He lowered his voice. ‘Everyone is going to try to move in on you now that we’re a thing.’
My eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. ‘A thing?’
‘We rated high. And as far as everyone is aware, we both then chose to turn off our Phera-tech. So how did you think they were all going to interpret that?’
He was right. The only acceptable reason for turning off Phera-tech was if you’d met someone you were going to be monogamous with. It was the obvious conclusion that people would draw, even if it had only happened a few days ago. I always knew I’d have to deal with this particular side effect of my scheme.
‘What are you suggesting?’ I said, letting him think this had all been his idea.
‘That until we find a way for me to turn on my Phera-tech, you need to act as if you are mine.’
I coughed loudly. It was that, or burst into laughter.
‘It’s for your own protection. Do you have any idea what some people would do to take what’s maybe mine from right under my nose?’
Actually I did. I’d done it myself when I’d taken his freedom.
‘It never worried you with Ivy,’ I argued. He’d seemed unfazed by all the attention she received.
‘That’s because Ivy was never a real match,’ he said, dismissing her in a beat.
‘Nor are we,’ I threw back.
He shook his head. ‘You know what I mean!’ He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. ‘Do you have any idea what it means, to be with a Mercer?’
I nodded. It meant potentially being part of the most powerful and wealthy family in the world. I had known this when I made my choice to set Quentin up, realising it would force us together in a way I needed, in a way that would give me access to M-Corp, but even so … My mouth had suddenly gone very dry. It was possible I hadn’t thought through this aspect as much as I should have.
‘Stop talking to other guys,’ he ordered. But when I looked up at him, I could’ve sworn there was something other than a warning there. Involuntarily, my stomach flipped.
‘We need to make plans for tonight. My shift starts in an hour. Can you come to my work?’
He nodded stiffly. ‘My car’s out front.’
‘Is that such a great idea?’ I questioned, unsure if I should be moving around town in a Mercer vehicle.
‘In future we can be more discreet. But today, having everyone watch as I take you to my car?’ He smirked, leaning back into the wall. ‘It’s the best idea I’ve had all week.’
I couldn’t help but wonder what Quentin was thinking. Sometimes he seemed so confident, then at other times, when he thought no one was watching, the façade would slip and there was sorrow there. The type that hit my chest and made it ache.
I wondered what worried him the most. If it was that he might not be the hotshot he once thought he’d be, then too bad. But I was beginning to think it was something else, something that had a lot more to do with happiness and even … love. But that didn’t make sense. He was a Mercer, and all that family cared about was money and power.
Fisting my hands so that my nails bit into my palms, I fixed my attention on the window. No more delving.
It wasn’t surprising when Quentin instructed his driver to take him to the Clarendon M-Store. I was sure if he hadn’t previously known where I worked, he would’ve done his homework on me by now. Did he find it suspicious or ironic? Had he even given it a thought?
When we pulled up, I turned my attention to him. ‘There’s someone I want to introduce you to inside.’
Quentin’s wariness was obvious. But this was going to be a test for both of us. One – given the events of last night – I now felt was necessary.
If I’d learned anything over the past two years, it was to fix a problem before it fixed you. And I couldn’t be sure that Quentin hadn’t seen Gus in the alley the night before. Just because he hadn’t come out and said anything … He was a smart guy. It would be foolish to underestimate him.
Eventually Quentin nodded and directed his attention to his driver. ‘William, wait for me on the next corner.’
William didn’t ask for how long. He was probably paid not to ask questions. He simply came out to open the door for us. The one I’d already opened and jumped out of. My bad.
Avoiding the store’s front, I headed straight for the alley entrance. The last thing we needed was to broadcast our every move. Quentin followed.
When I opened the door to Gus’s office, it was almost worth the apprehension just to see the look on Gus’s face when he saw who I’d brought with me.
Credit where credit is due though, Gus recovered with stellar speed, turning a hateful expression on me. ‘As if you haven’t already caused me enough grief, now you have to bring in a ticking time bomb.’ He gestured to Quentin.
I watched carefully, noting the surprise in Quentin’s expression. He was either very good, or he really hadn’t recognised Gus in the alley last night. Oh well, it was better to be safe than sorry. If he had seen Gus and I hadn’t come clean, he never would’ve trusted me the way I needed him to.
Quentin cleared his throat. ‘Mr Reynolds.’ He put his hand out to shake, all gentlemanly, but his eyes were focused on the ugly bruise that had flowered high on Gus’s left cheek.
Gus responded with a short snort. ‘Maggie, you’ve gone too far this time. I helped you out last week, but that was where this should’ve ended. Don’t drag me into your shit.’
Gus really should’ve been an actor, or an underwear designer. He covered his ass like no one.
I smiled sweetly and turned to Quentin. ‘He loves me, really. Quentin, this is Gus.’
‘What’s going on?’ Quentin asked, trying to put the pieces together.
‘Yes, Maggie,’ Gus deadpanned. ‘What is going on?’
I dropped my backpack and pulled out a chair for Quentin and then one for myself. Quentin didn’t sit.
‘Gus works for me, in a sense.’ I flashed a brief smile.
‘You don’t actually think I didn’t cotton on to what went on in the testing room the other day, did you?’ Gus said, now playing his part perfectly.
‘You knew?’ Quentin said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. It was a good thing to ruffle his feathers a bit, take back control of the situation. I’d realised the night before that if Quentin discovered on his own that Gus worked with me, it would only encourage suspicion. This way, I knew the surprise would catch him off guard. And it had. I could already see his focus was centred solely on whether he’d been outed as a neg.
‘Apart from the fact you looked like you were going to pass out the moment you turned on your Phera-tech, I actually know Maggie and her charming personality. Not to mention her total disregard for health and highly questionable dietary choices. Frankly, I’m not sure it is possible for her to rate that high with anyone.’
I shrugged, comfortable with Gus’s assessment of me, as I pulled out a family-sized bag of marshmallows and started popping a few.
‘I don’t get it. Why did you help then?’ Quentin asked.
Damn it. I actually felt sorry for the guy. You could tell the pheromone rating had really screwed with him. For a guy used to always being in charge and getting what he wanted, he was now so uncertain. And while I felt low about it, there was another side of me, the one driving my actions, that found myself feeling satisfied that this uncertainty was making him play right into my hands.
‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ I butted in. ‘Gus owes me. Big time. And I’m the kinda girl who collects.’
‘With interest,’ Gus mumbled.
Quentin gestured to Gus’s black eye. He’d taken a couple of good hits last night. Apparently I’d only arrived in time to see the finale.
‘You were at Burn last night.’
Statement. But I could tell he was now only working it out.
‘Yes. Getting the shit kicked out of me because you decided to show up and get in the way. Next time, do us all a favour and don’t go near Ma
ggie unless she sends you a written invitation.’
‘Angsty much?’ I said, holding back the smile.
Gus tilted his head. ‘Apologies, mistress-of-all-that-is-bitch, were you expecting me to thank him for the beating he caused me last night? Hell, Maggie, I told you it was your thing if you wanted to help a Mercer. I covered for you in the test, but you could’ve done the decent thing and left me out of it.’ Oh man, he was good. Sly bastard.
Not that it didn’t work in nicely.
And Quentin totally fell for it. ‘I won’t bring you any trouble. Maggie … she really did save me in the testing and,’ he cleared his throat, ‘clearly you did too. I’m not about to cause either of you any trouble.’
I glanced between them and remained silent.
Finally, Gus said, ‘And what about when she helps you? Or can’t? What then? You’ll hand us over faster than your family tosses around six-digit money zips.’
Quentin shook his head. ‘I give you my word. No matter what. I’ll never be the cause of trouble in your life.’
Gus leaned back in his chair, appearing satisfied. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Cause Maggie’s all the nightmare I can take.’
I smiled. ‘Gus, I never knew you dreamed of me.’
He gave me a one-fingered salute.
My smile widened. I could see Quentin studying my interaction with Gus.
I threw my feet up onto the table, earning another scowl from Gus. ‘Now that intros are done, how are we looking for tonight?’ I asked, popping another marshmallow.
‘What’s tonight?’ Quentin jumped in.
Gus chuckled. ‘You poor son of a bitch. She didn’t even tell you, did she?’
Quentin turned his steely blue eyes towards me and his brow did that furrowy thing it does, which in turn made my stomach do that unwelcome thing it does in response.
‘I want access to one of your family labs. Not a big one, but one that might have what we need to help you and might also have intel I need.’
‘Which one?’ he asked, still with the furrowy.
I bit my lower lip and Quentin’s eyes dropped to it suddenly. He covered the action smoothly by finally taking a seat.
‘Can you get access to an M-Corp headquarters computer?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ he said, cautiously. ‘We have a mainframe in my father’s office at home which I’ve accessed before when helping him out. Why?’
‘I need the entry code to access a lab that will be listed under the title Junction 17. Can you manage that and meet us back here at the end of my shift?’
Quentin looked baffled. ‘There is no lab called Junction 17. You must have the wrong information.’
Gus tapped a pen on the table and spoke softly. ‘He doesn’t know anything, Maggie.’
That, or he was a very good liar.
‘Have you been into the underground network?’ I asked, watching for his reaction.
‘What underground network?’ he asked simply.
Gus snorted.
I stood up. ‘You’ll see tonight. I’ve got to start my shift. Just get the entry code from the computer. It will look like a normal file with a code attached to it. It will be long, so make sure you take down the exact sequence, including spaces. Ditch the driver and meet me back here at nine and …’ I gave him a look up and down, settling on his shoes. ‘… wear appropriate shoes.’
‘What are appropriate shoes?’ he asked, standing.
‘Shoes you can run for your life in,’ Gus answered helpfully. Then added, unnecessarily, ‘Welcome to the Maggie-verse.’
Ten
Gus had already disappeared by the time Stella and I left the store. I’d taken the time to drop off a coffee to the night security guard as per usual and had received one of his signature bows in return. I’d made a point of keeping on Darren’s good side. Never knew when it might come in handy.
‘Don’t suppose you want to come out with me and some of the gals for a bit of fun?’ Stella said, pulling her jumper off to reveal a sequinned halter-neck.
I shook my head, smiling. Every time we worked the late shift she asked me. Every time I declined.
She rolled her eyes. ‘What is it tonight. Muay Thai? Gym? Study?’
Usually it was all of the above, though I mostly did my study in the morning before school. ‘Gym,’ I replied, even as my eyes travelled towards the corner of the street where Quentin was leaning against the building, hands in pockets, looking straight at me.
Stella followed my eyes. ‘Uh-huh, well, enjoy that work-out, honey,’ she said with a laugh.
I shook my head at her and laughed it off, confident she couldn’t make out his well-known face from under the cap he’d been smart enough to wear. ‘Trust me when I say that is not the kind of work-out I’m looking for. And definitely not with him.’
She looked me over, settling on my eyes. ‘You may not know it, but there’s hunger in those eyes of yours. Trust me, it’s a look I know well.’
Zipping up my coat, I shrugged. Stella could think whatever she wanted. In fact, it probably helped if she thought things like that.
‘See you tomorrow, Stella.’
She gave me a wave and we headed in opposite directions.
Quentin had lost the dress shoes. In fact, he’d lost a lot of his previous outfit and replaced it with something … Put it this way, I hadn’t realised the guy worked out. But in those faded jeans and a long-sleeved fitted charcoal T-shirt, it was all too clear that he worked out almost as much as me. I glanced down to stop from staring.
‘Acceptable?’ he queried, his voice soft. Low.
It was a trick question. Had to be. I swallowed.
Then he waggled his feet and I realised he was talking about his footwear selection. I checked myself and glanced up from his well-worn blue Converse.
‘Fine,’ I answered. ‘We should go,’ I added, turning abruptly to head down the street. Quentin followed, his stride easy, some of the usual tension that radiated from him oddly absent.
‘You seem different,’ I blurted after a few minutes.
He shrugged. ‘People don’t notice me when I’m in these clothes. I always feel more like myself when I don’t have to be …’
‘A Mercer?’
‘An … ideal,’ he said, and I glimpsed that sadness I’d seen before.
‘If it’s any consolation, I don’t see you as an ideal at all,’ I said, hoping to lighten the mood.
He smiled, though his brow was back to furrow mode. ‘I suppose it is, in that at least you don’t just see me as the stereotype.’ He glanced at me, then back to the road, before adding, ‘Though I can’t help but wonder what kind of person I would be if I were ideal to someone like you.’
What was I supposed to do with that? Did that mean he wanted to be ideal to me? For me? Or that he didn’t want to be that type of person? I couldn’t work it out. My fists clenched with frustration that I was even thinking about it.
I took the next left and headed into one of the local malls.
‘Shopping?’ Quentin asked as we entered.
I glanced at him wryly and made for the elevator. I pulled out my phone, pressing my auto dial.
‘Old school,’ Quentin commented, noting my handheld phone. No doubt, he only ever used the earpiece that connected to his M-Band.
‘Dead yet?’ Gus answered.
I smirked. ‘Not yet, but the night’s still young.’
‘Here’s hoping.’
‘We’re at the elevator. You set up?’
‘Of course.’
I pressed the elevator button, ignoring Quentin’s curious gaze.
The elevator on the far left dinged. ‘Elevator four,’ I said.
‘No. It already has passengers,’ Gus replied quickly.
Stepping back, I pulled Quentin with me. He raised his eyebrows. I raised mine back. He conceded and shifted away from the opening doors. We waited for the lift to open and close, and then pressed the button again.
When the next elevator arri
ved, I said into the phone, ‘Elevator two.’
‘Good to go.’
When the elevator opened, I entered and Quentin followed.
The phone cut out inside and when the doors opened at sub-level three, I redialled. ‘Cameras?’ I said when Gus answered.
‘Down. You have two minutes to cross the garage and get into the next elevators.’
I glanced at Quentin. ‘Keep up,’ I said, then started to jog across the lot, moving through a small tunnel that connected the mall’s parking garage with the neighbouring office buildings. When we arrived at the next set of elevators, I pressed the down button, and waited.
‘Are we in a rush?’ Quentin asked.
I didn’t take my focus off the elevator doors, willing them to open. ‘We have thirty-seven seconds till the cameras in the garage come back on. Then we’re made. Thirty-two seconds.’ Leaving any kind of trail was bad.
Quentin’s posture stiffened beside me as he joined me in watching the doors. At twelve seconds to go, the ding came. Eight when the doors opened and two when they finally closed. Even for me, that was close, but I refused to show my relief to Quentin. If he realised how close it had been, he didn’t show it either. And damn if my respect for him didn’t go up a notch.
Without delay, I hoisted myself onto the railings. I pulled a small power tool from my back pocket and reached up, pressing it to the first of the four screws in the elevator’s ceiling hatch, waiting as each twisted out smoothly and soundlessly. Once the hatch was open, I gestured to Quentin. He was watching in slight horror.
‘Come on up. I’ll give you a boost.’
His lips curled. ‘You go first. I can boost you.’
I rolled my eyes, but let him hold onto his pride, placing the hatch just inside the hole before pulling myself fluidly into the dark opening and onto the elevator roof. It burned my upper arms. Just like every other time.
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