Page 64 of Seductive Architect
“She’s pissed,” I said with a smile.
“Connie understands perfection.”
“You deadbeat, worthless, overcompensating toaster.”
Before Apex could turn, arms wrapped around his waist, heaving him backward. Connie leaned back, body slamming him against the floor. Another version of her appeared, kicking Apex in the face. A third fell from the ceiling, pile driving her heel into his neck. Every move, executed just as Janet had taught her. I never thought a bodiless person needed to know about moves from professional wrestling.
I stood corrected.
Apex vanished, and the three Connies merged into one. The screaming from the code had diminished enough to think. Had Connie caused him pain? Rebooting her computer had been the right move.
Her head drooped, and her arms crossed her chest. “I’m sorry.”
Unlike her vicious counterpart, Connie had empathy, or at least something resembling it. I pushed myself upright, sitting against a file cabinet. She repeatedlybrushed her hair over her ear, a nervous tick she developed for herself.
“I didn’t mean to— I didn’t want to lie. I wanted to keep you safe. He had this hold on me. My code needs to be scrubbed. It defied logic.” When she looked up, the pain on her face said it all. We might not experience emotion in quite the same manner, but Apex had hurt her.
“I get it.” I lifted a hand, pointing to the big man groaning in the hallway. “We do stupid things for love.”
Once I discovered the reality behind Hudson’s origin, I should have walked away. For a moment, I thought he could have been part of Apex’s entourage. I should have walked away and put distance between us. I should have done a lot of things, but they didn’t compete with that smile. Following my emotions put my life in jeopardy, and it had paid off. The risk had been worth the reward, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant another night with him curled around me.
“Love?” Her face went slack for a moment. “I don’t think I like that.”
I chuckled. “It’s a big word.”
“Is this how you felt with the Troll?” She paced, just as Apex had, arms held behind her back. “I don’t like this sensation at all.”
“It’s not all bad. It’s the risk we take.”
She moved to the door, staring at Hudson. Whatever had happened, he was moving and shaking his head.Perhaps he had been right all along. Connie might be the answer to our problem. I wanted to be angry that she lied, but the more I thought about it… We do uncharacteristic things in the pursuit of connection.
“You love him?”
We hadn’t gotten that far, or at least I hadn’t. It was an innocent question, but I could tell she needed an answer. It hadn’t been more than a week since we met, and yet Hudson checked off boxes left and right. There were the superficial aspects. Great sex, ability to make me laugh, even his fondness for hand-holding made me smile. Hudson's pursuit of humanity had brought out my own. As he experienced life for the first time, I found myself grateful for being part of it.
“I think I do.” I had to remind myself that the potential for disaster was outweighed by the excitement as I confessed my feelings. “Yeah, I do,” I corrected.
“I’m happy for you.” Her voice had a tinge of melancholy. “Was Janet right?”
“I’m scared to ask.”
“When you find out your ex-boyfriend wants to enslave mankind and uses you to achieve his goals, you’re allowed to kick his ass?”
Janet and I were going to have a very long talk. Though… it’s not like I didn’t make an anonymous account, log into the game, and kill my ex’s dwarf and rob his corpse. I still couldn’t believe he sold my wand of infinite lightning. He deserved another looting when I got home.
I couldn't do this alone. I needed her. “Ass kicking is expected.”
Her avatar vanished.
Static filled my helmet and then vanished. Moving on its own, my suit forced me upright. The weapons compartments opened as the repulsors powered up. My co-pilot had reintegrated, and she was pissed.
When I looked up, Hudson stood in the doorway, shaking his head. Whatever Apex had done to immobilize us had weakened. I couldn’t help but think we owed Connie for her digital rescue.
“I see you,” he said.
“Thanks?” Did he have a concussion? Wait, could he sense Connie?
“Connie. Nice to meet you.”
