Page 277 of Lodestar

“Heaskedfor help in dying?”

“He wasn’t going to rot in jail for the rest of his days. I couldn’t blame him.”

Never let it be said the man wasn’t smart—he knew I didn’t want to talk about this, so he asked, “You accepted the CIA’s offer because of your mom?”

“Yeah. Figured I might be able to get some answers into her death if I was on the inside. Ya know, more than, ‘She died. Get over it.’”

He squeezed my fingers in commiseration. “Bet you never imagined what you’d be wading into.”

“No, but…” I sighed. “I’ve never been good at keeping my nose out of shit. Always had my own morals and used those as a measure rather than blindly following how the government would like me to be.

“Even if Reinier hadn’t used the Sparrows to shut me up when I started making noises about a double agent and the looting of priceless artifacts, I had a feeling it’d get me killed.”

“What?!”

“Someone was making a lot of money, Conor. If you make waves when millions are on the line, you end up in a box draped in the stars and stripes.

“Reinier was too much of a businessman to let me go to waste. A reasonably attractive woman with a functioning pussy, asshole, and mouth? Why not put them to good use? Shrewd of him.”

“Until you escaped and became a pain inhisass.”

“I’ll be worse than that when I’m done with him.” That was a fucking vow. “Same with these other pricks. If they were in on it, which seems hella likely, they’ll pay.”

Hell, I’d make them pay anyway.

If a fucker thought a person was a piece of meat to be sold as merch, I was doing the world a service in making sure they didn’t share oxygen with the rest of us for much longer.

“You got plans?” he asked as he toyed with my fingers.

“I do. Nasty ones.”

He snorted.

“It doesn’t freak you out?”

“I’m Aidan O’Donnelly Sr.’s son, Star. I’ve watched him crucify people… You’ve seen what I put Michael Byrne through too. I think I can cope with whatever you dish out for him.”

I had several ideas I was working with but to be on the safe side, I checked, “Can I borrow your electrodes?”

I could feel his excitement. “You can. I messed around with the settings. Made them stronger.”

“Excellent.”

“You channeled Mr. Burns then. Do not lie to me and spoil my kickass day of watching you be you by telling me you’ve never seen an episode ofThe Simpsons.”

I smiled into the darkness. “Does that make you my Smithers?”

“I want to fuck you as much as he wants to fuck Mr. Burns, but you’re cuter than that old bastard and I think I’m hotter than Smithers too.”

“You’re definitely hotter,” I whispered, running my nose along his.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He yawned. “Sorry, Star. I’m tired.”

“We both are. I was just waiting for your ass to show up before I could get some Zs.”

Startled, he blurted out, “Really?”

“Really.” I wiggled my ring between my fingers. “Thank you for the cameo.”

---