He understood immediately what Tyler wanted from him. He knew he was supposed to be angry, upset, and wrong-footed. This was all designed to force his hand and make him reveal his true self. Yet all he could think about was how beautiful his baby was, and how pleased he was to see the design –hisdesign – finally realised.
He walked around the vehicle, running a finger along its cool, shiny exterior. Slipping into the passenger seat, he marvelled at how expertly Tyler had translated his ideas into reality. This was all he’d wanted, to create this machine he was now sitting in, and he’d sold his soul for it. Now it was here, with that gloriousnew-vehicle smell, and it was perfect. He felt overwhelmed, overcome, and completely and utterly in love.
“Well? What do you think?” Tyler climbed into the driver’s seat beside him, his face a study in expectant triumph. Alex turned to him with tears in his eyes.
“She’s beautiful. Thank you,” he whispered, and then, without even thinking, he leaned over and pressed his lips to Tyler’s.
Tyler froze, while Alex let the kiss linger a second too long to be anything other than an invitation. He drew back to find Tyler gazing at him in horror, as if he’d ruined his favourite toy.
“What happened to ‘never gonna happen, pervert?’” Tyler threw at him.
“Please don’t remind me of how stupid I was back then.” Alex caressed Tyler’s cheek. “I was an idiot. Look at what you’ve done for me.” He stroked the AV lovingly. “I’m so lucky, and I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserveyou, but I promise I’ll do my very best to please you.”
It wasn’t the clumsy seduction of last year, or remotely like his pathetic attempt to make Tyler sleep with him in order to spare Solange. It was real and full of longing, as authentic as Alex could make it, and his finest moment since this whole charade began. He’d trumped Tyler’s ace and taken this game of cat and mouse to the next level.
Now the ball was in Tyler’s court. Had he ever really intended to sleep with him, or had that merely been just another weapon in his arsenal of psychological warfare?
Alex knew that he was about to find out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
NOVEMBER 2095
Josiah
Josiah dressed carefully the next day, in a burgundy suit with a navy-blue shirt and tie.
“All armoured up to visit our nemesis?” Esther raised an eyebrow when he walked into her office.
“Something like that.” When he was dressed correctly, with a pocket square and smart suit, everything matching, he felt at ease inside his own skin. He’d even put two dark chocolates into the little silver case and dropped them in his pocket, hoping that before long Alex would be well enough to resume the little ritual.
They didn’t have far to go, as Tyler was in residence at Vertex Tower, a short duck ride across Ghost Eye. He appeared to be ready for them, too, with a posse of lawyers flanking him.
Josiah glanced around the sterile white suite with its red and black furnishings; Tyler, also, liked things to look a certain way. He was dressed in his customary black suit, with a black turtleneck underneath, looking leaner and more cadaverous than ever. He’d once been a handsome man, but now his cheekbones jutted out, giving him a hungry, wolfish appearance. Josiah was glad to see that the events of the past few weeks had been as stressful for Tyler as they’d been for himself.
“I see you’ve been in the wars, Raine,” Tyler commented, glancing at the stitches on Josiah’s forehead and his black eye. “I wonder if it has anything to do with the alert I received from Alexander’s microchip a few days ago? I do hope he’s okay. When all this is over, I intend to take possession of him again, and I’ll be seriously pissed off if he’s in bad shape.”
“He’s fine.” Josiah maintained his composure, refusing to let Tyler needle him.
“I heard he’s in the hospital after being abducted by an old friend. That seems a tad careless. I thought he was supposed to be staying with you for safekeeping? I’ve instructed my lawyers to sue for his return, as you clearly can’t look after him properly.”
“Go ahead. No judge in the country will authorise his return to you with a court case for murder hanging over you, and Alex one of the main witnesses.”
“I’m assuming that’s why you’re here?”
“It is.” Josiah flicked Tyler’s charge sheet up on a holodoc in front of him, then read him his rights.
“Are you bringing me in for more questioning?” Tyler didn’t even look at the charge sheet.
“No. I don’t think there’s any point. We have enough evidence to charge you.”
“Hmm, I wonder if you do.” Tyler gave an enigmatic smile. “Not to worry. I’m rather looking forward to my day in court.” He placed a hand on Josiah’s shoulder, directly on his stab wound, and squeezed, causing a spike of pain, then leaned in close. “I do enjoy a good fight – something we have in common, I think? I’ll annihilate Alexander in the dock, then come after you. By the time I’ve finished, you’ll be lucky to get a job cleaning toilets, let alone as the nation’s favourite investigator, the revered indiehunter.” He spoke in a silkily smooth tone, at his urbane best.
Josiah refused to show an iota of the pain he was feeling. He took a step away, removing himself from Tyler’s grasp, and looked him straight in the eye. There was something almost too bright, too energised about him, and Josiah recognised that expression very well. Tyler was in the zone right now, cruising on adrenaline and wits and loving every minute of it. Josiah could see the sparkle in his eyes. This was, to Tyler, what fighting was to him.
“Enjoy it while you can,” he said, smiling. “I’ll see you in court.”
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Tyler replied, smiling wolfishly back. “By the way, please ensure Alex is implanted with another chip as soon as possible. He’s still my property, after all, even if he’s in your temporary custody. My lawyers insist on it, so we can keep an eye on him. He’s a very valuable commodity.”
