Anarchy Found (SuperAlpha, #1)(20)

“Detective Masters is going. I found her name on the guest list.”

“What?” I stop messing with the bike again and look at her. “Why would I care about that?”

“Because,” Sheila says in that superior I’m-a-genius-AI voice, “you’ve watched the footage of her in the cave at least seven different times since last Saturday. And I don’t have access to the house upstairs, but I’m not an idiot, Lincoln. You’re obsessed with her.”

“Fuck.” I laugh. “No. It’s a sign of paranoia. I was trying to gauge how much she saw just in case her memory comes back.”

“Hmph,” Sheila says. “That’s a lie. I can detect an increase in your heart rate and a sheen of sweat forming on your brow. You like Detective Masters.”

“No—”

“In fact, it’s my duty to see to your well-being. So I think we should call her up and ask her out on a date.”

Beeps sound off on her speaker system. “What the f*ck are you doing?”

“Calling Detective Masters.”

“Sheila, this isn’t funny. She’s a f*cking cop, for Christ’s sake. Hang up.”

“Only if you go to the party.”

“You can’t disobey me.”

“Health override. You’re stressed, which affects your moods. Moods are part of my wellness recognition protocols. And I have decided you need a date.”

“Sheila, I will turn you off.”

“Oh, look, it’s ringing.”

“OK, fine! Just hang up!”

“Promise me with a pinky swear.”

“I don’t pinky—”

“Hello?” I stop mid-sentence at the sound of Molly Masters’ voice. “Hello?” she asks again.

I look up at Sheila and mouth, I swear, as I wiggle my pinky finger at her.

“Good evening,” Sheila says in her fake automated computer tone. “You are the lucky winner of a free trip to—”

Beep, beep, beep.

“Oh, darn, she hung up.”

“You’re a bitch,” I say. But I say it through a laugh.

“I am,” Sheila says with a smile on her transparent face. “Every good woman has a little bitch inside her. I’ll have the cleaning bots press your tux before I morph them into my engineering minions. Now please accept my request to run your life so I can make sure you get laid sometime in the next century. People can go months, but you’re straddling that line between frustrated and desperate.”

Fucking Sheila. She’s been around Case too much.

But I get out from under the bike and walk over to the main computer terminal so I can accept the request. Because women, right? Every man wants one. Even me. And maybe Sheila’s not real and she’s more like a mother than I’d like to admit, but she’s all I’ve got.





Chapter Twelve - Molly




I hang up the phone and look at it for a moment. The voice sounded familiar. It was a computer, Molly, the rational person inside me says. But it did… feel… familiar.

My phone rings again and I snatch it up and tab the answer button. “Hello?”

“Ah, Miss Masters.”

Fuck. Atticus Montgomery. I spent all week avoiding the Blue Castle, but I should have known better than to think I’d slipped under his radar.

“Mr. Montgomery. How nice to hear from you again. I’m sorry, but I have no news about the case just yet. I’m—”

“It’s a personal call.”

Shit. “Oh. Well, how can I help you?”

“Our date, remember? To see the stars.”

“Mr. Montgomery—”

“Atticus.”

Whatever. I roll my eyes. “Atticus, I’m afraid I have plans tonight.”

“I know. Big party for the new kid in town.”

I laugh. “Surely you’re not trying to tell me you’re going?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I sigh. He’s not going to make this simple. And what did I expect? He’s the son of a billionaire. It’s easy to make snap judgments about people and see them as ridiculous, or snide, or lacking in manners. But people at the top like Atticus Montgomery are where they are for a reason. And silver spoon aside, he’s well-educated, fearless, and persistent. “Well, it’s a party for the new satellite company—”

“SkyEye.”

“Right. SkyEye. They’re something of a direct competitor, aren’t they?”

“Satellites,” Atticus says with a pfffft. “Expensive tech built for the super-rich. It’s just not practical. So no, we’re really not competitors. And we were invited.”

“Oh, God, is your father going to be there too?”

“You’re going then?”

“Oh, I have to. I’m in charge of security. So yes. But I’m afraid if you think we can use it as our date, I have to decline. Duty, right?”

“Right.” I can almost hear the smile and it sends a shiver up my spine. I’m not sure why he’s sorta creepy to me, but he is. That tower. I really don’t want to see the stars from that thing. It’s just weird. “But you’re dressing for the occasion, I hope? I’d like to see you cleaned up. No offense to your everyday wear. But the tan slacks and white blouses are kind of… ordinary. You’re definitely not ordinary.”