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.I thought I looked pretty decent for a lazy gearhead.Not as wonderful as my wild warrior, but not everyone owned superior muscle genes.I stalked back to the kitchen without offering my silent Pamavirgin any fresh interest.Let him make up his own mind.He needed to come to me.I didn’t mind being a bottom between the sheets, but tonight I needed upper emotional leverage.Artfully plating the salad occupied me for a few minutes.I poured out more wine, sat, and ate.Shadowy movement told me someone arrived from his self-indulgent sulk.Pokatawer sank into the opposite chair.He smelled like my vanilla soap.Cool.He sipped his wine, set down the glass, and glared at me like I owned the brainpower of bellybutton lint.“My ass is not mangy.”Not the expected opening salvo.“I know how to coax a man to the dinner table, eh?” I laughed until a major coughing fit claimed my throat.I feared I’d need a medic.During my fit a smiling in satisfaction Pokatawer made no move to help me.What an unsympathetic tough guy.He sprinkled dressing over his salad.His fork speared a bright tomato slice.He chewed.“This is a fine dressing, ManH man.” He sat back and savored the flavor.My voice sounded sandpapered.“Glad you appreciate my culinary skills.”“In truth this is a fine dressing for a ManH man’s attempt, but the mix needs additional spices.I will show you a few tricks.”“You make dressing.”“I build houses, make dressing, cook, garden, and slaughter monsters.”“Do you juggle?”“No.”“Dance?” I chewed a mouthful of cucumber, tomato, and lettuce.Pokatawer nodded and smiled.“Surprise, I belong to a group fond of the majestic Foxtrot.”This time Pokatawer rose to beat my back until I ceased choking.Generous of him.I regained control over my breathing.I twisted up toward his smiling face.We kissed.Ah, we kissed like the last kiss on earth.“You are one strange egg.”“Thank you.” One last kiss thrilled me before Pokatawer returned to his salad.We finished eating in a companionable silence.Pokatawer leaned back and raised his glass to me.“Tell me your story, sweet Divine.”“Long or short?”“As you wish.”“Short.Like you I was born before the fucking B-Rain strikes, grew up during the Civil Turmoil.My mother claimed she mated with a computer since I understood computers and systems almost at the same time I learned to read.My dad was a chemical engineer who died when I was two.I guess I inherited his genes.Thing is, and this always enrages me, I heard about the B-Rain problem before the disaster struck.Hacker boys fled the country like rats from a sinking ship.I chose to stay in order to fight.I wanted to be the cliché fly in the smelly BCM ointment.Not the case.I was caught.Tortured.Scheduled for death.” My breath caught.My ability to speak faded away.A savage wind gust thudded the house.“Dear Dan saved me.He understood my worth.He understands me in ways I never expected.He owns me but not in a malicious manner.I adore him—no, I love him for believing in me.Here I am, Brooks trash elevated to ManH god.Because ManH men think they are gods.”Pokatawer smiled.My breath caught.I never saw such a dark, vindictive smile grace a human’s face.His lips barely moved.“They will learn otherwise.”BCM didn’t know what came to bite their sorry asses.Pokatawer’s brutal smile told me BCM were destined for defeat.I rose my glass in acceptance.We continued eating in an easy silence.Pokatawer devoured the salad in grand gusto.After his second helping, he stretched in contentment.“The BCM greenhouses produce superior vegetables.Then again, Philips demands only the best on his blood china.”“He is a pompous ass.”“The previous BCM head died from a tragic accident, eh? He took a tumble down a flight of steep stairs monitored by a suspiciously malfunctioning security camera.”“You Pamavirgins are well informed.”“Our lives depend on the information.”I swirled my wine.“Did you truly run, or did you want to be captured?”Pokatawer arched his shaggy brows.His shrug told me nothing and everything.“Look, I don’t give a hairy purple potato if you were sent here to blast ManH into next decade.You do understand my words, correct? No love for them dwells in my heart.”“Why did you help develop the powerful Shield to protect them from the Howlers?”“Ask my happy neck chip that question.”Pokatawer stood and pressed his lips against my neck.“Tell me, ManH man.”“Asshole.” I shook free.Stern hands pressed me into my seat.“I told you! I didn’t want to die.”“That was the past.This is now.”“I still don’t want to die, all right? Stop acting ignorant.”Callused fingers played over my collar bones.“Stop protesting.”“Stop acting like a bully.”“I am not a bully.”“Really? Let’s replay that last exchange.Wait, not a bully but definitely not all there.”Pokatawer pushed me back and returned to his seat.“Tidre possesses side effects.”“What?”“Tidre.The legendary drug compound.It’s not tested, which results in many odd side effects.A suicidal urge is paramount.”“Will you let me pass on the name?”“Why not? It means nothing.”“If that’s how you understand BCM, you better wise up.Little info bites thrill them.Why do you think they let me take you away from them? Sneaky Sam Devine extracts information nugget by nugget.They thrive on nuggets [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]