by Cara Bristol
Despite my best intentions, mostly I stared out the window and wiped at tears. I was considering packing it in and going home, when Megan buzzed me.
“Phillip Markham is here to see you. Are you available? He says it’s about the Richter case.”
Oh crap. Why today?
This was the big case I’d hoped to settle. It would better serve my client to avoid a trial, so I couldn’t refuse to see Phillip. “Give me a minute,” I said.
In my private restroom, I checked my appearance. My nose and eyes were red, the latter swollen to squinty slits, and blotches covered my ravaged skin. I looked like a pink-nosed puffer fish. I splashed water on my face, but all that succeeded in doing was wetting the front of my blouse. I pulled on a jacket, ran a brush through my hair, and said fuck it. With any luck, Phillip might mistake my crying jag for a horrible radiation accident.
Holding my head high, I exited my office.
Phillip stood in a military at-ease position, distinguished and professional in a perfectly tailored Armani suit. In his mid-fifties, he looked at least a decade younger, his face smooth and unlined. Only the graying at his temples and the slight feathering at his eyes hinted at his age.
“Hello, Phillip.”
“Antoinette. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
Anytime I see you is a bad time.
Megan busied herself at her computer, appearing deep in concentration. She’d been my assistant when I worked at Phillip’s law firm; she’d never liked him.
“Not at all,” I lied. “Would you like to meet in my office?”
“Not necessary. I won’t be staying long.”
I tilted my head. “Aren’t you here to discuss the Richter case? To negotiate a settlement?”
His lips curled. “Oh no. We’re going to trial.”
“Then why are you here?” I glanced at Megan.
“He said this was related to the Richter case,” she muttered and glowered at him.
“I came to deliver…my condolences.”
“Condolences?”
“Your illegal extraterrestrial lover was deported this morning, wasn’t he?”
The incomprehensible became as clear as crystal.
Immigration hadn’t found out about Aton through anything the IDA had done—Phillip had initiated it. He had the power and the contacts. Obviously, he’d investigated Aton’s background and discovered he lacked the necessary documentation. “You did this!”
“Me?” He arched a groomed eyebrow and tugged at a cuff of his pristine white shirt. When he looked up, it was with a hard glint in his eyes.
“You hate me that much?” I asked.
“You ask me that?”
“The way I handled our breakup was wrong, but we weren’t suited for each other. Getting married would have been disastrous for both of us. Surely you realize that.”
“You made me a laughingstock in front of my colleagues, friends, and family.”
“Not a laughingstock. They all had sympathy for you.” Not the people who knew him well, but others did.
“You think I desire pity?” His voice shook with such anger, I realized he’d been suppressing his rage for months—and was about to snap. “I’m the founding partner of the most prestigious law firm on the West Coast, and you’re nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears skinny bitch who has ridden on her family name and has achieved nothing on her own.” He clenched his fists. “The Gates’ connection was your only useful asset, and you screwed it up so you could fuck an alien like your stupid sister.”
And…snap!
I was too shocked to form words. Megan, however, was on the phone. “Code fourteen,” she whispered. “Hurry.”
Veins bulged in his red face. He’d gone from zero to postal in ten seconds, and I realized the potential for this kind of behavior is what my subconscious had picked up and caused me to tiptoe on eggshells around him.
“Calm down, Phillip.” My low, steady tone contrasted with the frantic thump of my heart. “Let’s talk about this.” I tried to placate him until security could get here.
“Tell me, Antoinette”—he stalked toward me, and I called upon every ounce of bravado to stand my ground and not show my fear—“how does it feel to have everything you desire ripped from your grasp when you had it in the bag?”
I’d believed we’d at least shared respect and friendship, but I’d been wrong. “If all you desired was the Gates’ name, why didn’t you pursue my mother?”
“I might have, but she was already married to your father.” He sneered.
My own anger flared, and I wanted to spit in his face, hurt him the way he’d hurt me—and Aton. The love of my life was on his way to a detention facility, to prison, probably believing I’d abandoned him. “I’m glad I jilted your sorry ass. And I hope everyone is laughing at you!”
“You bitch!” He grabbed my arm and wrenched me around. He’d gotten revenge by deporting Aton; he should have been satisfied. But, his anger had continued to build. This was how people went berserk. I was watching it before my very eyes.
“You let her go!” Megan shouted.
Security officers burst in.
“Sir—release her! And, come with us,” one of them ordered.
“Fuck you. I’m not done here,” Phillip snapped, but let go of my arm.
Megan pulled me behind her desk.
“I’m going to ask you one more time…” the security guard said.
“Go to hell.”
“Taser! Taser! Taser!”
Both darts pierced Phillip’s clothing, one lodging in his left shoulder, the other in his right arm. Click. Click. Click. Click… He fell to the floor, his face contorted in agony. He couldn’t move or speak, but drool dribbled out his mouth, and he wet himself, ruining a five-thousand-dollar suit.
If I had been the one holding the weapon, I probably would have continued to zap him while I ate a salad and one of my sister’s cupcakes for lunch, but security had procedures and protocols to follow, so they stopped Tasering after about thirty seconds.
“Are you ready to come with us now?” the officer asked, his finger poised on the trigger, as Phillip staggered to his feet. The whole front of his pants was wet. Lesson learned: if you might be Tasered, stop at the restroom first.
If looks could shoot electrified darts, I’d be paralyzed on the floor, but Phillip didn’t resist as the officers cuffed him. “This isn’t over,” he said, as they escorted him from my office.
I shouldn’t have goaded him, but anger and anguish had made me reckless, and although I’d subconsciously feared it, I’d never witnessed him losing control like that. My knees shook, and I sagged against Megan’s desk. If my assistant hadn’t called for help so quickly, who knew what would have happened?
I rubbed my sore arm. I’d have a bruise tomorrow. “That could have gotten really ugly. Thank you.”
“No problem. Having him Tasered was the least I could do.”
* * * *
I was reading through some briefs, trying, but failing, to concentrate, when Megan poked her head into my office. “I’m leaving soon for my dentist appointment. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”
“No. Go get your root canal!”
“I’ll come back right after.”
Megan was mother henning again. “To do what? Answer the phone with your face numb and your mouth full of gauze? Take the afternoon off! You don’t need to worry about me.” I couldn’t say I’d be fine, but I’d be the same whether she was here or not.
“Security released Phillip. What if he comes back…”
“He won’t.” I didn’t doubt my ex would seek revenge for the humiliation he’d suffered, but he’d bide his time for the most opportune moment to strike. Despite the morning’s events, getting physical wasn’t his usual MO. Using the system to screw someone over—like alerting immigration and having Aton deported—that was his modus operandi.
“Well, I’ve asked securi
ty to keep an eye out, and I told the temp to call them right away if anything unusual happens. She’s here, by the way.” Megan pushed the door open, stepped aside, and motioned.
A wide-eyed blonde with her purple-streaked hair piled into a messy bun wiggled her fingers at me. I guessed we were about the same age, only I’d never been as young as she.
“Toni, this is Candi Evans,” Megan said. “Candi, this is Ms. Sutterman.”
“Nice to meet you, Candi.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Sutterman. I’m sorry you’re having a bad day.”
“Uh…thank you?” What had Megan told her?
“I explained to Candi you received some bad news, and she’s supposed to keep interruptions to a minimum.”
“I can do that!” Candi blew a huge bubble from a wad of gum. It popped over her nose. She peeled it off and shoved it back in her mouth.
Megan looked horrified. The temp agency would be hearing from my assistant.
“Go to your appointment,” I said. “I can survive one afternoon. Promise.”
Megan whipped out a tissue and shoved it into Candi’s hand. “Spit out the gum.” She glanced at me.
“Go!”
“Okay. I’ll review with Candi how the phone system works one more time before I leave. See you in the morning.”
“See you tomorrow. Good luck.”
“You’re the one that’s going to need the luck,” I heard her mutter before my office door closed.
Chapter Fourteen
Aton
A sour-faced guard deactivated the force field. “You might have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you’d just told us who you were.”
Confused, I asked, “Who am I?”
“That’s the kind of shit I’m talking about. Here. Put these on.” He shoved a pile of folded garments into my arms. “Your attorney delivered a change of clothes.”
My attorney? I couldn’t imagine who that would be, except for Phillip, who’d left in a huff last week after my refusal to answer his questions. I’d been tempted to confide in him in exchange for my freedom, but my mate’s words of caution had been foremost in my mind, and in the end, I based my decision on trust. I trusted Toni. I did not believe Phillip of the over-white smile and cold eyes had my best interests at heart.
Although I’d been allowed to shower this morning, I still had on the leggings I’d arrived in. And no tunic or boots. So, I accepted the clothes.
“Hurry up. I don’t have all day,” the guard snapped.
I dressed, and he motioned me out of the cell.
Unlike the times when they’d moved me from facility to facility, he didn’t bind my wrists in metal cuffs, but escorted me through the rows of cells, out a barred exit, and into a wide-open room no nicer than the rest of the ward, except people were allowed to mill around without anyone pointing weapons at them. The heavy door slammed shut behind me.
Through two large glass doors, I spied daylight. I hadn’t seen the sun since being taken into custody.
On one side, people entered, passing under an arch to be searched by a guard who ran a wand around their bodies and peered into their bags. Through the other portal, people left the facility. Could I walk out? I glanced around. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to me. Heart hammering, I sidled toward it.
“Con! Con!” a female shouted, but I focused on the exit. Once through the door, I’d run like the wind and make my way to my mate.
“Con, wait!” An unfamiliar female appeared at my side and tugged on my sleeve. She smiled. “Boy, is it a relief to see you! I’ve been waiting since before dawn. They were taking so effing long to process your release orders, I was starting to worry you’d been put on the ship after all.”
Ship? “I’m sorry. You must have me confused with somebody else. I’m A—”
“No, no, no!” She raised her voice then lowered it to a whisper. “Don’t say anything. I’m here to bring you to Toni.”
“Toni?” Her name caused my heart to thud.
“She’s been going crazy with worry for you. Come on, let’s get you out of here.” She glanced at me sideways. “I’m glad the clothing fit. I had to guess at your size, and the only store open at 3:00 a.m. was Shop-Mart. I’m Maridelle, by the way.”
I’d never met her before, but something about her made me trust her.
She hustled me out the door and to her car. “Let’s get clear of the compound before we have a discussion.” We rolled up to a booth, and an armed guard peered into the vehicle while another circled it and checked the underside. Would they really let me out?
“Identification, please.”
My stomach sank. I didn’t have any ID.
Maridelle produced two cards.
The guard scanned them, peered at his little screen then at us, and handed the cards back. “Open the trunk.”
She pressed a button, a hatch lifted, a guard checked inside, and he slammed it shut.
“You’re good to go.”
A metal gate topped by sharp rolls of wire slid open, and she cruised through. When we cleared the compound, she tossed one of the ID cards in my lap. “This is yours. Guard it with your life.”
My image was on the card. I couldn’t read the Terran writing, but it was also printed in Dakonian.
Name: Con.
Planet of Birth: Dakon
Status: Legal Resident.
“My name isn’t Con.”
“It is now,” she said. “The only way to fix this was to assign you a new identity. According to Extraterrestrial Immigration computer records your name is Con. Your naturalization is pending; I have a friend working on it. As soon as it comes through, you’ll get a new card. This one should keep you out of trouble in the meantime—provided you forget all about Aton.”
“Does Toni know I was freed? About my new identity?”
“Not yet. Frankly, I didn’t think I could pull this off, and I didn’t want to get her hopes up unless it was a done deal. I do need to bring her up to speed, but I’ll let you two have your reunion first.”
“Other people who’ve met me will remember my old name.”
“Like who?”
“My friend Rojak and his mate, Toni’s assistant Megan. Jessie with the Intergalactic Dating Agency.”
“Jessie has been working with me to change the records in the agency’s system. Megan handles confidential matters all the time and will support Toni. Tell your friend that in applying for citizenship, you chose to change your name to one more Terranized, and ask him to please call you that.”
She pulled up to the curb outside Toni’s office building. I had the car door open before the vehicle stopped rolling. It had been a week since I’d seen Toni, held her, kissed her. I couldn’t wait anymore. I stuck a leg out, preparing to leap to the sidewalk, but Maridelle touched my arm.
“They were going to send you to a detention facility on a satellite in orbit around Earth’s moon. You weren’t going to see Earth or Dakon ever again. It’s vital to protect your identity. This isn’t just a new name, it’s a new life. Aton is gone. You’re Con. You never know who might overhear a conversation. Even though you have documentation to prove your identity and residency, you need to avoid calling it into question.”
“I understand,” I said.
“One more thing—”
I couldn’t take anymore! I was so close to being reunited, I couldn’t stand it. But this female had helped me, so I forced myself to listen. If not for her, I’d be on a ship headed for a detention facility.
“Don’t try to use Aton’s currency card. It’s been deactivated, the funds transferred to Con’s, but if the system picks up that the card was used, it will trigger an audit.”
“I understand.” I patted my shirt pocket.
She nudged my arm. “Okay. Go see Toni—”
I jumped out.
“I’ll park the car and be up in a little while,” she yelled, but I’d sprinted for the buildi
ng.
I didn’t wait for the moving metal box. Stopping at every floor would take too long, so I took the stairs two at a time. Panting, I emerged onto the eighth floor and ran down the corridor.
An unfamiliar female with a yellow-and-purple nest on her head blinked in surprise as I burst into the office. “Can I help you?”
“Toni—Toni Sutterman—is she here?” My chest heaved.
“This is her office. Would you like to schedule an appointment? What’s your name?”
“At—” I caught myself before I slipped. Unfortunately, Toni wouldn’t recognize my new name because Maridelle hadn’t talked to her yet. “Tell Toni, Con, her mate from the Intergalactic Dating Agency is here.” That ought to let Toni know who I was. I wished her regular assistant was here. “Who are you? Where’s Megan?” I asked.
“I’m Candi. Megan had a dentist appointment.”
“I need to see Toni now.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Ms. Sutterman is not seeing anybody today.” Her voice dropped. “I think maybe somebody died.”
A loved one had died? Who? Her mother? Father? Sister? She would be very distraught. I hadn’t been here to comfort her.
A strand of purple hair dangled from the nest on Candi’s head. She twirled it around her finger and then stopped. “What did you mean you’re her mate?”
I bit back a growl of frustration. I didn’t have the patience to deal with this female. Toni was just steps away. “I’m going to see her.” I started to skirt the desk.
“Ms. Sutterman’s not here.” A pink bubble inflated out of Candi’s mouth. She popped it and sucked the deflated balloon back in.
“Is she in court?”
Candi pursed her lips. “Yeah, that’s where she is.”
My spirits sank. I could go to court, but I doubted I’d be able to control myself from rushing over and hugging her. If I interrupted her, it might anger the tribe chief. “I’ll wait until she returns.”
“You need to make an appointment or leave.”
I folded my arms.
“Fine. Have it your way.” Candy lifted the handset on the phone, squinted at the buttons, and jabbed one. “Security? We have a code fourteen in Ms. Sutterman’s office.”
