Justin (16 page)

But Deanna was stretched out next to him, breathing softly, and he relaxed in relief.

Justin must have slid out of her in his sleep, and now he nestled behind her, his thigh firmly pressing her rump. The butt plug was still in him, though. He reached around and carefully worked it out, then leaned across Deanna to drop it into the sterilizer on the other side of his nightstand.

Deanna turned her head and looked at him sleepily as he eased back onto the bed.

Justin kissed her shoulder. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” She was so beautiful with her dark hair tangled over her body, her brown eyes warm. “Why do you always do that?”

“Make hard love to you? Because you’re gorgeous, sexy, and a real sweetheart. How can I stop myself?”

“I mean why do you always distract me? I came over here to tell you something.”

Justin smiled as he licked across her shoulder. “Why didn’t you wake me up and tell me then?”

“Because when I saw you . . . it made me think of my dream. I couldn’t resist.”

“I’m glad I led you into temptation then.” Justin slid his fingers under her breast, lifting the weight of it. “I’d happily do it again.”

“I really do have something important to tell you.”

“Better tell me then, before I wake up all the way. Because I’m going to want to distract you again.”

Justin was drowsy, sated for the first time in ages, but her next words wiped away his warmth.

“I think I know where Lillian is.”

Justin stopped, hand firming on her breast. She watched him in some trepidation but also determination.

“I told you to leave that the hell alone,” Justin said. “Remember?”

“And I told you I could help. I can get into databases that are closed to most people, even your librarian friend—I assume she was helping you look up Lillian that day I saw you coming out of the library. Don’t you want to know what I found out?”

Justin did, and at the same time, he wanted Deanna to have nothing to do with this. Knowledge was dangerous. “Yes,” he said tersely.

“I used the DNA tracer to locate a person with an exact match to the DNA I found on your veil. The tracer picked up Lillian’s old records, and then the records of another person with a different name.”

Justin stilled. “Who? Where is this person?”

“I don’t know.”

“Damn it, Deanna, you just said . . .”

“I’ll explain if you let me finish.” She raised up on one elbow and pushed her hair back from her face. “The record I found is about fourteen years old, and there aren’t any after that. But I know Lillian never left the planet. Even if she stowed away and got off planet, there would be a DNA record of her
somewhere
. She’d have to apply for housing or for a job, and she’d have to give a DNA sample. You can change your name and where you live, but you can’t change your DNA.”

Justin lay silently, barely able to breathe. Elisa’s searches for Lillian too had not shown her on any other planet. Even if Lillian had died, the DNA of the deceased would be registered, regardless of what name she’d been using.

“So what are you saying?” Justin asked. “Were the records wiped after that? And how?”

Deanna shook her head, the ends of her hair brushing Justin’s skin. “I’ve thought of the only explanation that fits. There is one group of people on Bor Narga allowed to hide all record of themselves, allowed to be completely anonymous, untouchable even by the rulers. It’s very, very hard to get accepted into their enclaves, but once Lillian became one of them, her records would be closed and unsearchable.”

“What group?” Justin had lived most of his life off Bor Narga—thank the gods—and he couldn’t place what she was talking about. “She became one of who?”

Deanna took a breath. “The celibate orders. I think Lillian joined one of the Ways. She’s taken the robes and gone into seclusion, which means that all record of her can vanish without a trace.”

*** *** ***

Justin got them up and out in record time. Deanna saw the agitation in him, the desperation, even as they both showered and dressed.

“Where are we going?” she asked as Justin all but shoved her out the door ahead of him. “I don’t know which order she’s in, or where. Like I said, the records are sealed, even to me.”

“We’re going to see someone who knows all about the celibate orders,” Justin said striding ahead of her to lead the way.

He took her out through the immense, bright heat of the morning to the street on which she’d spied him before, when he’d gone to the small library that served citizens of this part of Pas City.

The library was more crowded than she’d have thought, with people on every console, and others asking questions of the librarians. A year ago, this place had been almost deserted.

Justin went to a counter and leaned his arms on it, waiting for a pretty woman in a light robe and tastefully draped veils to finish helping the person she was talking to.
Highborn
, Deanna classified her. Working here because she wanted to, not because she needed the job.

The woman turned after the last patron left her desk, and her eyes widened as she glanced from Justin to Deanna. “Hello, Justin. Is anything wrong?”

“We need to talk. Can we . . . ?” He made a vague gesture at the door behind her.

The librarian nodded, turned on a sign that told people to go to the next librarian on the counter, and led Justin and Deanna through the door to a small, cool room in the back. Deanna heard soundproofing click into place when the door slid shut.

Justin started to speak, but the librarian held out her hand to Deanna. “I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced.”

Definitely highborn. Only someone from the Serestine Quarter would demand that manners be followed no matter how dire the situation.

Deanna, as the lower-ranking woman in the room, went first. “Deanna Surrell, Patroller First Class.”

“Elisa n’Arell, Library Director.”

She came from an old and rich family, Deanna surmised, with a name like that and veils that would cost Deanna a month’s pay.

“I’m not arresting Justin, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Deanna said.

“She already did that,” Justin said. “She likes handcuffs. And other things.”

Elisa looked at both of them again, took in Justin’s half-grin, and made an “oh” of understanding. Deanna blushed harder than she had in her life.

“You can stop explaining right there, Justin,” Elisa said. “I don’t need to know. But you’re frothing at the mouth about something. What?”

“Lillian joined a celibate order,” Justin said. “I want to know which one.”

Elisa looked surprised. “An order? You’re sure?”

Deanna answered. “Very sure. It’s the only explanation. I’ve been helping Justin try to find her,” she added at Elisa’s continued surprise.

“Order records are sealed,” Elisa said. “Even to me.” She peered at Deanna. “Are you
very
sure?”

“Very. It’s the only way all records of her after a certain point could disappear. Even DNA records. I found reference to her new name when I did a DNA search, but only one. Then . . . nothing.”

“Yes, you could be right.” Elisa’s eyes took on a keen light, as though she’d enjoy sifting through all the data again herself. “It never occurred to me she might have joined an order—they’re very selective. I was going on with looking for a name change or move off planet, and I have no access to the DNA records. But even if what you say is true, I can’t get into order records.”

“But you know people,” Justin said. “If I believe everything Braden says, you were pretty high up in your Way. You’d know who to ask. Ask them.”

Deanna’s world was sure being shoved around this week. A Shareem, classified as the lowest of sentient life forms on Bor Narga, was sitting here demanding that a highborn woman formerly from a celibate Way use her contacts to help him. He wasn’t groveling or even asking politely. Justin looked highborn Elisa n’Arell straight in the eye and told her to help him, and Elisa didn’t even blink.

“It’s a good idea, Justin, but I can’t promise anything,” Elisa said. “Some of the orders can be very close-mouthed.”

Justin’s grin spread over his handsome face. “You’ll sweet talk them, Elisa, as only you can.”

And now the highborn woman was blushing. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you.” Justin rose, but instead of giving the woman a polite nod or bow as lower-ranking people were supposed to, he cupped her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “Tell Braden to be extra special to you.”

Her smile warmed her eyes. “I’ll do that.”

Justin led Deanna back outside. The heat had pumped up as the sun moved to its zenith, and sweat trickled between Deanna’s shoulder blades.

“Was she ever . . .” Deanna cleared her throat and forced out the question. “Was she one of your . . . clients?” The comfortable way Justin had spoken to Elisa, coupled with the kiss, which Elisa had accepted while blushing rosy red, pointed that way. The level of jealousy this gave Deanna dismayed her.

“Elisa? No, she’s Braden’s girl—remember I told you that when you asked me what I was doing here the last time?” Justin stopped and pulled her to face him. The Bor Nargan sun made his still-wet hair glisten, and shadowed his tanned skin. “Or did you think I went to the library that day to see her for sex?”

Deanna tried to shrug. “Of course that’s what I thought. You’re Shareem.”

“I can see that we need to have a little talk.”

Justin took her hand and almost dragged her back through the streets toward his apartment. Instead of leading her inside, though, Justin ducked with her into the bar next door.

“I see you found him,” Judith said from behind the counter.

Deanna’s face went hot, but Justin pulled her past Judith and Mitch, who sat on his usual stool at the bar.

“We’re taking the corner table,” Justin said. “Keep everyone away, but bring the ale. Deanna and I need to talk.”

“Uh-oh,” Mitch said.

Judith wiped her hands, pulled taps to dispense two tankards of ale, and brought them to the table. “Be nice to her, Justin,” Judith said. “Patrollers can’t help being what they are.”

Justin shook his head. “Deanna’s a good lady. Don’t worry.”

Judith raised her brows but walked away without a word, back to the bar and Mitch.

Deanna took a sip of ale, finding it surprisingly good, but Justin didn’t drink.

“I’m Shareem,” Justin said, his blue eyes steady. “But I left Bor Narga a long time ago and lived like a real human being. I got together with a woman and stayed with her in a permanent relationship. Shela and I were together, with no one else. Occasionally, we’d bring in a third or a fourth, but only for fun, and only briefly.”

Deanna coughed, wiped her mouth, and set down her tankard. “A third or a
fourth
?”

“Yes.” No explanation, no embarrassment, just the one word. “When I moved back to Bor Narga, Elisa and Braden were going through some things. I was their third a couple of times, but it was for fun only, to help them work out their problems. They’ve invited me back once or twice, but lately, I haven’t been interested.”

“No?”

“No.” Justin leaned to her, his gaze intense. “Because I’m more interested in a patroller with pretty eyes.”

“Oh.” Deanna swallowed and started to say more, but he cut her off.

“I’m not finished. DNAmo created Shareem to be living pleasure toys—played with until the lady is bored then handed off to the next lady in line. But the reality is that Shareem like to be with certain people, and not others, and they can fall in love. I wasn’t smart enough to hide that with Lillian at DNAmo, which is why they broke us up. On Sirius, I got with Shela, and we were very happy. And now, I’m finally finding something like happiness again with you, which means I’m not running around fucking every woman in sight. All right?”

Deanna listened, heart pounding. The way he looked at her made her warm and happy, and she couldn’t quite make her tongue start working again.

“All right?” Justin repeated, waiting.

She nodded quickly and cleared her throat. “I believe you.”

“You clinched it when you handcuffed me to the bed.” Justin’s smiled glimmered through. “Nice touch. I was trying to convince myself that I couldn’t possibly feel anything for a patroller, and then you went and excited me more than I’ve been excited in a long time, and now you’re helping me find Lillian. Why?”

That was easy. “Because I hate seeing you so sad. Because I know why you need to find her. Because I don’t think it’s fair what they did to you.”

Justin watched her closely, eyes so deeply blue in his handsome face. “You’re sweet, Patroller.”

“I’m not sweet.” Deanna balled her fists. “I just . . . I thought you’d be different. I never realized how much I’d like you.”

“Fair dues,” Justin said. “I never thought I’d like you. And then you go and make me care.”

“So what do we do?”

Justin started to smile. “Have more sex?”

“Is that your answer to everything?”

“It is what I am. No matter how we feel inside, Shareem still like sex, and we like to explore every sexual facet we can. That’s why some add the third—or fourth, or fifth—to enjoy the spice.”

“Is that what you want to do with me?” Deanna unclenched her hands and laced them around her ale glass. “Add more people?”

“No, actually. I’m finding that I don’t want to share you. But there’s other ways we can play. Like more of what we’ve done, or watching, or . . .”

“Wait, wait. Watching? Watching what? You mean like . . . dirty vids?”

Justin let out a laugh. “Vids are boring. There’s nothing like watching a passionate couple really into each other. They know you’re watching, and they like it, which makes it even more hot.”

Deanna felt her mouth drop open. “If you say so.”

“And if we get so into it that we rip off each other’s clothes and start in ourselves, all the better.”

“In
front
of them? You’re crazy, right?”

“It can be fun, Deanna, with the right people. If everyone’s consenting, what the hell?”

“Do you do this often?”

Justin looked surprised. “No. Like I said, it has to be the right couple and the right time. You’re adventurous, sweetheart. I see that in you. I think you’d enjoy the experience. But if you don’t want to.” He shrugged. “Fine by me. There’s plenty other things that are fun.”