GABRIEL #5
"Oh, they did. Everything leaves a mark, Gabriel. Trauma is harder to treat. Being trapped in a burning building, suffocating, convinced it’s your last moment, that stays with people."
"You’re right, if I could turn back time I would, but I can’t, so all I can do is make sure I never put anyone in danger again, that’s my lesson."
I lower my hands and say,
"If that’s all, can I go now? I don’t feel comfortable, and even if I deserve this, I don’t have the strength to sit through more of it today. I came to this fair hoping for something better, not more torture."
I stand again, but Blue cuts in.
"Out of my five minutes, you still owe me two. Sit down and let me finish."
"What else could you possibly say? I apologized, Mr. Lowen. I’d apologize to those people too, but…"
"That’s not what I want to discuss. Three weeks ago there was a bombing attempt on me. The twenty-third attempt on my life."
That comes out of nowhere.
I want to tell him that he’s clearly doing something that makes people hate him, but I keep it to myself, determined to get this over with.
"I read on your profile that you have significant combat skills and strong qualifications in cybersecurity, both of which could be useful to me. I want to buy your marriage contract so you can serve as my bodyguard."
If a jaw can hit the floor, mine just did, I stare at him, blinking like an idiot.
"You want to give me a job?"
"You could call it that. Twenty-four hours a day, staying close to me and protecting me."
It still doesn’t compute. "Say that again, because I must be hearing things. A guy who was part of an organization that hated you and took part in an attack on your company is supposed to be your bodyguard, do you hear how that sounds? Is this a joke, or some new kind of punishment?"
Blue’s face doesn’t change. "None of that. Storm told me something about you that made you the right choice."
Silence falls, I swallow hard. "What?"
"He said you have a particular gift. Something very unusual."
I don’t answer.
"But I’m a scientist. I test before I believe."
"Why would I tell you my secret—"
"I already know it. Now it’s time to test it."
He stands, and I freeze.
He raises both hands, fists closed.
"I’ll keep my hands behind my back and extend a random number of fingers. Maybe one, maybe four, maybe none. You’ll tell me three seconds before I show you."
I stay quiet, a wave of heat washes over me, I know this test, my family ran it on me more times than I can count, and I’ve never failed.
Blue hides his hands and says, "In two seconds I’ll show them. Tell me what you’ll see. One, two…"
"Four fingers."
He shows four.
"Let’s continue, that’s still a common outcome."
He hides them again. "One, two…"
"Eight fingers."
He shows eight.
We keep going.
By the fifth correct answer, Blue tilts his head slightly.
"If you were guessing, your chance of getting this right each time would be one in eleven. The probability of this many correct answers in a row is one over eleven to the power of n. At five trials, that’s one in one hundred sixty-one thousand fifty-one.
At ten, that’s roughly one in twenty-five billion.
At twelve, we’re already in the trillions.
Statistically, this is not random variation. This is a systematic effect."
"Keep going," I say, narrowing my eyes.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. I get all of them.
"We’re already at one in twenty-five billion…"
"Keep going."
We reach fifteen.
"At this point we can stop. We’re in quadrillions now. This is deterministic, not random."
I wince.
"I don’t do it randomly, Mr. Lowen. I see the future, if I focus, up to five seconds ahead."
Blue tilts his head, staying quiet.
"That doesn’t surprise you?"
"I’m a scientist, and I’m aware that unusual phenomena exist in AO society. What you can do is… perfectly suited to my needs."
"You mean hiring me as your bodyguard?"
"Exactly. Yes, it requires purchasing the marriage contract, that’s how Second Chance works, but that aspect will be inactive. I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m looking for protection, nothing more."
"Wait, I still have to agree to this…"
Blue folds his arms across his chest. "Do you have a better option? You can always sit in a booth, fending off sixty-year-old betas and omegas who want to get fucked by a young alpha just to feel something exciting in their stressful businessman lives… If that’s your thing, go for it.
If you’d rather not be pushed into sex and instead have a job you can actually handle, this is your chance. "
"There’s just one small problem. I don’t like you.
" The words come out carried on a surge of anger and pressure. "Okay, maybe I’m not on Marcel’s level, he straight-up hates you.
But you represent a company that’s, at best, controversial to me.
Protect you…? Or maybe I let them get to you.
Ever think of that? Maybe I give them a shot at payback.
If I were you, that’s what I’d be worried about. "
A heavy silence settles between us.
"Interesting. Do you change your mind every five minutes? Because you said you have morals. That you wouldn’t let anyone die if you could do something about it. Let me quote you: ‘I will never again put another person at risk.’"
His voice stays calm, edged with faint mockery, like he’s talking to a teenager whose emotions are all over the place.
I blink, uneasy, and look away. He’s right, I couldn’t.
"Okay, good point. Maybe I wouldn’t let that happen, but the question is whether I even want to do this. You, of all people… the irony. Blue Lowen, the man half this country hates. Maybe I don’t want to be your bodyguard. Sounds like hell, twenty-three attempts? I’d become a target myself."
"Fair."
Blue turns and walks over to the table.
He sets down a small electronic business card. I’ve seen those before, they’re expensive. It shows his PA’s availability in real time, when you can call and when he’s unavailable. You can request a callback or schedule a meeting.
"If you change your mind, contact my assistant, Simon."
Then he heads for the door. Just like that.
I stand there, stunned. A storm of emotions surges through me, my whole body buzzing with this strange energy, this desperate urge not to let him leave, wait, wait… what the hell?
"Wait!"
Damn, what is wrong with me?
Blue stops and slowly turns back to me. I’ve noticed he has two modes. Either completely still, like a statue, or sharp and edged with irony. Right now, it’s the first one.
"Will I be able to finish my degree? I’ve got one year left. Online, obviously."
"Yes. You can attend as long as it doesn’t conflict with my business obligations. In those cases, you provide protection. Otherwise, if you have exams, I’ll adjust and make sure you have time to take them."
"My sentence is ten years. Is that how long the contract lasts?"
"Yes."
"And what about… since this is basically a job, and the marriage is only on paper, and it’s ten years… that’s a long time to stay celibate. Would you have a problem if I… had… relationships?" I feel heat rise to my face. "With other omegas."
Is that a flicker on his face? Barely there, but I catch it.
"As long as it doesn’t interfere with your work. And keep it discreet. Not in my face."
"Understood."
A brief silence.
"Will I be able to… see my family? I have my brother and two half-brothers, and I visit my parents regularly. Can I keep that?"
"Of course, again, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my schedule."
"Under the Second Chance program, the participant has to wear an ankle monitor and stay in their contractual husband’s residence. What about that? Won’t it make my job harder?"
"In my case, the judge would approve a modification. The ankle monitor will keep you within about three hundred and twenty-eight feet of me. That’s your designated range."
"One last question. You realize I can only protect you when I’m awake, right? My ability doesn’t work when I’m asleep."
"I’m aware."
Silence. We hold each other’s gaze.
I can’t read anything on the surface, but somehow… I can still read something. Not from his expression, but from his energy.
He wants me to say yes!
I’m almost sure of it. There’s fear in him… and anger. Fear of dying. Anger that he has to look over his shoulder every day, never sure if he’ll make it to the next one. He’s tired of it. I just know, like we’re connected in some strange, quasi-telepathic way, and it’s unsettling.
"Okay." It comes out as a quiet, shaky whisper.
And again, that tiny flicker. Barely visible.
"Storm!"
His voice is so sharp that I flinch, my eyes closing for a second.
The door opens. That son of a bitch must have been listening.
Storm’s face appears through the gap. "Yes?"
"Handle the contract. The version I expect will be sent to your email within the hour. I have a meeting. I need to go."
"Of course, Mr. Lowen! I’ll take care of everything!"
Storm’s grin spreads wide and bright.
Mine doesn’t. I just stand there, tense, grim, and, truthfully, completely terrified.
What the hell did I just do?
I just agreed to protect a man I’ve considered my enemy for the past year and a half.
That’s it. I’ve officially lost my mind.
◆◆◆
I spend the night feeling almost like I came back from a party where I drank way too much. My head is pounding, and I might throw up, everything inside me is spinning.
It only gets worse after I have a phone call with my father, and then with my dad.
They both call to… you could say… ‘express their surprise’ about my decision, which is a very diplomatic way of describing how they actually react.