puzzle?” Jayne snapped. “That wasn’t a puzzle. It was a joke.”
“Captain, I’m not liking the sound of this,” Jax complained.
“What do you mean you’ve been watching us?” Rose asked.
“Ah ha!” Atom shouted over them. He stopped before Magpie and bowed nearly to the ground before he said, “Madam, I am honored to make your acquaintance.”
“Ain’t you just the bee’s knees?” Magpie asked. Over her shoulder, she added, “Guppy, honey, as much as I’d love to be the object of such affection, I think he means you.” The large woman stepped to one side, exposing a trembling Gabriella.
Atom rose from his bow, and as soon as his gaze fell upon the young woman, he went quiet.
Where he was a whirlwind of words a moment ago, he was now graveyard silent. He stood stone still, staring at Gabriella. She stood just as still, staring right back.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
After several seconds of nothingness, Rose cleared her throat. “Atom,” she said, “this is Gabriella Upstairs.”
“Gabriella,” he echoed.
Gabriella smiled at the sound of her name on his lips.
Rose recognized the smile for what it was. She dragged the child halfway across the world to teach her some independence, and the kid had to go and fall for some lunatic living in an abandoned laboratory. What would she tell Daniel?
Everyone seemed caught up in the chemistry between the pair. They stood in silence, watching Atom hold out his hand, while Gabriella placed her fingers into his open palm. Atom lifted them to his lips, grazing them gently before he looked back to her face again.
“Gabriella,” he repeated. “The feminine of Gabriel?”
“Yes,” Gabriella said.
“Like the angel?”
Gabriella nodded.
“Are you an angel?” he asked. His eyes twinkled with unspeakable affection.
Gabriella giggled.
“For heaven’s sake!” Jayne shouted, clearly the only one unmoved by the touching scene.
“She’s no angel. She’s just a spoiled little rich girl.”
Gabriella snatched her hand away from him before she went bright red from cheek to cheek.
Atom took on a severe look while he dipped his head. “I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t,” Magpie said. She shot Jayne a burning look. Rose wanted to applaud Magpie for her defense of Guppy. She knew the woman felt motherly toward the girl as they all did, but Magpie had taken the role to heart.
“Mr. Loquacious,” Rose said.
“Atom,” he corrected her while he raised his face to Gabriella again.
“Yes.” Rose sighed. “Please, let’s get back to the matter at hand.”
“Which is?” Atom asked, his eyes never leaving the blushing Gabriella.
“Tell us how were you watching us from all the way in here?” Rose demanded.
Atom finally turned to face Rose. “I can do better than that. I’ll show you.”
Chapter 5
Interlude at the Red House
In which we have a moment alone with our antagonist.
Never send a man to do a woman’s job. That had been Ruby’s first mistake.
No, she thought while she tightened the straps on the counselor’s wrists. Her first mistake was choosing a second rate group of weak willed cronies with no ability to follow-through. Sure, they had killed the president, but little good it did. A new figurehead was in place within hours, and the country ticked on. A little sadder, yet none the worse for wear. All because that two bit hired hand panicked at the last moment, running instead of completing the entire plan.
This time she was sure to succeed. No more toying with political intrigue or long term schemes. All she needed was the product of one mad mind—Doctor Loquacious’s last great work. A weapon of unfathomable destruction. Of unimaginable devastation. Then she would have ultimate control.
The counselor groaned when she slipped the last cuff into place. Ruby ran a hand down the man’s chest, past his belly, pausing to grope his cock for the briefest of moments, teasing him into an even
“Captain, I’m not liking the sound of this,” Jax complained.
“What do you mean you’ve been watching us?” Rose asked.
“Ah ha!” Atom shouted over them. He stopped before Magpie and bowed nearly to the ground before he said, “Madam, I am honored to make your acquaintance.”
“Ain’t you just the bee’s knees?” Magpie asked. Over her shoulder, she added, “Guppy, honey, as much as I’d love to be the object of such affection, I think he means you.” The large woman stepped to one side, exposing a trembling Gabriella.
Atom rose from his bow, and as soon as his gaze fell upon the young woman, he went quiet.
Where he was a whirlwind of words a moment ago, he was now graveyard silent. He stood stone still, staring at Gabriella. She stood just as still, staring right back.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
After several seconds of nothingness, Rose cleared her throat. “Atom,” she said, “this is Gabriella Upstairs.”
“Gabriella,” he echoed.
Gabriella smiled at the sound of her name on his lips.
Rose recognized the smile for what it was. She dragged the child halfway across the world to teach her some independence, and the kid had to go and fall for some lunatic living in an abandoned laboratory. What would she tell Daniel?
Everyone seemed caught up in the chemistry between the pair. They stood in silence, watching Atom hold out his hand, while Gabriella placed her fingers into his open palm. Atom lifted them to his lips, grazing them gently before he looked back to her face again.
“Gabriella,” he repeated. “The feminine of Gabriel?”
“Yes,” Gabriella said.
“Like the angel?”
Gabriella nodded.
“Are you an angel?” he asked. His eyes twinkled with unspeakable affection.
Gabriella giggled.
“For heaven’s sake!” Jayne shouted, clearly the only one unmoved by the touching scene.
“She’s no angel. She’s just a spoiled little rich girl.”
Gabriella snatched her hand away from him before she went bright red from cheek to cheek.
Atom took on a severe look while he dipped his head. “I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t,” Magpie said. She shot Jayne a burning look. Rose wanted to applaud Magpie for her defense of Guppy. She knew the woman felt motherly toward the girl as they all did, but Magpie had taken the role to heart.
“Mr. Loquacious,” Rose said.
“Atom,” he corrected her while he raised his face to Gabriella again.
“Yes.” Rose sighed. “Please, let’s get back to the matter at hand.”
“Which is?” Atom asked, his eyes never leaving the blushing Gabriella.
“Tell us how were you watching us from all the way in here?” Rose demanded.
Atom finally turned to face Rose. “I can do better than that. I’ll show you.”
Chapter 5
Interlude at the Red House
In which we have a moment alone with our antagonist.
Never send a man to do a woman’s job. That had been Ruby’s first mistake.
No, she thought while she tightened the straps on the counselor’s wrists. Her first mistake was choosing a second rate group of weak willed cronies with no ability to follow-through. Sure, they had killed the president, but little good it did. A new figurehead was in place within hours, and the country ticked on. A little sadder, yet none the worse for wear. All because that two bit hired hand panicked at the last moment, running instead of completing the entire plan.
This time she was sure to succeed. No more toying with political intrigue or long term schemes. All she needed was the product of one mad mind—Doctor Loquacious’s last great work. A weapon of unfathomable destruction. Of unimaginable devastation. Then she would have ultimate control.
The counselor groaned when she slipped the last cuff into place. Ruby ran a hand down the man’s chest, past his belly, pausing to grope his cock for the briefest of moments, teasing him into an even
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