“I’m not much for subtlety,” I said as I stepped into the dark hallway beyond the door. Z followed close behind me, and we hurried down the corridor toward the distant lamp light ten meters ahead.
The walls were crafted of brick that looked to have been smoothed by hundreds of years of weather, but there was obviously no rain here, so I guessed they must have been artificially worn to create the effect of age. We rounded the corner by the far lamp and came to a set of double doors of thick glass trimmed in oak. Beyond the glass, I saw another large gambling room. Unlike the main space of the hotel, this one was dimly lit, filled with the smoke from countless cigarettes and vape machines, and the clientele looked dangerous.
It was my kind of place.
There was a big man in a fancy suit at the door. He was watching the screen of a handheld device when we first turned the corner, but he put it in his coat and held up his palm as we approached.
“We’re closed,” he said.
“We know,” I replied as I put a 100 chip in his hand. The man glanced at it before opening the door for us.
“Have a good time. Stay out of trouble,” he said as we walked inside.
“That was easy,” Z whispered to me after the guard closed the door behind us.
“Things tend to be if you have money. Nice work on the card counting, by the way.”
“Ahh. Not a big deal. I’m good at math and numbers. Didn’t realize how useful it would be until I started working with computers.”
“You missed your calling as a gambler, but I’m glad you got into computers, or we wouldn’t have met,” I said to the blonde woman.
“Yeah, I’m also glad we met.” Z’s cheeks blushed again. “Uhh. I don’t like the whole getting shot at part, but everything else has been great. I feel like I have a purpose now beyond just earning money to pay for food.”
“We won’t ever be free of that task,” I said as I looked around the room. The scent of old fashioned tobacco mixed pleasantly with the scented vapor smoke. They tickled my sensitive nose, and I inhaled to pick up other scents from the fifty or so gamblers in the back room: Expensive fabric, perfume, drugs, and the musk of arousal.
“I see Byron,” Z said, and I felt her fingers twist against my bicep to turn me toward the adjacent corner. There were a few dark alcoves against the wall there, and I could see the bald man sitting with his entourage.
“Let’s head over,” I growled.
“How you gonna play this?” she asked as we threaded through the well-dressed crowd.
“I’ll ask for a job,” I answered.
“That’s it?” she moaned.
“Sure. Or I’ll ask Byron if he knows if Huyan Kar is hiring.”
“We are going to get killed,” she said with a sigh.
“We’ll be fine. I know these types.”
“I trust you,” she whispered before we stepped up to the alcove.
The bald man was flanked by two blonde women that looked like twins. Each wore tight frilly bodysuits tied to lace stockings. The three men I saw walk with Byron were on the ends of the couch, and they each focused their eyes on Z before looking at me. The men looked bored, or drunk since there were two empty vodka bottles on the table and a half full absinthe bottle.
“You Byron Jacobs?” I asked the man.
“Who’s asking?” he asked me as his eyes narrowed. He seemed to have his wits about him, and I guessed this was probably going to be easier than Z feared.
“I’m Adam. I heard you were hiring,” I replied.
“Who’s the dame?” he asked as he nodded at Z.
“My woman. I’ve worked muscle back in the Sol System.”
“Eh.” He’d been eyeing Z, but then his face soured. “Not looking to hire any muscle. Who said I was looking?”
“Guy that worked for Huyan Kar. I forget his name. Real ugly fucker,” I said as I forced a smile to my lips.
“Oi. Dirty Hank.” Byron chuckled.
“That could have been him. Said you needed a new bodyguard, or three.”
“Naw. I’m good, mate,” Byron said as he reached for the glass on the table in front of him. The liquid had a slight green tint, and I guessed it was some sort of absinthe.
“Yeah, I normally don’t do bodyguard work. As I said, used to work in the Sol System. Jupiter actually. Did a spell with the Yakuza there. Banks and such. I did work their casinos for a bit. That was why I went to Huyan, actually. Heard he owns most of them in this district, but the ugly guy said I needed to talk to you.”
“Nice story, but I’m not hiring. Well…” The man’s face turned into a lecherous sneer, and he looked at Z. “Unless I can hire your woman. She’s high quality.”
“Looks like you already have two,” I replied before Z could spit out something snarky, “but it seems like you need some new bodyguards. What’s the pay like?”
“Oi, you daft? I’m telling you no. My guys are--” Byron started to reply, but I didn’t wait for him to finish.
I stepped close to the table and punched down into the face of the guard on the right. The man hadn’t expected me to attack, so he didn’t have a chance to block. His nose exploded, and his skull cracked when I hit him.
The two guards were on the other side of the table, but they weren’t prepared for my attack, and I was able to pivot around the table on my left foot as I brought my right leg over the top. The toe of my dress shoe hammered the farthest guard in the face as I grabbed the other man’s hair. He let out a gasp when I grabbed him, and he squealed with pain when I slammed his face into the table. The first hit didn’t knock him out, so I pounded his face into the table two more times. Each impact bounced the collection of glasses and bottles into the air at least ten centimeters, and I saw the twin blonde women cower behind Byron.
“See? Looks like you need three new bodyguards,” I growled at the bald man as I let go of the guard I’d just face planted into the table. “What is the pay like?”
Byron was doing his best to hide his shock, but I could see his hand tremble when he lifted his glass up to his mouth. I’d heard a few gasps of surprise from the gamblers on the floor behind us, but no one had actually shouted or screamed, so I guessed that security might not come immediately.
“You said you worked muscle?” He asked as he looked at the first man I’d punched. I didn’t think the man was dead, but he probably would be unless he got hospital care soon. Maybe I should have felt sorry, but these were bad men, and I’d crush thousands of them to protect Eve.
“Yeah, Yakuza. Jupiter.”
“You’re a long way from home. You gotta ship?”
“I do, but I’m looking for employment on the station. I do what I’m told, keep my mouth shut, and like solving problems,” I said as I looked at the man I’d kicked. I guessed that he’d probably wake up first.
“Alright. I’m interested. Adam was your name?” he asked.
“Yeah. What’s the pay?”
“I paid these guys a hundred and fifty a day, but I’m starting to think I overpaid them.” Byron laughed, and the sound was unpleasant.
“I’ll take two fifty. I’m saving you money,” I said with a smile.
“Oi! I like the way you think.” The man looked at Z and then back to me. “I’ve actually got a problem that I’ve been trying to solve. If you can fix it, I’ll throw you another five hundred.”
“What’s the job,” I asked as I grabbed the shoulder of the man on the right that I punched.
Byron and his women’s eyes widened as I picked up the unconscious guard with one hand and tossed him into the empty alcove of booths next to us. Then I slid into the man’s spot and gestured for Z to sit on my lap. The blonde hacker perched on my leg and laid her arm across my shoulders.
“You’re fucking strong, Mate. You a druggie or something? Cyborg?” Byron asked as he looked at my arms.
“Just strong. What’s the problem?” I asked.
“I’ve got a meeting later tonight with some people I don’t lik
e. I was feeling a bit like I might cancel, but now I’m feeling like you might handle them if things go upside down.”
“Sounds good. Where is the meeting?” I asked.
“Smoke shop a few blocks over. We’ll be heading there in an hour.” Byron pulled one arm from around the shoulder of one of the twin blonde woman, rubbed it over his scalp, and then set it on her lap.
“Who are we meeting?” I asked.
“How long you been on Queen’s Hat?” he asked, and I saw his fingers begin to rub the woman between the legs. She bit her lip and leaned into him.
“Long enough to get into trouble, but not long enough to know the lay of the land. I’ve just been in District B.
“I’ll give you some details then, Mate. There is a gang out of District C. Call themselves The Bettas. They have been taking out some of my dealers, so I took out a few of theirs. I hit ‘em real fucking hard. Then they called for a parlay, said they’d come to me, but just wanted one guard accompanying me.”
“How many men do you have?” I asked as I tried to keep my eyes off the woman Byron was masturbating. I guessed that he wanted to do it to distract me because he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who cared about his lover having an orgasm.
“Enough, but those three were my best.” He frowned and looked at the one I’d kicked in the face.
“Now you have someone better,” I said.
“I’m thinking so, Mate. Can you shoot?” he asked.
“If you’ve got a gun. They seem to be uncommon here,” I said with a gesture to the room. I saw some suit wearing men approaching out of the corner of my eye, and Byron turned to look at them.
“There a problem here Mr. Jacobs?” One of the four men asked.
Byron took his hand away from his woman’s crotch and stared at me for a moment. For a few seconds, I wondered if he was going to tell them to deal with me, but I held his eyes and the tension between us relaxed.
“Yeah, can you take them to the hospital? They seemed to have a problem with their alcohol.” The gangster tossed a few 500 chips on the coffee table.
“We’ll take care of them,” one of the men said as he snatched up the chips. The other guards grabbed the men I’d just beat up, and I watched them lug the unconscious bodies around the perimeter of the gambling hall.
“I like your woman, Mate,” Byron commented, and I turned around to face him. He was staring at Z’s legs. “She have a name?”
“Z,” I answered before my friend could.
“Oi! Like the letter?” he asked with confusion.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“She’s a looker. Got some fire in her eyes. I think she doesn’t like you much. You buy her?”
“No,” I said, and I felt Z tense as she sat on my lap.
“Just doesn’t seem affectionate is all. Not like my girls,” the bald man turned to the girl he’d been rubbing, and she made a slightly exaggerated swoon. Not to be outdone, the other woman tugged on Byron’s arm and began to lick the side of his neck.
“See? I got other girls like this. All of them love me. I just brought these tonight because I like the blonde ones.” Byron’s eyes fixed on Z, and he licked his lips slowly.
“You are a lucky man,” I said with a shrug. “You were asking about my shooting earlier. You want me to pack a gun?”
“I had the smoke shop owner put a sawed-off under the table where we will be sitting.” Byron gestured to his other woman, and she started necking him like her sister.
“So, you are expecting trouble?” I asked. Z was wiggling a bit on my lap, and her hand was squeezing my shoulder. I didn’t know what was going through her mind, but I was a bit surprised she hadn’t said something snarky to the man when he gave her one of his many lecherous looks.
“Always. Especially when a strange man with a girl that is just my type shows up at one of my favorite spots, fucks up my men, and then asks me a bunch of questions.” Byron reached to the coffee table and grabbed his glass of greenish liquid. “You want a glass?”
“No,” I answered. “I’m just looking for work--”
“You seem honest when you say that, but I’m feeling like this is a bit of a setup. The drink just confirmed it.” The bald man shook his head, and the women stopped kissing him.
I looked into their eyes and realized the twin blondes with the lingerie were actually his bodyguards.
“You said we had a job. I don’t like to drink before that’s all. Especially when it is absinthe. If that is what you are drinking.” I forced myself to smile at the women. Their game was convincing, maybe they really were Byron’s lovers, or perhaps his slaves, but I’d glimpsed their hard edge there for half a second. The two beauties had the eyes of killers, and even though I couldn’t see any weapons on them, I noticed that they were really careful with the way they moved their fingers across their boss’ clothes.
“I might believe that, but your girl is strange, Mate.”
“Why am I strange?” Z asked.
“He buy you?” the bald man asked as he gestured to me.
“No. I’m here because I want to--”
“He’s your lover?” the woman on the left asked.
“Yes,” Z answered quickly.
“Liar,” the other woman said with a frown.
“Fuck you,” Z hissed at the woman.
Byron’s girls both laughed, and the bald man smiled a shit-eating grin.
“Oi! See? She’s got the fire. The passion, but she’s awkward around you, Mate. You’ve never fucked. So what’s the deal? You both cops or something?”
“Do we look like fucking cops?” Z answered. “You’re wrong. My man wants work. He’s already kicked the shit out of your goons, what else do you need? To watch us fuck or something?”
“Yes,” both of the women said in unison. They leaned forward on the couch and looked at us like we were pieces of meat.
“No,” I answered. “We aren’t cops. Just looking for work. My relationship with my woman is of no concern to you. I don’t question your relationship with these two, or the other girls you didn’t bring. You’ve seen what I can do. I’d like a job. If you are pulling back the offer, I’ll go look for employment somewhere else.”
“Mate, I’ve lived a long time on this station. Started as a rat and grew to where I am today by sly guile. I know when something is stinky. Yeah, you took out my guys easy. Yeah, I could use your help tonight, but you’re lying about the woman sitting on your lap. I can sense it, and so can my girls. If you are lying about this, what else you lying about? Can I trust you to take care of me tonight? No, Mate. I can’t.” Byron shrugged.
“I guess we’ll be going then,” I said as I moved my left hand to Z’s waist so I could pull her off my lap.
Then Byron slammed his palm down on the coffee table. “You’re not leaving until I get some fucking answers.”
I stared at the man and noticed that the twin blondes had disengaged their fingers from him. They held their hands flat on their thighs and slowly moved the digits through the air. Did they have blades under the nails? Poison on them?
I didn’t want to find out. There was absolutely no fear in Byron’s eyes, even after I beat the shit out of the other three men he was with. The gangster knew that his two women would kill me.
“What kind of answers you looking for?” I asked. My left hand was on Z, and I could feel the tension in her thin body.
“Who do you work for?” he asked.
“Told you. I’m looking for a job--” I began to say, but Z raised up a hand to interrupt me.
“What do you want?”
“Fuck,” the blonde twin on the left said with a shark’s smile.
“We do. Not sure how that’s going to help convince you,” Z said with an exaggerated sigh.
“We’ll watch,” the other twin said, and then the three of them nodded.
“I’m not into that, neither is Adam, sorry.” Z shrugged, but I could feel her body become tenser.
“Oi! No shi
t! You’re a cop, or someone looking to get close to me.” Byron took another sip of his drink, and the twins leaned forward on the couch. “You both look uncomfortable sitting that way. So tense.”
“It’s because--” I started to explain that we were nervous about meeting him, but then Z turned around on my lap, held her other hand up to my cheek, and kissed me passionately.
Her mouth tasted of the onions and steak she’d eaten, but her lips were soft, warm, and desperate to meet mine. She’d caught me completely off guard, but my body responded to her, and my mouth matched the urgency of her kiss. Our tongues met, danced together, and explored each other’s mouths while my hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer against my chest.
My mind was reeling, and it struggled to make sense of what was happening. I hadn’t wanted to kiss Z. I didn’t think I had any sort of physical desire for the pretty blonde hacker, but now that her lips and mine were passionately devouring each other, and our bodies were pressed together, I didn’t know what I felt. Or, I did know what I felt, but the emotions were too fucking confusing, and I didn’t know how I would ever be able to reconcile them.
Z pulled away from my lips, and we both gasped with pleasure, then she ran her tongue up over my chin toward my mouth, where our lips met again for another kiss that didn’t seem to last as long as I wanted.
Then she pivoted on my lap and looked at the gangster and his twin blonde women.
“Damn,” the twin on the left said.
“That was really hot,” the one on the right finished.
“Hottest I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen many,” the first woman said. Then she closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
Both of the women moved their hands to lay back on their boss’ body.
“See? We are lovers. I’m just nervous about showing affection in public,” Z said.
“Oi. You could have just told me.” Byron laughed from his stomach.
The bald man cleared his throat and shifted in his seat a little. One of the women leaned up to whisper in his ear, and the other one fixed her sleepy looking eyes on me. I felt most of the tension leave Z’s body, and her fingers began to stroke my shoulder.
Zeta Hack: A Paranormal Space Opera Adventure (Star Justice Book 3) Page 7