Page 30 of Captive

“Well,” Royal says once we’re both put together, and our masks are back on, “that was…”

I have the feeling the man doesn’t trail off like that often, so I take it as a compliment. Or, I guess, I should take it as a compliment to the P.o.P.: the Power of the Pussy. I grin, but since he can’t see the grin behind the mask, I say, “Yeah, it was.”

Before he has the chance to say anything else, someone near the doorway coughs, alerting us to his presence. Both Royal and I turn to look at Ezra, and we find him standing there with his arms folded over his chest, his masked face cocked. You don’t have to see his expression to know what look he’s giving us beneath his mask.

Royal tries to play dumb, “What?”

“Really?” Ezra says. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

This time, Royal doesn’t say anything; all he does is shrug.

I feel myself giving an awkward smile, but then I remember he can’t see my face, so I drop it and say, “It’s fine. Nothing to worry about. Everything is great.” Hmm. I might lather it on there a bit too thickly. Oh, well.

I mean, again, we are two consenting adults. What does it matter? It’s not a big deal, right?

Chapter Fourteen – Hawthorne

“It is a very big deal,” I tell the two people sitting across from my desk. Ezra stands near the door, the tattletale of the trio, while Royal and Abby look, to put it mildly, unperturbed. Like they did nothing wrong.

It isn’t a big deal, Abby tried to say when I ordered them to have a seat after listening to Ezra’s tale of events.

But it is. It is a big deal. It’s a huge deal. It’s literally the one rule we have, other than our rules for killing.

In a perfect world, these two never would have crossed that line. Or, if they did, they’d at least wear guilty faces. But here and now? Royal and Abby are anything but guilty, and that’s what irks me the most.

I’m losing control of my team. Maybe not Ezra, but at least Royal. I knew this whole thing would be a disaster; inviting Abby to be a part of the team, even on a trial basis, was a mistake. One big mistake after another.

“I’m sorry,” Abby says, still not sounding in the least bit sorry. “But I just don’t get why it matters. It isn’t like I’m some random girl on the street. I’m here. I know who you guys are and what you do. We’re adults, so why can’t we—”

“Fuck like rabbits?” I offer, and I don’t think anyone in the room expected me to say that, because I receive various responses.

Ezra blinks in what must be shock, while Royal sniggers. Abby, on the other hand, mutters, “I don’t think that’s what I’d call it. I mean, it was just the one time.”

“Was it? Will it always be just the once? Or will you two be unable to keep your hands off each other now that you’ve crossed that line? What kind of mistakes will you make because you’re too busy constantly thinking about the other person to be meticulous and careful?”

Royal frowns at me. “We have a cleaning crew for a reason.”

Abby’s brows furrow. “We have a cleaning crew?”

“There’s no we,” I quickly say, causing all three sets of eyes in the room to land on me. “I mean, there is a we, as in me, Royal, and Ezra, but after your outing, there isn’t a we that includes you, Abby.”

“Ouch” is all she says to that.

“Come on, Hawthorne,” Royal leaps to her defense, something very out of the normal for him to do. “That’s harsh. You’re making such a big deal about this, for no fucking reason.”

I will not kowtow to him. “I am only following the rules the Benefactor laid out for us all those years ago. Don’t like it? You don’t have to remain part of the team. You know what’ll happen.”

Abby, however, doesn’t know, and she leans forward on the chair she sits in and asks in hushed tones, “What’ll happen?” Her gray eyes actually sparkle; she really does find all of this interesting, doesn’t she?

Royal mutters, “Let’s just say this isn’t a team you can walk away from. Quitting ain’t really an option.”

“Oh.” She thinks longer on it. “Oh, I get it. You mean someone will kill you? Damn, that sucks. Who’ll do it, Ezra?”

I adjust my glasses. “The Benefactor… employs other people. Muscle, so to speak.”

Abby rolls her eyes and says, with quite an attitude, “That seems like such an overreaction to two consenting adults having some fun. Come on, Hawthorne. Relax. It isn’t a big deal. You don’t have to report this to your Benefactor or whoever. Just take a breath and let it go.” She demonstrates by inhaling slowly and then releasing that breath just as slowly.

But this is Abby we’re talking about, so she doesn’t end it there. After her demonstration, she cracks a grin and says, “Or maybe you just need some stress-relief, too. Bet you’re real tense between those shoulders… and other places.”