But I thought about it. More than I wanted to.
It hadn’t been submission exactly, I’d submitted to plenty of things in my life out of necessity and it had never felt like this. Like the shape of what we were together had edges that fit the shape of me, in some place I’d never let anyone close enough to find.
I told myself it was just the tail he’d started having me wear some evenings. The warm, constant pressure of it. The way it made me move differently, more carefully, more aware of my own body and who it belonged to. That was all it was.
I was a very bad liar.
We’d fall asleep in each other’s arms each night and then in the morning, we’d enjoy coffee in bed together, all served by the cylindrical robot that I had named Nate.
For once, life was glorious.
It was so wonderful. Too wonderful and I kept waiting for something to go wrong, for my handler to return and for the Association to steal me back into their clutches once more. Mylife had always been a series of difficult events and I had no doubt that sometime soon, it was all going to go to shit.
I figured that I’d enjoy our time together while I had the chance. So, I did just that and the more I relished each day, the more my heart began to beat for him.
One morning, the two of us were enjoying a hot cup of coffee and a panicked knock pounded on the bedroom door. I pulled the comforter up around my chest, covering my nakedness. I looked at him with a measure of annoyance and he sighed.
“They only interrupt me when it’s urgent,” he grunted, before climbing out of the bed stark naked. He answered the door that way, without a care in the world. The hinge squeaked just a little as it opened, and I peered around him to see who had come and disturbed us.
“Yes?”
“Sir. I’ve just received word from the Association. Apparently, Credare received your message loud and clear. He wants to meet and discuss a potential alliance between the Syndicate and the Association,” the guard said, his voice shaking a bit with nervousness.
“How soon is he arriving?” Bane asked, his tone suddenly serious.
“This afternoon. Only a few hours from now,” the guard replied.
“Fuck. That’s not enough time,” Bane growled. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to come up with a plan. Finally, he sighed and began to speak once more.
“Ready the property down the street. Get it cleaned and prepare the sitting room for a meeting. Post guards throughout the neighborhood, some clothed, others undercover. I don’t care what it costs. Ensure everyone is armed,” he said as he grabbed a pair of khaki-colored pants and slipped them on. He continued to give the guard directions as he pulled on a gray button-up shirt over his shoulders. Finally, when he was done, he turned back to me.
“Get dressed and meet me down in the kitchen. You need to eat some breakfast,” he said. I just stared at him, almost dumbfounded.
I knew things had been going too well.
My small jaunt of freedom was coming to an end. As soon as Credare realized I was here—if he didn’t already know, that is—he’d either kill me, kill my family, or make an example of me in some heinous fashion. I shivered, terrified.
“Cara, I’m not going to let him touch you,” he declared confidently.
“You don’t know him the way I do,” I answered.
Credare was the reason I’d gotten involved with the Association in the first place. Back when I lived on the station, I’d been used to living in poverty, used to going hungry and I had grown desperate. I stole food from the local grocery store, one that he’d owned. I hadn’t known at the time, but they had been watching me. Tracking my movements and assessing my future ability as an operative in his own illegal enterprises.
I’d stolen from that store twice. The third time I tried, they caught me.
I’d only been eighteen.
I’d heard whispers of his name, of his brutal nature and his willingness to step on anyone to further his own desires. I’d been captured, blinded by a hood, and brought before Credare himself.
He’d threatened me and my family and I knew that he meant every word. That had been seven years ago. I’d seen so much more since then. I’d done so much more since then.
I’d become one of his most successful operatives, trained in using my charms as well as combat. I knew how to use stealth to my advantage, how to negotiate with allies and enemies alike and I knew how to decide when killing someone was necessary. I also knew how to use my body to get what I wanted, within reason of course. His training was hard, ruthless even and I’d done it all to keep my family safe. For a while, I helped with Credare’s own smuggling operations. More recently, I had been working in acquisitions of rare art and jewelry from long ago. I’d become one of his most profitable ventures and there was no way he was going to let me go without a fight.
“If he finds out I’m here,” I began, and Bane just shook his head.
“He won’t. Now get out of bed. We have to prepare,” he said, before waving off the guard to get things ready. Bane closed the door and looked at me expectantly. With a soft sigh, I climbed out of bed. Quickly, I gathered the outfit he’d given me and pulled each piece on. When I was fully dressed, I followed him out of the room.
We ate quickly in silence. I could tell that he was preparing himself, trying to think of every possibility and outcome that could result from today’s meeting. For a second, he lookednervous, but then he pulled himself together and gazed back at me.
