Alex laughed. “Good to know. For a moment there, I thought I had the wrong girl.” Luce snorted. “You do.” She told him walking out the door and closing it behind her. Picking up Bill and Ben in her wake. She could hear his laughter. She smiled and looked up at the two security guys. “Ok, seems like I’m stuck with Bill and Ben. I have some stops to do before work tonight, so I guess you’re with me?” She asked nodding. “Yes mam.” They both replied. “Ok.” She told them. “Let’s go.” She headed into the lift with Bill and Ben standing in front of her as the doors closed.
Alex finished his breakfast and left the items on the table knowing the cleaner would deal with it as was their job and headed back into his own rooms. He used the connecting door that looked like it was just a book case in the living room. When it slid back it revealed a connecting archway into both apartments. Alex walked in as his phone was singing ‘Milkshake’. Alex laughed unable to stop himself. Dam human. Picking up the phone is noticed the ID was Val. “Valentina, how lovely of you to call.” Alex checked his watch. Nearly 5pm. “Alex do you want to explain why Pete’s human is staying with you?” Alex frowned. He did not explain himself to anyone these days. He ruled his own house. People answered to him, not the other way around. Valentina knew this so her asking was more than curiosity. “Is your mate worried for his charge?” He asked her. “He’s more worried that she will piss you off and you will act accordingly.” She told him. He understood what wasn’t being said. “I will not harm her.” He told Val quietly. “I know that Alex, but do you know what you are doing?”
Luce gave the directions to her first stop to the driver. She was sitting in the back of a large black SUV. The driver and another security guy she did not know but recognised from the cameras of Alex last night sat in the front. Now she had four of them. She really did not get why she had to have this level of security. She was hardly important. It all seemed a bit OTT to her. They pulled up at her first stop. Luce went to open the door but it was locked. The new security guy turned to her. “My Lady. Please wait until I check that it is safe to exit the vehicle. I will then open the door for you.” He told her. Luce looked around her. It was the same side road she always used. Nothing seemed out of place. A few bins and crap all over the place. It looked normal. “Your name.” She asked cranky. “I am Chris. Master Alex’s second.” Great. He was annoying her and he wasn’t even here.
The places she went to get her tech didn’t exactly have high street fronts. Chris didn’t look happy. Too bad thought Luce. He made his way back to the car and nodded to the driver. The lock disengaged and Bill and Ben got out the car behind them and opened the door for her. She had a bloody convoy. Luce stepped out and walked to the back door. She knocked three times as is required and waited. A slot slid across in the middle of the door at eye height. “Luce. I got what you’re looking for.” The guy told her behind the door. Luce smiled. “Great let’s do this.” The slide closed and the door opened. As it did, Chris pushed passed her and entered the room. At the same time several “Hay, wadya think your doing,” could be heard. Luce walked in quickly behind her security guy. She held her hands up “sorry guys, I have to have security but that was a bit rude.” She told Chris giving him the eye. “And won’t be happening again.” He shrugged and circuited the room and came back to the doorway and stood there.
Luce cleared her throat. “Ok now the drama is over. What ya got for me?” She asked the three lads in the room who gave a weary look to the security guy and walked towards her and the lab tables. Brian picked up the gismo she had passed them yesterday. “This was cleaver.” He told her turning it over. “Dead now. We gave it its own leg room separate from our systems and ran it for a bit before we turned it off. It flooded our system with a virus that created fault after fault and kept your security protocols running and reversing and doing over. While that was going on, it was building a tech bomb. I’m guessing once it was completed it would fry everything on the system. Security, phones, fire services, networks you name it ‘fire sale’. Leaving whatever depended on it easily accessible.” Luce nodded and sighed. “Not surprised?” Brian asked her. “Nope. What I expected. Can you tag is back to source?” Cade spoke up. “We’re running it now but it depends on how good they were at making it, it’s such a piece of crap it might just overload.” Luce nodded again.
“This,” Cade told her picking up another item she had given them. “Is junk. Why anyone would bother with this I have no idea. Expensive crap and when we tested it, it just did a lot of flashing and not much else. This shit, gives us a bad name.” He mumbled to himself. Luce smiled. Dave came in with a drink for both Cade and Brian. “Want a drink Luce?” He asked her. “No thanks Dave. Did you have any luck with the transponder?” He smiled at her. “O yeah, they didn’t even cover their tracks. Amateur night. It’s all in here for you.” He leaned over the counter and pulled something from towards him and handed it to her. “And those new wipe outs are in there too.” Luce hugged each of the men. “You guys are the best.” Brian looked over at her security. “So why the security? You in trouble Luce? Need us to sort it out?” Luce smiled. “No. Everything’s good. I err, went in house guys.” They stared at her. “Seriously? With all those rules and restrictions?” Cade asked her incredulously. Luce smiled. “In this house, the only rule is survival and anything goes.” All three grinned. “Sweet.” He told her. Luce handed over an envelope of cash and said her goodbyes heading back to the car.
She really wanted to see Liv. She’d had such a hard time lately. Sending off a text message she gave directions to her friend’s house. Twenty minutes later she was pulling up at Liv’s house. Her phone pinged. Luce smiled and went to get out the car but Bill and Ben got there first and Chris stood ready to escort her to the door. He walked up to the front door of Liv’s suburban picket fence house. Her dads or was, her’s now she guessed. Chris stood to one side while she knocked. The door was pulled open and Luce was grabbed by both hands and pulled in for a hug. Luce had tears in her eyes. She pulled back to see her friend. She’d lost more weight and clearly wasn’t sleeping. “You look good.” She told her old school friend. Liv laughed and Mr Security growled. They both turned towards him. Luce raised her eyebrows at him. Liv looked scared. “Do we have a problem Chris?” Luce asked. He looked… embarrassed. “No mam, I’ll go back to the car.” They both watched him go and Luce rolled her eyes at her friend who laughed again and pulled her into the house.
Some twenty minutes later she gave the driver the address of the next stop. This was a warehouse of an electronic parts supplier. She had access due to her personal company status. The car pulled up and she now just waited for Bill and Ben to do their thing and the door to be opened for her and Chris to escort her in. She walked in the front door and gave her order to the rep behind the desk. He looked up the parts on the computer and left to get them. Luce sat down while she waited with her guy by the door. After several minutes the rep came back with some serious cable and several boxes. She handed over her business account card and waited for it to be loaded. It went through much to her relief and she grabbed her equipment. Craig called in Bill and Ben and they carried out the boxes and cable, taking her and them back to the car.
Getting back in the car she headed for her final stop. As the car pulled to a stop in front of the house. Luce looked around. You’d never think that in this suburban neighbourhood one of the best software innovators had her office in her mother garage. Luce shook her head. It was so typical of the geek image. Bill and Ben did their thing and Mr Security was opening the door. Luce got out and sent her ID text to her friend. She steered away from the main house and headed to the double garage and walked around the side to the side door. She knocked once and waited for the electronic click. It came and she pushed the door in walking through. “Hay you.” She called out. “Hay girl. What ya got for me?” Luce laughed as Bit came around the corner of her kitchenette. She already had two coffees in hand. Luce turned to her security. “I can take it from
here thanks.” She told him. Chris looked at Bit and turned back to the door going through it and closing it behind him. “Intense much?” Bit asked her. Luce rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.” She told her best friend and sat down grasping for the coffee. “Boy do I have a lot to tell you.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Alex waited in the reception room for Luce and her security to arrive. He didn’t have to wait long until he saw her walk past him and down the corridor to what he guessed was her office. His second walked in behind her and crossed over to him as this other two men carried boxes behind Luce. “Sire.” He spoke to Alex and bowed. “Chris. I think we can dispense with that. Tell me.” Chris stood and relaxed as much as his military training would allow. “The young lady went to four addresses. They are listed here.” Chris handed him a sheet of paper with information listed under three addresses. “The first was a group of computer tech’s. They clearly have been working together for a while. They are a working group that check IT stuff out and offer solutions. Clearly good at what they do. The second was a… friend, female ….. I had some control issues with the female and went back to the car. The third a warehouse that provided all manner of computer tech. The forth was a personal friend I believe, who also appeared to be a computer wiz. From there we came here.”
Alex looked at the paper given to him and considered the information. “The female you lost control over? Are you in control now?” “Yes sir. I am unsure what happened but distance has sorted it.” Alex nodded. “Your thoughts on the others?” Alex looked up at the man he knew went with his gut and was rarely wrong. Alex could see the cog’s working and knew he’d get facts. “She has a team. They work well together. Would be good to have them in rather than out. There’s something else,” he told him. Alex nodded for him to continue. “The Lady, she calls her security detail, Bill and Ben. A reference I think to a kid’s programme some years back in England, I remember catching bits of it.” She amused him no end. “Did they take exception?” He asked. “No, I don’t think they got it at first, now it amuses them.”
Alex nodded. “You know the programme then?” He asked Chris. “Yeah, I do and was gonna ask if she thought I was ‘little weed’ but thought better of it. That one doesn’t need more ammunition.” Alex smiled widely. “Wise. Thank you.” Chris turned to leave knowing a dismissal when it came. He needed to speak with Pete on how he found Luce in the first place. Picking up his phone he sent off a quick text and waited for the reply. He didn’t have to wait long. His eyes danced along the lines sent to him. Better and better. Seems Pete’s niece had some unwanted attention and Luce sorted it.
On a general sweep in a coffee house not far from campus, Luce had found that his nieces phone had been cloned. That’s how the guy knew where she was all the time. Luce didn’t know her but knew all about stalking. She cut the connection and plonked herself down in front of his niece and told her what she’d found. She cut her off there and then, broke her phone and told her to buy a new one. She did and kept Luce’s number. Turned out Luce was an IT wonder and building a name for herself. Pete dealt with the guy and by the time Pete wanted to talk to her about the IT issues in house, she was already doing free-lance work and her name was mentioned in several circles.
Alex leaned back in his seat and thought about that. It was quite a thing to do. Checking other people to see if they were bugged or not. Almost as if Luce wanted to ensure people were safe. Not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, particularly in today’s world thought Alex. Maybe there had been a time when Luce had been vulnerable. Taken advantage of. Not safe. As the thought hit him, he growled low in his throat. His beast rose. She wouldn’t be vulnerable again. He’d make sure of it.
Luce looked up as she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. For a moment she hoped it was Alice or Carol. She was hungry and hoped a milkshake was in her future. She realised the steps were too male to be Alice or Carol and the walk familiar. Pete came around the screen and sat down in front of her desk. Luce stared at him as he stared back at her. Eventually she cracked. “So, gonna tell me what’s going on?” She asked him. “What did Alex tell you?” He countered. Luce sat forward in her chair and none too friendly told him. “Something about I saved his life so now I belong to him.” Pete raised his eyebrows. “What did you say to that?” Luce shrugged. “I played nice then told him next time I’d let them stake him.”
Pete laughed. Calming down he leaned back in his chair and told her. “Ok, so here it is. You work for House Arturo, your allegiance if you like is to House Arturo, however, under vamp law, you saved a master from death, so your allegiance is now to them, saving a master’s life over rides a House affiliation.” Luce frowned. “Hang on, Regin saved Alex’s life in the SUV when it was attacked, she is still House Arturo.” Pete nodded. “Yes, she’s married to Arturo, that takes precedence over everything.”
“Shit.” Luce spoke aloud. “I should have let him get staked.” She said quietly. Pete sighed. “Saving a master’s life comes with lots of privileges. You get swanky accommodation. A better salary. Protection.” Luce snorted. “I’d have got that just from working with House Arturo.” Pete nodded in agreement with her. “How do I get out of it?” She asked him. “Sure you want to?” He looked at her questioningly. What the hell thought Luce. There is no question about this. Errrr yeah she told him with one look. “Break the bond.” He told her. “And how do I do that?” She asked getting tired of the go around. “Tell Alex you decline his patronage and relinquish all rights to remain with House Arturo. Do it in public. He will not be pleased.” Luce grinned. “Who the fuck cares if he isn’t pleased. Next time. Make sure I know the rules Pete.” She looked coldly at him. This was avoidable and they both knew it. He nodded at her got up and left. Ok, she had a plan. She belonged to no one but herself she reminded herself as she sent an email off to Arturo.
Luce checked her watch. She was a minute early but thought that would be ok. She’d asked for a 5 minute meeting with Arturo before Alex arrived to join them. Taking a deep breath she really didn’t need, she knocked. On hearing Arturo’s voice, she turned the handle and went in closing the door behind her. “Hi Luce take a seat.” Luce smiled at Arturo and walked forward taking the seat offered. “So, what can I do for you?” Luce shifted nervously. “Well, as you know yesterday, the offensive went off well. But I intervened when it looked like Alex didn’t see an aggressor going for him with a stake. I warned him in time, not realising what that would mean. I need to be able to do my job and I can’t if I’m worried about a vamp thinking they own me by doing it and saving their life.” She told him honestly.
“Ok, I understand that. I’ll make it know that your acting under my orders but that does not remove what has already happened.” He told her. Luce nodded. “I think that is unfair. Someone should have told me the rules; however, I will deal with that.” Arturo raised his eyebrows at her and it was clear that he wanted to ask her how she was going to deal with it but instead asked her, “had you known, would you have let him die Luce?” She had feared him asking her that question. “No. I’d have done it anyway.” She whispered. At that moment, there was another knock at the door. Arturo continued to look at her as he called out. “Come in.”
Alex strode into the room not expecting to see Luce. He grinned at her and Arturo. “This is a pleasant surprise.” He told her. “Not for long.” She said quietly under her breath. Had either of them been human, they would not have heard her. Arturo cleared his throat as he indicated the other chair for Alex to take. “Luce has reminded me that there are things she must do that conflict with Vampire Law and concessions need to be made. I will ask Valentina to school Luce in our ways. In the meantime, I am authorising her to take whatever she needs to in order to do her job as she see fit. She is except under the law. So, there is no mistake.” Luce smiled at him. Alex wondered what she was up to. “That does not cover what has already occurred.” He reminded his friend. “No I’ve explained that to Luce.” Alex smiled.
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Luce took a deep breath. “Arturo with your permission, I’d like to address Alex if I may.” So formal thought Luce. I can do formal. Arturo frowned at her. Alex looked amused. Not for long buddy she thought. “Of course.” Arturo told her. Show time. Luce turned fully to Alex. “I am glad that you were not killed last night. I would do it again to save someone’s life. However, I choose, under Vampire Law and by Arturo’s word to be my own person and act as I need to in order to do my job. I decline your patronage Alex and relinquish all rights and privileges to remain with House Arturo. But thank you for the offer.” She told him grinning. She watched as the realisation crossed his face and he turned to Arturo. “Don’t look at me I didn’t tell her.”
“No he didn’t and I’m not happy about being in the dark about all this. It is unfair to the humans who work for you to not have full disclosure.” She told them both annoyed. Alex turned back to her. “Alright. You get a free pass. But allow me to help with the security and protection and keep the apartment.” He told her. Luce raised her eyebrows. “So you can keep tabs on me?” She questioned. “No, so I know your safe.” Luce frowned. Why did he need to know she was safe? “I also would like to set Luce up with her own team to run all our systems and communications and electronic safeguards and software. I think this would be good for us Arturo.” She looked at him open mouthed. Had he just said that? “Luce, you in agreement with that?” Luce turned to look at Arturo. “I’d have to ask them.” He nodded back at her. “Ask. That it?” She nodded. “Ok thank you Luce.” Getting up she gave a passing glance to Alex and opened the door and left.
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