Screwing the Superhero (7 page)

Moments later, she had set up a complete physical for Draco the next week. If he objected, she would cancel the appointment, but better to get it on the schedule and then convince him to go than to ask his permission to schedule it in the first place.

A message popped up on her computer
. Come back in here
.

She smiled. He must have remembered the schedule discussion. Hopefully, he’d worked out whatever demons he’d been battling earlier. Grabbing her print out of the day’s activities, she hurried back into his office.

Draco sat in his chair, his eyes forward as he regarded something on his monitor.

The envelope she’d brought in earlier lay torn open, discarded upon his desk.

“Come here.” He still hadn’t looked up at her.

She moved silently forward, her heartbeat picking up as she did. Something was wrong—and not in the same way as it had been earlier—Draco’s pallor was bad. He looked almost green, as if he was sick, although his eyes showed only fury.

“This is what was in the envelope.” He motioned with his chin toward the screen.

Leaning over the back of his chair so her head was close to his, she resisted the urge to breathe in his clean, masculine scent as she looked at what he wanted her to see.

There was a man strapped to a chair, bound and gagged. He looked pleadingly at the video camera.

“Isn’t that Carl Andrews?”

“Yes, my first Handler, your predecessor.” Draco paused. “It’s about to get really disturbing. This is the third time I’ve watched it. Before things turn ugly, notice the date on the bottom of the screen.”

She squinted, reading the small display of the date and time. “Four years ago to the day.”

“The day Carl disappeared. I assumed he’d run off. We’d had a fight. He didn’t like his paycheck. I told him if he didn’t like it, he shouldn’t come back the next day.

When he didn’t, I just assumed … .”

Draco’s voice tapered off as a man, masked in a costume looking like President Reagan, stepped behind Carl, and, using a machete, sliced off his head. Blood spurted everywhere.

Blinking one time to make sure she’d seen what she thought she did, Wendy covered her mouth, both to stop the scream wanting to explode and to keep from vomiting. God-oh-God-oh-God-oh-God … . She couldn’t think.
What? How … ?

Draco’s strong hands pulled her down onto his lap. “Shh … it’s okay, little girl.”

Normally, she hated that phrase, but from Draco it sounded like an endearment, and as she shook in his arms for the second time in two days, she didn’t think she was in a position to complain.

Someone had just sliced off Carl’s head.

“The video’s not over. I’m sorry to do this, but I need you to look again. See what it says. As soon as you do, I’ll turn it off and you’ll never have to look at it again.”

She turned back to the computer, not wanting to see, just wanting to walk out of the room and never return or better yet, pretend the whole thing had never happened.

Where was her rewind button to make the day start again? She would call in sick.

Words appeared over the image of Carl’s now decapitated body. “SUBJECT: DRACO POWERS. WEAKNESS: His Handlers. Powers has an obvious affection for the people in his employ … we’re coming for you, Draco.”

“Look at me.” Draco turned her in his lap until she faced him. Their faces were so close she could have kissed him if she could make her body work. All it wanted to do right now was shake. “I made you watch this because I want you to understand. You’re in terrible danger. This is the Organization. I don’t know why they sent this today when they did it four years ago. But I’m certain there’s a reason. Clearly, they think to hurt me by what they did to Carl. They succeeded. The poor bastard must have thought I’d be looking for him, must have thought I’d rescue him, and I thought he had just run off …

.”

Draco’s voice faded away and his gaze became hooded. She wondered if he was holding back tears. She no longer held back hers. She hadn’t known Carl very well; he had hired her, not been her friend. Regardless, the video horrified her. The poor man.

Finally, when she could speak, she answered him. “It’s not your fault. They’re after you, Draco. They want to hurt you. They’ve held onto this for four years; they’re planning something.”

“I agree.” He nodded and she noted he hadn’t let go of his grip on her or made any move to remove her from his lap. “I need you to pull yourself together and call a meeting of all of the Superheroes. Don’t tell their Handlers what’s going on. I don’t need panic, not yet. Tell everyone who is out in the field they have to report in the next hour.

I know some people are overseas. They are going to have to fly like hell. I won’t take any excuses.”

Wendy must have mumbled some sort of agreement. Her mind wasn’t quite working, but Draco accepted it.

“Make the calls from in here. I don’t want anyone to hear what you’re saying.

Then, when you’re finished, you have to do something for me.”

She cleared her throat; it felt raw. “What?”

“I want you to stay in this building. It’s safe in here. Don’t go anywhere, not even around the corner for a coffee. Sit here at your desk. If you have to go to the bathroom, go fast and then return to your desk. Don’t move.”

“You just want me to sit at my desk.”

“Correct. I’m going to call everyone into the vault to discuss this. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Draco was speaking very slowly as speaking to someone for whom English was a second language.

“It means … .” She appreciated he was being gentle with her. “You’ll be behind closed doors, unreachable by cell phone.”

“There’ll be three pounds of lead between us and the rest of the world. No one will be able to hear what we discuss, and no one will be able to reach me. Including you. It’s the only flaw in the system, but I’d never counted on having my Handler become a target.”

“I’ll be fine.”

He shook his head. “I’m not so sure.”

“I’ll stay at my desk, like you said. If I run out of work, I’ll sign online and play my game.”

Draco nodded, his black hair falling into his eyes. Since she sat on his lap, and the whole thing had gotten preposterously out of hand, she gave in to her instinct and pushed his hair off his forehead. He was so deep in thought he didn’t seem to notice, which was both upsetting and relieving, as she worried about her forwardness immediately after she’d acted.

“I would bring you down there with me but then all of the Superheroes are going to want their Handlers, and you’re the only non-Superhero in the world I trust.”

Her cheeks heated at his remarks. Maybe it was because she was his Handler and she did a good job. Maybe it wasn’t personal. But sitting on his lap as he told her he trusted her, she couldn’t help but feel he’d given her the greatest compliment of her life.

“I’d never betray you, Draco.” Her voice sounded hoarse.

His gaze met hers and when he smiled, it looked like ten years lifted from his face. “I know.”

Silence stretched between them like a highway. “Maybe I should get up.”

He nodded. “Good idea. I’m going to go down to the vault to get ready. I’m going to have to show the video to everyone.”

“Why didn’t they just e-mail it to you?”

“Ace could have traced the ISP address if they had. He can speak to computers; makes them tell him what he wants to know.”

Wendy gasped. She’d never known Ace had that gift. She didn’t even think his Handler knew. “He can?”

Draco ran a hand through his hair. “Trusting you.”

“I won’t tell a soul.” She stood and moved away to let Draco stand. The second she did, she missed the warmth of his body. She hadn’t realized how much heat Draco radiated, as much as a small sun. All the heat in the universe seemed to come from him.

Without it, she felt cold. Not that she’d tell
him
that. He’d told her a secret; he trusted her. She wasn’t going to break their bond by being weak and pathetic.

“If Ace doesn’t answer his phone, call my home number. He’s there.”

That bit of information gave her pause. She stayed very still as she digested it.

“Ace is at your house.”

She repeated his words aloud. It wasn’t a question. He’d told her he was. Still, for some reason it was surprising. She’d always thought of all Superheroes as being solitary and alone when they left the office. Well, with the exception of Draco, who was forever in the media escorting some blonde supermodel somewhere or other.

“Yes, he’s probably sleeping. It is, after all, still before noon.”

“He’s asleep, at your house?”

Draco fiddled with his computer, eventually ejecting the disk containing the video of his former Handler’s execution. “Seems pretty intent on sleeping these days.”

Ace was at Draco’s house, asleep. She knew there were many things she should focus on not involving Ace and Draco, but she couldn’t stop playing the thought over and over again in her mind.

It made a certain kind of sense. They were both extremely good looking Superheroes, who evidently lived together. Somehow, she couldn’t see them as roommates. No, there had always been a certain connection between them—long looks where they found each other’s eyes in some sort of unspoken language.

Dear heavens, they’re gay.

She had been lusting after her boss for four years and he was a homosexual. She almost laughed aloud at how stupid she had been. Of course he was gay; how could he not be? Draco had amazing fashion sense. He always dressed perfectly.

So what if he had a woman on his arm every night, a different woman. He’d developed the perfect cover. No long-term relationships, no commitments.

“Wendy, are you sure you’re okay? You look a little funny.” He stared at her so intently she couldn’t help but smile.

Ridiculously, she was the most disappointed she had ever been in her life. She now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, there would never be a chance of anything happening between her and Draco.

Not that there had been any chance when she’d thought he was heterosexual either. But at least then, there had been the fantasy. Now she had to let even her delusions go. No straight men ever had cheekbones like Draco had. And Ace’s long blond hair, the way it shone, must take endless amounts of product … .

She shook her head at her disgusting behavior. How could she be dwelling on any of this when they’d just seen what happened to Carl? Maybe it was some kind of delayed shock.

“Do you want me to let Ace know you’re okay when I speak to him?”

“Just tell him that I said to get his ass out of bed and get down here or he can forget getting the cat.”

“You’re going to get a cat?”

“He wants to. I don’t.”

“More of a dog person?” God, this was the most inane conversation.

He shrugged. “I’m just not sure I’m ready for that level of commitment with Ace.”

Walking over, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for this, Wendy, and remember, stay at your desk.”

Without another word, he crossed the room and left his office. She sank down into his chair and placed her head in her hands. She needed a reality check and she needed it right now.

His homosexuality didn’t matter to her one bit. She had many gay friends in the
Space Adventures’
club. She’d even gone to a gay wedding the year before where they’d all wore costumes, including one of the grooms.

Draco and Ace had to be the most beautiful gay couple in the whole world and how completely terrible they had to hide their love for one another. No wonder Ace avoided the office. Draco was living this very public life where he pretended to date women. It must be murder for them to keep up the duel life in addition to having to hide where they lived from the public.

She resolved then and there to always be as quietly supportive as she could be about their relationship. From this moment on, Draco would know whatever he needed outside of work to make things easier he would have it. That is, of course, after they dealt with the Organization, who had probably tried to kill them the day before and now, it turned out, had murdered Draco’s former Handler.

Forcing the melancholy away, she made herself instead focus on how completely wonderful it must be for Draco to come home at night to Ace, who would understand him as no one else could. Two Superheroes who had the same pressures, who could

‘get’ the other one’s needs and stresses. Another Superhero to hold, while you slept … .

Sighing—she promised herself for the last time—she picked up the phone to dial Ace’s cell. As Draco had predicted, the other man didn’t answer the phone. She hung up and located Draco’s home number on his computer. No one else had the number, but Draco had told her it was stored on his computer in the event of an emergency. She knew how to access it.

She dialed the number and waited.

After two rings, Ace answered. “It’s fucking bad enough I have to be up half the night because you’re jacking off and I have to hear it, now you can’t even let me get any goddamn sleep?”

She was silent. Heavens, she needed to say something. “Oh, god.”

“Shit.” She heard some fiddling around in the background, presumably Ace getting up. “Wendy, is that you? Shit. Why are you calling the home line from Draco’s desk?”

“There’s an emergency.” She tried not to croak.

“Is he dead?” There was no mistaking the change in Ace’s tone. He’d gone from annoyed to scared shitless in a heartbeat.

“No.” Wendy proceeded to tell him everything happening. “He wants you to get up and come over here.”

“On my way. Hell, for a second there, I thought we’d lost him. I couldn’t think of another emergency that would have put you at his desk.” He laughed, a hard cold sound that wasn’t mirthful, but almost sounded like sheer relief.

“I’m sorry, I would have started by telling you he was fine but you startled me with your greeting.”

“Yeah, about that. Look … .”

Just then the building began to shake. Wendy grabbed the desk. “Oh my god, Ace, the building. The whole building, it’s shaking.”

“What?”

“Earthquake.”

“We’re not having an earthquake. It’s not shaking here.”