Chapter 2

Fog pilfers through every bay as I dodge bodies and make my way through the heart of the Nexus.

Nagas sway seductively from the red light district, calling patrons to come hither with their elegant clawed fingers. The locals know to never stare into their eyes beyond the required time unless they want to be caught under their siren's call.

Banshees smooth back their long, cascading locks, wrists heavy with bangles that clink together in a hypnotizing jingle meant to steal the attention of the unknowing and foolish.

Five stalls from the red light district, beyond the smell of unwashed males, a neon hand flickers as if under a spell. The little shop of Astrial Awakenings is run by an Arachne by the name of Bones.

"Care to hear what the bones say about your fortune, stranger?" she grins. Equipped with a full set of stylish cyberlimbs and arachnid cybereyes, the only organic things left on her are her innards and heart. She casts her gaze on me with a knowing look, one of her eyes beneath a patch, when the locals know she is as airheaded as they come. But her silver tongue allows her to trap easy prey as long as they were close enough.

Like most of the rats here, Bones dreams of living a new life off-world. We all did. But in order to do that, she needs enough monetary gain. Once, a customer is caught in her web, she will weave a fantastical tale, keeping you there until she drains all your credits.

I shake my head. "Not today, Bones. Keep your visions to yourself." Without waiting for her reply, I take quick strides around oncoming crowd traffic and escape her clutches.

A hand touches one of my tails and I automatically whirl, leaping onto their shoulders and throwing my elbow down into their skull, taking them to the ground.

"Ow! Get off me!" the pigheaded bastard squeals.

Leaping off his fallen form, I throw a last kick and then place a gloved hand on my hip. "Keep your dirty hands to yourself, next time, you dirty boar," I snap, my fur standing on end.

A few of the nearby patrons look up but quickly lose interest as he snorts and rubs his head. Rolling my eyes, I continue my path to Techwire, one of the notorious nightclubs in the Nexus.

Steam billows from the nearby pipes, cloaking their doors for brief lapses of time as if to add to the dark mystery hidden behind their walls. I pull down my goggles and side step a few people before slipping through the slatted gates of the first barrier. Tapping my watch, night vision turns on and I slowly descend the steps until I reach the basement doors.

Knocking four times, I wait as the top portion of the door slides open to reveal biohazard green eyes scanning my face.

"State your purpose."

"The pride of fortune falls to the greedy," I simply answer. He stares at me for a moment and a silent communication passes between us. When the rusty metal click lands into place, I take a step back and push up my goggles, bracing for the pulsing lights from within.

Birdy is an excitable Gorgon bouncer. The wider the door swings back, the more it reveals his corded muscles beneath the vest. Equipped with a pair of subtle cyberlegs and hand razors, his long serpentine tail swishes around to position itself offensively.

"Haven't seen you while, Kira. What brings you back to the Techwire? Or should I not ask?" he continues with a hiss at the end as he shuts the door behind me and locks it.

I look around the club and watch as various bodies and shapes writhe against each other seductively, the lights from above blasting down like death lasers, illuminating faces influenced by unnamed substances. The bar to the left is full of patrons and wallflowers that have yet to decide whether they want to try the rolling tides of the people on the dance floor.

Birdy's baton clanks lightly against his scales as he takes a step beside me and crosses his arms, attempting to see what I'm seeing. The snakes on his head are silent with only their flicking tongues in my periphery.

His stomach grumbles enough to be heard over the music and I stifle a laugh. "Doesn't the bar serve food? You should grab one before your mood sours."

He scowls in an attempt to hide his pout. I've been around Gorgons enough to know that one one of their favorite snacks are hot dogs. "I'm waiting for Lex to relieve me in the next ten minutes."

I pat him on the stomach with the back of my head and look over my shoulder. His shoulder deflates right before he walks back to guard the entrance door to club Techwire.

Weaving through the throng of drunken patrons, some of the guys throw a grin my way while some of the women wink. But I'm not here for pleasantries or couplings. I make my way around the perimeter of the dance floor until I reach the VIP booths, hidden in the shadows.

The music continues to vibrate beneath my skin as I lift my boot onto the raised platform of the next area of the club. Feline tails swish as they lap dance over men who are gluttonous for feminine teasing, dressed in suits, slowly sipping on their drinks with hooded eyes.

Making my way past their geometric booths, I nod at the next guard before the inner door. He stands there casually, scanning the crowd, but I know he's packing beneath his black attire. Slipping through the staircase, at the end of the dark hall, a black desk appears before the man who sits behind it as if the planet revolves toward him.

Ryuu Dvorak is the enigmatic lord of the Nexus, though he's never once said those words himself. His eyes glow like embers, igniting an uncomfortable emotion inside of me as he takes in my form from head to toe the way he always does… in silence.

Nothing is said as he clasps his hands in front of his face, watching me take the single seat in front of him. Behind his form, the walls are made of glass—his personal watchtower over the club.

Despite the room being devoid of guards, we both knew he could handle himself if necessary. Crossing my legs, I leisurely lean to my side with one elbow on the armrest, watching him.

"You grace me with your presence, yet again, Kira. To what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

His low timber sends a thrill down my spine and I run a hand through my hair to hide it. But he misses nothing as his eyes follow my every movement, his nostrils flaring.

"Perhaps I was just in the neighborhood," I start and he scoffs, cutting me off. Ryuu leans back in his chair and the fabric of his shirt strains against his broad chest.

"Don't play me for a fool, Kira. You have eyes and ears all over Fortune City. You only emerge when you have reason… or if you need to cover up a problem." His sights flick over my posture again as he raises an eyebrow, trying to decipher if I came here as a threat or a friend. I don't blame him. The first time our worlds collided, I hacked into one of his smaller clubs on the other side of town, skimming off the top discreetly for weeks before he caught on.

The only reason we were on neutral terms now was because I was able to secure a deal that I could do the same to his enemies as quid pro quo if he let me go. His hate for his rivals surpassed his irritation of me, and we've been at a strange impasse since. No one dared to question his decision, not when the last guy who did went missing only to have his dismembered body parts appear sporadically in different locations across Fortune City.

I clasp my hands behind my head and continue my nonchalance. "You're thinking too hard, Ry-Ry. Not everything has to be about business."

He slowly got to his feet as the oppressing atmosphere in the room thickened. His intimidating horns threatened to reach the ceiling as he made his way around his desk toward me, the claws of his feet depressing into the low pile carpet from his weight.

I had to keep my cool. I can't let him see me affected. But my body has other ideas as my heart begins to palpitate with his closing proximity.

"Kira…"

"Ry-Ry…"

He curls his lip at the juvenile nickname but I can't help the satisfaction I feel because of it. After all, I can't let him think I easily fell under the spell of his masculinity.

"State your business, I have things to do." His bluntness makes my hair stand and I get to my feet so I don't present as cowering prey in front of this obvious predator.

"I may need to use your systems to… complete a task I have in mind," I mumble, pretending to look at my gloved fingers.

His body tenses as he leans into me, forcing me back into the chair, his hands on either side, caging me in. "And what exactly am I getting in return for this favor? Why should I let you touch anything of mine, little hacker?"

I keep my eyes on his, refusing to back down. "I already completed the last task you gave me. I believe it's you who owes me , Ry-Ry."

"I could forfeit your life, right here, right now, little fox, and no one would be the wiser," he threatens with a promising whisper.

"And yet you haven't. Why, one would actually think you like me bugging you, Ry-Ry." I'm pushing my luck and I know it. But again, my pride refuses to let me back down, even if Ryuu is one of the most feared and ruthless businessmen in the Nexus.

When he leans in further, I inadvertently flinch back and he chuckles darkly, his horn a small breadth from my face. The touch of his nose against my cheek ignites my circuits as he begins to speak again. "I'll offer you a deal."