My laptop had sat unused for a few days on the table in our room. It wasn’t a desk, and Alex had very few personal belongings here himself. Not that he had much at his apartment but even though we were mystically married I had a feeling we’d always have two separate homes. No matter how much room I made for him in my life – Alex was a drifter. I knew that going in.
And as he said Forever is a long time. I could deal with my personal life later, right now I had work to do and thankfully my love understood. The information Jin sent me was extensive. Three hundred people and then some had called and there was files for it all.
There was a ping on my laptop and I looked at the message.
Cross referencing as we speak.
I laughed. “We aren’t speaking.”
Ha! ha!
I opened up Sage’s program and started looking at his reports and not Jin’s. Not that Jin’s information was invalid, I just trusted Sage to put it together in a better way. And he enjoyed working with me so I never really stopped him.
There was a lot of harassment but no real harm to anyone. It seemed that businesses were being threatened. Schools being notified. And the Venatori weren’t hiding the fact that they were interfering.
“I can’t do anything about human affairs.”
I can help.
“Get Trix to do what you can to fix their problems. The Venatori are attacking my people in a way I can’t do anything about.”
You could make friends in the city. grin You could run for mayor.
“Yeah no,” I said. But it was a thought. I’d have to talk to people, could we get the City in on this? It would make life a lot easier if we had human contacts to things the right way. “Are there anything in that business that needs my specific attention.”
No. All appears to be disputes that require no fighting or supernatural intervention. I’ll ping you if it does. Chev is helping too – he’s bored.
“Good man. Thanks.”
Our pleasure. Dee is doing better, she wants to apologize.
I sighed. “Soon.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to see her soon, but Sage was my friend. A voice from the door interrupted my thoughts. “Do you always talk to yourself?”
I looked back at Vin who was closing the door behind him and standing in front of it. I grinned. “All the time, but I’m talking to Sage.”
“Does he always listen?” Vin looked around the room looking for cameras and microphones I thought and then wondered if Alex had told him what Sage used to do.
“No. But he gets a notification when my computer turns on, or when I get emails.”
“You let him spy on you?” Vin asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t consider it spying.”
“So what if Alex sent you a kinky email. He’d get it?”
I shook my head. “No. Alex doesn’t have that email address. Or rather he doesn’t use it. It’s work related only. And why would Alex be sending me kinky emails when he could send me a kinky text?”
“I don’t know.” Vin laughed. “I’m not him. Is he listening now?”
I looked back at the screen and shook my head. “Maybe, but probably not.” I pointed at the red light on the laptop lid. “It’s not on, so the camera isn’t active.”
“You know that’s creepy right?” Vin said. “And highly insecure.”
“I have the best cyber security protection available. There is not a hacker a live who is getting past The Wicked Truth’s line of defence. I might be bragging on Sage’s power, but Chevalier who is far older, and seen much more asks Sage for help. The price of my best friend knowing everything about me is nothing Vin. Not for that line of protection, and the free use of an information whore.”
I heard that.
Flashed on my screen.
I laughed.
“You never know when he’s around. I don’t like it,” Vin said. “Are you done?”
I nodded. “Why?”
“I want to do a bug sweep of all the living spaces. You might trust your hacker friends, but I don’t,” Vin said.
I stood up from the computer. “There are no bugs in here.That’s not how his power works. And no one can hack Sage.” I grinned. “And I mean that quite literally Vin. Sage is electronically connected to my phone and my computer and anything it connects to. He attached nothing, he just touched it and talked to it. They became friends and now they are his. He’s a technopath, Vin. You can’t hack his brain. I’m not connected to his external monitors, which is why he hears me quickly and sees what I do through the camera if it’s on. It’s hardwired in his head.”
“Why?” Vin asked.
“Because we took comfort in it as kids, that we were always there for each other. He’s like my brother.”
Vin sighed. “I still don’t like it man. I’m doing a sweep regardless. And I want to do one at his house.”
I nodded. “Fine. Then you can sweep the top ten floors for magical users who can eavesdrop on my personal conversations and inside my head too. You’ll probably want a telepath to go with you. And you better vet them too because they could breech security too. And don’t forget to have yourself and all my other body guards examined too.”
Vin stared at me like I was insane. “If you feel it’s prudent to scan my best friends house for potential damage then you need to do it for everyone else.”
“His fucking girlfriend…”
I interrupted, “His wife.”
Vin glared at me. “His wife…” he paused like he forgot what he’d been saying. He sighed with resignation. “His wife put you down with a kiss.”
“All the more reason for everyone to be examined and vetted,” I said walking out.
“Wait. This is an order now?” Vin asked as he trailed behind me.
“If you go to Sage’s house and do a security sweep. Yes,” I said walking away.
Vin caught up to me. “You know how crazy that sounds?”
I nodded. “No more crazy then saying my best friend has anything at all to do with the Venatori and hurting me.”
“He’s a fucking hacker. His wife carried a demon that over took you. He hacked the Venatori because your fucking boyfriend, sorry, your husband, was trying to spy on you. You surround yourself with no-good, morally grey people and you don’t want me to do a security sweep?”
I stared Vin in the eyes. He was a vampire and that was one of the biggest no-no’s in Venatori history, but I didn’t fear their gaze. “If you feel the need to examine my best friend that closely then you will, without a fucking question, examine every fucking person I come in contact with, can come in contact with, or may possibly come in contact with.” I took a step closer to the vampire staring me down. “Is that clear? You will not single out Sage Morgan.”
Vin stared at me for a long time before he gave a long slow nod. “I will see it done.” I stalked away angry and in the need to punch something. Vin followed behind me but not nearly as closely as he had.
The Mind of Nox 