by Rien Reigns
An assignment in Deseret, and getting paid at least something for this botched one. It was a damn good offer. But it felt like I was being bought off. Paid to ignore whatever was going on. The question I had to ask myself was, did I care?
I did, but I didn’t want to tell them that.
“Mind if I sleep on the offer?” I asked. “It’s been a long day and I might not be thinking straight.”
“Just so you’re aware. This is a lone Inquisitor assignment. Only one will be assigned. No competition. You have until 9 a.m. to give me an answer,” Death said, and then went to the door behind me and left without another word.
Yep, I had a carrot hanging in front of me, trying to get me to go where someone else wanted.
I turned to Alvarez. “Don’t suppose you’ll tell me what’s going?”
She looked as confused as I felt. “I wish I knew,” she said.
“Then why’d you zap me?”
“I was going to tell you, but now I have orders to keep you out of this investigation at all costs.”
“So why tell me that.”
“Because something isn’t right, and believe it or not, I trust you.”
I laughed. “Did you just say you trust me? Because normally when people trust others they don’t feel a need to tie them to chairs.”
“I was following orders. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You had a choice, just like you chose to tell me I’m being excluded. You want to tell me what’s going on. I can see it in your eyes. So go ahead.”
“I want to, but I won’t. Death doesn’t want you to know. Forget I said anything. Go to sleep, and when you wake up, tell him you’re taking that assignment. Leave as soon as you can. Forget about this place.”
“Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?”
She shot out a hand and grabbed me by the cock and balls. She squeezed.
“This is a threat.”
I was taken aback by her actions. She should have instantly gotten shocked for doing it, but she didn’t.
My mind wasn’t remotely in the place to be aroused by having her touch me in such a sensitive place, but I guess that’s why they say a guy has two heads. My cock throbbed. That head said yes. I had to admit, it felt good more than it felt bad. Maybe that’s why she didn’t get shocked.
My mind hadn’t been in the mood, but it was now. I grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her to me. We kissed. I say ‘we’ because she reciprocated, which means I didn’t get shocked.
We stayed like that, her hand on my cock, my hand on her neck keeping her close to me for quite some time. I eased up on my hold, and she eased up on hers.
She started rubbing me. I massaged her neck.
We kissed even more passionately.
I wrapped my other arm around her waist.
Pulled her closer.
Rubbed the small of her back.
Found where her shirt tucked into her pants.
And started to pull it free.
Touching her skin, she pressed into me.
‹Normally I would not intrude,›Kali said. Intruding.‹However, you still have a murder and a conspiracy to investigate. It’s possible she is using another tactic to distract you.›
Damn it. Why the hell didn’t I realize that?
I stopped kissing Alvarez. Let go of her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You,” I said. Then I turned and started for the door.
“Excuse me?”
I didn’t turn around. I walked out the door. Luckily, she didn’t follow. I’m not sure what I would have done if she had. I didn’t have any weapons. But I would have done something. Might have said, ‘fuck it,’ and continued where I’d left things. I wanted her. A part of me hated that I did.
Sleep sounded real good.
But answers sounded better.
Sam.
As much as I dreaded seeing her. She had answers. I knew she did. I wasn’t sure what answers she had, but she’d have some, and that was better than what I had. Plus, she’d play it straight with me.
The first thing I was going to do though was change. It was obvious someone wanted me dead, or at least incapacitated. I didn’t think it had been Cook, but either way, I was going to be prepared next time someone decided to take a shot at me.
I headed to my room to shower, change, and load up.
Between the fifth and sixth floor Lillian stepped out of nowhere. “We need to talk,” she said.
With only a slight inkling of hesitation I kept ascending, reached where she was standing, and kept on walking.
“I said, ‘We need to talk.”
“Tomorrow,” I said.
“Now!”
She grabbed my arm.
I tried to pull free, but she kept a firm grip.
Not wanting another physical confrontation, I decided to try and work things out with words.
“Fine. What do you want?”
“What did the Horsemen and that Ranger want with you?”
How had she known about that? She’d been spying on me. Of course. Should have known.
“What do you care?”
She let go of my arm.
“She can’t be trusted.”
“Seems to be the running theme,” I said.
“I’m serious. She’s dangerous. Sam and I have been tracking her for quite some time. Over a dozen individuals have gone missing when she’s around.”
“And you think that’s dangerous? Hell, I’m responsible for dozens of people going missing. And you know what? It was for good reason. Don’t worry about Ranger Alvarez, she works for ChronoGen. She’s an Inquisitor of sorts.”
“You don’t say? So you’ve worked with her before?”
“I don’t see how it’s any of your concern.”
“Would she have had reason to kill Julius? You were investigating him, weren’t you?”
“She was with me when Julius was murdered. Look, it’s been a really long day, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to my room and sleep.”
“Is that what you really intend to do?” she asked.
“You could always join me,” I said, before my rational mind could tell my dick-head to shut the hell up.
To my utter amazement, her disposition changed. “I was wondering how long it was going to take you to proposition me,” she said with a seductive smile, stepping towards me. She reached out with her left hand and grabbed my right.
I started to pull away, but she managed to keep a firm grip. She moved my hand like I was a puppet on her string, and placed it on her right breast. “Isn’t this what you want?”
A battle of wills broke out in my mind. Way, way, back in the day, I’d often uncontrollably thought of being with both Sam and Lillian in a ménage à trois. I’d never really cared for Lillian personality wise, but damn, she is a knockout.
Between my two heads a battle was won.
I opened my mouth to voice the winner’s position when Lillian’s right hook caught me by surprise in the jaw. Unprepared for the blow, my head jerked violently, causing my mind to short circuit.
I came back to consciousness thirty-seven seconds later to the sound of Kali’s voice.
‹You have suffered a mild concussive blow. There is no internal bleeding detected, though there is a slight swelling of the brain. I will continue to monitor for further symptoms and make medical arrangements should the need arise.›
“What the hell happened?”
‹You were baited and hooked, so to speak, by Ms. Park.›
The memory of what had essentially occurred returned to me.
I put a hand to my jaw. “Serves me right I guess, allowing my dick to even voice it’s opinion when the alarms were already going off in my head. I should have known better.”
‹Yes, you should have. In the future would you like me to voice my analysis of the situation?›
“So I can have one more voice adding their opinion? No, I’ll continue to think for myself a
nd either learn from my experiences or die in the process.”
‹I will remind you that your death, means mine as well. I will not allow that to happen. And, since you seem not to care about your life, I will have to care for the both of us. In the future if I assess you are unnecessarily putting our lives in danger, I will make it known and do everything in my power to remedy the situation.›
“Good luck with that,” I said, pulling myself up using the railing.
Back on my feet, I rubbed my jaw where Lillian had made her true intentions known.
“Kali, locate Sam’s quarters for me, or wherever it is I can find her without running into you know who.”
‹Her quarters are in the shareholders building, second floor, suite 204, though it is unlikely that you would find her there at this moment in time. Due to recent events, she is either in; the main security office, the resorts security server bunker running diagnostics, or making rounds. However, each place has a high probability of Ms. Park being there as well.›
“So, what you’re telling me is Sam and Lillian will most likely be together.”
‹Not necessarily, but there is a high probability that wherever Ms. Matsuzaki would be, Ms. Park has an equal chance of being there.›
“Thanks for your lack of actual help.”
The first thing I needed to do was restock my weapons supply back in my room. That way if Lillian was keeping an eye on me remotely, it’d at least initially look like I was following her command. It was highly unlikely she’d be able to keep a permanent eye on me with everything that was going on.
I made it to my room without further incident. I quickly showered though I wanted to take a longer one, changed clothes, donned my vault, restocked my weapons.
I opened the door to leave, to go find Sam for some answers, and found Quentin coming down the hallway towards me.
23: Lightning Strikes
“Ze’ev, I was just looking for you,” Quentin said.
“I think you know by now that isn’t my real name.”
He shrugged. “I know, but I like it. I think it suits you.”
“How can I help you, Quentin?”
“I’m actually here to help you,” he said with a wide beaming smile. “By the way, I heard what happened to the robots. On behalf of the entire staff, thank you. I hope the news I bring is in some way compensation for the blessing you’ve bestowed upon us. I’ve made arrangements for you to meet with the owner of the painting you wanted to purchase.”
I’d completely forgotten all about the painting. It made me feel guilty, as if I were dishonoring my mother by how quickly I’d forgotten about something that meant so much to my memory of her.
“When?” I asked.
“Right now, if it’s convenient.”
Well, it’s not exactly like I was in a rush to face Sam.
“Now will be just fine. Lead the way.”
I followed Quentin to the first floor to a private dining room within the Wild Hare Bar & Grill.
He opened the door and I stepped in. I found Sam sitting at a table sipping what appeared to be either tea or whiskey. Both had an equal chance.
She wasn’t all dolled up like she had been at the banquet. Now she was in her everyday garb. A short, black and white, floral print skirt, with a simple, yet elegant, white blouse over a black form fitting body suit. She didn’t look like she was any sort of a threat, but she was.
I stepped back out into the hallway. Quentin was halfway down it already. I looked back at Sam, who was just sitting there, staring at me with a slight smile as she continued to sip her drink.
“I was expecting someone for a business matter,” I told her, stepping fully into the small but cozy private room.
“So am I,” she said, and took another sip of her drink.
“Then I think one of us has the wrong room.” I turned to leave.
“You’re in the right place, Enki. I’m the owner of Lightning Strikes.”
I closed my eyes. I should have expected that curveball.
“I don’t go by that name,” I said, slowly turning back to face her. “And I’d prefer to never hear it again.”
“You’ll always be Enki to me,” she said, obstinately.
Enki was my first middle name. My full name being Travis Enki Ryker Yan. I’d never really cared for either of my middle names, and generally kept them secret.
When Sam and I began dating, in what felt like eons ago, she’d discovered my name at that first Thanksgiving we spent at my dad’s. She had playfully insisted on calling me Enki after that night. It had initially infuriated me to the point that I went so far as to end the relationship.
Years went by until fate saw fit for us to meet again at a party. By that time I’d matured enough and didn’t mind so much anymore. One thing led to another and we rekindled our relationship. She of course continued to call me as such, though she was the only one I ever allowed to do so, other than my dad.
The last time anyone had used that name had been my father, the day before he died. Sam’s use of it then brought back memories of that time and a feeling of loss. The fact that she was the owner of the painting only heightened the feelings stirring within me. It reminded me of all the family I’d lost over the years. Her included.
My vision went cloudy.
“Are you all right?” she asked with what sounded like genuine concern. She even got to her feet and came towards me.
I threw up my hands, as if that would stop her. Surprisingly it did.
This wasn’t how I’d wanted my reunion with Sam to be.
A tidal wave of emotions threatened to wash away all my composure. I shook my head trying to toss my memories away. It didn’t work. So instead I motioned for Sam to sit back down, hoping I still had that ability to control her movement. That didn’t work either.
“I suffered a concussion a little while ago,” I said with as much manliness as I could muster, which didn’t seem like a whole lot.
“I know,” she said solemnly. “I saw what Lil did to you.”
“In hindsight I guess I got what I deserved.”
“Were you actually going to?”
“Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t?”
“I might.”
I nodded. “I won’t lie to you. Not anymore. I can’t say the thought hasn’t ever crossed my mind, but it didn’t today.”
She nodded.
“So there’s the matter of your roundabout request to purchase a certain piece of artwork.”
I steeled myself. “How much?”
“It’s yours, all you have to do is ask.”
“And I’m asking. How much?” I said obstinately.
“I bought it for you a few years ago. It’s always been my intention to give it to you. I just didn’t know how or when to do it.”
Something tugged at my heartstrings. My jaw clenched in response, which still hurt. The pain helped me redirect what I was feeling.
“Thank you,” I managed to say, but with a shaky overtone. It made me want to keep my mouth shut and leave.
“Please sit,” she said, almost begging.
A knock sounded on the door and Quentin stepped in carrying a tray with two glasses of water and another drink for Sam. He even had some menus underarm.
I tugged at the vault, attempting to straighten it. I pulled out the seat opposite Sam, we both sat.
Quentin handed us each a menu and then excused himself, saying he’d give us some time to look them over.
“I see you’re still wearing the jacket I made you,” she said with a smile that felt both warm and welcoming, while also feeling like it was a slap in the face.
“It was custom made for me, and it’s the finest jacket I possess,” I said with a little more pride and attachment than I’d wanted to convey. I kept my eyes focused on the menu trying to avoid looking at her. Damn she was beautiful.
Sam had designed the vault and given it to me as an anniversary present two years before we separated. The fact tha
t I still wore it almost constantly, spoke volumes psychologically, if only I’d read one of the books.
“You should order the Guinness marinated bison steak sandwich, it’s really good,” she offered.
I wasn’t really hungry, but I had just been looking at that very thing. Her suggestion of it made me want to dismiss it altogether.
“You eat here often?” I asked, not knowing what else to say that wouldn’t cause things to take a nosedive into the past.
“When I’m staying at the resort. They really do have the best food.”
She took a sip, which made me wish I had a whole bottle of 18-year-old Yamazaki whiskey in front of me.
“How often are you here?” I asked, and took a sip of water.
“Not often. I’d say on average three weeks out of the year. It feels like such a waste having my residence empty for the majority of the time.”
“So why don’t you rent it out when you aren’t here?”
“I thought of that initially, but I like having a place that I know is solely mine, and that no matter how long I’ve been away, when I return, it will be exactly the same as how I left it.”
I thought of the condo I owned, which I hadn’t been to in over a year, but which I still kept for that very same reason. To me it was the equivalent of the house I grew up in. Made me think of when I went off to college and how sometimes when things got crazy, going home always made things better. The home I’d grown up in no longer existed. Even if it had, it wouldn’t have been the same, with all my family now dead.
“I completely understand,” I said, and took a sip.
Quentin knocked on the door and entered.
“Have you decided what you’ll be having?” he asked.
Even though I’d wanted to order something else on principle, I hadn’t really focused on the menu in the last few minutes, so I ended up ordering the bison sandwich, telling myself that it had nothing to do with Sam’s recommendation.
