Page 61 of Neon Flux

“What, do I look like an idiot? Of course not. That’s why they were meeting here.”

I scoffed. I’d have internal check his drives later, but there was probably nothing. Rook was a coward, but he was right. He wasn’t an idiot.

“What else?” Maddox asked, his arms still crossed.

“Not much. The whole point is, Ididn’tknow what they were chatting about.”

Maddox grunted.

“He have a favorite girl?” I asked. Rook nodded. “Send her over. Maybe I will get my dick wet after all.”

Maddox grunted again, and Rook grinned. “I know we’re friends, but the goods ain’t free.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved my hand, and he left. I practically felt the creds get pulled out of my account.

Maddox frowned. “Cy, we’re working. And don’t you think it’s in bad taste—”

“I just want to talk to her, jeez, partner. Always assuming the worst.”

“Yeah, sure. Well, I’ll be outside. Don’t need to be a part of this.” He stood and walked out.

“Prude!” I called after him, but he didn’t react. As the door slid closed again, it was me and the virtual Eon left in the room.

I leaned into the holo, and for a moment I thought I saw her look right at me.

“Can’t find you, but can’t get away from you, can I?” I took another hit from my VaPurr and let the feeling surge through me, my implants reacting, and the pain in my shoulder lessened. One more hit and I practically couldn’t feel it at all. The lights in the room started diffracting, and I knew I’d taken too much—but I couldn’t seem to find the will to care.

I looked back at Eon on the table, when she stood up and crawled into my lap. “Miss me, corpo?”

“Not even a little bit, doll.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” Goddamn, this Vector must have been fresh, because I swore I could feel her hands grip my collar, the weight of her in my lap.

“How much longer are you going to make me wait for you?”

“I always get what I want. No matter the cost.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” She grinned, and those deep violet eyes sparked. “So what do you want first, handsome?”

“What?” I shook my head.

“Damn, you’re out of it. I asked what do you want, handsome?”

I blinked, and green hair and perfect lips faded into something else—someone else. Dark hair with blunt bangs framed a pretty face with a strong jaw. Renard’s favorite girl.

“What’s your name?”

“Akiko.” She was rolling her whole body against mine, her legs spread over my lap and the tempting heat of her pressed against my hardening cock. But I’d been distracted enough this last week. Business came first. I grabbed her hips in a firm grip so she couldn’t move. She tried not to react, but I saw the flinch.

“Tell me about Renard.”

“Who? Only people here now are you and me, handsome.”

“Let’s start again, sweetheart.” I flashed the gun under my jacket, but her eyes locked onto the POM badge over my heart. “Tell me about Renard.”

The color drained from her face. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? Kaijin—POM’s boogeymen?”

“And boogeywomen. We don’t discriminate.” I gripped her hip just a bit harder, and she winced.