Slick as Ides (31 page)

She turns to me and looks at me like I’m insane. “Then why do you trust him?”

“I don’t. I always have my eyes on him. Ask him—I monitored his computer and his house,” I reply.

He barks a laugh. “Yeah, she was hoping to see me naked.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Stormy says under her breath, sounding attracted to him.

“Okay, I’ve gotta get back to my room. Some unfinished business,” I say and slide out of the way.

When I turn around at the last second, before leaving this crazy room, they’re already chatting away and he’s smiling so big, I think he’s probably broken a crucial facial muscle required for drinking and tongue control.

“Bye,” I say to them, even though I know they can’t hear me.

He’ll be just fine.

I glide over to the elevator and whistle on the way up.

This went better than expected.

Riot can have a good time at Comic Con, he can get to know a beautiful and slightly eccentric woman that’s as big a hacker as he is, and I can escape into the night without him even realizing it.

I sigh when I get to my room, smile and check to make sure the door’s still locked.

It is.

I scratch at it, and a moment later, it’s opened.

“Hey,” I say, no longer trying to hide my voice through a scratchy-whisper. “How is he?” I peek over at Nick’s sleeping form on the bed.

“He’s fine,” Westin answers, letting me in.

“Why didn’t you untie him after I left?” I ask, eyes narrowed at him.

“Call it payback for this bastard screwing up my car lifting operations,” he says, smiling. “He was due for a kick in the ass.”

“Aw, you know you didn’t really need to keep doing that. After what I paid you to watch out for him, you didn’t need to steal anymore cars,” I say, and step around him.

“That’s true, but there’s no fun in following his stupid-ass around. Especially not when his only move is to
follow
you
,” he says, laughing. “Besides, if I’d stopped lifting cars, he would’ve known something was up with me. God, I’m so sick of following him while he follows
you
. So fucking boring! Thank God that’s over now.”

“Yeah, but it was fun for me to hear about it after the fact.” I walk over to Nick and sit down next to him.

He’s sleeping more soundly than I’ve ever seen him.

“Poor baby,” I say quietly.

Westin laughs harder.

“Shhhh.” I glare at him.

“Going to my room right about now seems like a good idea,” he says, motioning to me.

I touch Nick’s cheek and run my fingers through his hair. Such a beautiful, sensitive, smart man. Dear Lord, I could stare at him all night even though I really need to get some sleep before I drop.

“You remember the plan?” I ask Westin.

“Yep. I’ll see ya in the morning, boss,” he says and disappears out the door.

Before I untie Nick, I get up and make sure the chip I put in the back of his neck is working.

It tells me he’s asleep, heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure. His location is also specified.

I smile and strip down to my bra and panties.

Black. He likes black almost as much as I do. I’d already changed out of my purple top earlier, chickening out. I just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t pull off purple. Most colors hate me.

I turn off the majority of the lights in the room, make sure the door’s locked and then head over to his hands first.

Each knot that slips through my fingers and unwinds makes my heart feel lighter.

We’re free.

He doesn’t know it yet, but we’re on our way.

His hands flop onto the bed, and red flags start to pop up in my mind.

Should he be this lax?

I’m the heavy sleeper, not him.

I hurry and finish untying his legs, take off the blindfold and gag, and when he’s still out of it, I pick up my phone and dial Westin.

“Hiya, miss me already? Or did he need his ass wiped?” He chuckles.

“What did you give him? He’s not rousing,” I ask.

“
Rousing
? Around you? Not possible. That fucker’s always horny just thinking about ya.” More laughter.

“I’m serious—he looks half-dead. Did you give him something to put him out?”

“It was only a little bit. He kept trying to scream and struggle, and I was worried someone would hear. Plus, you know I can’t stand the thought of anyone getting hurt,” he explains.

“What the fuck did you do?” My voice goes up in pitch and yet it goes quieter.

“I gave him the good stuff,” he says.

“Are you shitting me? You gave him date rape drugs?”

“Hey, he told me he’s fucked you a few times while you were sleeping. Time to return the favor, right?”

“Shit, Westin. He has to be hard for me to even be able to do something like that, and I don’t know how I’m gonna get that when he’s zonked out.”

He chokes on something—sounds like he’s drinking some fluid. “Shit, woman, you don’t know men very well, do you? Some stroking, some sucking, and it won’t matter if he’s in a coma. His dick won’t know he’s out of it.”

“You really are sick,” I say.

“Just keep it down. I wanna get some sleep before I have to deal with him tomorrow and hauling his whiny-ass around.”

“Night,” I say, clipped and hurried, then hang up.

Bastard. Why did he do this?

I told him how to handle it. I told him specifically to untie him, tell him what was going on, and then Nick would be fine.

Did he listen? No.

Shit. What if he doesn’t follow the plan tomorrow?

Nick moans, and it’s low and sounds pained.

I can’t take advantage of him when he’s drugged out of his mind.

What the hell do I do now?

I turn him onto his side, try to prop some pillows next to him so he won’t inadvertently fall off the bed, and then I snuggle into his side and try to sleep.

Only, I can’t. He’s here. He’s with me, and as usual, he smells like
my
kind of drug.

“I love you—you don’t know that yet because you haven’t heard me say it to you, but you will. I’ll say it so often, you’ll get sick of it,” I say, stroking his chest.

He’s fully clothed with the exception of his bare feet.

I’m surprised Westin had the courtesy to take his shoes off for him.

I nuzzle into him, take a big fat inhalation and wrap my arms around him.

“We’ll be together after tomorrow. I promise. We’ll have to run, but we’ll be together, until I finish up my newest invention. Then he can’t hurt us.” I yawn and stretch, and before I can tell him anymore of the plan, I’m asleep—warm and safe. And Nick’s a part of my life once more.

Chapter 19

Ides

“Ides, wake up!” Westin’s voice calls out to me.

The bed shakes.

I blink and roll onto my back.

“What?” I groan and wait for my eyes to focus.

“I got word from Jason. They’re on their way. His dad found out,” he reports.

“Fucking hell. Do you think Jason told him?”

“I don’t know, but I believe him when he says Stephen’s on his way.” His eyes shift to the door.

I blink hard, run my palm down Nick’s chest and say, “Okay—take him. He’s still out of it. I’ll shower and get ready to face them.”

“That wasn’t the plan,” Westin says, his eyes scrunching in concern. “You can’t handle him.”

“He won’t see me,” I say, pushing up to sitting. I brush my hair off my face with my hands and yawn. “They’re following the chip Nick made for me that I swallowed. His dad must’ve figured out how to reconfigure the remote. I’ll keep it with me here in the room, and when they’re on their way up, I’ll slip out.”

“How’re you gonna know when they’re near?” he asks.

“Jason has connections.”

“If he just sold you out, then doesn’t it stand to reason he’s still working for Stephen, and you didn’t quite pay him enough to buy his loyalty?”

I nod and ignore how nauseous I am at the thought Jason may have turned on us. I was hoping it wouldn’t go this way. “I’m sure he’ll do exactly that, but I have a trick up my sleeve in the form of a girlfriend of his.”

“Whatever—
women
!” He tosses his hands up in the air.

“You only need to worry about how to get Nick downstairs without anyone asking questions about why you’ve got a half-dead guy, hanging over your shoulder.” I drag my hand through Nick’s hair once more. Lord, he’s so beautiful and perfect.

And I can’t stop touching him.

“Jesus, woman, I’m not gonna carry him around everywhere. What do you take me for, a pack-mule?” He points to the wheelchair by the door. “He looked awful when he arrived on his bike, and nobody’s gonna think anything of it when I wheel his ass out.”

“Fine. Sounds good. I’ll take the bike when I go, so leave me his key for it.” I motion to the door.

I stand up and stretch a little more.

“Sounds good.” He claps his hands and pops his neck.

“Now, please,” I say.

“Bossy, bossy, bitch.”

I chuckle, and he grabs Nick’s keys, takes off the one I need and tosses it at me.

Of course I miss catching it, thanks to the jitters crawling through me.

He dies laughing, curled over on himself.

“It wasn’t that funny,” I grumble.

“Yeah, it was. The great Ides can’t even catch a damn key when it’s tossed at her from five feet away.” He keeps hooting to himself.

“Ha, ha.” I tuck it in my pocket. “So fucking hilarious, I’m sure it’ll make it on the net.”

“Okay, I’ll have it online within twenty-four hours. I’ve got stuff to do, lady. I’m busy, so stop delaying me, and you’ll just have to wait and watch it later.” He turns to Nick. “Ups-a-daisy, lazy-ass.” He drags Nick off the bed, then pulls him over to the chair. I manage to race behind him and hold the chair steady as he sets Nick in it.

“Hey, before I go, how did you find out who Jason’s girlfriend was? I’ve known Jason for a long time, and he’s a tight-lipped mother fucker. He’s never said anything to me about a girlfriend at all.”

I grin. “Well, Stephen keeps tabs on all his employees.”

“No fuck? You hacked into the big boss’s computer?”

I nod and grin wider. “It wasn’t hard. Been doing it for weeks. Stephen has no clue what he’s doing and has a false sense of security because his guys lie to his face about their abilities to keep him protected.”

“I suck. I never could’ve done that.”

I laugh and my fingers are in Nick’s hair once more. “Jason doesn’t talk about her for a reason, so don’t take it personal. She’s dangerous. She runs with some pretty hardcore crowds, and her thing is breaking into military databases.”

He blinks and his jaw opens wide. “Fuck . . .”

“Yeah. All I had to do was find her, tell her who I was, and well, she’d heard of Ides before, so she was thrilled to do me a favor. I paid her, of course, just in case.”

“Of course.” He takes the brakes off on the wheelchair and turns Nick around.

I grab Nick’s bag off the dresser, hand it to Westin and I kiss Nick’s forehead before he’s wheeled away.

The second he’s out of sight and out of the hallway, a tight, shrill sound wafts out of my chest.

He’s gone.

Again.

Fucking hate it when that happens.

I collapse on the floor and am suddenly a sobbing, womanly, germy mess.

This floor is disgusting.

I don’t care how often they shampoo it—they should rip it out and burn it.

People do sick things on hotel bedroom floors, and I wanted to do something to get the bed all tangled and germ-ridden with Nick, but I had no choice.

My favorite man in the whole world was unavailable.

Like a crazed monkey, I crawl into the bathroom, find my way into the shower and get ready for my day.

This has to work.

Once I’m done—dressed and have my stuff packed back up, I set the chip on top of the dresser in the middle with a paper under it with two simple words.

EAT ME.

* * *

When I’m back in Nick’s room where we first kidnapped him, I pull out my remote and press the green button.

Green is go.

Green is come.

Green is you’re trapped, motherfucker, and you won’t get near us again.

I pick up my phone and call Lexi—Jason’s girlfriend.

She’s already helped me before, taking my old phones and answering when Nick would call up, and then she’d tell me each time afterward. I always felt bad when he called her names. For someone as hardened as she is, I was always shocked it pissed her off that he called her a filthy whoring bitch.