Chapter 13 Artemis
“So, I’m getting some fun energy from you both,” she said. “I know, I’ve spoken a lot, and you probably all know about me. But if we’re going to be living together, I want to know what’s going on there. Why are you so far apart?”
I looked at Donovan’s hardened face, permanently scowling as he looked forward. I didn’t want to speak now—especially about this. I knew I was probably going to get some fun physical touch later about how friendly I’d been.
“We’re just trying to make sure you’re safe and protected,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to be switched on constantly. It makes some things a it more difficult to focus on.”
Maya had an effortlessness to her, I could understand how she had so much in her files now.
I bet people were just handing her documents.
“I totally feel you,” she said. “The only time I can ever let my guard down is when I’m in my bubble.
” She gestured to the space around us. “I’m not usually one for so much lavish things, I just dress the part because it’s what people want to see—or sorry, they need to see. ”
And now, she was blowing my mind. What did she mean she didn’t do lavish?
Was I looking at the same person who was speaking, because her entire outfit—including perfume was just expensive—the type of person I assumed came from wealth.
I looked to Donovan, wondering if I could speak, I liked to follow protocol as often as possible, it excited me to know he knew I was being submissive—even if it was just a performance so I could let my claws out at him later to that.
“You should always feel comfortable with us,” Donovan said. “We’re not here to dissect your files or information. We’re here because we’ve been hired to protect you. Do you feel protected?”
She tugged at the bottom of her blouse. “I feel trapped in my clothes, if you must know,” she laughed. “I’m going to change. Is there a—”
“We’ll stay here,” Donovan said. “Just make sure you’re no longer than ten minutes, or we’ll have to come find you.”
“Setting a timer for ten minutes,” Jinksy said, startling me. It was strange getting used to the comms, there was a pressure in my ear, almost clogged—and then the voice, it was easy to forget it was in, but when I remembered, I kinda wanted to dig a finger in my ear.
Maya kicked her Louboutin shoes off before walking off into the bedroom.
Donovan grabbed my thigh, another jolt to the system. “Are you on your best behavior?” he asked in a low growl.
“Ok, I’ll tune out for this,” Jinksy said.
“I am,” I said. “I’m doing what I’ve been taught to do.”
He stared at me, expecting an answer. It was honestly disappointing he didn’t thank me again. I wasn’t saving a life, but I was earning trust. “Ok, if that’s what you’ve been taught,” he grumbled. “It’s just a little bit too out there. You need to remember, she’s a client. Not your best friend.”
I rolled my eyes and before I could bite my tongue, I let it out. “There was a time I thought you were my best friend.”
“And there was a time when I thought you would do the right thing,” he snapped back at me.
I flinched, recoiling into the chair and suddenly feeling warm inside the suit—like it was itchy or going to peel right off.
I didn’t like it. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I—” His bottom teeth pulled in his top lip—looking like a deranged animal. But it kept him from speaking.
“This isn’t what I thought I’d be doing either,” I said in a more hushed tone. “I thought I’d be out there with a gun, chasing bad people down, but there’s also this option of chasing them down with court dates and stuff, I don’t know.”
Donovan’s grasp on my thigh eased. “I’m doing my best to protect you,” he said. “It’s getting harder. And I—I don’t trust you with a gun.”
“Even after you made me do all those practice rounds?” I asked. “Even after that?”
“No—yes, I don’t know,” he sank into the sofa too, now his hand just resting on my leg. “I trust you, I do, I’ve always trusted you, and again, I thought that meant trusting you to do the thing I thought you’d want to do.”
I knew he wanted me to go back to school—he’d given me the money, he’d laid it right out there.
And so did Mercy. She must’ve known I wasn’t going to accept that offer.
It just felt like everyone wanted me back at Whitespire, for whatever reason.
“Maybe because it felt like my autonomy was taken,” I let out.
“I—I like to be—to be—” I couldn’t say it, knowing people were listening.
We both took our comms out. “Say it,” he said.
“I like to be yours, and do what you say for what we have,” I answered. “But forcing me into something, I just—my body and brain won’t let me. So, while I’ll happily take your hand against my skin, in however it pleases you, I’m not going to let this strip away at any personality I have.”
Donovan finally smiled at me. “Good. I don’t want it to take your personality away.
But you’ve got to be on the ball. Jobs like these are demanding.
You’ve got to protect the asset, the asset’s assets, you know, the information, and then, if they decide to leave to do something, we’ve got to be focused and in it. ”
“I am in it,” I told him. “I’m focused. I just think, she’s doing the work, and maybe I could help her with my stuff.”
“Another little secret,” he said, shuffling closer.
“Mercy’s client list is filled with billionaires, if she’s letting us protect Maya, that means an even more wealthier person is protecting her.
We’re doing the dirty work. It wouldn’t surprise me if her benefactor was just taking the Ashford family off the playing board so they could make a move. ”
I gulped hard as the hairs on my neck stood.
This felt like the type of shit the rich kids pulled at Whitespire, but on a much larger scale.
“I’m new to all of this,” I whispered back to him.
“If you want me to trust your orders completely, you’ve got to trust me, and give me all the information.
I can handle it.” The words were choked in my throat.
I’d already proven to the world that I could handle whatever was put in front of me, there was absolutely no doubt about it—and I think the people who doubted me were the ones currently in the ground.
I regressed around Donovan when he let his guard down, almost like he regressed to a more primitive state—when we were just a Daddy and his brat.
“Well, I’m new to it as well,” he grumbled.
“I’m new to you, being new, and I’m new to having to train someone, and I’m new at having to decide and control whether or not I want to strangle you or—” His grip on my thigh once again intensifying.
I needed him to finish his sentence desperately.
I waited for a moment, but I couldn’t wait longer.
“Fuck me,” I choked out. “Is that what you were going to say?”
He smirked. “Something like that.”
Stomping sounded followed by a new version of Maya, jumping down the hallway back towards us.
She was dressed in baggy sweats and a hoodie, looking like she was about to star in one of those 90s hip-hop music videos.
Her skater sneakers, too big, almost like they were clown shoes on her feet—but she rocked them pretty well.
“Oh my god, I’m so much more comfier now,” she said.
Donovan removed his hand immediately, and put his comms piece back inside his ear. I followed suit to hearing Jinksy singing Sara Bareilles’s Love Song. It was quite the rendition, and a total surprise to hear putting the device back in my ear.
“Are you two ok?” Maya asked, giggling. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.” She winked right at me. I knew I was quite gay, but I didn’t get that vibe from Donovan—unless I was actually rubbing off on him—goddamn, I wished I was rubbing something on him.
“We’re fine,” Donovan said. “So, is this something people would recognize you in?”
“No, I don’t think people would recognize me anyway,” she said. “Firstly, because a lot of people see a Chinese woman and they usually can’t pick us apart. I’m sorry if you can, but it’s a huge benefit to me. I get to be anonymous.”
“Not quite so anonymous,” Donovan said.
“But in this,” she said, giving us a twirl before dumping her body down on the sofa.
It was like she’d been snatched by someone else and replaced with someone who would throw herself around without care.
“Want to hear some more stories?” she asked.
“Well, captive audience kinda, so I suppose you do.”
“What about?” I asked. “How did you uncover their trafficking? And what do you think will happen?”
“Whoa, Art,” Donovan said.
Maya just laughed, then sat upright gave us both one of those condolence smiles—the doctor’s smile when they break bad news.
“I know I touched on it earlier, but well, I have a lot of family in China and friends in South East Asia. One of them actually fell into the trap of the ad on social media. It wasn’t branded as working for Ashford Energy.
It was work for a company who were looking for translators.
They didn’t need you to show them any documents to say you could—red flag.
So, they took on a lot of people. My friend—Linh Nguyen, who I found—she was inside this—” she welled up.
“It was a pit. She was dead. She’d come over here.
Her life stripped away. Her passport held. The only way out for her was—death.”
“Fuck,” I mustered, my heart swelling as I rested a hand on my chest to feel the palpitations. “I was almost trafficked. It was because I knew too much, or they thought I knew too much. And—” I glanced at Donovan.
“I saved him,” he said. “I wasn’t alone, but I probably did most of the grunt work.” He laughed a little.