Chapter Two #2
He smiled. An emotion, that wasn’t good. What the fuck was going on here?...
“Not even this Frost man? He was upset you did not turn up and made demands on your man Zee. Demands that bordered on control and possession.”
She snorted. “I can deal with Frost. He doesn’t listen.”
“How so?”
She ignored that and deflected. “How do you know where I live?” He raised an eyebrow.
Oh yeah, Cyborg…. Can find anything…. She took a breath. “Frost wants what he cannot have.” She pushed. “He wants compliance. To be in control and I’m not interested in anyone having control of me but me.”
“That would be a challenge to a Cyborg.” He seemed to think. “A reason for the Mate bond not solidified with Councillor Elon. He does not want it. And Frost clearly thinks he can make what he wants happen.”
She laughed. “Then he’s more of an idiot than I thought.”
“Another male would deter him.”
“No, it wouldn’t if he is determined. I don’t need a man to do my job.”
“No you do not. Your team are well trained and disciplined. Work hard and are thorough, conscientious, determined and have a great affection for you.”
She knew that. And closed her eyes. Her head pounding. He wanted to drive she could let him.
It had been a long week with little sleep. His presence was oddly comforting. Felt like her childhood and yet not. She was too emotional and drifted. Sleeping unusually deep. Waking a little to voices. Being carried. Rocking motion.
“You wake her and I’ll be dealing justice.” Was spoken quietly. She knew that voice. Kito…. He was carrying her.
“You’re here on a job, then be gone. I won’t.” Was that Frost?.....
“I’m here for two things.” She heard the bite in his voice and tried to surface.
“To stop the skimming and theft causing this world problems and my female. Come near Jane again, to her home, make demands on her she rejects, and you will see how the Empire deals with it.” A growl in the air. Kito again.
She tried to wake but her head was too heavy. “Kito?”
“Hush female, sleep. I have you.”
She should have argued, told him to put her down. But… “Tired. Migraine.”
“I know baby. You do too much. Just sleep tomorrow can wait.”
Baby…. She wasn’t anyone’s baby….
The alarm going off felt too early. But stretching her eyes immediately open it was right. 6am. Damn that came around too quickly….
Yawning she turned over, stretching, realising she was still dressed from yesterday. That wasn’t good. Crawling out and heading into the shower. Washing yesterday off cleaning up. Grabbing fresh underwear and a new uniform, dressing, going down, the scent of food and coffee hit her. She stopped.
Ok that wasn’t normal….
Her stomach grumbling. Yeah, she’d not eaten last night….. missed lunch… who the hell was in her house?..... One of the builders?....
Hitting the bottom of the staircase a memory surfacing. Kito. Insisting on driving her home. Then she’d closed her eyes. Falling asleep. And he’d… Been carrying her.
Shit…. speaking with …. Frost. What the hell was Frost doing at her house?....
“Good morning Jane.” Was called from her kitchen. “Come eat. You slept before you had time for dinner last night. You must be hungry. I made coffee.”
Frowning she walked in to a half-naked man.
Cooking. Cooking. At her stove. In her kitchen.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a Cyborg half-naked, her Dad had often been likewise but this was nothing like that.
The air felt different somehow. Charged.
It made her unsure. “Morning. I err…. Don’t keep food here really. ”
“No. It was empty of everything. I had it all delivered while you slept. We have plenty now.” He chinned to the seat at the island and passed her a mug of coffee.
We….
She took the seat. “I err.. don’t cook much.” Picking up the mug and taking a healthy swallow.
Why was she embarrassed? It was her home…. He shouldn’t be here….
“Logical. Nothing here to cook.” Not accusatory, or reprimand just stating a fact. Dishing up two plates. Passing her one. The food was staggering. Reminded her of Elon and their time together. Unnerving her.
“I don’t normally have time for breakfast. Get it to go from the coffee shop.” Feeling the need to justify her lack of food.
“Not today. Eat.”
She eyed the plate and then him. “You know that’s enough to feed an army and you’re not the boss of me right?
” He smirked. Picking up her knife and fork, she started eating.
It was good. Bacon, sausage, egg, toast. The real stuff.
Cyborgs only eat real food. They can’t live on syn.
They needed a shit tonne of protein. It was too familiar.
But, he’d done this for her. “This is good thank you.” She could be polite.
She had memories of Elon doing the same for her as a child.
Both eating with heavy appetites. His plate three times hers. Swallowing another mouthful taking a hit of the coffee. Real coffee. She needed to focus. “Did I hear Frost here last night?”
Kito growled swallowing. “Yes.” She raised an eyebrow. “He was waiting to ambush you. Here at the door. He was insistent. Didn’t expect or like me with you. And I didn’t like the vibe he was throwing off. It was possessive.”
“Frost is an idiot. But coming here, that’s not cool. And a breach of privacy and Council rules.”
“Needs reporting to the Council.”
She nodded. Eating a little more. “Did you warn him off?”
“Yes.”
“How’d he take that?”
“Told me I’d be leaving again soon.”
So she had heard that. She stopped eating looking up at him. She got the inference. “That’s a threat.” Kito gave a nod. She ate some more it was real good. Her anger rising. “I’ll deal with that.”
“He might think he needs to up his game. Be careful.” She nodded. Yeah, she’d be doing that….
Looking around the mostly finished kitchen. Suddenly self-conscious, not sure why. “Sorry about the mess. In the middle of a remodel.”
“It will be nice when it’s done.”
She nodded. “Too small for Cyborg. But yeah. My fifth place. Tend to buy them, do them up, stay a few years and then move on to the next. Not sure about this one. Have to see.”
“Why do it?”
She ate. Concentrating on her plate. “Life I guess.” She mumbled not willing to spill her guts.
He didn’t ask anything else. For which she was grateful it was too personal.
Finishing up, she took her things to recycle, drinking back the last of her coffee checking the time. “Got to get going. Running a bit late.”
“We go together,” Kito having finished his food, coming to her recycling his own. “I left my transport at your office.” Going to the cooler he grabbed a package. Handing it to her. “Your lunch.”
She blinked. Staring at it in her hand. “My… lunch?” No one had done her lunch since being a child.
“Yes made it earlier. Time to go.”
He made her lunch…. Did people do that?....
She was missing something. She knew it. He was acting domestic. She’d made her point.
Eyeing him as he drove her back to her offices.
He was a stunning male. Male, not man. Cyborgs called themselves male.
Dark, bronzed, stacked with muscle. Thick neck and hair.
Tall and broad. He commanded presence. Commanded her attention.
In any other environment, she’d be tempted.
But you couldn’t be tempted with Cyborg. She held onto her shields.
Why had she fallen asleep like that?.... She never fell asleep with anyone….
“What were you doing at my office last night?” It was accusatory. She couldn’t stop it. He was unsettling her.
“I came to see you.”
“You could have done that during the day. Why so late last night?”
“I was waiting outside for you to finish your day, had planned to take you to dinner but you never came out. So came in to see where you were. Find why you were not leaving to go home.”
“You could have just called.”
“No. I wanted to talk. To see your face.”
“Well we did that.”
“No we did not. There is still a conversation to be had.”
“For Gods sake Kito, I don’t want it.”
She wasn’t going there again she’d told him twice now and was silent for the rest of the drive in.
She’d dump him as soon as…. He parked where her truck had been the night before.
“Thanks for driving.” Undoing her seatbelt.
“Busy day.” And got out. Kito followed. Coming around the truck.
He handed her the keys and she kept it professional.
“Let us know what you find. I’ll let Zee know you came in and to update you.
” She turned for the building walking away.
“I will see you soon Jane.”
“No, you won’t. We’re all here to do a job Kito. You do yours and we’ll do ours. I want to know who dares to put our alliance with the Empire at risk. I won’t tolerate that. And then I want them taken out.”
“And me?” He called out after her.
“You go home.”
****