Chapter 28
Sera
“Icalled in about a dozen favors,” the ambassador said, joining us. She showed Dean her phone. “Send the data you have on Zenkyoza to this address. I have your temporary protection documents. A private jet is waiting at the Haneda Airport. It will take you to Seoul, from where you will be able to travel back home. You are both under my official protection, so be good, or I’ll come back to haunt you.”
I gave Dean an anxious look. He nodded.
“South Korea has far laxer robot laws. I’ll be fine.”
I sighed with relief and turned to Natasha. “Thank you so much. You’re literally saving our lives.”
“His for sure,” she said, pointing at Dean with her chin. “As for you, Miss Evans, I hope you will use your skills for good. An official embassy car is waiting downstairs. I’ll take you to the airport.”
“Should I tag along?” Asan asked, his eyes gleaming. “In case you need some muscle.”
Natasha shook her head. “Go back to Kim and enjoy your honeymoon. I’ll handle it.”
An hour later, we sat on the private plane, waiting for takeoff. I still couldn’t believe it was so easy in the end, but Dean did a deep dive using some of the information he got from Zenkyoza to find out more. The corporation was deemed a problem by prominent members of the government, who jumped on the offer of getting some much needed evidence of wrongdoing. In the end, my obsession that got us into this mess in the first place also saved our asses.
“I messaged Gokiburi to let them all know we’re all right. She says she wants to fight for equal robot rights in Japan and that you’ll help her since you owe her a favor,” Dean said, petting my hair.
I sat in his lap, and he couldn’t stop touching me, just like I couldn’t stop running my hands up his chest and face. He was alive. He was here. All was well.
“Of course I’ll help.”
The journey was uneventful, and even the awareness of all the hate waiting for me back home failed to stress me out. Asan was right, and I was grateful for his wisdom. The love between me and Dean was what mattered. The rest was just noise.
We reached my apartment early on a Tuesday morning. The air was fresh and the sky gold with a new day, and I swayed on my feet from exhaustion but refused to let Dean carry me. On my door was a pinned note saying “clanker slut”. Dean tore it down with an angry growl, and I shrugged.
“What? It’s the truth,” I said with a huff of amusement. “I’m such a slut for you, my sexy Clanker.”
Dean rumbled, placated, and I opened the door to let us in. My apartment was bright with the sun and all the yellow and green I used to decorate. Dean locked the door behind us, grimacing.
“You need better locks. Like any kind that I can connect to and program.”
I owned no smart devices, and my lock was the analog kind, opened with an old-fashioned key. But this was going to be Dean’s place, too. I had to compromise.
“Mhm. Tomorrow.”
“Because you’ll be busy fucking me today,” he said with a grin.
I nodded through a yawn. “Once I shower and take a nap. God, I’m exhausted.”
He came over, palming the back of my head, and lowered his face to mine. “I was kidding, baby. Should I order you breakfast while you shower?”
“Mhm. Won’t you get bored while I sleep?”
“I have hobbies. Don’t worry about me.”
“LikeBro Signal?”
“I deleted it, only saving your articles. It turns outBro Signalwasn’t a reliable source after all, though it helped me a lot in my time of need.”
I showered, taking a long time scrubbing my scalp, then ate a burger Dean got me while he dried my hair with my old dryer.
“This thing is loud,” he complained, turning it off. I sighed in bliss, welcoming the silence. “I’ve just ordered a new one that’s quieter.”
“Dean, I don’t have money for new gadgets.”
