by Nora Flite
Slippery heat embraced my painfully erect cock. Alexis moaned, turning her face away from me. I could feel the electric current in her pussy, it traveled through and into my flexing shaft. She was right on the edge, so close to coming.
Burying my finger deep in her ass, I bent my spine into a perfect C and sat up. Her pussy milked me, her asshole thrumming on my knuckle. Together we came, our cells waking with the hyper-awareness of orgasm.
Even when I was done filling her with my seed, she still writhed. And I still shivered with the pressure of release. I'd never felt anything so good, the pleasure rolling on to my toes and beyond.
Pulling my hand from her, I breathed out sharply. “What the hell was that?” I asked out loud.
There were stars in her eyes, the pink of roses on her lips. If you could bottle contentment and joy, drink it till you drowned, you still wouldn't have matched the emotion on her face.
Alexis was in love.
This was love.
I'd known it—or I'd thought I had. Until just then, I'd never actually experienced the extent of our compassion. This desire for each other, it might just kill us. And would that even be a tragedy?
She pulled me to her, kissing me gently. “I love you, do you know that?”
I smiled around her lips. “You've said it before.”
“But do you know.”
I almost said, “Yes.” Then I stopped, weighing my words. “You really mean it. Even after what I've done to you, you're able to love me?”
Her hand trailed down the back of my neck. “I didn't realize I was living a half-life until you showed up. I don't know anyone I could ever love except for you.”
The support of our bodies paled next to what our souls could offer. We stayed like that on my couch, long after the party had ended... but I wanted forever.
Alexis broke the silence; I'd thought she'd fallen asleep. “I want to ask you something, and you have to answer it.”
“I can't hear the question first?” She looked me in the eye, pure seriousness. “Alright. Ask me.”
Trailing her palm down my chest, she lowered her voice. “Why did you rob Old Stone bank? You mentioned... revenge.”
She was lying on top of my heart, she could feel it drumming. “It's not something you want to hear.”
“Of course I do. Anything that let's me understand you better is worth knowing.”
Tracing the line of her cheek, I hesitated. “It's a sad story, and I'm terrified of making you sad ever again.”
Light entered her eyes, turning the green color into a summer pond. I could see to the bottom, her emotions swimming like fish. Leaning up, she met my lips with a tender kiss. “If I cry, you'll just have to hold me. Is that so bad?”
Cradling her against me, I luxuriated in her skin on mine. “No. Not at all.”
It was a story I'd never told another soul.
I had never planned to.
Lying there under the weight of the most perfect woman in the world, I tore back the layers of my past.
And I told her everything.
“How long does he have to live?”
I asked the question, but the answer couldn't get through the cotton in my brain. Cancer. How could my younger brother have cancer? He was too young, too healthy, too...
Too innocent.
“Mr. Silverwell? Mr. Silverwell.” I was only nineteen, I wasn't used to being called a Mr. Anything. “Keswick.” The doctor said my name sharply, pulling me from my funk. When he saw I was listening, he sighed. “I know this is hard. But, if he does the treatment exactly as planned, he might live longer than anyone could hope for.”
He was wrong, of course.
I was already hoping for eternity.
“As his guardian,” he said, flipping through his paperwork, “You'll get to make the call. But you should really talk to him first.”
Of course I would talk to him. I'd also do my fucking best to convince him that he had to do this. He was fifteen, how could he NOT fight? I was practicing every argument I could think of when I sat across from Brodie in our apartment.
He beat me to it.
“I want to live,” he said, no hint of fear or wavering. “I'll do whatever I have to. Give me chemo, give me prayer, give me anything.” Looking me in the eye, he smiled so that his dimples showed. “What's the point of living if you aren't willing to risk everything to keep doing it?”
I'd never hugged him harder than that moment.
We had such belief in our own strength... in the good of the world. How could we possibly lose?
The insurance company told us how.
“It's the policy,” the third man on the phone said to me. “Your parents are the ones that put you on this plan, and you've never changed it. It doesn't pay for the kind of treatment you're seeking. I'm sorry, Mr. Silverwell.”
“This isn't about any fucking policy!” I screamed. “You're talking about someone's life! Doesn't that matter at all!?”
“Sir, if you like, I can put you through to customer service—”
“Fuck your customer service!”
The man on the line went quiet. “...Listen. There's nothing we can do for you.”
“Can, or won't?” I spat.
“Won't,” he admitted, and I sensed bitter humor in his tone. “Good luck, Sir.” He probably hung up, but I couldn't say, because I'd dropped the phone onto the floor and stomped it to pieces.
Nothing about this made sense to me. How could we live in a world where a boy—a BOY—could die because an insurance company decided their 'policy' didn't cover treatment? How was this possible?
Worse, they'd been siphoning money from us the whole time. Each bill claimed different things, saying the basic procedures Brodie was undergoing weren't covered, either.
In a single month, we went from two happy brothers... to two people crushed under massive debt. But screw the money, I wanted my brother to get the treatment he needed. Even if it could only give him a little more time, it would be enough.
Anything would be enough.
I'd been working as a coder at a security software company since before graduating. Even as a tiny child, I'd been fascinated with computers. It came naturally to me. I pushed my company for more hours, for advances in my salary.
It didn't matter. None of it did.
Brodie passed away four months after being diagnosed. And still, the insurance company wasn't done kicking us into the mud. They held his life policy, and they decided that his death was preventable.
Preventable with the treatment they refused to provide.
I was broke. Not just financially... but emotionally. It was a hateful numbness I'd never experienced, or dreamed was possible. How could humans feel like I did? But then, how could they feel so little that they'd let a young boy wither and die?
I didn't want answers.
I wanted to punish them.
It's unsettling how easy it was to find out which bank Crodan Insurance kept their money in. It was even easier to figure out how to crack into Old Stone's system. I'd need to plug the coder-chip into their system on site, but that was fine.
That day, I'd taken out the gun my father had left behind. It was one of the only things my parents had left for us before they'd died. I didn't think about what I was doing, as far as what happened to me. My family was all dead. If I got my revenge, I'd be satisfied.
But when I was prepping to leave... I couldn't bring myself to load the gun.
I couldn't let anyone else get hurt.
An empty gun is still a good threat, though. I just had to keep it secret that it was free of bullets.
Inside the bank, I was cold. Calm. Everyone around me was muted and grey and faceless. Any of them would have worked as a hostage.
Then I saw you.
You were standing there in this flowing dress, the only source of color in the whole room... the whole world. The second you looked into my eyes, I knew I had to act. If I didn't, I'd think about the risk... the danger... and I'd back out.<
br />
So I grabbed you.
And you know the rest.
I paused the story, transfixed by how her wide eyes were glistening. Unshed tears had gathered; I wiped them away before they could wet her cheeks. She bent away, rubbing her eyes vigorously. “I knew you stole from the insurance company. I didn't know...” Trailing off, she covered her mouth.
Hugging her, I set my chin on the top of her head. “Shh, it's alright.”
She sniffled, speaking before I was ready. “How did you get away?”
My lashes brushed my skin, I saw the darkness behind my eyelids. “I pulled off my mask and merged into the panicked crowd I'd created. It wasn't hard to slip away. I told you, I had no intention of staying here once I was done. I planned to leave the city... I did that.”
And then you drew me back.
Florian had been confused by my decision to bring our company here. When I'd met him in San Francisco, he'd been working at a start-up; the one Gerard owned. We'd been the most talented pair there, so we'd hit it off.
Perhaps that was why he'd trusted my decision to quit and begin again.
If I was as smart as him, I had to have a good reason.
He'd never have guessed Alexis was my reason.
- Chapter Twenty-five -
Alexis
Where is it? I wondered, throwing my blanket off of my bed. Other than my wrinkled sheets, nothing stared back at me. Where could I have left it?
Tracing my steps, I worked to remember the last place I'd had my phone.
Last night was the party... and I had it when I... Stopping in my tracks, I slapped my own forehead. “Dammit,” I said out loud. “I left it in his office!” It had fallen from my hands on the couch, but when I'd left, I'd only grabbed my purse.
Groaning, I hurried to get changed. I'll swing by after work. The idea of going the whole day without talking to him was draining my mood. I'd gotten so used to our contact. This distance reminded me of when I'd first cut off his gifts.
Laralie spent most of the day gabbing to me about how much she liked Florian. She said he was a genius, funny, and probably as rich as Keswick.
It was hard not to smile at her enthusiasm. I even had an excuse when she accused me of ignoring her texts. “I lost my phone,” I said, dodging her lightly-tossed paperclips.
“Uh huh. Right.” Flicking another clip, she grinned. “Let's go on a double date, how about it?”
“That would be fun.” Thinking about how Silver might not curb his behavior in public with me, I shifted on my seat. “Let me think it over.” Eyeing the clock, I grabbed my coat and purse. “I've got to go.”
Laralie spun in her chair. “Meeting him, are you?” When I flapped my hands, she just giggled. “Ask him about the date!”
“Of course, right.” Ducking into the elevator, I jogged to where I'd parked my car. It's past five, will he still be there? What if I missed him? I hadn't memorized his phone number, at this rate, I'd have to go straight to his condo and drag him back to his office.
Starting my car, the radio flicked on. It was still on a news station, and they were going on about another bank being robbed. That hacker is still out there. Eyeing the radio, I frowned nervously. I hope they catch him soon. I hadn't heard from Vermont in forever, it had become easy to forget about the robberies at all.
My tires squeaked when I pulled up along the sidewalk outside of Pure Pleasure. Two figures were standing near the entrance, every window glinting like obsidian. Am I too late, did they close up?
Nearly dropping my car keys, I stumbled out the door. One of the men laughed, his sharp cheekbones casting hard shadows on his face. Florian was easy to recognize, but Silver was even easier.
“Hey!” I shouted, waving my arms. I jogged up the steps to meet them.
Silver turned my way, pleasantly surprised by my sudden appearance. “What are you doing here?”
Catching my breath, I pointed at the doors. “Did you lock everything up already?”
He shot a look at the building. “I did.”
“Dammit.” Straightening up, I fixed my wind-tossed hair. “I'm sorry to ask you to do this, but can you let me in? I left my phone in your office last night.”
Florian gave me a meaningful look. “Oho.”
“Don't tease,” I mumbled. “I feel bad enough about it.”
Silver reached for his pocket. “Relax. It's not a problem.” He was halfway to sticking the key in the lock when the sound of tires cut through the air. The white, beaten up Subaru that skid into place behind my car was one I recognized. Even so, I had to look twice to convince myself it was Vermont.
He shut the car door loudly, eyes fixing on me—then Silver. A weight settled in my belly, my muscles going sluggish. “Why is he here?” I asked softly.
Silver flicked his attention to me. The detective's voice drew him back. “Keswick Silverwell?” he asked, one hand under his coat.
Lifting his chin, Silver studied the man like he was a piece of rotten food. “Do you need something?”
In one fast motion, Vermont hooked his body against Silver's. I screamed, covering my mouth in surprise. His face was shoved violently against the building. To his credit, Silver didn't even grunt in pain.
“What are you doing?” I shouted, starting to run forward. Sirens and flashing lights descended upon our once quiet corner of the city. Florian threw his head side to side, his skin both yellow and shiny. He was as terrified and confused as I was.
Detective Roose jammed his forearm onto the back of Silver's neck. “You're under arrest for the hackings at Old Stone Bank, Goldman and Wellmont.”
I'd known that this was coming. How could we arrive at anything else? Silver had always been a fugitive.
I was a fool to think our pasts wouldn't matter.
Police officers stormed us, circling to help Vermont handcuff Silver. Florian stumbled out of the way, his hands in front of him like he expected to be arrested, too.
Running on pure instinct, I jumped forward. “What are you doing to him!?”
Amber irises focused on me, Silver's face a torrent of rage and defeat. His pain was my pain; I reached out, but one of the three officers pushed me away. “Stop this, please!” I shouted.
Vermont yanked Silver's arms back, holding them and forcing him down the steps towards his Subaru. He was ignoring me. Me, the girl he'd hoped would be the key to finding the man he was after.
Unwillingly, I'd been exactly that.
Struggling against the cop, I yelled at the back of Vermont's head. “Listen to me, he didn't do it! Listen!” I filled my chest. “Vermont!”
The detective locked up, his shoulders stiffening. Without a hint of gentleness, he pushed Silver into the back of his car. The door slammed, then he swung his stare at me, climbing the steps.
Encouraged by his approach, I said, “He didn't do it! Silver is innocent!”
“Silver?” Vermont asked. His nose wrinkled. “Is that your pet name for him?”
My heart went cold. “Vermont...”
Scowling, he took the pen from behind his ear, twisting it. “That's why you were protecting him, right? How long did you know?”
Wordlessly, I shook my head. No no no. I stopped shoving against the officer, my body going limp. “Vermont, please. He didn't do it.”
“It's Detective Roose.” Spinning, he cut his hand through the air. The cop released me, backing away.
Through the window of the car, I saw Silver watching. The sight of him gave me strength. “He's innocent, you have to believe me!”
“Believe you?” I'd never seen Vermont so furious. “You lied to me over and over, Alexis. In what fucking world would I ever believe you again?”
One by one, the officers climbed into their cars. Roose ripped his driver's side door open. Over the roof, those once-friendly brown eyes locked on me. “I really thought you were on my side.”
Sides? I thought desperately. This isn't about sides! This was about grey areas... about helping the pe
ople you loved!
Shaking himself, Roose ducked into his car. Like a series of missiles the cops and him flew down the road. Silver watched me until he was gone.
This isn't happening. But it was. It fucking was.
Just when I'd gotten my life back, it had all turned to dust in my hands. Clenching my fists, I shivered under the assault of the cool evening air. What do I do now?
Florian was still standing beside me, as shocked by his boss being arrested as me. His face was pale, his eyes far away.
“He didn't do it,” I said softly.
He blinked owlishly at me. “How are you so sure?”
“I just am.”
My sincerity gave him pause. Nodding slightly, he tucked his hands in his pockets. “He's a good guy, but that doesn't matter. The government always has its cocks up our asses, even if we're innocent. If there's any justice, Kes will beat this.”
Something chipped at the back of my memory. “Right,” I said slowly. “He'll beat this.”
Checking his watch, Florian winced. “I should go back in there,” he said, pointing towards Pure Pleasure. “I mean, in case the cops get a warrant and decide to tear apart everything. People could lose their jobs after this. Fuck, I had a shit ton to do before we lost our head-honcho.”
“Wait,” I said. “What should I do?”
“You?” He was already walking backwards. “I don't know. I guess go down to the station, or maybe call up a lawyer for him. That's what I'd want if I was arrested.” He offered a sympathetic smile. “Good luck, and see you around.”
A lawyer, that's smart. “Bye,” I said, not noticing he was too far away to hear me. Silver was going to need someone to defend him. He was innocent—sort of—and a good lawyer could prove that!
Tapping my cheek, I came close to smiling. Yeah, that's it. I just have to... Patting my pockets, then my purse, my heart dropped. My phone! That was why I'd come back here in the first place!
Facing the building, I jumped the steps two at a time. The doors were dark, I'd seen Silver shutting everything down earlier when I'd shown up. I thrilled with relief to find the entrance unlocked from Florian going back in.
The alarm beeped behind me. Motion sensors, right. Silver had shown me how it all worked. Of course, he wouldn't be looking at his phone right now. Or maybe ever again.
