I sighed. “You can’t. But if you let me bring Saint Memphis inside, he’ll explain it to you.”
“Memphis?” she gasped.
“He’s Troy’s son. And he’s working to help expose his father for everything he’s done. He wants to help. But we need you on our side to do it,” I said earnestly.
She wet her lips, glancing from the box to me as she considered it. “Bring him inside. Just him. I need to refrigerate these.”
She moved to walk away and I caught her arm as my pulse thundered in my ears. “They’re the most valuable thing in the world right now. I don’t give them to you lightly, do you understand? You will protect them.”
Her eyes widened and she nodded, seeming to grasp the seriousness of this situation at last. “I will. I promise.” She went to walk away again but I didn’t let her go.
“I’m going to need you to give me your phone,” I said softly, but there was an undercurrent of threat to my voice. “We need to trust you too.”
She hesitated, eyeing my hand on her arm before nodding and taking it from her dressing gown pocket. I took the phone and let her go, turning back to the door and opening it.
“Saint, come in here,” I called, and he stepped away from the group who all stiffened sharply.
“What’s going on?” Kyan growled.
“She wants to hear the truth,” I said. “And you’re all pretty fucking scary so you can’t all come in.”
Kyan shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking uneasy as he glanced at Blake and Monroe. Saint muttered something to them then picked up the travel bag and walked across the lawn, moving to the door where I let him inside.
He gazed around the small hallway with a wrinkle of distaste in his nose. He was such a freaking snob sometimes. Scrap that - all times. I elbowed him in the gut just as the doctor returned and she moved closer to the shotgun on the table, but thankfully didn’t pick it up again. I was almost certain Saint had a gun stashed under his coat, but I hoped she wasn’t going to make him use it.
“You’re the Governor’s son?” she asked, her eyes roaming over his features.
“I am,” he replied then opened the travel bag and took out a folder of documents. “And I am going to need you to sign an NDA before we have our next conversation, Martina. Is there somewhere more formal we could talk?” He gazed around in disdain at her small home and I pursed my lips at his expression.
“Yes, come through to the lounge.” She turned her back on us cautiously and led us into a cosy lounge with furry throws on the couch and mismatching rugs and curtains. She offered us a seat at the small dining table by the window and cleared her throat. “Would you like a drink, a coffee perhaps?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” Saint said curtly.
“I’m fine, thanks,” I said, and Martina sat down opposite us.
Saint opened his folder, placing various documents neatly beside it before pushing an NDA across the surface towards her with a pen. She read through it before signing her name at the bottom and gazing questioningly at Saint as she waited for him to go on. He explained how his father had held me captive and how the newly procured vaccine had ended up in our hands, leaving out the trail of blood my boys had left in their wake. Then he went into detail about the vaccine itself and I got lost in a sea of science talk which I only managed to follow thanks to my dad’s job.
When he was done, he placed another contract under Martina’s nose. “You will become my employee effective as of the moment you sign this contract. You will be well compensated for your role in creating the vaccine and your laboratory will have any and every item of equipment you need, including the expansion of your facilities when necessary. Rivers Laboratories will be the most famous pharmaceutical company in the world once the job is done-”
“Rivers?” I blurted.
“Like the terrorist who started all of this?” Martina gasped and I bristled. We’d left out that piece of information in what we’d told her because it was pretty hard to convince people of his innocence when we hadn’t yet exposed the truth to the world.
“He was framed,” Saint said simply. “And that will become clear in time. But for now, you must go on our word.”
Martina nodded slowly, seeming shocked by all this information and I guessed it was a serious headfuck at four in the morning. “Okay,” she breathed. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Yes.” Saint straightened in his seat. “Just yesterday, I selected which of your staff will remain working for you and which will not after completing background checks on each of them. As of this morning, those who had any discrepancies will be notified of their employment termination. I have also recruited several competent and trustworthy staff to your laboratory too, including a security team who will be stationed there twenty-four hours a day. Once you have replicated the vaccine and have enough ready for distribution, they will be rolled out at a capped, low cost to hospital staff and we will start vaccinating children and healthcare staff first. I will take charge of the details, simply contact me when you are ready with the first batch.”
She nodded, her face a little pale as the weight of this task rested on her shoulders, but she definitely seemed up to it. “Okay, I can do that.”
“You can contact me through the number at the top of the contract.” He pointed it out. “And you will refer to me as Mr Sequoia whenever we speak.”
“Alright,” she agreed.
“And finally,” Saint’s voice dropped an octave, raising the hairs along the back of my neck. “If you break the terms laid out in this contract, including revealing any knowledge of the vaccine without my say so, or attempt to sell on the information or the vaccine itself, I will ruin you.” He brought something up on his phone and passed it to her with some photo on it I didn’t get a chance to look at properly.
“This isn’t me!” she gasped, her eyes wide with horror. “I’d never touch a child!“
Holy shit.
“I am well aware you would never do this,” Saint said calmly, casually tucking his phone away again. “But these images have been put together by one of the best photograph manipulators in the state. And I have far more evidence than this. I have mothers willing to come forward and testify if necessary.”
“You can’t, I wouldn’t. No one would believe this!” Martina said in horror, clearly on the verge of tears with how much the mere thought of doing such a thing horrified her. A pang of guilt filled me, but I knew this was Saint’s way of ensuring this information never got out.
“Oh, I assure you they would. I will pay the finest lawyers in the country to ensure it,” he said simply, and Martina gaped at him.
“You don’t need to threaten me,” she said, her lower lip quivering. “I already agreed.”
“Yes, but the threat is there just in case you ever decide to dance with the Devil.” Saint smirked and she nodded, seeming to accept that though she was obviously shaken.
“Mr Memphis, I do not appreciate you coming into my home and coercing me like this. However, I do understand the magnitude of what you’re laying at my door. If you think I would sell the vaccine for profit, then you have greatly misjudged my character.”
“I don’t think you would,” Saint said with a shrug. “But if my father taught me anything of value, it was to cover my back even when it appears to be shielded by ten inches of iron. So…” He tapped the contract in front of Martina while I gazed at him, soaking in his power with a little flutter in my stomach. Shit, he was so hot right now.
“Do we have a deal?” he asked and Martina gazed down at the contract, her eyes widening again. I was surprised they hadn’t popped right out of her head already with how many bombshells we’d set off in her face tonight.
“You’re going to pay me five million a year?” she gasped. “This is too much.”
“You are officially the most important scientist in the country, Martina,” Saint said calmly, steepling his fingers together on the table while I blushed o
ver my tyrannical madman. “You are worth every penny and more. There will be perks too and your staff will be well compensated. Pick any house within a five mile radius of your lab and it’s yours.”
“But I like my home,” Martina said, glancing around the place and Saint frowned at the higgle-piggle of white cat ornaments on her mantlepiece.
“Why?” he muttered, and I jabbed him in the ribs with my finger.
“I like this place too,” I said with a smile.
Saint looked confused while Martina quirked a grin at me.
A white cat suddenly jumped onto Saint’s lap and I expected him to flip the fuck out, but instead his features softened and he stroked its head, making it purr loudly.
“Of course you’re a cat person,” I said in realisation.
“Cats know their own minds and have no toleration for ninety nine percent of the human population. Of course I feel a kinship to them,” he said then looked to Martina who was reading through the contract. “What’s his name?”
“Artemis,” she replied. “Arty for short.”
“Hello Arty.” I tickled his chin and he nuzzled into my hand.
“I despise a nickname,” Saint muttered then stroked his hand down the length of the cat’s back. “You don’t want to be nicknamed, do you Artemis?” His voice softened a little and my smile grew.
“Oh my god, was that Saint Memphis’s baby talk?”
“I do not do baby talk,” he said stiffly as the cat jumped down.
“You just did,” I whispered excitedly, and he casually took a pocket-sized lint roller from his coat and ran it over the white hairs left on his clothes.
“You did not just do that,” I laughed as he tucked the roller away with a shrug.
“Okay, this all seems very generous,” Martina said then signed her name on the contract and passed it back to Saint with hope and fear dancing in her eyes.
“Thank you for this,” I told her, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “It means everything.”
She smiled, still seeming a little cautious but her eyes said she really did believe all we’d told her. And I felt in my heart that she was going to be the one to save the world.
***
I crashed out with Blake and Nash back at the house while Saint and Kyan went off to explain where we’d been to Liam. I had no idea what they were gonna say, but I was sure Saint had planned out some whole bullshit story which was infallible. Curiosity got the better of me though so I shot them a message through the private chatroom.
Tigress:
Good morning *kiss emoji*. How did you explain away last night, Squid?
Scorpion:
Good morning, Tigress. I see you’re hankering for a punishment already today.
Tigress:
I don’t know what you mean *angel emoji*
Koala:
He prefers when we use his full title, baby. Lord Squidington.
I snorted a laugh, typing out my reply, able to picture Saint’s furious expression perfectly.
Tigress:
Ah yes, Lord Tentaculus Squidington. Forgive me, my Lord.
Scorpion:
We are quite amusing this morning, aren’t we?
Koala:
Holy fuck did you just use the royal ‘we’? That’s got me feeling all kinds of *octopus emoji*
Tigress:
We shall be most unamused when our fine Lord Squidington takes payment out of our rations.
Squid:
Oh, it shall not come out of your rations, it shall come out of your flesh.
Koala:
Check yo user name bro *squid emoji*
*Squid has left the chatroom*
Tigress:
Hahahaha how did you do that??
Koala:
In the account settings. LOL. He’ll never be Scorpion again.
Tigress:
You played him diiiiirty.
Koala:
That’s the only way I play and you know it *wink emoji*
Tigress:
Hm, I don’t think I know it well enough. Come and prove it once you’re done talking to your grandpa.
Koala:
I cannnnnnn’t *angry face emoji*. He wants to take me up to pride rock and show me the lay of the land like Mufasa did to Simba. If I don’t blow my brains out from boredom, I’ll come eat you out later.
Tigress:
This message is to confirm your dinner reservations at Pussy de la Wife. Please don’t arrive late or your table may be given to one of the three hot guys on the waiting list.
Koala:
God I fucking love you. And I won’t be late, I’ll be there to eat you out of house and home. But be warned, I won’t be tipping the waitress Baboon because she stuck a finger in my cherry pie last time without asking. Filthy bitch.
Tigress:
Hahaha. Maybe I like watching when she diddles your pie though. Love you too, hubs. What did Squid say to explain away last night?
Koala:
He said something about a sick relative, I kinda tuned out while he went overkill on the acting. Squid’s gonna head back to you guys in a sec so watch out if you don’t want your ass spanked red. I’m waiting for G-pa while he washes his balls in liquified diamonds or whatever the fuck it is he does to prepare for mentoring me.
Side note: the only one I want diddling my *pie emoji* is you.
Tigress:
Okay, I’ll diddle you later. Miss you. Xxxx (give two of these kisses to Squid)
Koala:
I did. He punched me in the nuts. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (don’t give any of these away, they’re all for you) *squid emoji*
I grinned stupidly as I put my phone on the nightstand and slipped out of bed, kicking my feet into some slippers and disturbing Blake. He crawled out after me like a hungry animal, nipping at the flesh of my neck as he followed me to the door. He was forever kissing my tattoo and licking it, running his hands over it while he pinned me down and had his way with me. I swear he loved it even more than I did. His skin was hot against my back through his shirt which he’d given me to sleep in and the bulge in his boxers pressed to my ass as his mouth worked up to my ear.
“I never get you to myself anymore,” he growled.
“Shh,” I giggled softly as Monroe rolled over in the bed.
I captured Blake’s hand, tugging him out the door into the brightly lit hallway.
“Let’s go somewhere no one will find us, Cinders,” he purred, pushing me back against the wall and pinning my hands to my sides. A gasp escaped me as he raked his teeth down to my collar bone and crushed his huge body to mine.
“Why are you keeping me here if you wanna go somewhere else?” I teased breathily.
“Because I couldn’t live another second without getting my mouth on you again,” he said, his tone making my heart thrash.
“I’ve got a game for you, golden boy,” I purred, twisting my fingers into his ebony hair and yanking his head back to make him look at me. “I know how much you like to win.”
“What’s the game?” he growled, his eyes sparking with excitement as he grew harder against my thigh.
“You have to count to one hundred and I’m going to hide somewhere in this big house. If you find me, I’ll let you do anything you want with me.”
“How long do I have to find you?” he asked, his voice tight and full of desire.
“Hmm, does twenty minutes seem fair?” I asked and he nodded, letting me go a little reluctantly, but his hunger for the win was clear. “Oh and, Bowman?” I said lightly as I backed away up the hall.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“If you don’t find me in time, you have to watch me get off without you.” I turned and ran away down the corridor with a laugh as he started counting out loud.
I took a stairway down to the ground floor and sprinted through the empty corridors. I probably should’ve put some pants on, but it was too late now and Blake’s t-shirt was like a dress on me anyway.
I turned a corner
and ran right into someone, stumbling back as I hit their hard body. Saint’s hand snapped out to capture my wrist and his eyebrows arched.
“Is something wrong?” he demanded and I bit my lip.
“No…” I glanced over my shoulder. “I’ve gotta go. I’m playing a game with Blake.”
“What kind of game?” he asked curiously, reeling me closer.
“A sexy game,” I said with a laugh. “If he finds me, he wins me,” I whispered in case anyone was close by.
Saint wet his lips, deliberating something. “You’ve been a bad girl this morning.”
“And?” I grinned.
“And…” he growled quietly, his grip tightening on my arm as he pulled me even closer. “That deserves a punishment. But perhaps I’ll let you off if you tell me what the squid emoji means.”
“I can’t do that, Lord Squidington. I’ll die first,” I said with a smirk and his eyes glinted sinisterly.
“Then you shall pay the price.”
My breath snagged in my throat and I glanced back over my shoulder again as adrenaline beat a path through my limbs. “But I need to hide.”
He nodded stiffly. “How long do you have?”
“He has to find me within twenty minutes, or he loses,” I said.
“Well then, let’s make the King of Competition work hard for his victory.” He towed me along, walking back the way he’d come at a brisk pace.
“I was thinking of going to that big drawing room we found the other day,” I said.
“No,” Saint said. “We will go somewhere unpredictable.”
“I mean, I’m not totally against him finding me,” I said with a low laugh and Saint tossed me a dark smirk.
“Unfortunately for Blake, I just entered the game. And I will be the one to hide you, keep you, and punish you until he arrives.” He dragged me along and my heart beat wildly, but I wasn’t going to have my game hijacked.
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