Chapter 13

"He can turnit on whenever he wants?" Diesel asked.

Clint nodded quickly. "It's an app on his phone."

The two degenerates to my left had broken Doc. His eyes had glazed over as they delved into a conversation about high-tech sex toys. With this band of miscreants, nothing came as a shock. Get them talking about their boyfriends or their sex lives, and the table turned lively.

"Doc, are you in there?" I asked.

"I'm floored that sex toys need Wi-Fi. What happened to good ol' fashioned fucking?"

I agreed. Nothing compared to two men in heat grinding away. "It seems we're fossils these days."

Diesel snatched Clint's phone. Clint tried to wrestle it back, but a handful of fire stopped Clint's protests. Diesel started typing away and then glanced at Clint. He clicked a few more times. Clint's eyes crossed as a stupid grin formed.

"Pookie says to enjoy," Diesel said.

Both Doc and I hid our faces. It was one thing to discover Clint didn't wear clothes. His jeans were nothing more than an extension of his body. But that didn't compare to the knowledge that his boyfriend had fired up the plug in his ass.

"Diesel, stop encouraging him."

"Vex, maybe you wouldn't be so uptight if we slid one inside you."

"I think not." I wasn't a virgin when it came to sex toys. Nor did I balk at the idea of a little fun out in public. Would Won-Ho be open to either? After his years of going without, I had an image that once he grew comfortable, he'd have more kinks than a child's slinky.

Clint let out a sigh as he lay across the table. "You don't know what you're missing."

"Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

Doc folded his hands on the table, meaning he entered therapy mode. The three of us grew quiet. The only recent development since our last session had been the scuffle with Cold Iron. None of us opted to speak on the subject.

"How did the two of you get caught?"

"I wasn't doing anything!" Clint threw his hands up. "Swear."

I didn't believe him. Clint had taken to theft with his new beau. Their definition of date night involved stealing high-end cars or robbing museums. It wouldn't surprise me if he pissed off the wrong socialite and they called in a favor.

"They jumped me, heading home from work."

Clint pointed at Diesel. "See. They have it in for us."

"That's how they got me, too."

We all froze. Doc had been the one to call in the cavalry. When he saw the surprise on their faces, he took a long swig of whisky before elaborating.

"I was heading to see Santiago, and they jumped me. Havres could smell them. If it wasn't for his warning, I'd have been in the back of the transport as well." It seemed the vengeance demon holed up in Doc's body served its purpose.

"This isn't a coincidence," Diesel said.

"Somebody is cleaning up loose ends," I suggested. "If I were going to do it, I'd take out all of us at once. But I wouldn't send us back to Cold Iron."

Clint shook his head. "Were they? Sending us there, I mean."

Doc shook his head. "If that were the case, they wouldn't have had the Machinist hiding in the back."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Swirling the whisky about my tumbler, I let the moment drag out. Let's see if any of them could beat me to the punch. No? I took a sip before stating the obvious.

"You weren't the target."

Clint scoffed. "But?—"

"You were the bait."

"Surprise, surprise. Vex makes it all about him." Clint waited for somebody to join the dog pile. When the others remained silent, his shoulders slumped. "Of course, it's always about Vex."

"Don't worry, buddy," Diesel patted him on the chest. "Maybe next time you'll be the target."

"Thanks."

Doc had locked eyes with me. They narrowed as he replayed the situation in his head. I'm sure we were thinking the same thing. Unless a server in this dive wanted us dead, there was only one person who knew our connection. It made sense. She had gotten what she wanted, and now we were liabilities. Eliminating us would ensure nobody could intervene until it was too late.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking," Doc said.

Even Diesel nodded. "I can't blame her."

"Take the three of you. Lure me out in a rescue, and Machinist kills me in a struggle."

"Somebody…" Clint didn't have a clue. It confirmed he operated with a grade school intellect.

"Carmen LaToya wants us dead," I said.

"Oh, yeah. I knew that. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

Diesel was the one to break the seriousness of the situation. He laughed as he lifted his beer bottle. I couldn't figure out what he found so amusing, especially when one of the most dangerous women on the planet wanted him dead.

"She knew you'd come to our rescue."

It was Doc's turn to chuckle. "He's right."

Clint raised his hand.

This time, Diesel answered. "It means even LaToya knows that Vex has a soft spot for us. What's next, slumber parties and hair braiding?"

I let out a low growl. They were work associates at best. I had a better relationship with Geoff, and he wanted to drive a knife in my back. I only tolerated these heathens because it had been a requirement for my freedom. Now that they served their purpose, we didn't have to… I didn't have to come at all. I owed LaToya nothing at this point. My attendance came out of habit. I was free to leave. I polished off my drink and raised my glass so the bartender could see its lack of whisky.

"Oh my God. Does that mean we're friends?"

I growled. "Diesel, tell Hank to turn it back on so he'll be quiet."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Diesel. "It's not like she won't try again. LaToya is more persistent than a kid in a candy store."

Out of the four of us, I had the best chance of making LaToya back down. Between my reputation, my connections, and my notoriety in Vanguard, she'd at least hear me out. "I'll talk to her."

"Sticking up for your besties, huh?" Now that my powers returned, I'd gladly rumble with Diesel. The self-proclaimed bad boy wouldn't find me an easy target. I refrained, instead giving him the middle finger.

"I'll kill you," I said.

Clint cleared his throat. "Good, we've got a plan," I nodded as I sipped my drink. "Can we finally talk about the beefcake with Vex?"

All heads turned in my direction. I waited as the server put another whisky in front of me. I expected this to be the opening conversation. The fact we had been seated for nearly an hour before they brought it up came as a shock. I wanted to be annoyed, but then again, I got to show off Vanguard's finest piece of arm candy. I played it off with a slight shrug.

"He's being coy," Diesel said. "The asshole brings a burly hero to the party and then acts like it isn't a big deal. Spill it, Vex."

Doc's face transformed, his demon counterpart rising to the surface. "Do tell, Vex." Even a denizen from Hell wanted details.

"Prime."

Clint shifted in his seat to face me. "Who?"

"He's doing that thing. He'll say something and expect us to know what he means and then treat us like idiots for not knowing." Diesel desperately wanted a punch to the throat. "We know you're dying to tell us."

Doc recognized the name. The wide eyes gave away his surprise. At least one of them was smart enough to know the meaning behind the word. "Vanguard's first hero."

"Wait…" Clint's head cocked to the side. "Wasn't that guy canned for being a complete asshole?"

"Watch yourself."

"He tried to kill the mayor, right?"

"Clint."

"No, no. I know what I'm—" Diesel covered his mouth.

"Our paths crossed when I confronted Sentinel."

Doc leaned forward. "Well, that's a lot to unpack. First, what happened with Sentinel?"

"Put a pin in that until our next meeting."

"He got creamed," Diesel said.

"Second," Doc continued, "who is Prime to you?"

"Hey, I want to hear about Sentinel smacking Vex's ego."

I liked Diesel less and less. I'd take a sick satisfaction when I dropped Sentinel's head on the table at our next meetup. It'd be several victories all at once. Then, if he opened his mouth, I'd do the same to him.

"He's a person of interest," I said.

"So, you're fucking," Clint said. I glared at the idiot. While they'd gladly discuss their bedroom conquests, I much preferred to compartmentalize. I didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply. "Oh yeah, definitely playing ‘Hide the Sausage.'"

Havres vanished, Doc's face returning to normal. "Whatever their relationship, I'm glad to see you're developing connections. I hope this tree bears fruit."

I raised my glass to Doc. "Your civility is appreciated." With a clank, we finished our drinks.

"Civility?" Clint shook his head. "Screw that. I want to know who's on top?"

The idea of climbing on top of Won-Ho had come in and out of my imagination more than once since our time in the bedroom. I tried to focus on the sex, but it always came back to the intimacy. Once the orgasms subsided, I wanted him to stay, to serve as my little spoon. It would have been the perfect end to the evening, and that worried me. I had an agenda to accomplish, and I feared this rapport with Won-Ho served as a distraction. Yet… it wasn't a horrible situation.

"I'll speak with LaToya tonight."

Business, then pleasure.

"Gruff in the streets, bottom in the sheets," Clint said. He bumped fists with Diesel. Idiots, each and every one of them. This is what having relationships with people got me. Piss poor whisky and mockery.

"I hate you all." Mostly.

* * *

I hadn't set foot inside Asylum in years. The social club for the elite boasted a roster of Vanguard's wealthiest CEOs. While I sat in front of the monumental fireplace sipping the finest Scotch, I'm pretty sure I caught wind of a multi-billion-dollar media merger. While we conducted legal proceedings in the office, places like Asylum were where the proper business took place.

The dark wood paneling and darker hardwood floors made the club feel as if it were another time. Concepts like good and evil didn't apply here. Guests would find one of the many alcoves with a plush couch and shake on deals as if it were a luxury boardroom. I appreciated Asylum for the quiet and the discretion.

It had all but cleared out. The steward stood at the door in his blood-red vest, waiting for patrons, but otherwise, I sat alone next to the crackling of the fire. It reminded me of the fire pit where I sat with Won-Ho. If it weren't for the image of his soft eyes, I'd be frustrated that I couldn't shake him from my mind.

Damien Vex didn't form attachments.

I had made it this far without something as trivial as a relationship. There wasn't a place in my life for mundane crushes. Since leaving Cold Iron, I have been a man on a mission. My laser focus revitalized Vex Industries and now I needed to focus on destroying Sentinel. Nowhere in my plan did I have time for feelings.

Carmen LaToya thought she had the drop on me. I spotted the dark reflection in the brass poker to the side of the fireplace. The lack of boots scuffing the hardwood floors suggested she came alone. I couldn't tell if I was impressed or worried that she didn't have a small strike force behind her.

"Sit," I commanded.

I packed away my feelings, locking them behind a closed door. I needed the businessman if I were to make it to the other side of this conversation without bloodshed. When she took a seat in a high-back chair facing the fire, I had a moment to study her. Her suit jacket hid a holster, another about her ankle. What concerned me more were the weapons I couldn't identify.

"Vex." She paused as the steward stepped between us, holding a silver tray with a single glass. The attendants at Asylum didn't need to be asked or summoned. They simply knew the needs of their patrons. She took it and waved him away. "I don't take kindly to?—"

"Your assassination attempt went poorly."

"Straight to business." She acted as if we were associated beyond our transactional relationship. "Is this your way of getting me alone?"

I let out a slight chuckle. "Carmen, if I wanted you dead, I'd have gone to Centurion Tower."

"How'd that work out for you last time?"

"Would they protect a woman who released prisoners for Cold Iron and ran clandestine operations? Or would they see you as the criminal you are?"

"Fair."

"I'd strike you down while they hesitated."

"You'd try." She spun her glass about, leaning in to take a whiff. "And you'd fail."

Threats back and forth served as foreplay for the main event. Now that we had our dicks on the table, we could get to business.

"Will you continue to tie up loose ends?"

"Yes." She took a sip. I did the same, polishing off the bourbon. A second later, the steward appeared with the tray extended in my direction. Setting the glass down, he vanished.

"I sense a proposition." I had bartered with titans. Every inflection in her voice mattered. Here, it was just as much about what she didn't say. Somewhere beneath her threat, I smelled an opportunity.

"Unless…" She let it hang in the air.

Carmen might not fear me like the average person. Sending the Machinist meant she respected my power, or at least feared what I could do to her. She'd never admit it, but she respected something about me.

"Speak, Carmen."

"An alliance."

I scoffed at the suggestion. "You'll continue to try and kill us unless I join your crusade?"

"They're dead either way. I have no use for them. But you…" Her head turned, slow, deliberate. "You'd make a formidable partner."

"The terms?"

"There is about to be a new world order. It will no longer be the few who have their heel on the neck of the city. Heroes and villains alike have abused their powers for too long. It's time for the people to rise and reclaim their power."

"You're staging a coup against what? The entire super community?"

"If I must."

"You command the Centurions?—"

"They've served their purpose. We've built an entire business around protecting them and their actions. I'm pretty sure you once wrote an article about it." Had Carmen come unhinged? "The Plight of Corporate Sponsored Tyrants. I was wounded that you didn't reach out for a quote."

Well played, Carmen. The manipulation wasn't lost on me. She reached into my past and put it on display to remind me about my distaste for powers. That thread might be the only thing keeping her from attempting to kill me where I sat. She used it to draw me tighter into her web.

"And us?"

"Two sides of the same coin. Both served the people, but your band of merry men don't trouble themselves with ethics."

"Flattery. But I still don't see what you can accomplish that a dozen powers under your thumb can't."

"You'd have mankind dependent on the few? It's sounding an awful lot like?—"

"Gods," I finished. Even in my boldest moments, I never considered myself a god. Perhaps a titan amongst men, but never to the point of seeking worship. That had been the purpose of Revelations. Removing the godlike power supers pretended to have and reminding the population they were nothing more than arrogant mortals.

"I see your manipulations."

"I'm not hiding them."

Carmen LaToya reminded me I threatened the pantheon as a mortal. It wasn't until I joined their ranks that they took me seriously. Unlike her, I wasn't concerned with all of Olympus. I only wanted to watch the highest echelon fall. Now, I was only concerned with Zeus himself. When I lifted Sentinel's lifeless body for them all to see. The rest… I didn't think of the rest, not anymore.

"The answer is no."

"I knew before I sat down."

"You're no better than the heroes forming their pathetic teams. You're pooling your resources to secure your base. The moment you become powered, you're no better than the Centurions." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

Our meeting had concluded. There would be no resolution. I stood. Carmen had changed the rules of our agreement, and even following her rules, we weren't safe. She'd join a long list of people who wanted me dead.

"I assume I'll be seeing your death squads again."

Carmen set down her drink before standing. She nearly bumped her chest against mine. Despite her only being eye level with my chest, she didn't back down.

"No," she said, "you won't."

I raised an eyebrow. "I find it hard to believe that Carmen?—"

Her eyes flashed a bright green. Whatever she extracted from my blood, she wanted it known that it had worked. I wondered if she had mastery over darkness or if the serum manifested in a new manner. Brushing her shoulder against my chest as she turned, I stepped back to stop from falling. A single point of contact, and I knew she'd prove a challenge. I didn't fear the human. I respected her. The powered woman? That I feared.

"Stay out of my way, Vex."

I was about to call her bluff, but she had vanished. I cocked my head while looking at the steward. We shared a similar look of disbelief. But I didn't dwell on it. I reached for my phone.

V: We have ourselves a problem.

I already had one person in my sights. Would I need to divide my attention and fight two battles? Perhaps if I informed Hellcat of Carmen's plan, she'd be able to take it off my plate. My focus would stay on Sentinel until he drew his final breath.

I doubted I had seen the last of Carmen. "Fuck."