7. Chapter Seven
CHAPTER SEVEN
S ebastian
The soft hum of the cafe buzzed around me, filled with the noise of clinking cups, muffled conversations, and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine. He was seated in the farthest corner, shadows from the dim lighting draped over him like a shroud. Samuel Moyer. The air was heavy with the scent of roasted coffee beans, and something sweet, vanilla, maybe, but I barely noticed.
“Hey man, how are you?” I joined Samuel, my hacker, at the table, my whole body relaxing as the cool fabric of the booth met my back. I felt better not having such a vulnerable part of me showing.
“You’re late,” Samuel said, his voice sharper than I think he intended.
I shrugged. “Something important came up.” Whether or not it was a lie, Samuel wouldn’t question me.
We were at a place I owned. We washed our money through this establishment, so Samuel frequented here, and other buildings, to check his technology he put in all my places.
He was one of the best hackers in the world, and my distant cousin by marriage. He wanted closer to the throne, so it made it easier to ask for a favor here or there. Eventually, I’d bring him into the fold.
Just not while I was still figuring out my little mouse.
“Did you get what I asked for?”
Samuel nodded, pulling out a tablet and tapping on the screen. “Yeah. She’s a tough one to track, but I got something. Dr. Mya Rivers, twenty-two, transplanted into her area about a year ago. A genius like you said; military brat, graduated early, top of her class in psychiatry. She’s a firecracker, alright.” He smirked, glancing up at me like he was waiting for a reaction.
Mya’s face flashed in my mind; those defiant green eyes, the way she’d fight me with every single breath if I let her. Her dark skin shimmering in the sunlight. My firecracker. The girl I stole from her perfectly ordered world and tossed into mine, hoping she could fix this mess I couldn’t control.
“What else did you get?” I pressed, ignoring the tightening knot in my chest.
Samuel swiped through more files on his device. “Parents; dad’s military, mom’s deceased now. They bounced around everywhere, so it was hard to pinpoint records. No siblings. She’s had a few articles published on dissociative disorders, and mental health care support in schools, and the workplace. And, uh, it looks like she’s been talking to some big names in the psychiatry industry, but, more importantly, the pharmaceutical industry.”
“Drugs?” My brows were raised, intrigued. My little mouse wasn’t as pure as she portrayed. Maybe there were more than just men who suffered by her hands. What glorious information to keep in my back pocket, in case I needed to put the squeeze on her.
“Yeah, and there’s something in her medical records.”
“What?” My ears perked up, because she was intriguing.
“I feel like there is like a year or two that’s missing.” He sighed. “It’s looking like that was done on purpose. It shouldn’t take me too long to get that information over to you.”
I knew he was exhausted, running errands for me on my little doctor. “What’s been going on with you?” I swapped topics, because focusing on my mouse set my blood on fire.
“I’ve been a little stressed with everything going on, but I’m doing better,” he told me.
“What’s been going on?” It annoyed me that he hadn’t stayed in touch more.
“I had to reach out to Silas, because I found out the company I started with is embezzling their investors’ funds. I can’t get caught up in that kind of smoke, you know?” He took a sip of his coffee.
“So what are you planning on doing?” I asked, as a server swung by and dropped more napkins on our table.
“Well, Silas is helping me do a takeover. I’m a little out of my depth, especially since I had that issue with the government a while ago.” He lowered his voice.
Silas was an idiot. World’s worst stalker.
I threw a napkin at his head. “Wait, you aren’t supposed to be hacking, right?”
“Yeah, that was the deal, but sometimes you can’t honor every promise.” He shot me a smirk.
I grinned in understanding.
“If it works, then it works, man. Who am I to tell you differently? Just don’t get caught; I don’t have bail money.”
“Liar.” Samuel let out a bark of a laugh.
I tried to focus on Samuel’s voice, but it was like trying to hold onto smoke. My surroundings blurred, and the cafe sounds became muffled and distant. My vision tunneled, and I felt the familiar pull, like the floor was dropping out from underneath me. I dug my nails into the table, trying to anchor myself, but my grip was slipping fast.
“Seb, you good?” The informal tone of Samuel’s voice barely penetrated.
“Yeah,” I groaned, even though I wasn’t good, not even close. I was trapped in the space between awareness and the oncoming storm. Samuel started speaking again, but I couldn’t discern the words coming out of his mouth.
I let my head hit the booth. I was exhausted. I hadn’t been sleeping right. Not since I woke up in bed with no recollection of how I got there. These instances were growing more frequent.
Samuel groaned and gulped down more of his now lukewarm coffee. “Don’t look now, but the finest woman on Earth just walked in here.” It sounded like he was underwater.
Of course I did what every red-blooded man would, and looked behind me. I almost broke my neck, and then slumped in my seat, when I saw it was just two young women looking to party.
I didn’t know why I’d expected Mya. She was probably holed up in a room with Eden, talking about their feelings.
“What? You don’t want to play?”
I shrugged. “I guess I don’t.”
Samuel choked and spluttered. “Are you alright, man?”
I smirked. “Yeah, I’ve caught myself a little mouse.”
Samuel was shaking his head. “Naw, man. I don’t want no rodent pussy.”
“Don’t yuck my yum. It’s a recent development.” I ignored his irritating vernacular. When Samuel got too excited, his roots showed in his words. I thought I saw a rippling underneath my skin. My eye twitched as I focused on it, tuning Samuel out as he spoke about what he was going to do.
I could feel something lurking just beneath my skin, a presence dark and eager to take the reins. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as my consciousness flickered, my control cracking like fragile glass.
Samuel’s voice came back into focus.
“So, you’re over Amelia, then?”
I frowned. “I was never into her, man. She was crazy.” There was a buzzing sound near my ear, and I swatted the wasp, or whatever it was, away.
“Yeah, wild in bed.”
I shook my head no. “I mean literally crazy, man. She tried to kill me multiple times.”
“How many times do I need to tell you, if a bitch wants to hit like a man, she can get hit like a man?”
I scoffed. “I’ve practically got it memorized at this point since you say it so often.”
“Not like you learned anything from it, though.”
I pulled my wallet out and tossed some bills on the table. It was time to see my little mouse. I was sick of being away from her, even though it hadn’t been long. She intrigued me more than she should, and I wanted to have her.
Again. I wasn’t sure if I’d fucked her while intoxicated or what, but I wanted to remember the experience.
“Whatever, man. I’m going to go holla.”
I nodded. “Don’t forget to get me that information.” I knew he was playing it up for me. He nodded his acknowledgement and headed over. No one said they were going to holla at anyone anymore. It wasn’t a thing. Samuel thought he could bring back the early 2000s or something.
I stumbled away from the booth as Samuel’s form swum in front of me, but I was barely seeing him anymore. I saw flashes of violence, bitter smiles, and the promise of chaos I thrived on. But I didn’t thrive on chaos, and that me looked wrong. I shook my head, trying to focus on Samuel, and getting home.
He was Silas’ dog first, but I’d stolen him from right beneath my brother’s nose. Samuel had some trouble with the government, after he was caught hacking into a top clearance database in university.
I saved his ass from jail. He owed me his life. I left the bar and headed toward the house. The air was stifling. It wasn’t supposed to be so hot out. I wouldn’t have worn my suit.
I stumbled a bit as I walked. Something was wrong. The world tilted, and I was shoved into the background of my mind. The last thing I felt was the smirk curling on my lips as he took over. He stepped forward, ready to wreak whatever havoc he had in his mind. My vision swirled, and I had one last thought.
My turn .
I wasn’t sure it belonged to me.