front of her. Callie rushed over to hold the doors from closing on the suitcase.

  “Thank you,” the woman said, finally getting the heavy luggage past the metal sill. “I always over pack, forgetting I also need to schlep the thing around.”

  “Let me take this.” Callie reached for the carryon.

  “Thank you.” The woman let go of the handle. “I’m right over here.” She pointed at the door to the apartment next to Callie’s.

  “I thought no one lived there,” Callie said as the woman pulled out her keys.

  “I travel a lot.” She offered her hand. “Hi, I’m Stacy.”

  Callie shook her hand. “I’m Callie.”

  Stacy opened her door. “Would you like to come in?”

  Callie chuckled. “You just came back from what must’ve been a long trip. How about you come over to my place and eat dinner with me?”

  Stacy looked tempted but shook her head. “Thank you. That’s really nice of you, but I need to unpack, take a shower, etc.”

  It was quite obvious that the only reason Stacy had declined was that she was embarrassed about accepting a dinner invitation from a neighbor she’d just met.

  “Come on. You can do it later. I hate eating alone. Besides, you probably have nothing edible in your fridge.”

  Stacy grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I don’t want to know what grew in there while I was gone.”

  “So, does it mean you’re coming?”

  “Yeah, you twisted my arm. Let me just push that monster inside.”

  Callie lent Stacy a hand. The suitcase had wheels, but it was so heavy they barely moved. “How much did you have to pay for excess weight?”

  Stacy closed the door and followed Callie to her apartment. “The company I work for pays all of my travel expenses.”

  “Oh, yeah? What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?” Callie put the grocery bag on the counter and motioned for Stacy to take a seat.

  “I’m a business consultant. I go in, talk to everyone, see what needs improvement, and sometimes even oversee the implementation.”

  Callie pulled out the box of spaghetti from the bag. “Sounds fascinating.”

  “It is.”

  “I’ll brew us some coffee.”

  “Thank you. I need it.”

  Filling up a pot with water, Callie put it on the stove, then popped a pod into the machine. “I’m making spaghetti with mushroom sauce. I hope you’re not allergic to mushrooms.”

  Stacy slapped a hand on her thigh. “Not counting the peculiar swelling of my hips, which is a reaction I get to any kind of food, I’m not allergic to anything.”

  Callie chuckled. “I have a similar allergy. Though in my case the swelling happens in my tummy.”

  Stacy cast her an incredulous glance. “What are you talking about, girl?”

  “I’m a waitress. So I’m on my feet a lot. That’s the only reason I don’t gain weight.”

  Stacy frowned, making Callie uncomfortable. Was she one of those snobs who looked down at waiters and cashiers and the like?

  “You must be getting excellent tips to afford this place.”

  Callie relaxed. The frown wasn’t about what she’d thought. “I’m apartment sitting for the professor who lives here. He was kind enough not to charge me rent.”

  “Mike?”

  She had no idea. “I guess so. The whole thing was brokered through a friend of his. I don’t even know his name.”

  Stacy shook her head. “Mike moved out over a month ago. He got a job at Arizona State.”

  “I was under the impression that he was teaching a semester abroad.”

  “He did. Two years ago.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  What the hell?

  What kind of a story had Brundar invented and why?

  “Maybe we are not talking about the same person. Maybe another professor rented this apartment after Mike left and then got an offer to teach abroad.”

  Stacy crossed her legs. “I guess that’s the only plausible explanation. After all, several professors live in this building because it’s so close to USC. That’s why the rent is so expensive.”

  Callie put on a smile. “Mystery solved. How do you like your coffee?” She changed the subject.

  Frankly, she didn’t believe for a moment the explanation she’d offered Stacy. Brundar had rented the apartment for her and concocted the story about the professor. The landlady had probably told him about the previous tenant, and that was where he’d gotten the idea for his lie from.

  The question was why?

  And if he’d lied about that, what else had he lied about?

  “Black, with stevia if you have it.”

  “Sorry. I only have regular sugar.”

  “Then one teaspoonful of sugar it is.”

  CHAPTER 20: BRUNDAR

  Brundar had used his lunch hour to visit the document forger at his downtown studio. Francis’s day job was artistic photography, and he was quite famous in the art community, but that didn’t mean he was making money. For that he relied on his share in the clan profits, supplementing his income with superb forgeries.

  “Did you get the name and social from the hacker? You’re aware that I only make the documents, right?” Francis asked.

  “I did.”

  Kian had another source for those. Though with Roni on board, Brundar didn’t expect they would need that other hacker for much longer. Right now the kid was too busy with the assignment William had dropped on him, but once he was done with that, he’d be free for all the other things they needed a hacker for.

  “I will have them ready for you tomorrow. Should I put it on Kian’s tab, or are you paying for that yourself?”

  “I’m paying.”

  “I’ll give you the special clan discount. Seven hundred fifty instead of twelve hundred. Cash, of course.”
<
br />   “No problem.”

  Francis nodded, knowing not to offer a handshake.

  Brundar glanced at his watch. He had less than twenty minutes to get back to the keep for Kian’s emergency Guardian meeting, which meant he wouldn’t have time to grab something to eat. Hopefully, Okidu would serve refreshments.

  “Roni already has a wide area covered,” Kian opened the meeting. “William’s squad is going to monitor the feeds and alert the Guardian on duty if they see anything suspicious. I want you to start rotations. The murders all happened after dark, so I’m not going to waste your time on that during the day. Onegus prepared a schedule that requires each one of you to be on the alert five hours every other night.”

  Brundar groaned. Between his Guardian duty and managing the club he was already stretched to capacity.

  “Is there a problem, Brundar?” Kian asked.

  “Could we suspend the self-defense classes until this is over?”

  Kian nodded. “I don’t like it, but I can’t expect you guys to work sixteen hours a day.”

  Anandur snorted. “As if it ever stopped you before.”

  “In times of emergency, you bet your ass I expect you to give me everything you got. But this doesn't qualify as one.”

  Onegus tapped his pen on the conference table. “Should I inform all of our students that classes are suspended until further notice?”

  “Carol and Kri can teach a few,” Brundar offered.

  Kri crossed her arms over her chest. “You guys are chauvinist pigs.”

  Kian glared at her. “As I said before, I’m not going to risk a female against a Doomer. Those are all well trained immortal males.”

  “Yeah, yeah. The little lady will stay and teach the kids.”

  “You betcha. Onegus, talk with Carol and see what she can handle, then divide the classes between her and Kri.”

  Onegus nodded. “I’m going to email you the schedules with the area you should hang around. I also rented motorcycles for all of you so you can get to the scene of the crime faster. The helmets are also good to disguise your features.”

  Anandur rubbed his hands. “Which ones did you get?”