“It does make the most sense,” Mina said, snuggling back in. “But we also promised each other we would take this slow. You moving into my building doesn’t feel slow.” It was more like a mag-lev humming at top speed.
“No, it doesn’t. But it doesn’t feel like the wrong choice either.”
“You’re right.” Oddly, it didn’t. “Let’s let it sit for a few days and see how we feel.”
“Deal.”
Mina wasn’t sure how this comfort and calmness with him had happened so fast, but she knew the night with her family had aided it by a great degree. She wasn’t complaining. It was nice.
“Landing at The Spire, executive level, in thirty seconds,” the sim intoned.
They exited and separated, as there were a few people around. Vince hung back until it was clear, while Mina made inquiries at the transpo hub. No unusual landing requests had come in. They waited for a full fifteen just in case.
It was quiet.
Once they were down on her level, Mina opened the door to her unit with relief.
“Welcome home, Mina,” Veronica said. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Not at the moment,” Mina replied as she turned and secured her residence with a few extra measures, enacting a whistle alarm that she usually didn’t activate. If someone tried to break in, they wouldn’t be the only ones to hear it.
“Very well,” Veronica said. “Just holler. I’ll be around.”
Vince chuckled. “Your sim already has you figured out.”
“She does,” Mina agreed. “I lucked out with this program.”
All the ultras had popped on low. It was her nighttime setting. It made her residence feel warm and comfortable. Instead of heading to the living area, Mina took a turn and went straight to her utility room. Vince followed.
Once inside, she began opening doors, searching. “I’m sure it’s here someplace. I just don’t know where they put it.”
Vince stood in the door, his shoulder rested against the jamb, his arms crossed. “What are you looking for?”
“My box of mementos. We’ve had a full night of reminiscing. Why stop now? This place isn’t that big.” Mina spun in a circle. “Where could it be?”
“It’s likely behind your laundry unit.” He gestured toward the largest cabinet.
“Why would it be behind there?” Mina hadn’t even known such a place existed.
“They have to be tricky about storage in places like this. When Suzanne showed me the unit next door, she demonstrated that the whole thing pulled out, and there was more storage behind. Laundry units are fairly shallow.”
“Huh.” Mina walked over and opened the door, then grabbed on to the protruding side and yanked.
Lo and behold, the entire thing swung open, revealing a bunch of aluminum storage boxes stacked inside.
“See?” Vince chuckled. “They’re even stamped with the word ‘storage.’ The bot movers knew where to place them.”
“If you weren’t here, I never would’ve found them,” Mina mused. “This one has an old tag on it.” She gestured at a box in the middle. “It looks like the one I packed when I left home. This other stuff is from the training academy, and the top one is from my last residence.”
She went to grab the middle box. Vince had to help her by holding the other two up so she could grab it out. It was heavy and awkward. She brought it back out to the living area, setting it on the thick pile floor covering. She knelt next to it, Vince coming to sit next to her in the chair.
“I was smart enough not to add a lock to this thing,” she said. “I would’ve forgotten it by now. I didn’t have enough money to buy a fingerprint or DNA release at the time.”
The lid popped open with little effort, and she peered inside.
It was filled with her childhood.
A few favorite toys, some old pieces of tech that would take some charging to reboot, a bunch of digijournals, images of her and friends throughout the years, encased in crystalline for presentation and preservation.
She reached in and pulled out a plush toy. “I got this at—”
“The annual school programming carnival. I think the year was ’94 or ’95.”
Mina gazed at him in amazement. “How do you remember this stuff? I barely can. Though”—she turned the pink bear around in her hands—“I think we were together when I won this. Something to do with driving a simulated drone through an obstacle course?”
“Yes. You aced it the first time through. I was surprised they gave you such a small prize for such precision flying.” He grinned.
She set it down and began to move things around. There were a few keepsake boxes decorated in colorful patterns, then at the bottom, she spotted a small black box. “Oh.” She lifted it out. Her eyes darted to Vince’s. “I guess you let me keep it after all. Do you think it still works?” She held the little holo box in her hand like it was a bar of gold.
“It’s been years,” Vince said. “The battery will need a charge.” He reached out and took it from her, sliding the bottom piece out easily. A small standard coin battery fell into his palm.
“I have a replacement. Let me go get it.” Mina made quick time back to her utility closet, grabbing a battery from her stash. She came back and handed it to Vince.
Her chest suddenly felt tight. Her keeping the holo box meant something special to them both.
Vince set the replacement in and glanced up at Mina. His expression matched the feeling in her chest. He placed the box on the floor in the middle of the room and stood.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t remember I had it. It’s been so long,” she said. “I’m not good at—”
He reached out, pulling her close, his lips on hers, seeking and demanding.
Vince didn’t hold back. They were in private, just the two of them. She matched his intensity, their tongues intertwining, their mouths hungry for each other. Her hands gripped his chest, needing something to hold on to. Her legs felt weak.
After a long moment, he arched away, winding his hand up her neck and into her hair. He rested his forehead against hers. “Never apologize.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I don’t care if you hold on to the past. All that matters is right now.”
Her throat was full. She nodded. “Ultras off,” she managed.
Vince reluctantly let her go, reaching down to flip the switch on the holo box. As the three microcams triangulated upward, fluttering butterflies filled her living area.
“They’re much smaller than I remember. But the details are perfect. They look real.” She laughed. “They’re every bit as magical as when we saw them for the first time.”
“You’re the one who’s magical,” he whispered.
She looked at him, seeing the love and longing in his eyes. She knew they matched her own.
“How you look at those butterflies is how you look at me now. And I’ve never been happier about anything in my entire life.” His voice was full of emotion. “All I’ve ever wanted, now that I look back, is to make you feel like you did when you first saw these butterflies.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “The butterflies are a wonderful memory, and I’m so glad I kept the holo box. But I can promise you that how I look at you is a million times more special than I’ll ever feel about these butterflies.”
The kiss was spectacular. Starbursts went off in her head.
“Shall I have Eggie print up some champagne?” Veronica asked. “Or a sweet cake to celebrate?”
Mina and Vince separated, laughing at the interruption. Veronica really did get her.
Normally, Mina would take the champagne. But instead, she grabbed Vince’s hand, leading him down her hallway. “No, thank you, Veronica. We plan to be busy for the rest of the evening.”
“Then perhaps tomorrow morning we can celebrate with some nice mim
osas?” the sim added.
“Perhaps.”
Sneak Peek
Book
7
AMANDA CARLSON
Chapter 1
“Keep your voice down,” Mina shushed her best friend, gesturing toward her hallway, her voice low. “He’s in the sprayer, but he could still hear you.” She idly slid a wet lock of her hair behind an ear, hoping her pal wouldn’t notice how damp it was.
Kaylee snorted. “Who cares if he hears? I’m not saying anything you two don’t already know.” Instead of quieting, Mina’s one-time partner, fellow agent, and best friend opted to pace back and forth on screen, her vibrant blue sleep wrap flowing out behind her. “It’s not like it’s a secret to him he’s there. I mean, the guy is in your sprayer. He spent the night in your platform. It’s not my fault you have a more intriguing personal life than I do right now. I’m just helpfully pointing out that you have a man in your unit. And I would like to know where else he visited. It’s an easy question to answer. And while we’re at it, did the man use his unit or did you two opt to stay unit-free—”
“Stahp!” Mina sputtered, giving in to laughter, which was the norm around Kaylee. It was a good thing she didn’t have a mouthful of coffee. “That’s way too many units. I can’t keep up.” Kaylee in the morning was almost better than caffeine. Almost. “I didn’t tag you this early to go over any, um, units. I tagged you because you sent a cryptic message in the wee hours of the morning about something Harmony found on Blade’s data core.” Harmony Biggins, Kaylee’s superhacker mentee, was reviewing information that’d been recovered yesterday from Currency Reigns, Travis Blade’s satellite, after it jettisoned out of orbit and crash-landed on a deserted island off of the coast of Florida. The stable heart, which contained the data core, had been retrieved by Mina and her team with the help of the military. “I just listened to it and need to know more before we see McAllister. We have a meeting with him in thirty.”
“My message wasn’t cryptic,” Kaylee corrected, her finger wagging. “It was precise and lacking in specifics because I didn’t want to horn in on your night. Literally. It was not my place to horn. That space is raised reserved for someone else who’s hair is as wet as yours. Because, let’s face it, it’s been much too long since you’ve been horn—”
“Okay you win!” Mina cried, tossing up her arms, giving in like she usually did when Kaylee wanted details. Her pal was the queen of persistence. “Yes, we were intimate. A single blissful completely satisfying unit was involved. It was amazing. Best night of my life. Having him here is like a dream. I’m happy we’re giving it a shot. But that doesn’t mean I’m not scared. This whole thing could crumble down around us as quickly as Blade’s satellite dropped out of the sky. But after last night, I can say for sure it’s worth the risk of us possibly not making it.” So worth it.
The night had been spectacular in every way. Vince had been a kind and generous lover. So generous. Her body had exploded like a hydro-cracker a hundred times. Okay, not triple digits, but definitely double. Shivers ran up her arms. She shook them out as nervous energy rushed through her. Maybe she should go for a run? People still did that, didn’t they?
“Wow.” Kaylee leaned into the screen, examining Mina up close. “The hair on your arms is literally standing on end.” Her face softened as she paced back to her comfortable, overstuffed chair. Her lovable dog Dag was curled up on the floor, not bothered in the least by either of their antics. It was too early. Dag was lazy in the mornings. Kaylee tucked her feet underneath her, rearranged her sleep wrap, her straight, dark shoulder length hair looking perfect even though she’d just woken up. “Of course it’s worth it. If you hadn’t given this a shot, you would’ve regretted it for the rest of your life. And don’t worry about what the future holds.” She swished a hand dismissively. “If you decide to part ways because his persona is too grandiose—because, let’s face it, the man is splashy—it’ll be in a mutual, loving way. I’m absolutely pos. And, damn, the sex is so good you’re humming with it. That’s a pretty sweet problem to have.”
“I’m not humming—”
Her finger arched up looking huge on Mina’s full wallscreen as she shook it twice. “Yes, you are. Not only that, you’re wound up tighter than a piece of carbon loaded into a high-velocity slingshot ready to zing itself to Mars. Steam is practically shooting from your ears.”
“I don’t have any steam—”
Finger shake. “So. Much. Steam. It might be from your superhot sprayer sex, though. But whatever.” Another hand swish. “My advice? Revel in it. Embrace it. Roll around in it. Enjoy your time with him without overthinking things.”
“That’s easy for you to say—”
“No. It’s easy for you to do. This is the honeymoon dating phase. Honeymoon it up. Don’t think about anything other than when your next trip to Unit Town will be. That’s all this stage requires.”
Mina blushed absentmindedly running her fingers through her still wet hair. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course, I am. I’m always right.”
Honestly, she usually was.
Sound came from the hallway as Vincent Kramer, the colonel-in-arms of the French Protectorate, walked into Mina’s meal prep area with a plushy dry wrap casually knotted around his waist, his dark hair fingered back away from his face, beads of water still slowly dripping down his back.
“Yowza, Kramer,” Kaylee hooted. “You could give a girl some warning. Please tell me you have a brother or sister packed away that I don’t know about.”
“Sadly, no,” Vince replied with a chuckle.
“Damn,” Kaylee lamented.
Mina grabbed the two coffees she’d ordered from Eggie, her Magnito meal printer, out of the warming area. No mimosas, as Veronica, her home sim had cheekily suggested last night. No alcohol when they had a meeting at headquarters. Vince was set to debrief Mina and her boss, Duncan McAllister, about the Fiefer case.
Fiefer was not an actual case. Fief was their code word for double agent.
Vincent Kramer, the hunk of a man wrapped in a violet plush wrap, had a suspicion that Ambrose Bernard, the leader of the French Protectorate might be a double agent.
It was a huge, startling accusation that needed to be addressed immediately. Even before they dealt with what had been found on the data core of the satellite owned by Travis Blade.
But Mina still needed to know what Harmony had discovered. She handed Vince a cup of coffee, made the way he liked it with a shot of dairy-sub, no sweet, just like she did. “Let’s get back to the reason I called,” she addressed Kaylee as she took a sip from her own mug, trying not to mew. Eggie was the best. Then she took another. “What did Harmony find on the data core?”
“It wasn’t a huge discovery, which is why I didn’t alert you in a worrying kind of way,” Kaylee answered. “While she was running through vids last night, she caught sight of one of the guys from the first one we watched while we were at the mili base. The one where the two guys found those Plush airpens in the wrong crates and were supposed to deliver them to the border. She spotted one, not sure which of the two, at another undisclosed location. Looked like they were in the process of interrogating him before the vid cut out. He looked roughed up, clothes were torn, blood on his face. She’s trying to pin down the location now. With her wizard brain, I’m sure she’ll figure it out soon.”
Bliss Corp, the big pharma company who was likely testing illegal pleasure drugs on unsuspecting people, looked to have a contract with Travis Blade to move unapproved airpens full of Plush discreetly under the nose of the government. Two delivery techs had stumbled on the loot and were caught discussing it on vid.
It seemed having that discussion hadn’t boded too well for them.
“Lee was running face recs on them last night,” Mina told her pal. “He came up empty, but he was going to age alter them younger and try again wh
en he got home. Make sure Harmony and Lee are sharing info. I have no doubt they’ll uncover their identities. I’m going to get a hold of Lee on our way to Government One.” She took another sip of coffee and held in a sigh. “Have you heard how many Syndicate members they’ve arrested yet?” The data core contained a lot of incriminating evidence. High Crimes was ready and waiting to round up all the guilty players.
“Nope,” Kaylee said. “All’s been quiet. I wouldn’t be surprised if McAllister orders us to lay low for a day or two to see what splashes back from all this.” She yawned. “It might actually be fun to have some time off. I haven’t had a proper day to myself in what feels like years.”
“You hate days off. You find them aimless and unexciting. Those are your words, not mine.”
“Hate’s a strong word.” Kaylee grinned, unfolding her legs from beneath her, her toes faintly blinking with an aged blue hyperglo that matched her sleep wrap. “I adore being busy, but it would be fun to take Daggie on a nice long walk through Atlas Park today and breathe in some nice, fresh air. I haven’t been down there since they slapped all that greenery on top of that giant eyesore.” Atlas Park was located on the southern tip of the city atop a large seawall that had been erected over sixty years ago, and had been added onto over the years, making it an enormous ocean barrier to keep the rising seas as bay. Last year they decided to cover the top of it in lush plantings, grass, and trees, effectively installing large public park. It’d been a massive endeavor. It was actually pretty now. Much less of an eyesore.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Mina cautioned. “We rest when there’s a break between cases.”
“You’re right,” Kaylee said. “But until we know if the mob is going to try to extract justice, a break—or at least modified casework—is what I would do. McAllister’s smart like that. He won’t put any of us at risk if he doesn’t have to. Mark my words.” She lofted a finger in the air. “We’re going to get a day off. I feel it in my bones. And as you know, they don’t lie—”
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