I felt my face flushing. Suddenly I wasn’t in the mood anymore, and I stood there quietly until the elevator dinged.
As we stepped out into the garden lobby of Level D, Patton said, “I don’t mean to spoil the fun. It’s just that there’s something we need to do before our date officially begins.”
“Lead the way, boss.”
He smiled politely and brushed my arm with his fingers. I jerked away, caught somewhere between playful and pissed off, and followed him to the back left corner of the lobby, where a short hallway led to the infirmary and his apartment.
He stopped and inserted his key in the doorknob.
“You ready?”
“For what?”
“A very important conversation.”
I must have looked at him funny because he laughed.
“Is there someone else here?” I asked.
Patton nodded, opened the door, and stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.
This was the first time I’d been in his apartment and two things immediately struck me. One, it was much smaller than the living quarters of Mr. Shriver, Sean, and Brian.
And two, Brian.
Brian was sitting at the fucking table.
“What the hell is he doing here?” I demanded, hugging the duster tightly around my waist
Brian made me more uncomfortable than any of his brothers. Sean had actually been pretty pleasant lately, for reasons I couldn’t comprehend. Mr. Shriver avoided me at all costs, one of the only sources of pleasure I had anymore. And Clifton was Clifton.
But Brian, he was an alien to me now—a probing, inspecting, molesting alien with pale skin, bony fingers, and those glittery, starburst eyes.
He sat with perfect posture in his chair like someone with a corncob up his ass. Nerdy and angry and clammy-handed. I hated him.
Patton put his hands on my sides and spun me around.
“Why the fuck is he here?” I asked, not bothering to whisper. I wanted Brian to know how much I wanted him to leave.
“We’ll get to that in a moment,” Patton said. “Just have a seat. I need to use the restroom.”
“What a coincidence?” I said. “I have to piss, too.”
Brian giggled like a young girl, and I followed Patton to the bathroom, shut the door behind me, and launched into him.
“How the hell do you spring him on me like this? I don’t like being around him and I’m pretty fucking sure I’ve told you that before. What the fuck, Patton? I thought this was supposed to be a date?”
“This won’t take long, and then we’ll have our date,” he said, calm and collected as always.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid you might decline my invitation.”
“You still should have told me. I don’t like him and you know it.”
“You told me, I remember,” he said, “but when I asked why, you wouldn’t say.”
“It’s none of your business, Patton.”
“I agree, but without knowing why you dislike him, I can’t assess to what degree you dislike him. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Melissa. But we have important things to discuss, and Brian needs to be here, no matter how you feel about him.”
“Fine.”
I threw the door open against his whispered protest and slammed it back on him.
To my satisfaction, Brian looked intimidated, no longer amused to be the source of my irritation but actually feeling his position of being unwanted and unwelcome.
Yeah, squirm like you made me do, fucker.
Instead of sitting, I walked around to inspect Patton’s apartment in detail. It consisted of a big open room that served as the kitchen, living room, and dining area all in one, with two doors, one leading to the bathroom and the other to Patton’s bedroom. With the dining table in the center, I was making a circle around Brian, glaring at him when he looked my way, otherwise studying Patton’s humble dwelling.
This certainly wasn’t the luxurious, personally tailored suite I’d imagined. It looked more like a small bachelor pad. A single-bedroom apartment designed for unmarried college graduates just beginning a new career. Clean, neat, well-furnished, but nothing fancy or extravagant.
Pretty impressive for a man who could have anything he wanted.
When I heard the toilet flush, I reluctantly approached the dinner table and sat opposite Brian. It was a long table with ten chairs, but Patton had set us up down on one end together, with him at the head.
“Take your coat off, stay a while,” Brian said as I sat down. Then, before my butt hit the chair, “Hey, is that my duster?”
“It was in Kate’s closet.”
“That’s mine. I loaned it to her a few months ago. I’ll be needing that back.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
He drew back, stunned.
“Excuse me?”
I smiled at him.
“Go. Fuck. Your. Self.”
The bathroom door opened.
“You think you can talk to me that way?” Brian shouted.
“After what you did to me?” I returned, even louder.
“Guys, calm down,” Patton said, taking a seat between us.
“I’m about to leave,” I said.
Brian slapped both hands on the table. “You see what I’m talking about? She’s a wild card, Patton. Why the hell do you want to involve her?”
I looked him right in the eyes. “Fuck you.”
“Okay, enough.” Patton’s voice had the force of thunder, intimidating enough to shut us both up. “If you two can’t find a way to work together we’re all screwed. Brian, whatever you did to her, you need to apologize.”
I laughed. “Apologize? For what he did?”
“What did he do?”
I shook my head and sat back in my chair, crossing my arms and biting my lower lip. Tears were welling up in my eyes. I tried to concentrate on not crying. I didn’t want him to think he’d gotten to me.
Patton could see right through me.
He turned to Brian and spoke with newfound suspicion. What did you do to her?”
Brian sighed. When he spoke, he looked at me. “Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot when Sean first brought you in, but you have to understand …”
He trailed off. I was staring him down, waiting patiently to attack.
“When Kate came to us saying a woman had called to make an appointment, we were a little surprised to say the least. We only obtain clients by invitation, and we’d never invited a woman. So we had Bob run all the standard background checks, credit reports, etcetera, and as it turns out this chick is the wife of someone we did invite. So Patton, Mr. Shriver, Sean, and I had a meeting to discuss what to do with you. We had your photos laid out on the table, all your information. We even had your senior portfolio from high school.” He paused, glanced at Patton, then continued, “As far as I was concerned, you were too big a risk. We have a protocol for an instance such as this. When someone contacts the company who was not invited to do so, Sean’s guards then stage a robbery to confiscate anything that might serve as a link back to the company, including your computer, cell phone, business card—anything and everything. Sean, though, he wanted to go a step further.”
“What? Kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Big shock there,” I said dryly. Patton smirked, and after a silent moment I said, “Is this story going somewhere or what?”
“I wanted nothing to do with you,” Brian said immediately. “Sean wanted to kill you, and Patton … well, Patton was the only one on your side. He’s the one who talked Mr. Shriver into it. So really, you can blame him for the position you’re in.”
“Is that true?” I asked Patton.
He nodded. “Afraid so.”
“Why did you do that?”
“He had a crush on you,” Brian said. “He wasn’t thinking about the company. He just wanted a chance to meet you.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Which is why I did what I did. I came
in and there you were, naked and tied down. I knew it was only a matter of time before he fucked you, so I did him a favor and checked for signs of disease.”
“Jesus, Brian!” Patton said. “No wonder she hates you. Get the fuck out of here.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“But what about the plan?”
“Brian,” Patton said slowly, “if you don’t leave, I’ll remove you.” He turned to me. “I’m sorry, Melissa. I wish you’d told me.”
“It’s okay,” I said.
Brian was standing. “I can’t believe you’re going to throw everything out the window over a fucking—”
“It’s okay,” I repeated, looking at Brian this time. “Sit down. You don’t have to leave.”
Somehow I felt better about the situation. I guess I just wanted Patton to take my side—and having the option to give Brian the boot made it easier to be around him.
Patton, in true male fashion, looked lost, guilty, and confused.
“Are you sure?” he asked softly.
“I’m sure. But let’s get to the point. I came here for a date and I damn well plan to have it.”
Brian sat slowly, and the thought of a corncob up his ass returned to my mind, making me smile.
“I thought we’d all have dinner together while we talk,” Patton said, “but if you prefer we can do this quickly and get him out of here.”
“I’m starving,” Brian said.
“Me too,” I said. “Fuck it. Let’s eat.”
Patton went to the kitchen island and picked up the phone. When someone answered, all he said was, “We’re ready.” Then he hung up and returned to the table.
“Okay, enough with the suspense,” I said. “What’s this big plan? Are we overthrowing the company?”
Brian burst out laughing. After a moment Patton joined in.
I sat perfectly still, impatient but relieved to feel the tension wearing off. This had been a weird, stressful day, starting with the one-legged soldier’s odd behavior, the revelation that he was wearing a wire, finding out someone was abusing Judy, and then leaving Flora alone with Liu and James for what I thought was just going to be a date.
Not the beginnings of a conspiracy.
Patton coughed. “That is—yes, that is the ultimate goal.”
“Not to end the company,” Brian said. “Just to take it over. Change it.”
“Change it how?”
“Let’s just say we have much more to offer than the Libido Drug.”
“You mean the Love Drug.”
“More than that, even.”
“Then what?”
Brian started to speak, but Patton, in his stern voice, said, “Not now.”
“She needs to know,” Brian argued.
“Brian. We talked about this.”
Brian huffed and sighed like a spoiled child and sat there shaking his head.
This was too intriguing.
“If you’re going to tell me, why not do it now?”
His look was warm and sincere. “Later, I promise. Just trust me.”
“Is it another drug?”
There was a knock on the door. Turning, I met eyes with Brian. He was nodding and smiling.
Another drug. Libido, Love, and what?
Patton shouted over the table, “Come in!”
The door opened and a young girl wheeled a food cart into the room. She was wearing a white collar shirt with a black vest and black slacks, which was why she reached the table before I recognized her as the eldest Flora, the next up to graduate.
Patton could see my confusion.
“Part of their education,” he explained. “All teenage girls benefit from entering the workforce.”
“But what’s the fucking point?” I whispered harshly.
Patton sighed and waved his hand as if to say, Wait until she leaves.
“Hi Melissa!”
I turned and found Flora standing right next to me, so I stood and gave her a hug. She looked happy to be here, strangely enough. I had worked most of the way through high school, but the work itself I hated. The job was just an excuse to stay out late, hang out with boys, avoid going home. Parents are much more lenient on a child who has a job.
“How’s Flora?” Flora asked as she set the trays out on the table.
“She’s doing great,” I said. “Just great.”
“Is her husband nice?”
I nodded, feeling the sting of the question and hoping she couldn’t tell I was lying. I knew she wasn’t just thinking of my Flora. She was thinking about her own future husband, a delusion fed to her to help her existence here make sense. It had failed miserably.
All lies fail in the end.
Now she was in love with Patton and no amount of promises could make that go away.
“You look so different in your uniform!” I said, sounding desperately cheerful.
Flora looked down at herself. “I like dresses better, but this is fun. Feels like Halloween.”
“Thank you Flora,” Patton interjected. “You can go back to your room now. If we need anything else I’ll take care of it.”
A wounded expression flashed across her face, but she corrected it quickly, gave everyone a polite wave, and wheeled the cart out of the apartment.
I sat back down.
“You didn’t have to be rude.”
“Thought you were in a hurry,” Brian said dryly.
“You can fuck off,” I told him. I turned to Patton. “You couldn’t let her hang out for a bit?”
“She’s having some problems. It wouldn’t be good for her. And like you said, we need to get down to business.”
I opened my mouth to speak but luckily managed to stop myself. I’d intended to say, Yeah, she’s in love with you. You’re her problem. And you get to see her every day. Instead I said, “She’s got bigger problems than she thinks. How long till she graduates?”
“Two months.”
Patton stood and removed the covers from the serving trays. Grilled salmon and tuna steaks, linguini and alfredo, salad, rolls, and three slices of cheesecake layered with chocolate and caramel.
The sight and smell of the food killed the conversation while we all loaded up our plates.
As we sat eating, Brian suddenly resumed as though we’d never paused.
“She might have bigger problems than you think,” he said.
I looked at him over my glass. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, taking a sip.
“We’ll get to that part,” Patton said. “The first thing you need to know is that Mr. Shriver is leaving tomorrow.”
“He’s going to Russia,” Brian said.
The news came with a sense of enchantment. Mr. Shriver on another continent? Sounded good to me.
“What for?” I asked.
“We have our suspicions.”
“You remember Yakov, the Russian from the party?” Patton said.
“Yeah, he’s dead.”
Brian was nodding and drumming his fingers on the table. “The unfortunate soul who picked Vampire Girl—of all the Favorite Girls strapped down to that bed, the man we needed alive went for Vampire Girl. No fucking luck for any of us.”
“Why did you need Yakov?”
“Mr. Shriver has big ambitions for this company,” Patton explained. “He doesn’t just want to turn a profit. He wants to take over the world.”
“And the first step,” Brian continued, “is striking a deal with a leading weapons manufacturer like Ivan Arms, then landing a contract with … well, whichever government possesses the greatest desire to live.”
“I don’t get it,” I said. “What does Your Favorite Girl have to do with weapons manufacturing?”
Patton glanced at Brian and gestured for him to take over.
“The Libido Drug,” Brian said. “It would be a whole new type of chemical warfare. Imagine it. If you dropped large quantities on armies—on cities—you would instantly incapacitate the entire populatio
n. They would fall to the ground masturbating or fucking each other. No bombing. No loss of resources or infrastructure. If the United States or Russia or China wants to take over the world, they can do so safely, cheaply, and much, much faster than current weapons technology allows. We’ve got what they need.”
Suddenly I felt like I had a bowling ball in my stomach. This was unbelievable, and from the look on his face Brian was reveling in his achievement. He was proud of himself. Did he really want to change the company? Or just change its leadership?
“You okay?” Patton asked.
“Yeah.”
“You look a little pale.”
“This is fucked up.”
“I know.”
“We have to do something.”
“Exactly,” Brian said.
I gave him a stern look. “This is your fault, you know. You’re the one who invented this shit.”
“More like discovered,” he said.
I laughed mockingly. “Oh, so all of a sudden you’re modest.”
He grinned and took a bite of his salmon.
“While Mr. Shriver is gone, he’s leaving Sean in charge,” Patton said. I could tell by the sound of his voice that this disturbed him immensely.
It took a moment for the news to sink in, and as Patton and Brian sat there chewing their food, I realized how much it disturbed me, too.
Sean had been pretty nice to me lately but only because Patton had demanded it. Every time I thought back to the day they brought me here, when Kate had warned me the brothers were killers, it was Sean to whom I mostly attributed this notion—Sean with his deep black eyes and his pale bald head. I found comfort in his good behavior of late, but if Mr. Shriver was leaving, and Sean had to answer to no one, how long would he continue to respect Patton’s wishes?
“Is this going to be a problem?” I asked.
“We don’t know,” said Patton.
“So what do we do?”
“We need to gain access to Level E,” Brian said.
“While Mr. Shriver is gone.”
“Yes.”
“And Sean holds the key?”
“He’ll have a temporary pass code,” Patton said. “We have to get it from him somehow. The problem is we’ll never be able to convince him. Just asking for the code, we’ll be slitting our own throats.”
“Why don’t we just kill him?”
His Favorite Girl Page 4
