Page 75 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

We’re closing in on the end of our first week together. And I’m not trying to rush to the inevitable discussions we must have. Annabelle is right; we can’t have secrets from each other, not when we’re going to have podlets someday.

Someday. It’s catching up to me. It’s really catching up. I registered us as mated, not that the internal systems of Zaffiro and Glyden hadn’t picked up on it. But we’re not officially mated until we register. And my Sunshine deserves to be official. I know my family is going to be happy about it. Marina and Michio knew before, but now they all do. It’s shit that Holter can’t do the same. Not yet.

I need to explain fully to my mates what I do. It’s pounding on my subconscious.

I’m going to pay for not completing my mission. I’ve never had to give a report before, because I don’t fail. My employment doesn’t involve any official documentation. So what’s going to become of me? I have no idea. I have no way of even explaining what happened. All we can do is protect our mate, and I’ll live my life.

Sunshine sits on the sofa, moving her hand from side to side. Mickey is following it. M32 would do anything for our gal. I would too. I sit so our legs touch.

“Hey.” She puts her head on my shoulder. “You know what I was thinking?”

“What?” The last time I asked her that question, she told me she was wondering if the square force of pressure on the glass increased or decreased on the size of the dome due to... something. I was distracted watching how her braids bounce around her breast when she gets excited. I should work on my science levels, bring them up to something beyond a podlet level.

“The block Castor gave me has a clone of my old phone. There might be messages from my cousin Marlee. And I just kind of wondered what she was up to. She and her mother Blair have almost no contact with me. Mostly because they don’t want Uncle Russell to have access to them. And I understand, I do, in principle. They wanted me to come with them. But I couldn’t give up seeing my dad, and now I’ve done exactly that.”

I pull her onto my lap. “You miss your dad.”

“I do. He did his best. Being a farmer doesn’t leave time for much.”

“That’s hard on both of you.” My block dings, but I don’t answer it. Everyone I want to hear from is right here. Also, it’s only a matter of time before I’m called in for missing my mark and not killing Nico. For joining his pod. It’s another reason I haven’t left Glyden to go over to my little cottage dome. Other than the ball, and buying theomada, I haven’t been out. The level of shields and extra security around our apartment now is amazing. If I were a Glyden teenager, I’d be complaining about it. It must really stifle their ability to sneak around.

But I can’t stifle my Sunshine. There’s so much for her to learn. To see. Our city is amazing. And even living here my entire life, I can feel it, see how special it is through her eyes. We’ve interwoven beauty and technology together to form our everyday lives.

“Do you want to take the newomadaout for a spin? I know some people over in one of the green domes. We could take a field trip.”

“Oh, heck yes.” She races back to the bedroom, while I duck my head into the rooms on the other side of the living room. They’re empty. Nico and Holter are out? Then I remember where they are today—resigning their commissions with the military.

I’ve got Sunshine all to myself for the rest of the day.

I check the ping on my block just to make sure it’s nothing important. There’s no message, just a location pin from an unknown number. Acid builds in me. I’m not supposed to reply. Instead, I go to one of the empty bedrooms. I shut the door. I hit the button for the last security contact I have.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end is confused.

“I’m done.”

“Eros Herod. Or should I say Portsmouth, if the rumors are true?”

“Not rumors, that’s my name.”

“Once a thief, always a thief. Stealing into a pod you shouldn’t be in.”

If he were standing in front of me, I would relieve the government of a useless cog. “I’m not a thief. Never was.”

“If you think so.”

When I was too young to know better, I got involved with the wrong group of males. I was friends with the young elite—Castor, Atlas, Pertusio, and Nico—then I made a mistake. Words hurt. Reckless with my words, I cut the rope that bound us together as brothers. I floated alone for a while before I found new friends.

They’re gone, of course. I was nearly gone with them, but four kings ago, the king from Tinom found a good use for a male from a wealthy family. One that might be hard to have executed. He forgave my crimes for my loyalty to the crown—specifically, the security council around the king. Although, with Atlas fighting the Vikings, the security council has taken on a life of its own, pursuing projects that pasts kings would not have asked for.

“It’s true,” I say. “I’m done.”

“Be done. But you’ll still have to pay for your crimes. Maybe one last fuck with that human cunt and then we’ll set your trial date.”

I grit my teeth. I’m done. But he’s right. I have to come at it from a different angle. I need to get Atlas involved. If he even knows the underground network exists.

“That’s what I thought. You know what to do. And fucking do it this time. You have one hour.” He disconnects, and I’m left holding my block in my hand, squeezing it so tight it could crack.

I rest my head on my knees.

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