by Pearl Foxx
“Oh, I forgot about that. How much do I owe you for the groceries?” Verity reached back into her bag.
The old man shook his head. “No, no, honey, that girl clearly needed a decent meal, and you've been working so hard. It was my pleasure.”
Tears filled Verity’s eyes. She knew how lucky she was to have found a home with a man like Wicksham. She threw her arms around his neck, and he stumbled back a bit. After taking a shaky breath, he wrapped his arms around her and patted her on the back.
“Thank you, thank you so much. For everything.”
“Like I said, my pleasure.” He disentangled himself from her embrace and nodded quickly to Chance. “Well now, be careful with your new friend. And enjoy the rest of your day.”
With that, he disappeared back into the smoky air of his apartment.
When she faced Chance, his mouth was open and his eyes wide. “I told you he’s nice.”
“I don't know if you have this entire city under a spell or something, but people just don't act like that around here.”
“Maybe they just don't act that way around you. Did you ever think about the fact that you can’t have a conversation without growling at people? That might have something to do with it.”
Chance chuckled and shook his head. “Believe it or not, I wasn't always this way. But Cyn City changes you. The slums have a way of chewing people up and shitting them back out.”
“Unfortunately, I'm not on the menu.”
“You're on mine,” he said before reaching out to grab her ribs with his fingers and chase her up the stairs. She rounded the corner with a squeal and came to her door.
“Now, you behave. Imogen is not used to men like you.”
Chance raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, you know what I mean. Just behave.” Her mock frustration had him chuckling again. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, as she unlocked the four deadbolts separating her from her apartment. When she opened the door, the chains were attached. Good, Imogen had been listening.
“Imogen, it's me, Verity. And I brought my friend Chance. Can you come under the chains?”
“Friend again, huh?” Chance muttered.
A small voice came from behind the door. "What's the password?"
“She set up a password?” Chance asked indignantly.
“No idiot, she’s joking.”
Imogen giggled from the other side of the door and closed it. Verity could hear as she unchained the two security locks from inside and swung the door open.
Verity swept into the room and wrapped her friend up in a hug. Every time she saw her again, she was filled with unrestrained joy. She couldn't believe Imogen had finally come to the city. Behind them, Chance locked and latched the door.
“What smells so good?” he asked wandering further into the apartment toward the kitchenette.
Imogen kept her head down, not meeting his eyes, as she answered. “Nothing elaborate. Just soy proteins, some vegetables, and spices I was able to find in Verity’s cabinets.” She looked over at her friend nervously. “You don't mind that I went through your kitchen, do you?”
Verity's heart swelled at the nervousness in Imogen’s voice. How could she possibly think Verity would care about something as trivial as that. “Of course not, what’s mine is yours. You know that.”
Chances found himself a fork and took an enormous bite straight out of a casserole dish Imogen had used for baking. “Delicious,” he said, around the food in his mouth.
“Do all cyborgs have terrible manners, or is that just you?”
Chance shrugged and took another bite.
Imogen’s eyes dashed back and forth between the two of them.
“Who is that?”
“You don't remember, but when you first got here, Chance is the friend who helped me carry you up the stairs and take care of you.” Imogen swept a hand over the side of her head that had been shaved.
“I remember.”
Imogen looked in his direction and met his eyes for the first time. Chance smiled neutrally, an uncommon reaction to Imogen’s beauty. Her blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes usually had men falling over themselves to compliment her. Chance just said hello and picked the fork back up.
“Is it okay if I eat now? I worked up a bit of an appetite earlier.” He winked at Verity, inspiring a painful blush.
Imogen glanced over at her with eyes wide. “"You didn't.” She whispered.
Verity shrugged. “If I'm gonna break some of the rules, I might as a well break them all.”
Imogen gave her a look that told her she expected to hear every single detail as soon as physically possible.
Verity just smiled.
“So, I've been thinking, this apartment–You’ve done great getting it, setting up a home for yourself, and it's really impressive that you are able to do that coming to the city on your own.”
"But?" Verity asked.
“Okay, but I think should you should both come stay with me for a while.”
Before he'd even gotten all the words out, both Verity and Imogen were taking a step back and shaking their heads no. Verity finally spoke up. “We cannot possibly come stay with you. Where would everyone sleep? It wouldn’t be appropriate for two girls to be in your apartment.”
“What happened to not giving a shit about what was appropriate anymore?” Chance asked, stuffing more casserole into his mouth. After he chewed, he continued. "Listen, it would just be temporary. Until we figure out this thing with Garvan. I don't like the idea of him knowing where you live or getting his hands on Imogen when you aren’t here. Plus, what if your people decide to come after her and drag her back to the compound? Wicksham is nice, surprisingly, but old. If it came down to it, who would protect her.?"
“She can protect herself.” Verity insisted, but Imogen’s shoulders slumped.
“With pressure points?” Chance asked. “Sure, that was totally badass. But look at her. She’s scared. She's not ready to fight. She didn't come here geared up to take on the world the way you did. She came here because she had no other choice. And the guy you took down was drunk. What if someone like one of Garvan’s men came here. Someone like me?"
Chance’s eyes were soft, and she knew that despite his bluntness, his intention was kind. She looked at her friend who had her head so low her hair hung over her eyes.
"Imogen?" Verity stepped forward and placed a hand on her friend's arm. The girl flinched and took a deep breath. "Would you feel safer at Chance’s apartment? There’s an elevator, and he lives high off the ground. His doors are much more secure than this one. He even has a separate bedroom, so you could have some privacy. But it's up to you. We make our own choices now."
Imogen nodded with a small smile. "Anything that might make it harder for them to find me would probably be good."
Chapter 14
Verity
Entering Chance's apartment for the second time that day was surreal. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago Verity had been lying beneath him, wrapped up in his embrace, experiencing the most intense pleasure she'd ever imagined.
The memory brought a flush to her cheeks, as he unlocked the doors and let them inside.
"Safe as houses," he said, as he closed the door and locked the multiple bolts and chains. "Honestly, other than Verity’s impromptu visit here this morning, I don't think anyone knows where I live. How did you find my address?"
Verity blushed again, and Imogen smirked.
"Paperwork from the Ball & Joint. Garvan knows where you live."
Chance frowned. "Yeah well, that's to be expected, I guess." Imogen floated into the apartment as if in a dream. The huge windows on the far side of the main room called to her like a siren song. She bypassed the efficient but elegant kitchen, the warm and comfortable sitting area, and pressed her hands against the windows looking out at the city. "You can see everything from here."
She turned back and blinked her eyes at Chance. "I didn't know there was so much
—world." Imogen breathed in deeply, and Verity joined her friend with an arm around her waist.
"You're safe here. I promise."
"No place is safe. Not ever."
Verity squeezed her tighter and leaned her head against Imogen's shoulder.
"You can see the skylanes from here. The blue lights of the hovercars shine even in the daylight." Imogen breathed.
Verity followed her eyes upward and looked at the silver and glass structures that seemed to float in the air above them. "Earlier, you could even feel the sun pouring through the glass. It was almost like being out in the fields, the sun kissing your face hello."
Imogen shivered, and she looked away from the window. "I don't want to think about that place, and I don't want to go back." She looked at Verity. "Please?”
“You won't ever have to go back." Verity wrapped both arms around her friend. "I promise. They will have to drag me kicking and screaming. They will have to kill me before they take you back."
Imogen nodded. "I should have come with you before—" Tears streamed down Imogen’s face, as she shook her head as if trying to dispel the memory from her thoughts.
Verity took her hand and led her back to one of the oversized couches in Chance's sitting area. It was dark chocolate, almost reddish-brown, and felt warm when they sank into the pillows. Chance appeared before them, two mugs in his hand. “I don't know if you drink coffee. I made some. I don't have any tea or fancy herbs like Verity does, but I can run out and get something if you want.
Verity looked up at him with a simple smile and the warmth of her heart. He was too good. There was no way this was the same man she'd been warned time and time again to stay away from. The man who had been so gentle and considerate with her virginity, the man who walked her home just to make sure she was safe, the man who spent his credits to get Imogen medicine, and made coffee as if they were in some old-fashioned sitting room. She wanted to know all his secrets, all the things she knew he kept from her, thinking he was protecting her when really, he just confused her more.
But today wasn't that day.
She and Imogen both reached for the coffee and inhaled it with a sigh.
Chance sat in the wingback chair next to the couch and crossed his ankle over his thigh. His broad shoulders filled the space comfortably, reminding her just how big he was. Had she sat there it would be like a child playing in her parents’ clothes. But for Chance, his massive size and charismatic presence filled the space just fine.
"So, you don't owe me any explanations. You’re welcome here no matter what. And you don't owe me your life story, but the more I know the better I can help keep you safe."
Verity nodded and took Imogen’s hand in her own.
Chance kept going though, no time to take a pause for Imogen’s nerves. "Verity told me a few things this morning, so I'm guessing the rumors we hear in the city about what goes on the compound aren’t completely true."
Imogen gasped and looked at Verity. “What did you tell him?"
"What does it matter, Imogen? Why should we keep their secrets anymore?"
The blond girl bowed her head. "I guess you're right.”
Imogen leaned into Verity and whispered tightly in her ear. "Are you sure we can trust him? I mean I know you— And he certainly looks— But can we trust him?" She shot a glance at Chance who just raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. I really think we can."
Chance gave her a soft smile and nodded once. "So, you ran away."
Imogen shivered and nodded her head.
"I take it they weren't too keen on that."
She shook her head again and looked at Verity.
"He's right, you know? The more you tell us the better we can help. When I left, you were dead set against coming with me. You said everything you wanted was there, but you never told me what you meant by that. You are almost of age to be married but hadn't been matched yet. Did you find out who it was going to be? Was it someone awful?”
Imogen shook her head. "Nothing like that." She pulled her knees up under her long skirt and wrapped her arms around them. "I started seeing someone even though it’s forbidden, and I knew it couldn't last." She took a deep breath. "Hiram and I were together in secret. It got…." She turned her head and looked meaningfully at Verity.
"Oh. Okay.” She squeezed Imogen’s shoulder. “That's okay."
Imogen’s tears fell faster now. She didn’t look either Verity or Chance in the eyes, instead staring at the blank wall across from her. "It's not okay. Nothing about it was okay. We, we fell in love. I know a lot of the unmarried kids fool around and break the rules, but to actually fall in love, it's forbidden. I was pregnant." Imogen dropped her forehead to her shoulder.
Verity rubbed a hand in between her friend’s shoulder. "Was?"
Imogen let out a shuddering sob and nodded. "They took it. Before it was even old enough to be a baby, the doctors came, and they took it. Then they took Hiram. I couldn't find him no matter where I looked, and no one would tell me what happened. Days went by and every time I went outside, more and more people stared at me. Mother stopped speaking to me, and everyone stopped mentioning the matching ceremony.”
"They aborted your baby?" Chance said, his face hard and frightening. His eyes turned a dark shade of brown, and the lines around his mouth deepened into hard grooves that made him look like the fighter she knew he must be.
"Babies out of wedlock are forbidden," Verity said before glancing up at Chance. “It doesn't happen often, but when it does, they aren’t permitted to be born.
Chance clenched his fists. “That's bullshit. That kind of backward-ass thinking is worse than anything that happens here in the slums. Fuck.” He stood and paced behind the chair
Imogen collapsed against Verity, her tears flowing faster.
"Chance," Verity spoke as if trying to tame a wild animal. "I need you to calm down. You're only making Imogen more frightened."
He shook out his arms and blinked his eyes at her a few times before her words registered. "Shit, of course. I'm sorry Imogen. I'm sorry for everything that happened and for reacting that way. It’s not your fault. It just, it makes me sick that anyone would do that to you. I'm so sorry."
"Did you ever find Hiram?"
Imogen shook her head. "They said he'd been exiled. That I was to marry Elder Grayson. But after my disobedience, he didn't want me anymore. I wasn’t pure. They said no one wanted a woman like me as a wife, but since I proved I was fertile…"
"The breeders? They were going to make you carry some man’s baby and then give it away?”
Imogen looked up and stared Verity in the eye. “To carry on the Elder’s family lines. The doctors were supposed to come, test me for full-term suitability, and then take me with them. When my mother told me, the look of disappointment in her eyes was more than I could bear. I knew she'd never visit me, because she'd never forgive me. I was never going to have a family of my own, and the family that I did have would never claim me once I was gone.
"But you knew I would,” Verity said.
"Oh Verity, I should have come with you when you left. I should've been braver, I should've convinced Hiram we could make a life of our own, but I was too afraid. Some part of me thought Hiram was a good enough man they would forgive us and see that a baby made out of love would prove the surging fertility of the Earth. I believed all the things they taught us, and they proved me wrong."
Verity squeezed her friend harder. "You have nothing to apologize for. You never have to apologize to me for what they made you believe."
"I should've been stronger," Imogen sobbed. "I should have come with you when I had a chance, before…” The two girls sat in each other's arms crying over the child who would never be until Imogen’s breath evened out and her eyes drifted closed.
Verity disentangled herself from her friend and laid her on the couch while Chance retrieved a synthwool blanket and laid it over her. For a moment, the couple just stood and stared at the poor broken gir
l. Eventually, Chance took Verity’s hand and nodded toward the back.
Once he closed the door behind them, the rage seemed to overtake his face again morphing him into someone almost unrecognizable. “Who the fuck are these people, Verity?"
Verity sat on the edge of his bed and took a deep breath. "Bad people. Bad people from a bad place. I think it all started out with good intentions. With a hope to make the world better. But they've been separated from everyone for so long I don't think they can even see the damage they’re doing."
"Do you think they will come after her?" Chance kneeled on the floor in front of her and took both her hands in his. They were so large they swallowed hers up, making her feel safe. The calluses and scars that ran along his knuckles spoke of a life hard lived, but somehow it made her feel safer. "Do you think they will come after you?"
"If anything, they were probably glad I left. I was always told I was more trouble than I was worth. Too opinionated, too defiant, too difficult to be a good wife."
Chance chuckled and squeezed her hands. "Well, that describes all the things I like about you."
Verity looked up at him and gave a weak smile. Why was he being so complementary? So kind. "I'm not used to people liking me. No one other than Imogen ever did. Even my parents. You liking me is probably the strangest thing out of this whole situation. Boys said I was too difficult to bother with, and my mother always said I was too strong headed to marry. Imogen had a chance. She was pretty much set to marry one of the elders, which is kind of gross since Elder Grayson is in his 50s, but I was just about guaranteed to be a breeder. Others go without complaint and are rarely heard from again, except for the babies given away to women deemed to be more suitable mothers.”
Chance took another deep breath and shook his head.
"Exactly. No way was that happening to me. That's why I ran. I doubt they’ll come after me. But Imogen was always the most beautiful, the most skilled, the most loved. If she can’t be a wife and mother of her own, they’re definitely going to want her back for everything else she can contribute to the compound."
