“I saved a copy of everything except whatever had you in it. And because I’m awesome, I even made it look like an authentic system error in case someone saw my copy.” Josh twirled his bottle and the carbonation fizzed. “You can do the honors and get rid of these originals.”
“Thirty days of footage—”
“And thirty minutes of a crazy ending.”
She took a sip from the lukewarm beer and frowned. “Except it wasn’t a movie or TV show. Real people died.”
“I know.” Josh nodded solemnly and wrapped an arm Riley’s shoulder. “Are you gonna be okay?”
“I—” Her throat constricted and her eyes dampened. She blinked back the moisture and took a moment before speaking again. “I think so.”
The tears never came in full force, but her chest remained heavy. Since she’d received the notification on Christmas day of the cyber attacks and subsequent suspension of the database, she hadn’t had time to process all that had happened over the past few days. A year’s worth of reserve energy had somehow disappeared from Trusics and Niall Price was somehow connected to the theft. Her relationship with Amber came to an end, again. And the human had left town without a forwarding address. Their competitor, Clay & Dunbar was no longer, and both Dunbar brothers and many of the Truthseekers were dead.
With everything that had happened, she could only find comfort in that she wasn’t alone in her knowledge. Having the support of a friend like Josh was far more helpful than carrying the burden by herself.
“If you need anything, you tell me.” He tightened his arm around her. It was awkward, and their bodies didn’t naturally curl together, but Riley would take the comforting gesture. “I can find a shrink that’s won’t be connected to Trusics and we can set up something anonymous for you. Maybe webchat therapy … or phone therapy …”
“No. That won’t be necessary.” Riley pulled away from his shoulder and grabbed the hard drives from the table. Within a couple steps she had slid open the glass door to her back patio; aside from the bushes that lined the outer edges, the small backyard was mostly cement. She tossed the hard drives onto the ground and walked back inside.
“What are you doing?” Josh asked.
Riley moved with determination from the cabinet under the sink to the guest closet in the hall. “I’m looking for some things.” She opened a few boxes and found one of the items for which she was searching. “There you are,” she approved, pulling the claw hammer into view. She returned to the kitchen and opened a few more cabinet doors. “I should finish moving into this place,” she noted absently. “Get it properly organized.”
“Riley.” Josh stood from the couch and eyed the items in her arms. “What are you going to do with a hammer and a fire extinguisher?”
“And a screw driver … and matches,” she added. “Take these outside for me, will you?” She shoved the objects into Josh’s waiting arms. “I have to get one more thing.” She jogged to her guest room and grabbed two pairs of aviator sunglasses from her dresser before she headed to the yard.
“I would guess we’re having a barbeque, but the hammer and the hard drives don’t seem appetizing compared to patties and hot dogs.” His laugh was soft. “I can’t believe you have an expensive grill, and you’ve never touched it.”
“I know.” She tossed a pair of sunglasses at him. “I don’t have safety goggles. Put these on.”
She dropped to one knee in front of the two hard drives. Her hands worked fast to unscrew the metal casing to expose the mechanical entrails. “Mind if I go first?”
Josh shook his head and handed her the hammer. “Please. After you.”
Riley clutched the rubber grip at the handle and stared down at the reflective platter of the hardware below her. “Screw you guys.” She lifted the hammer and slammed it down with all her might.
The action was repeated until the parts began to crack and pieces flew across her yard. She cursed Sean, her work, and every feeling that she’d bottled up inside. She cursed immortality and relationships with expiration dates. The past six months had turned her world upside down, and she didn’t know if she was grateful for it or not.
“Here, your turn.” She flipped the hammer in her hand and offered the metal tool to her friend.
“I dunno if I have it in me.” He cleared his throat and mirrored Riley’s kneeling pose.
“Think of everything that has ever screwed you over.” Riley shrugged. “Might help.”
He took a feeble swing at the hard drive and Riley rolled her eyes.
“Who was the first girl that broke your heart?”
“Jessica Samson.” He frowned. “It was the fourth grade and she broke up with me on Valentine’s Day.” He took a harder swing, and it did more damage. “To top it off, she took the Valentine’s gift before she trampled my heart.” He took a few more swings. “What kind of girl does that?” he vented.
“Okay, maybe this was a bad idea.” Riley stilled his arm from another violent swing. “I don’t need you turning into an abusive guy.”
He shook his head. “I’m not mad at her, I’m mad at the little kid that sat back and cried in the middle of class.” Another swing came down on the hardware. “I’m angry at the people I work with who won’t take a second to learn what the heck my job title is. And I’m pissed because I’m lonely. I’ll live forever, and I’m now realizing it’s more of a punishment than a blessing.”
The two sat crouched in Riley’s backyard until the hard drives were demolished, rendered to nothing more than bite-size pieces of hardware and mangled metal. By the end, Riley swept the scattered pieces from around her yard to form a pile of electronic debris. She grabbed a metal bucket by the garden hose. The sticker price tag was still attached to the bottom of the bucket, which easily accommodated all the hardware bits.
“Do you want to light it?” Riley offered Josh the matchbook, but he declined with a stiff shake of his head. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I think you earned every bit of this pyro madness.”
She struck the match and tossed it into the bucket. “I’ll be right back.” A few minutes later Riley emerged from the apartment with an armful of old books and a stack of paper.
“Are those what I think they are?”
“Yes.” She threw in the old notes first, and the books followed into the mounting flames. It wasn’t like she needed them anymore; the Trusics textbooks were obsolete and a waste of space. All the information contained within was filtered through the eyes and beliefs of an organization that kept them sheltered. Riley didn’t burn her entire collection of company reading material, but a good portion of it turned into ashes that evening.
“You feel like grilling some real food?” Josh broke their silence.
Riley nodded at the idea. “Mind if I invite the others?”
Josh’s dopey grin appeared. “I think being around people sounds nice,” he confirmed.
Riley pulled out her phone and composed a group text message, inviting her closest friends to come over for dinner.
“Hey, Riles,” Josh began to extinguish the flames in the metal bucket. “What do we tell them?”
“Nothing right now.” Riley’s arms wrapped around her midsection. “They can’t lie if they don’t know the truth,” she said somberly, watching the dark, curling smoke snaking in the sky. “As for us, you and me, we go back to being obedient Trusics sheep. We go to work like nothing happened. We won’t stir the pot—not until we understand it better.”
• • •
January 2013
According to the calendar, winter was in full swing, but the weather in Los Angeles seemed to have lost the memo. Aside from a slight chill in the air, the weather was perfect with the temperature in the low seventies. For the most part, the morning brunch was quiet and everyone present seemed content sipping on warm coffee.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” said James. The usual glow in his face was absent and Heather patted his hand before she rested her head on his
shoulder. She wove their fingers together and squeezed his palm. The affectionate gesture made him smile and bring her knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss.
“That bastard.” The harshness in Seven’s words didn’t carry through in tone. He huffed and folded his arms across his chest. “I still can’t believe the bloke ditched us for a desk job.”
“Took a while for you boys to process this didn’t it?” Heather sat up straight in her seat and brought her coffee mug to her lips.
Riley shared a smile. Unlike the boys, she’d stayed happy for Aaron. He still worked for the LA branch, but with his new administrative responsibilities, he couldn’t drop everything and come to brunch on weekdays. It was the beginning of a new year and she knew that they’d slowly readjust to his conspicuous absence.
“Well, I for one am glad Riley came to her senses and turned down the managerial position,” Heather noted.
“Yeah, even if they did make you give back that gorgeous car,” Madison added with a frown. Her eyes crossed momentarily as she focused on the straw in her iced coffee drink.
“I’d rather have you guys over a car any day,” Riley supplied with an easy smile. “Now, I’ll have to buy a new one.”
“Really?” Heather narrowed her eyes.
“Nope.” A dimpled smile settled on Riley’s face. “I’ll fix my old one.”
Seven stroked his smooth chin thoughtfully. “For the right wheels, I might sacrifice you all to Lilith.” His hands immediately went to protect his ribs from Heather.
“Anyone feel like a Vegas weekend?” Madison looked up from her cup of ice. A few drops of coffee remained in her chilled plastic cup, and she looked desperate for them. “I know we just had a mandatory vacation, but I think we deserve it.”
“Maddie, that’s the most rid—” Seven paused his own words. “Actually, that’s quite brilliant. I think you might be onto something.”
“So, is this a yes from everyone?” Madison’s eyes scanned her friends. When no one objected, she squealed in excitement. “This will be so fun.”
Riley laughed as she watched Madison practically vibrate in her seat. She enjoyed seeing her friend’s face light up, and the idea did sound like a good way to divert her attention from the events of the past few months, and especially the recent weeks. A few days away from Los Angeles to recoup might be exactly what she needed, and if it was a simple weekend trip, they could all rearrange their schedules to make things work.
She was about to joke that Madison should pay for the trip since it was her plan, but the vibration from her phone stopped her. The flat device clattered against the metal tabletop.
Four other sets of eyes went to her phone before they checked their own devices. She knew what they were afraid of because she dreaded the same thing. The idea of another company-wide text reporting doom and gloom made her want to slam her head against a wall. Everything had returned to business as usual once the websites had gone back online with no further mention of the Truthseekers or their former competition.
Riley checked the message. “It’s for me, relax,” she announced. The table released a collective sigh, and Madison began listing all the things she wanted to do on their trip. Her exuberant voice faded in the background as Riley read over the new text message.
I’m tempted to toss the amulets in the trash. Give me a good reason not to.
“Morgan,” Riley whispered to herself. She hadn’t heard from the other woman in weeks, but that didn’t mean she was ever far from her waking thoughts. She swallowed the lump in her throat. The thudding of her heart was threatening to break through her chest.
“I think you guys will be going to Las Vegas without me.” Riley sat up straighter in her chair and began to gather her things. “I have other plans.”
Madison looked disappointed by the news, but she waved at her friend and continued to babble excitedly about the possibilities for the weekend away. It could have been the wariness from work and Aaron no longer being a part of the group, but the table didn’t question her sudden change in plans. Riley bid her friends a hasty goodbye and exited out the side gate.
She stood on the sidewalk adjacent to their breakfast spot with her phone in hand. Morgan’s message stared back at her as she contemplated her response. Occupied by which words to string together, Riley felt a firm hand grab her elbow. She was forcefully spun around and found Heather staring back at her.
“Are you bailing on us because of Amber? Did your hot little human just sext you?” Heather looked about ready to rattle off a list of insults or curse in her native tongue. “Need I—”
Riley shook her head and kept her eyes away from Heather’s heated gaze.
“Is it that mark?”
The reference to Morgan caught Riley by surprise. She lifted her head and helplessly regarded her friend, not knowing what to say.
Heather canted her hips, and her hands rested on each side. She was clearly waiting for an answer, and when Riley didn’t offer up a response, her dark eyes narrowed. “Is this why you’ve been acting weird these last few months?”
Riley remained silent.
“You told me you’d get rid of her.” Heather frowned and looked ready to burst into a violent outburst. Instead of a hit or a shove, she groaned in frustration. “I knew it. I had a nagging feeling you didn’t get rid of that mark.”
Riley understood Heather’s moods, probably better than even James. Not wanting her to explode into a long-winded rant that would attract the attention of passers-by, and not wanting to be physically attacked, Riley pulled her into a crushing hug.
“You have to trust me on this, H,” Riley whispered into her ear. “She may be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“It’s a dream. A fantasized version of us and them.” Riley could feel Heather’s body relent to the embrace. “This girl is a mark, Riley. We don’t do marks.”
“She’s not ‘some mark,’” Riley rebuffed.
“You could have anyone; you have over a billion choices to pick from,” she shot back, but the bite in her tone had lessened. “Hell, even Amber seems to be a better choice.”
“I—She—” Riley took a moment to gather her thoughts. Her hands tightened on Heather’s hips. “I have a billion picks that aren’t Morgan.”
Heather puffed out a breath. “So. It has a name …”
The long embrace was drawing the attention of a few people, but Riley could handle a crowd that was curious about a public display of affection compared to those watching a fight.
“Do you understand how much trouble you can get into for this?” Heather sighed and pulled away from the restrictive hug. “It’s common sense throughout the community. Humans can’t meet us after they’ve seen us in dreams.”
“It’s hard to explain.”
Riley didn’t know how to share Morgan’s unique situation without invoking Heather’s continued ire, nor did she know how to express her feelings. All she knew was that she felt something—something intense, and real, and honest. Unlike another human partner, she would never have to hide who she was with Morgan. And despite their tumultuous beginnings in the realm, Morgan accepted her for who she was, without pretense. It gave Riley hope for the future that she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“What if it had been you and James in my situation?” she tried. “Wouldn’t the risk and consequences have been worth it to be with him?”
Heather didn’t respond, and Riley knew why. She had heard their love story a hundred times, of how Heather had met James in the realm decades before they’d started dating. James had been human then, and it wasn’t until they’d crossed paths at Trusics that they started to date.
“Are you sure Morgan’s worth it?” Heather whispered.
Riley nodded and beamed so wide and so broad that it made Heather laugh. The goofy smile, like much of Riley’s waking world personality would make most people question her abilities as a successful seductress.
“Then go get your slice of happiness,” He
ather approved. “Because you deserve that.”
Riley wrapped her friend in one last parting embrace. She reasoned that Heather was being tolerant of her affectionate gestures due to their lack of girls’ nights in the past months. That, and it felt good to be hugged.
Heather sighed into her friend’s shoulder, defeated. “But if you come back anything less than happy,” she warned, “I will break that girl’s neck and get rid of the evidence.” The threat wasn’t serious, but out of all of Riley’s friends, Heather was more action than talk.
“You know, you’re the best.” Riley pulled back from the hug. “Too bad James snatched you up before I had the chance.” She playfully waggled her eyebrows and received a firm shove to her shoulder.
“Go. You’re such a damn dork.” Heather laughed. “Hurry, before I change my mind and hogtie you.”
“Hmm.” Riley took a few steps backwards. A grin spread on her face from ear to ear. “Honey, I’m from Texas. If anyone’s gonna handle ropes, it’ll be me. But you already know that.” She winked.
Heather shook her head and restrained a smile.
When she was out of sight, Riley pulled out her phone and called her neighborhood tech hero.
“What’s up?” Josh chirped.
“How hard would it be to find me an address?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Riley stared out the rear passenger side window. It had begun to rain and the silence of the taxi ride was punctuated by the mechanical swishing sound of wipers across the windshield. The mild winter weather had followed her from California to the Midwest. She had expected to see mountains of snow when she’d disembarked her plane, but was met instead with mud and concrete. She wiped her palms on her thighs. With all of their influence and technology contacts, she was mildly annoyed that Trusics had yet to invent a way to cross time and space in real life the same way she could flash in and out of the dream realm. She could have used her watch to launch herself into a dream and back out into the waking world, but she didn’t know any place near her destination well enough for that to have been a viable option. The airplane ride out of Los Angeles had been long enough, and now the cab trip from the airport to her eventual destination had heightened her anxiety.
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