by Sable Hunter
“You’d rather have me than the money. Right?”
The droid’s hope and concern touched Alivia’s heart. “Absolutely. You’re my friend, Savvy.” As she said the words, their truth hit her pretty hard. She had just two friends, Violet, and this pile of circuits standing in front of her. Pushing aside the disturbing revelation, she pursued the topic at hand. “Did you get pictures of this late-night scavenger?”
“I did. I’ll run them through a photo recognition program and see if I can get any matches on the net.”
“Good idea, let me finish my ride. I need to go to the office for a while.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
With the Peloton’s wheel spinning as fast as the thoughts in her head, she moved to the front of the group she was riding with quickly, then switched her screen over to the morning news. As soon as she read the headline on the Austin Statesman’s lead story, her foot slipped off the pedal, and she gasped in horrified shock. She looked twice to make sure she was reading it correctly.
“Beauty queen, Mindy Nixon, found dead.”
Alivia’s legs stopped pumping. She’d lose her lead, but she didn’t care. Pulling up the entire article, she read it through quickly. The words devastated her. She wouldn’t exactly call her a friend, but Alivia knew Mindy Nixon’s family. She’d worked with her father on a few projects and always enjoyed their collaborations. “Oh, how horrible for you, Bill.” The details of the investigation were still murky, but the statement from the police stated that Mindy had been found strangled in her car.
The murder disturbed Alivia greatly, and even though she pedaled for another half hour, easily making up the ground she’d lost and finished first, the death of a person she knew just wouldn’t leave Alivia’s steel trap of a brain. Placing a call to Violet, she asked her assistant to reschedule her meetings for the day. “I just don’t feel like coming in.”
“Met some hunk at the convention yesterday, huh?”
Alivia felt a ribbon of unease run down her spine at her friend’s words. “That’s not it. I just learned Mindy Nixon was killed.”
“I’m sorry, Alivia. I was just teasing. I feel like an ass, I read the article this morning, and I remembered she was your friend. I’m so sorry.”
“I didn’t know her well; I worked with her father a few times. I just can’t imagine what he’s going through,” Alivia murmured, stepping from the bike and grabbing a towel from off the back of a chair. “I know there’ll be an investigation and an autopsy, but keep watch online and on TV for any news. If you see details about funeral arrangements, let me know. I want to send flowers and a note to her parents.”
“Will do, I’ll handle everything here.”
“Thanks. I have plenty to work on at home, so I won’t be completely unproductive. I just don’t feel like seeing anyone.” In truth, the office was just a storefront, and Violet was a glorified receptionist. Most of Alivia’s work was done on her home system. All she needed to function was a computer and her brain.
“Just take care of yourself, you’re important, you know.”
Sometimes Alivia felt worthwhile, and other times she felt like she was just taking up space. Her work was important and would live on, but she – Alivia herself – was nothing special. Didn’t Saxon’s actions give credence to her fears? “I’ll be fine. I’ll keep busy.” She might’ve been able to lie to Violet, but Alivia couldn’t lie to herself. The news of Mindy’s death was jarring, but it was the situation with Saxon that really got to her. “Saxon,” she said with a hint of disdain in her voice. “What a stupid name. Almost as stupid as Clark.” Her former friend/lover was certainly no Superman.
She was just about to head to her office when her stomach let out an audible growl. “All right, I hear you.” After delving in the fridge, she moved to the granite island in her French Country kitchen to remove the plastic wrap from a cheese tray she’d received from a client a few days before.
After making herself a plate, Alivia retreated to the living room and plopped down on her plush white couch. Propping her bare feet on the marble coffee table in front of her, she placed a slice of Gouda onto a Ritz cracker and pushed it into her mouth. “God, this is good.” Alivia sighed when she took her first bite. Alivia Hart had two weaknesses in life, and both were dairy based. She’d raid her freezer almost every night, needing at least one taste of ice cream, then race to burn the calories off on her stationary bike before bed. But as much as she loved ice cream when she was really upset, cheese was her kryptonite.
“Oh, I needed this,” she murmured as her taste buds fired at the creaminess of the cheese melting on her tongue, and for a micro-moment, the same quip came to mind as it had the other day about the ice cream. Was this better than sex? As she remembered what it felt like to be with Saxon, her nipples swelled, and heat rushed to her core. “No, it’s not better, dammit!” She made herself another Gouda/Ritz cracker and chomped on it with vicious intent. “Get a grip, Hart. Not gonna happen again.” He’d seen to that. This time it was a chunk of goat cheese rolled in tangy spices that disappeared down her throat. “Saxon probably isn’t even his real name.”
After eating and stewing over the matter for another quarter hour, Alivia attempted to work the cheese off with another round at the stationary bike. She tried to do some work, going over the details of a project proposal in her head, but she couldn’t keep her mind off Saxon. His face and voice haunted her; she kept rehearsing all the things she’d say to the man if she ever saw him again. “Screw this,” she finally said, toweling off after her ride.
“Why can’t I stop thinking about you?” Finding her phone in the pocket of her jacket, Alivia pulled up the selfie she’d snapped of herself and Saxon at dinner. Looking at it did little to make her feel better. He was smiling in the shot and looking just as handsome as she remembered. Alivia tried to look away from the photo but found herself staring, wishing she could feel his lips on hers just one more time. After glaring a hole in her phone, an urge to know more overwhelmed her. “Let’s just find out who you are,” she murmured to the grinning man in the picture.
As she fetched a laptop, Alivia once more tried to reconcile the turmoil she was feeling. Sure, she’d decided to sleep with Saxon last night, taking the initiative to leave the convention center for a drink. This act alone was so unlike her. One-night stands existed only in her fantasies. In those daydreams, she was the one who walked out after the torrid liaison, not the man. She’d kept her guard up around men ever since the fiasco with Clark. Last night, to her surprise, things seemed different with Saxon. “Idiot,” she chastised herself.
Cropping the picture, she isolated Saxon’s face and ran it through a Google search. When the results popped up, the first few photos were of his Supernatural doppelganger. “You’re a hero, shame this other guy isn’t.” Scanning on down, she clicked on a picture of the man she knew only as Saxon. “Aha!” she announced triumphantly, “I found you!”
She went to the page linked to the picture and couldn’t believe her eyes. “You have got to be kidding me.” Reading aloud, she was in disbelief. “Saxon Willian Abbott is the brains behind Saxon’s Conquest, a role-playing game with a vast indie following.” Alivia pushed back from the desk in front of her and spun around in her chair. “That narcissistic, vain, egomaniacal jerk!”
He was the creator of Saxon’s Conquest?
“Oh, I love Saxon’s Conquest,” she mimicked the way she’d spoken while they chatted about the game at the convention. “Oh, my God!” Alivia was torn between anger and a growing attraction. To think the video game she loved so well came from the brain of the man who’d given her three fantastic orgasms just took the cake. She’d fallen in love with the damn game from the moment she’d first played it. The world Saxon created was rich and involved, more than just a standard role-playing fantasy game. “Who are you, Saxon Abbott?” Her curiosity was aroused, and she was determined to find out everything about him she could.
* * *
&n
bsp; Glancing up at the air vent, Saxon pulled his hoodie tighter around him. He’d get up and raise the temp, but he didn’t have the energy. Feeling sluggish and lethargic, he stared blindly at the screen in front of him. No matter how many times he worked a case with the Equalizers, finding a victim dead never got any easier. Each member of the team dealt with the tragedy in their own way, and Saxon found himself sitting at his computer bank like a zombie, trying to come to terms with the seemingly senseless loss of life. As he looked at the monitor across from him, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to Olivia.
Thinking of something so self-indulgent at a time like this seemed a little wrong, but Olivia had left her mark on him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Saxon felt a sense of loss knowing she’d decided not to get in touch with him. In his head, he could hear Micah’s teasing voice. Give it up, Sax. She didn’t call because you’re just not that good in bed.
Similar thoughts had run through his head once or twice, but Saxon dismissed them. Hell, just the memory of her kiss could launch a thousand boners. She was amazing. He’d given her pleasure, and God knows, she’d turned his world upside down – and not just in bed. Mind you, the sex had been toe-curling, but Saxon felt a connection with her he’d never felt with anyone before. The woman had seduced his mind, not just his body. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop checking his phone every ten minutes to see if she’d called. He didn’t know why, but he felt talking to Olivia right now would make him feel better.
His phone came to life right after he’d checked it, but when Saxon looked down at it, he was sad to see it was just Destry calling. “Hey.”
“Jesus. Don’t sound so glad to hear from me,” Destry muttered on the other end of the line.
“Usually it’s Kyle who calls to check on me.”
“You don’t miss a thing do you, partner?” There was a pause where neither spoke. “Our fearless leader has been swamped lately, as you probably know. He didn’t forget about you; he merely asked me to follow up with you this time. How you doin’?”
“Does this mean you’re taking over the dad role in the group?”
Saxon could hear the noise in the background, Destry was never alone, he was always at some meeting or function.
“Dad role? Ha! You know I’d be lousy at the job. I’ve got too much to do already. I wouldn’t have time to powder all your asses.”
Saxon laughed at the remark, but here Destry was, checking on him just the same. “I can hear a lot of background noise. Where are you?”
Destry chuckled. “I’m heading into a meeting debating Austin’s sanctuary city status and the state’s need for a border wall.”
“Ouch.” Saxon interpreted Destry’s dry delivery of that bit of news. He understood the tightrope Kyle and his group had to walk with the current administration in Washington. “I don’t envy you.”
“Yea, I’d rather be playing video games with you, believe it or not.”
Saxon laughed. Destry hated video games. “Why don’t you come by later?” Saxon smiled, thinking he’d be grateful for the distraction.
“Sorry, I have plans.”
“What kind of plans?” He logged into Saxon’s Conquest while Destry told him about the black-tie dinner he was attending that night.
“I’m fucking exhausted,” Destry moaned, “but I can’t miss this benefit for Seton Hospital, it’s too important to Victoria.”
Saxon considered asking who Victoria was, but he didn’t want to bring up the topic of women if he could help it. “Well, I’ll be thinking of you, I know those events can be boring.”
“They can be, but they’re necessary, I suppose. Don’t forget, Micah and Madison are hosting a fundraiser for Angel House soon.”
“How could I forget? Micah is constantly up my ass to invite people to come and donate.”
“Angel House is important to both him and his wife.”
Saxon felt like a heel. He should take things like this more seriously. “I know it is. I’ll get on the horn this week and start trying to wrangle up donors. Thanks for checking in on me, Des. Tell Thunderbird I’m okay. Talk to you later.”
“Wait!” Destry shouted right as Saxon was about to hang up the phone. “You there?”
“Yeah, I’m still here.”
“I almost forgot. Kyle called a meeting at headquarters, tomorrow night.”
“Another case?”
“He didn’t say. Just asked me to pass the word along. I’ve got to go, Sax. If you’re half as tired as I am, I suggest you take it easy. Go out. Have a good time, do something fun.”
Destry was gone before Saxon could say goodbye. “Fun, right.” He laid down the phone and returned his attention to the game. This was one place where he had a little control. If he didn’t like the way things were going, he’d just rewrite the program and change them. “I wish real life was half as easy.” If it were, he wouldn’t be worrying about Olivia – she’d be right here with him.
* * *
Jet and Saxon arrived at Equalizer headquarters at the same time for Kyle’s mystery meeting.
“You look like shit.”
Saxon looked at his muscled-up friend from underneath his umbrella. “Thanks. You realize you’re no beauty either, beast.”
“Sami thinks I’m cute, that’s all that matters to me.” The rain had been falling on and off all day, but the threat of getting wet hadn’t stopped Jet from riding his Harley to the meeting and his rain-soaked boots squished and slurped as they walked into the building side by side.
“Whatever,” he grumbled as he walked by Micah and Tyson waiting in the front hallway, discussing something Saxon didn’t care to inquire about.
“Jesus,” Micah said when he saw Saxon’s face. “You look terrible.”
Saxon flapped his umbrella a few times, splashing Micah before closing it. “Good to see you too.”
He didn’t bother defending himself against the second time. Truth was, he probably did look terrible. Despite Destry’s advice about relaxing, Saxon had stayed up all night, lost in the world he’d created online. He’d explored the vast universe of Saxon’s Conquest, searching for glitches and problems with the game, making a laundry list of notes for things he wanted to change or address when he got the chance. When it came time to leave for this meeting, he’d stopped to eat and take a shower, but he hadn’t bothered to straighten his hair or put on anything fancy for the meeting. Saxon had been in a funk since the discovery of Mindy Nixon’s body, and it was evident to those around him. “What’s this about?” he asked anyone who was listening.
“I don’t have a clue, wish I did.” Micah stuffed his hands into his pockets and headed into the conference room.
As close as he’d been with both of them growing up, he knew Micah and Kyle were closer; they’d always had a special bond. So, when Micah admitted he didn’t know what was going on, Saxon began to feel uneasy.
When Kyle called the meeting, the time he told them to be there was eight. When the clock struck nine, and he was nowhere to be seen, the team began to get restless. Jet was the first one to speak up. “I’m sick of waiting. I need to get home to Sami,” he growled, rising, and slinging his leather coat back over his shoulder.
Micah rose from his seat on the couch to step in front of the big warrior. “Hang on. He called a meeting, and I’m sure Kyle will be here. You know he’s a busy guy. Have a seat.”
Micah wasn’t as thick as the man he stood in front of, but he held his ground when Jet’s menacing eyes glared at him.
“Don’t be putting that mean mug face on for me, hombre,” Micah bristled, not caring much for the way Jet was looking at him.
Tension in the room rose a few notches, but nobody intervened.
“Five more minutes,” Jet conceded finally. He respected Kyle, but he was reaching the limits of his patience. “This is horse shit.”
“He said he’d be here,” Micah fired back.
“No, he’s right.” Kyle came through the do
orway a moment later. “This is horse shit, and I apologize for keeping you guys waiting.” He waved at Micah as he took his coat off. “Have a seat.”
Micah took a seat at the big conference table across from Jet, and the duo gave each other the stink eye.
“I appreciate you all for coming here tonight.” Kyle draped his wet raincoat over the back of the chair at the head of the table. He unbuttoned his blazer and leaned on the edge of the table with his palms. “I want to start off by thanking you all for the work on the Mindy Nixon case the other night. I’m sorry it ended the way it did.” He looked right at Saxon. “We did our best. At this point, the police don’t have any suspects, but it’s early in the investigation, and I’ve been assured they’ll keep me in the loop, which means all of you will be too.”
Jet was still feeling impatient, and he spoke up before Kyle could proceed. “Why are we here?”
“Hey!” Micah barked. “He’s not done talking.” The look of anger was evident on his face.
Kyle came around and put a hand on his old friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Micah. I’ve kept you all waiting, and I apologize. In fact, my being late is exactly why I called this meeting. I haven’t been pulling my weight around here, and it’s unacceptable.”
“You’re the fucking Governor of Texas, Kyle,” Tyson said. “It’s understandable how busy you are.”
Thunderbird took a seat with the others and leaned forward, looking at the floor and remaining silent for a moment. “I am the governor, and my life has changed.” He looked up, letting his gaze move around the room to each of them. “As hard as this is to say, I’ve put a lot of thought into things, and I think I need to take a step back from the team.”
His words hit them all with the same force, and the air drained out of the room.
“Kyle…” Saxon said. “No. We need you. We wouldn’t be the Equalizers without you.”
Kyle looked across the table at one of his oldest friends. “I’m not deserting my squad. I just can’t be as involved as much as I need to be. It’s not fair to any of you. Me attending meetings via a monitor, giving orders from the comfort of my home, or on the road while you guys have boots on the ground doing the actual work – it’s not right.” The room was deafeningly silent. “Oh, come on now, it’s not like I’m dying or anything, I’ll still be a part of the team. I just need to back off, and let someone else take the reins for a while.”