Page 39 of Tempting Jupiter
That’s where Billy was wrong. There were a lot of things worth dying for.
She launched Bug into the air and got it carefully out of Billy’s office before handing control back to Bug’s artificial intelligence. Bug would return to her without further instructions, because Bug was the best remote AI of its size money could buy.
And there was her answer.
Her eyes fluttered open to Morris’s face, less than a meter from hers. Feeona jumped in her seat, heart pounding.
The money-lender’s round hazel eyes, set in a narrow face, were cold an assessing.
“You okay, dear?” She straightened and inched back. “I was getting worried.”
Feeona was still breathing hard from the anxiety her conversation had caused. She met Morris’s eyes. “I’m fine.”
The woman shook her head. “Can’t fool a money-lender, dear. Accessing people is part of the job. Who will take the money and run? Who is good to their debts? You, I’d say, are in a bit of trouble. Something I can do to help?”
Feeona’s instinct was to get away from Celia Morris as quickly as possible. But, then what? “What makes you think I’m in trouble?” The money-lender wouldn’t need any skill at reading people, if she’d connected her to a station-wide manhunt.
Celia lifted an arched eyebrow. “Aside from the panicky breathing?”
Feeona grimaced. “Yes, aside from that.”
“You’re in money-lender row and hiding out in my shop. Youarehiding, aren’t you?” Morris waited for a response and for once nothing snappy came to mind. Fee was totally screwed.
She deflected the question. “What do your instincts tell you about what kind of risk I am?”
Morris returned to her seat behind her desk and leaned back. “Ah, so it is a financial problem. I’d say you’re the type to be true to your debts. But not currently in the position to do so. No, you wouldn’t be a good bet for a loan.”
“My accounts are frozen.” Fee explained. “I have the funds. I just can’t get to them.”
The young man watched their interaction, face still blank as a doll. Why did he look familiar?
“Well, I’m a simple money-lender,” said Morris. “I don’t employ these two,” she gestured to the hulks. “For their code hacking skills. I might not be the most ethical lender in the row, but I don’t break the law.”
“I didn’t mean to…”
“In your situation,” Morris pointed a finger at her. “We lenders rely on collateral. Have anything worth value you can leave with me?”
And that quick they were back in the vicinity of her only option. “My remote.” She said it flat out. Like it was no big deal. Like the thought didn’t knot up her belly.
The money-lender snapped her fingers at the goon standing near the door. He pressed the control and the door swung inward.
Bug zipped in and landed on Feeona’s shoulder.
Morris leaned forward to take a closer look. “I had some business with a fella who had one of those. Not exactly like that one. But I have an idea how much it’s worth.”
Bug’s wings flapped and then it circled Feeona’s throat to form a decorative piece attached to the slender chain hanging there. She’d given the command before it was in her consciousness.
Bug was a part of her and she could only tolerate the thought of giving it up, because the alternatives were even worse. But she’d only be leaving it as collateral with a chance she could get Bug back.
Morris reached for a com pad. “I can see by that look, you’ve decided. I know a surgeon.”
“A surgeon, wait, I—”
“You were thinking I’d hold just the remote for you.” Morris laid the pad back on her desktop. “This model requires a matched neural control implant for smooth operation and data transfer. The match is hard coded. It can’t be controlled from an external interface or from any other implants. If you don’t make it back, for reason’s not your own, where would that leave me?”
“I don’t have time for surgery.” And if she had the implant removed, it was unlikely she could ever get another. Even with the best surgeon, there would be scar tissue.
“Life is about tough choices. I understand, if you’re not interested.” Morris returned her hand to her desk and her fingers moved in a rhythmic pattern against the com pad. A smile slinked into place. “Good news, the surgeon can do the surgery immediately. If you decide that’s what you want to do.”
