Page 18 of Seductive Architect
“Do you think, and hear me out on this, you’re making a conspir?—”
“We don’t use that word.”
“Developing atheoryas an excuse to interact with this gentleman?”
I slumped back against the couch, letting her words get under my skin. No. It had nothing to do with that rugged jawline or the way his suspenders framed his belly. What about the hum of the code when we touched hands? Or the lack of a past? I wanted to say it was only about uncovering the truth, but I didn’t give face-time to anybody else on the board. Hell, if I could avoid interacting with people in the office, I’d find a way.
“I’m good at my job, Orion, but I can’t read minds.” She giggled at the thought. “Heavens, that’d be horrific!” She swatted away the thought, focusing on me. “You’ve got something on your mind. Dish.”
If I said it out loud, admitted that I wanted to see that goofy grin again, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the board. It had been months since I shut the door on people, let alone the idea ofconnectingwith one. I had been going about my life, relying on my routines. But was I happy? I tried to pretend like everything was okay, but some part of me craved companionship. Even Connie had a special somebody in her life. Did I feel left out? I cringed at the thought ofwantingto connect with another meat sack.
“I think…” I didn’tneedfriends. But maybe I wanted one that didn’t work in the office. “Maybe I want to?—”
A crash shook the building.
“Thank God.” I maintained plausible deniability.
“No!” Kiki cried. “We almost had a breath through.”
I won the betting pool!
I jumped to my feet. With a thought, the nanites crept along my skin, covering me in my superhero uniform. I could hear the legion of tiny machines as they locked into place. The visor wrapped around my head, the heads-up-display already scouring the HeroApp™ for any information on what had caused the explosion. Let’s see which idiot had stumbled onto a building filled with supers.
Kiki sighed. “Just once, I’d love to end a session on hope.”
She followed me to the window. Her arms were folded over her chest, pouting as I lifted the glass. I took a bit of satisfaction knowing I dodged her question. There’d be another session, and we’d go toe-to-toe. I’d do my best to, as she put it, “Deflect from the real problem.” I couldn’t handle the frown on her face. She needed a win today.
“If it makes you happy.” I stood in the window, turning about. As I fell backward, I shouted, “I’ll ask him out again.”
Even as the jetpack roared to life, I could hear Kiki scream, “Victory!”
“Connie, ready to open a can of whoop ass?”
Millions of tiny robots, making up my uniform, encased me like medieval armor. While other heroes were home tailoring suits out of spandex, I preferred a modern solution. Their outfits might show off their rippling muscles or epic bulges, but mine came with sassy artificial intelligence and a slew of weapons. No showing off my underwear to the world.
“Asses are about to get whooped,” she cheered in my ear.
Janet might not be the best mentor with teamwork, but she loved to scream about a killer photo opportunity. I killed the jetpack and fell the last twenty feet. I landed in front of the doors leading inside, dropping to one knee, fist pressed against the cement walkway. Wait for it. Wait. Wait. I raised my head, moving to my feet in a slow, deliberate motion.
“Nailed it,” Connie said.
Unfortunately, all the employees rushed inside, leaving my epic landing less than useful. I’d have to try it again tonight and see if I could leave a crowd of onlookers in awe.
“Who do we?—”
Connie uploaded the villain’s profile into my visor. Pulled straight from the HeroApp™, the dossier included a brief history, powers, and outstanding warrants. “Wow.” Prism had a police record stretching several pages. This wasn’t the usual grab-and-go villain looking for a quick buck. We had murder, kidnapping, and… jaywalking?
“Connie, get the Coven here.”
He had already blown out several windows of the lobby. Hopefully, the bomb hadn’t destroyed the coffee shop… or hurt people, I guess. I scanned the open area in front of the building while skimming through data. Prism. Light powers. The ability to bend and reshape. Several of the photos in his file showed him half invisible. I switched to infrared.
“Wyatt is off-planet for training. Drew in Sin City meeting with a sponsor.”
Great. I have a killer on my hands and no backup. “Try Dustin or Ricardo.” I didn’t know Wyatt or Arthur’s boyfriends well enough to make them a first pick, but if Prism was as bad as the?—
My visor flashed white before something struck me from the side. Burning. Pain. I sailed into the adjacent lot, smashing into the scaffolding surrounding an under-construction building. The concrete cracked from the impact. We needed to update Prism’s profile to include death rays. The nanites screamed in pain, mourning the death of thousands of their companions. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force away the glowing orbs in my eyes.
“Dustin is presenting to Vanguard police. Ricardo isn’t picking up.”
