Binary

by Sarah Cole

“There’s a Marcus Booth on line two. He said it’s urgent. I’m going to go ahead and take off for the day if you’re ok with that.”

  “Thank you, and yeah go ahead. It’s already after five. You know you don’t have to ask.”

  “Have a good night then.”

  “You too, Leanne. See you Monday.”

  I wait until the door closes behind her to pick up the phone. “This is Carter.”

  “Carter,” Marcus’s deep voice comes across the line.

  “Marcus, I was just thinking about this,” I greet.

  “How long has it been since you’ve spoken with your brother?” he asks, and I’m caught completely off guard.

  “Braxton?”

  “Yeah, Braxton. Do you have any more siblings I don’t know about?”

  “Ok, smart ass. I haven’t heard from Braxton since around the time Dad died. I tried for a few years, but nothing. I gave up. Our paths have crossed a few times since then, but it’s been at least a year since I’ve had any contact with him.”

  “Do you think he’d have any reason to hold a grudge against you?”

  I let out a sharp laugh, “Does he have a reason? No. But does he? Definitely, but I’ve tried to rectify that. It sounds like you are insinuating that Braxton is behind all this…” I massage my brow in frustration.

  “Not behind it, but helping,” Marcus corrects.

  “No offense to Braxton, but honestly he couldn’t pull this off. He is clueless when it comes to tech. He was going to school for pre-law…”

  “I understand that, but it seems…God, I could get fired for telling you this, but he’s part of an ongoing Federal investigation.”

  “Okay,” I reply slowly, and he sighs another heavy sigh.

  “Look, Carter, I can’t give you details, but we’ve been working this case for years and it is finally coming to a head. He’s somehow managed to get involved in some pretty heavy criminal activity. The group he’s operating with has direct ties to the Russian mafia, and some pretty high-profile people. We’re close to putting pieces together, but we still can’t trace this hacker. Whoever they are, they’re good. The FBI has been looking for them for years now.”

  “Jesus Christ, Marcus. What is Braxton doing? What do they want?”

  “We have a guy that was just able to infiltrate and get on the inside. The word is that they are trying to either thwart the launch of the Quantum Computer, or they are trying to steal the plans and launch before you can somehow. He still isn’t sure.”

  “What do we do? This can’t happen. Lintech has billions invested in this. We already have pending government and military contracts on the books.” I feel my stress, as well as my anger levels rising.

  “Right now? Nothing more than you already are. We’ll keep our guys on the inside of Lintech for the time being, and we’ll be in touch. You have my number, so call me if you think of anything else or hear anything.”

  “Ok. Thanks, man.”

  “You, bet. I owed you one anyways,” he laughs.

  “Right. Well considering the nature of the situation, I think I owe you one now.”

  “You’re probably right,” he laughs, “Talk to you soon.”

  I hang up the phone and just try to process. My own fucking brother. This goes beyond anything that I was imagining.

  ****

  Anika was already gone by the time I finally pulled myself from my office. It took me awhile to wrap my head around everything Marcus told me. Anger and disbelief are wearing me down as I key in my entry code for the gym. Hitting something is the only way to give me the rush I need right now because there’s no way I’m going to the club. Without Anika, there’s no appeal. Quickly I went from the man that needed only myself to the man that needed only one woman. I can’t even answer why because I don’t know the answers. The only thing I know with any certainty is she’s the only person I want to share things with, laugh with, and the first and last person on my mind every day. For once it isn’t about the sex, it is about everything else and this feeling inside my chest and the pit of my stomach that tells me she is my purpose, and life without her is pointless.

  I change out of my suit and glove up before heading to the ring.

  “Carter, how’s it going, man?” I turn to find my trainer ready and waiting for me.

  “Mad Max! Thanks for meeting me on such short notice. I need to hit something,” I say bumping gloves with him.

  “It’s been awhile. You sure you just want to dive back into it?” he raises his dark brow, eyeing me skeptically. He knows how I train.

  “You know I wouldn’t ask if I was unsure,” I challenge back.

  “Fair enough, but I’m not taking it easy on your white ass just because you slacked for a couple weeks.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on.” I grin, and he shakes his head as he begins to dance around me.

  “You gonna stand there all day and eye fuck me, or are ya gonna hit me pretty boy?”

  I take a swing, which he blocks easily. That’s to be expected when your trainer is a former UFC champion. We trade hits back and forth. I’m getting my ass handed to me, when I hear a familiar voice. I feel a sharp jab to my jaw and grunt.

  “Come on, pretty boy. I taught you better than that! You gotta keep your hands up,” Max shouts, but I’m still searching for Anika when I spot her across the room in tight ass shorts and a matching sports bra.

  “Ahhhh. I see what’s got your attention.” Max slings his sweaty arm around my shoulder and I shrug him off. “Don’t even bother, brother. I know that ass and those eyes draw you in, but she’s as cold as fuckin’ ice. Packs a punch that’ll send you sailing to your ass too.”

  “Watch that mouth, Max. That’s my girl you’re talking about.”

  His laugh echoes off the walls. “Your girl? Since when does Carter Linwood have a, as in one, girl?”

  “Since her.” I nod my head towards Anika who is partnered up with some scary looking woman doing only god knows what kind of martial arts.

  “You’re fuckin’ burnt toast man. That one there will chew you up and spit your ass out.”

  “I didn’t know she could do that.” I still stare, unable to peel my eyes from her. She glances over, shooting me a wink as if she knew I was watching the whole time and blocks a hit without even looking at her partner. There’s no way that is a self-defense class. She’s working on mixed martial arts, and she’s clearly quite skilled at it.

  “Best I’ve seen. Hell, even I’m scared of her.” He punches me roughly on the shoulder. “Now do you wanna be a pussy and talk about your feelings or are you gonna show your girl whatcha got?”

  My response is to nail him with a right hook, and the bastard just laughs like a lunatic. “There ya go!”

  I feel like there are so many parts to Anika that I don’t know, and so many parts she hides. It should worry me, and if I were to be honest with myself, it does. I’m learning very quickly to never underestimate this woman.

  Anika:

  I was wondering how long it would take before he found me here and we crossed paths. I’ve been coming here for months now, and it was originally just for information on Carter, but turns out I found a worthy sparring partner in Betsy. I spotted Carter the second I entered the room, and I felt his eyes, the moment he found me. He and I are like magnets. We’re drawn to each other, and it seems that there really isn’t a way around it. We’re stuck together now, and I’m selfish and don’t want to be the one to pull us apart. It’s wrong for me to want to keep what we have when I know that in the end I’ll end up destroying him. He’ll undoubtedly find out what I’ve done or who I am, and he’ll hate me just as much as I hate myself.

  Betsy and I wrapped up early, and I offered to fill in for one of the dance instructors here because she wasn’t feeling well. I walk through the glass doors to the studio. The dark polished wood gleams under the fluorescent lighting and I gain the attention of the fifteen ladies in the room.

  “Happy Friday ladies!
” I call out. I’ve seen a few of them around here before. “Jenny wasn’t feeling well so I’m going to be teaching your class tonight. She gave me a rundown of where you guys are at, and I think we’ll be able to have some fun. My name is Anika. If I go too fast, just give me a shout and we’ll work through it. I’m going to run through the routine for you once so you can see what it looks like. Then we’ll go in steps by eight counts.”

  I turn to the stereo system and press play as the hip hop bass begins to pound throughout the room. I bounce around, shaking my hips to the beat until the music nears the point where the routine begins. I start popping my backside to the beat, then isolating each side as I bring my hands over my head and twerk my way through the routine. I drop to my knees, popping my booty to the beat as I crawl, and I don’t even have to look up to know Carter’s eyes are on me.

  I can feel it.

  I can feel him.

  I slide forward on the dance floor and lift my hips, sharply waving my ass side to side before I bring one knee up to my chest and smack the floor. I meet his eyes and wink as I pull myself back onto my knees with my arms out to the side and swing my hair around, rolling my body with the music. Pulling my feet underneath me, I run my hands up my legs, and smack my own ass before bending my knees and finishing out the twerk sequence. The music ends, leaving me breathless and my skin tingling from how Carter’s eyes were devouring my body from the other side of the glass.

  I take a sip of water and ask, “You ladies ready?”

  “Umm, I’m not sure my body can do that.” one woman says, and another lady is fanning herself animatedly and I laugh.

  “Yes, it can. I promise. I have a simple trick for that,” I say and they wait eagerly for what I have to say.

  “Not giving a damn what anyone thinks!” I say, and they all cheer.

  “Now, let’s shake it!”

  I watch Carter through the glass doors to the dance studio as he works out, and he watches me. Every move each of us makes is like some kind of electric foreplay that causes a quiet fire to burn inside me, and it’s waiting for Carter to make a move so I can be swallowed by the flames.

  Chapter THIRTEEN

  CARTER:

  “You’re coming home with me.” My voice echoes off the brick building an hour later, and her delectable ass stops walking in those short shorts. Slowly she turns with a smirk on her face.

  “Am I?” she challenges, quirking an eyebrow. Even in the dim outdoor lighting, I can see the spark in her eyes.

  Taking the extra few steps to where she’s standing on the sidewalk, I wrap my arms around her slender waist and breathe her in as she melts into me. Her warm spicy smell mixed with sweat has me wanting to bury myself in her in every possible way. “Yeah, you are…even if I have to carry you to my car and buckle you in myself.”

  “I’d like to see you try, buddy.” she smiles, placing her fists on her hips.

  Silently I reach forward and take her bag off her shoulder, which she hands over willingly, and without saying a word, I squat down and wrap my arm around her legs and sling her firm body over my shoulder in one swift movement. The girly squeals and giggles that erupt from her are so uncharacteristic that they make my chest expand and warm with pride. Slowly but surely the real Anika is showing herself to me – the Anika that gets buried under layers and layers of heartache and responsibility. She has her secrets, but yet I find myself loving every part of her – the good and the bad. Love is a funny four-letter word that snuck up on me, and has rendered me seemingly incapable of functioning at a basic level without this woman. I never thought it would happen to me, or maybe I did, but I was just too naïve to think that the feelings wouldn’t be so consuming. So quickly Anika has flipped my entire perspective on life, love and the thought of spending forever with one person. I didn’t think it was possible to want that, but with her I can’t get enough and she seems to cross off all the boxes on my checklist that I wasn’t even aware I had.

  “Carter!” she squeals. “Put me down!” her voice ringing out three octaves higher than usual puts a cheesy ass smile on my face. She kicks her legs and I plant a bite on the side of her thigh.

  “Not a chance, sweetheart.”

  “Ugh,” She growls out in frustration as she smacks my ass.

  I let out a low laugh as I unlock my car and toss her bag into the back seat and settle her into the car, strapping her into the seatbelt.

  I slide into the driver’s seat and she pouts with her arms folded, but I know it is all for show. The radio turns on, playing some easy listening alternative, and she turns to glare at me.

  “Really, Carter?”

  “What?” I feign offense.

  “I’ll go with you willingly, but I’m changing this garbage.” she laughs, reaching forward to scan through the music.

  Finally, as I pull out of the parking garage she settles on a station that is blasting some crazy metal music that is dark and just sounds like death. Somehow it doesn’t surprise me one bit as my lips twitch in a smile. We ride the whole way home as she sings along with the music completely oblivious to me watching her in fascination. We pull into my parking spot and I get out and open her door for her, never letting go of her hand as we greet the front desk security and make our way up the elevator to my floor.

  She hasn’t been here before, always insisting we be at her house or the club, and I’ve never pushed, but now she’s in my world. I let us in setting our gym bags on the counter to take care of later, and Anika walks straight over to the wall of windows that overlooks the city. She takes in the view for a bit before moving on.

  I watch her as she studies the room much like she does everything else in life, with a skeptical curiosity. Eyeing the sleek black piano, I watch as her delicate fingers tap out a tune on the polished ivory keys of the piano. They freeze, hovering above the next note, and only for a moment I see her face soften and her eyes glass over with unshed tears.

  “My mother used to play,” she offers on a breathy whisper and her fingers freeze at the memory that plays in her head. As quickly as the moment arrived, it passes and the hardened version of Anika is back as she swiftly closes the key cover and stores away the memory into the dark little corner of her mind where everything that used to make up Anika Borkova is stored, collecting dust.

  I let her be as I watch her struggle with her thoughts and her demons in silence. I don’t know what it is this time, but I know she isn’t going to tell me. I wish I could wash it away, help ease that hurt for her. Although her face is a mask of calm collection, I see the pain in her eyes as they lock with mine. And her eyes always tell me everything I need to know. She is mine to fix and protect, and I will fix her even if it takes me until my last breath.

  I will fix her.

  The tugging in my chest has me pulling her in for a hug as I try in vain to soothe the years of hurt that have been piled upon each other, crushing the person she used to be.

  “Follow me, baby,” I order her giving her hand a slight tug.

  She follows me throughout the lower level and up the suspended wooden staircase that leads to my master suite. I sit on the couch in my sitting area and pick up the remote, flipping on the music system that is wired throughout my home. She eyes me with confusion, but I know just how to distract her from her heartache. I flip through my phone to find the song I need and synch it up. Travis Porter’s, “Bring it Back,” begins playing through the room and her eyes light with mischief.

  “Dance for me, Anika,” I say and she nods slightly in acknowledgement as her lips curl into a wicked smile.

  Slowly she pulls off the loose-fitting wrap sweater she was wearing, exposing her toned abs and only a black sports bra that matches the tiny, skintight shorts she’s wearing. Next, she reaches for those, pulling them seductively down her thighs, leaving her in the tiniest black thong I’ve ever seen. Turning around so her ass is facing me, she slides her hands up her body, running them through and lifting her mane of dark hair. In a sexy move, she le
ans forward, dropping her hair and shaking her ass in front of my face in the most mesmerizing sort of way that has my dick immediately springing to attention.

  To the beat, she continues to shake her ass in ways that I never even knew was physically possible, and when she turns towards me, biting her lip and drops herself to the floor in front of me, I about lose my damn mind. She crawls to me like a sinner about to beg for redemption.

  Sitting up on her knees, she runs her hands up over my thighs brushing against my hard length and she winks. My control snaps and I grab her by the elbows, lifting her up until she’s standing before me and I turn her back around.

  “Keep dancing,” I say and she obeys without hesitation. I can’t stop my hands from reaching forward and grabbing her round backside roughly. Even above the music I hear her moan, and I pull her down onto my lap by the hips so that my hard cock is nestled expertly between her still bouncing ass cheeks.

  “That’s right. Shake it on my cock, Ani.” I sit up straighter, sliding my hands up her body, finally landing on her perky, bra covered breasts. Grabbing the bottom elastic, I peel it up and over her head, freeing them completely. I cup them in my hands, rolling her hard nipples between my thumbs and forefingers eliciting another breathy moan. I let go for a moment to grab my phone and select one of my playlists for her and all of the things I’m going to do to her tonight.

  Closer by Nine Inch Nails begins playing quietly in the background as I stand, bringing her with me. She turns and her hands find my shoulders and move up my neck before gripping my hair. For a moment our eyes lock, laying out all the intense feelings and attraction that bind us together without any words needing to be spoken. She leans in and I pull her the rest of the way to me, fusing our lips together almost desperately. Our tongues slide together in a furious dance that leaves us both breathless and needing more. Her body presses against mine, seeking release and I pull back knowing I need to take control back and slow us down.

  Placing a kiss on her forehead, I ask, “Do you want to play?” I already feel the smile forming on my lips.