Reaching the end of the article, he gave a sigh and nervously dragged his hand through his hair. The more he read, the more worried he became. NeuroPep was a brand new drug, but it was quickly making a name for itself. Unfortunately, not for good reasons. It was causing severe brain damage and fatal heart attacks in users who spent too much time in immersion. Did Venom know this when she started taking it? She had been a casual drug user for as long as Xander had known her, but she was always careful. Xander had never felt the need to worry, until now. This new drug was a big one, up alongside AngelsWake for addictiveness and almost as destructive.
Flicking back to his Sanctuary feed, he checked the sharer of the article, hoping it was false. Dammit, it was Steven Shona. Steve was an ex-security officer with a hatred towards drugs and anything to do with them. The guy was straight and damn honest, and he wasn’t known for sharing misinformation even when it supported his cause.
Xander called up his contact list. He really wanted to talk to Venom to set this matter straight, but he hesitated. They were good friends, but he knew she wouldn’t react well to any questioning of her drug use. The more you pushed Venom on her lifestyle choices, the quicker she was to anger.
He got to his feet and started to pace the office. Hopefully, after the horrific downer that Venom had suffered, she would think twice about taking NeuroPep again. There had been drugs she had sworn off in the past because of bad reactions, and maybe this would be one. She was smart, wasn’t she? Damn, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep now. He minimized Venom’s contact card and selected another before hitting to dial.
“Alright fucker, how goes it?” came Taz’s strong Bostonian accent in his earpiece. “How’s the sproglet?”
“Keira’s good, thanks. Haven’t seen much of her thanks to the heavy influx of newbies. Sorry to be so blunt, but I’m calling with a particular topic. I need to ask some more questions about NeuroPep,” Xander said.
“You make me sound like a dealer. I haven’t done that since the close call with the security in college,” Taz said with a chuckle. “What's with the obsession over the Neep? Doesn’t seem up your street at all.”
“God, I haven’t even taken Sense in months, let alone branching out. It’s our girl, Venom. She’s been taking the Neuro,” Xander said. Hearing a sharp intake of breath on the phone followed by silence didn’t help his nerves. “It’s not good is it?”
“Xander, seriously, I stick to the euphorics, so I’m not really up with the wired kinds, but from what I’ve heard it isn’t good at all. Why the hell has Venom started taking that shit? Are we talking regular like?” Taz asked. Taz was a big user of recreational drugs, which was why Xander usually went to him for advice.
“I don’t know too much, man. You know what she’s like when you push a subject that she doesn’t want to talk about. I only know that she took it once because she called me for a pick up when she was high as shit the other day.” Xander sighed exasperatedly.
“Damn, that’s unlike her. Normally, she’s good with managing her high. It’s why she was my drug buddy until… you know,” Taz trailed off.
“Until you had high sex and things got awkward,” Xander filled the void, a smirk playing over his face.
“Yeah… that,” Taz said, his cocky tone replaced by awkwardness. “It was… it wasn’t all my fault. I didn't know it was cut with a hallucinogen.”
“You broke her nose, Taz,” Xander responded, chewing his lip slightly to prevent his laughter.
“I thought she was a freaking harpy or some shit,” Taz said, his voice growing more and more agitated. It had been a messy incident, but Xander still loved winding both his friends up over it.
“It would have been salvageable if you’d just said sorry instead of leaving chocolate and flowers in places. She thought she had a stalker… well, she kinda did,” Xander said, fighting the laugh that really wanted to come out.
“Can we please get back to the conversation at hand,” Taz said with a cough. He was right, there were more important issues right now.
“So I read an article this morning that was talking about people being killed by NeuroPep. Have you heard anything like that?” Xander questioned.
“There are always whispers. How about I hit up a few of my contacts, and I’ll get back to you later,” Taz suggested.
“Sure, talk to you soon, bro,” Xander responded, hanging up the call.
Xander had been hoping his friend would be able to placate his worry, but instead, he had just made it worse. If Taz was unsure about a drug, then it really was something that he needed to be concerned about. As he resumed pacing, he tried to figure some action to take or even a way to talk to the green haired nightmare, but nothing seemed viable. He needed Taz to be quick with the information.
*****
Venom glanced up to the clock, a groan slipping from her lips when she saw only a couple of hours had passed. Normally, she loved her job, but today all she could focus on was how slow everything seemed to be progressing. Every task she tried to do was taking forever. She couldn’t figure out if she was acting sluggish or whether it was the system having issues, but either way, it was irritating the living hell out of her. Normally, she would be speeding through the file list, but she was only halfway done. Fuck. It was her.
Venom’s eyes drifted to the right side of her desk where the pills were hidden. It wasn’t the first time today. The irritation at her sluggishness was making her consider using what she had acquired. Maybe it would help her get through the day. Venom leaned back in her chair and regarded the room, rows and rows of hackers each completely absorbed in their work. She glanced back to the office in the corner and watched as Micah paced back and forth, his mouth moving as he spoke over his comms. This would be the perfect time. Pulling the drawer open, she looked at the five perfect pink pills that sat there. She was reaching for them when a notification pinged up on her manual setup. Venom slammed the drawer closed, panicking that she had been caught.
::NexusReaper:: Hello my little techno bitch. I was wondering if you’re free this evening?
Venom let loose a relieved sigh when she saw the contact. NexusReaper was a hacker friend of hers who worked for the Network as an outside consultant. At least she knew that he wasn’t spying on her in the office. Well, unless he hacked the cameras. Alright, now she was just being paranoid.
::CausticBitch:: I have no plans that I am aware of. Why, what’s up?
::NexusReaper:: Nothing’s up. It’s been a month since we’ve gotten together and done some raiding. What do you think? I’ll bring the pizza and soda.
Venom knew this wasn’t about the stupid MMO game they played together on the Nexus. If he had simply wanted to play, then he wouldn’t have suggested coming around. They would have just played from home. This was a booty call. Not that she had any complaints. The guy was good in bed, and he actually genuinely cared about her wellbeing, not just getting his dick wet.
::CausticBitch:: It has been a while. I have a few hours of work left but I’ll drop you a message when I am free if you want?
::NexusReaper:: Suits me fine. I’m free all day.
::CausticBitch:: God I really want your job. Whenever we talk you’re doing nothing.
::NexusReaper:: If only that was true. Why do you think you only hear from me monthly
::CausticBitch:: Alright, alright. Calm your shit you whiny bitch. I’ll see you tonight.
::NexusReaper:: See you then.
Realization struck. She had gotten so excited about the prospect of hanging out with NexusReaper that she had forgotten about Jacques. Last time she had engaged in a booty call, she had lived alone. Maybe it was a good idea to ask him to make himself scarce. Introducing NexusReaper and Jacques could have interesting consequences; fuck buddies should never meet.
Calling up Jacques’ contact details, she sent him a quick message, asking him if she could have the place to herself tonight. He replied quickly, and lucky for her, he had plans with the rest of his
team. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her relations with NexusReaper, but having Jacques there would likely mean sex was off the table, and with the prospect now secured in her mind, she didn’t want to risk it. She liked the NexusReaper and especially the things he did with his mouth.
Dismissing all of the chat windows, Venom tried to draw her attention back to work. It wasn’t easy. Now she was not only thinking about how sluggish everything seemed but also about NexusReaper and what was most likely going to happen tonight. It wasn’t long until she found herself staring at the drawer again.
Enough was enough. Venom slowly glanced around the room. No one was paying her any attention. She opened the top drawer and grabbed one of the pink pills, popped it into her mouth, and followed it with a swig of coffee. Maybe now she could get some focus. She sighed happily as she started preparing the Nexus Gateway for full immersion. Hopefully this would pass the work day at a normal speed.
Chapter Six
Venom’s breathing was coming in short bursts as she lay back against the bed. Endorphins were flooding her system, and there was still a quiver in her legs as her body dealt with the after effects of sex. She released a contented sigh as she allowed her eyes to drift closed. Sometimes a quick fuck was enough to relax you from a hard day at work.
“So what’s distracting you?” NexusReaper asked in a heavy British accent from the bed beside her.
“What do you mean?” Venom asked, her eyebrows furrowing. “I’m not distracted.”
“Don’t bullshit me, CB. I know you better. What’s up?” NexusReaper asked again.
Venom looked over to him only to find his gentle chocolate brown eyes regarding her. He lay on his side, his pale heart-shaped face propped up on his hand. The sheet pooled at his hips while his relatively toned chest was on show. Vivid scratches were evident over the hacker’s pecs from her nails, and his back was likely worse.
“Nothing really worth talking about, don’t worry yourself,” Venom said as she sat up and perched on the edge of the bed. As a fellow hacker, he may understand the draw of the drug, but at the same time, she didn’t want to open herself up to any kind of criticism. NexusReaper was one of the best hackers she knew, and she fought hard to work on a level even close to his. Admitting to using enhancing drugs was admitting she wasn’t good enough.
Taking the NeuroPep had sped up the day as she expected. Not only that, but her output had been immense. She was now half a day ahead with her quota. To make it even better, she had made it out of immersion with very few side effects. She had been in the chair for the worst of the physical weakness and had only suffered minor absence. By the time NexusReaper had arrived, she was over the worst of it.
“You aren’t usually this quiet, CB. It’s disconcerting,” NexusReaper said as he came up behind her. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. Her eyes drifted closed as his lips gently brushed her skin, a trail of kisses on her neck raising goosebumps in their wake. The touch was intimate, more so than the sex they had just shared. Sex was hot, rough, pleasurable, but it was mechanical and primal. This was the moment where she felt wanted, the gentle kisses and ensnaring embrace.
“Sorry, just not feeling myself lately,” Venom sighed, hanging her head.
“We all have those days,” NexusReaper said as he pulled her gently backwards. She chuckled softly and let him pull her back into the bed. She rolled over and hooked a leg over his, as her fingers played over his toned expanse of chest.
“I guessed you just picked that worst time to come and see me,” Venom said with a false smile firmly in place. She traced the scratches, the red marks a severe contrast to his pale skin.
“So… have you got yourself a boyfriend or something?” NexusReaper asked. Venom looked up to him, his brow furrowed and his soft chocolate brown eyes full of concern.
“Where the hell did you get that idea?” Venom questioned as confusion flooded her face. She propped herself up on his chest to regard him.
“Well, the men's clothes folded on the counter was my first indication,” he said with a slightly awkward chuckle.
“Oh, shit… no… I don’t have a boyfriend. One of my friends has been sleeping on my couch ‘cause he was having some issues,” Venom explained, choosing to leave out the fact that Jacques had spent a few nights in her bed. Fuck, she really needed to sort herself out. This one night stand bullshit needed to end. She needed to get some fucking self-respect. That was a joke in itself; she had been trying to do that for years.
“Alright, that makes me feel a whole lot better,” NexusReaper said with a sigh of relief. That's when Venom realized something.
“Wait, you thought I had a boyfriend and you still slept with me?” Venom asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Yeah… uh…” he stuttered as a blush started to rise in his cheeks, and she smirked. “If you had… I would have stopped it after… I just wanted to have at least one more time.”
“Don’t panic… we’re good,” she said.
The two of them fell silent as she lay in his arms. Venom’s mind started to drift as she thought about the drugs she had taken earlier. The high was amazing; feeling the way her brain worked when it was pushed was outstanding. Maybe next time, she would wait until she was at home so there was little to interrupt her. At work they were limited to six hours until someone was alerted to check on the hacker’s welfare. At home there was no such restriction. As she made plans, she sunk into his embrace, loving the way his fingers played gently over her skin and through her hair.
“Sorry to cut this short, love, but I have got to go,” NexusReaper said, breaking the silence. Venom snapped to attention. She glanced at the time. A little over half an hour had passed since they had cuddled on her bed.
“Everything alright?” she asked. It was unlike him to have to leave so early. A lot of the time, he ended up staying until the next morning.
“There’s some trouble at work. I better get back so I can sort it out,” he said as he slipped from the bed and grabbed his suit from the floor before pulling it on. Venom lay back in the sheets and watched as fabric slowly hid his body from view.
“Damn Network interrupting our evening,” she teased as she rolled over and grabbed her own clothes from the floor.
“I know, right? How dare our employer expect me to do the work they pay me for,” NexusReaper said with a charming grin, turning to the mirror to knot the tie around his neck.
As she stood up to pull on her pants, NexusReaper closed the gap between them. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled up against his body. He dipped his head and captured her lips in a gentle yet passionate kiss. Her eyes flickered closed as she savored the feeling of complete contentment. When he stepped away, she felt empty for a moment, and they shared a smile before both resumed dressing. Their liaisons were brief but always evoked an emotional longing that she always forgot was there. There was another brief kiss, and then he left. She just stood there at a complete loss for what to do. She had cleared her entire night to spend with him, but now that he had left early, she was unsure how to fill that time. She grabbed her AR glasses and pulled them on to find a message waiting.
::Hey V. I know things had been a little awkward between us since the incident but I was wondering if you fancied doing something. I miss getting high and chatting shit with you. Taz::
Venom stared at the message for a moment. Her hand drifted to her nose as she remembered the pain of the break, not a feeling you wanted mid-orgasm. That had been months back, and they hadn’t really seen each other since. Taz’s actions had made Venom think she had a stalker to the extent she had contacted security after finding flowers on her breakfast bar at home. When she had found out the truth, she had the embarrassing job of explaining the misunderstanding to the security officer. She’d been mad at Taz for causing that situation, but maybe it was time to try and move past it.
::Sure. I’m free now. What you got in mind? V::
She expected the reply to take some
time, but it was only seconds later that he replied.
::Neon?::
Venom smirked at his response. The psychedelic club was one of Venom’s favorite haunts, and Taz knew that. It seemed like he was trying whatever he could to make it up to her. It had been a while since she had a decent night out, and maybe getting drunk with him would be the first step to returning to normal. They had had a lot of fun together in the past, mostly alcohol and drug related, but fun nonetheless. They really needed to get past this awkwardness.
::Sure. I’ll meet you there in half an hour. Venom::
Venom went to her room, threw open the closet, and started digging out something to wear. Since Keira’s birth and Venom’s issue with Taz, she hadn’t really been out clubbing lately. Dragging out two pairs of latex straps that were specifically for the club, she quickly chose the neon green ones. Pulling on the matching undies and ensuring the necessities were covered, she turned to the mirror. Green straps covered her breasts before winding down her stomach and over her legs. If there was one thing Venom was, it was body confident. She took a moment to be sure her Network mark was covered. She didn’t want to risk it showing under the black lights. She grabbed her floor length coat and threw it over her and slipped her shoes on before making for the door. She flagged down the first cab she saw and was soon on her way.
Neon was the biggest and brightest building in Central. It was a colossal square of dark stone with neon slashes and paint splats in green, yellow, and blue. Spotlights bright enough to paint the clouds erupted from the roof. No matter what time of day or night, the club was always heaving. Venom paid the taxi driver and stepped onto the pavement. She was lucky that the queue was relatively short; that was the bonus for coming at shift change.
As soon as she stepped within, she could feel the walls rumble as the music pulsed through the club. Checking her coat in the cloakroom, she headed through the internal doors. As expected, the club was busy. Hundreds of people crammed onto the dancefloor, bodies clad in only straps of neon colors, some decorated with neon paint, all of which glowed under the blacklight.
Caustic (The Seraphim Network - Everyday Series Book 1) Page 6
