Dirty Obsessions - The Lion and The Mouse

I gazed up at him. “I can’t walk away from you just because you had a daughter before me. That would be wrong.”

“It would be the choice of some.”

“She’s a baby. I haven’t seen her, but how could I be mad at her existence?”

He closed the distance and pulled me into his arms. “This is why you’re mine.”

I pressed myself against his hard body. “That was still a lot to unpack. Holy shit.”

“There’s no time to deal with that now. We have other rising problems.”

“Like shutting off Japan’s power? You have to get on that, Misha.”

“But I would rather—”

“Really, Misha? Focus.”

Groaning, he left my arms and hurried to the closet.

“Will people be hurt from this?”

“We’ll do our best to make sure no harm comes from this.”

“That wasn’t a yes or no.”

“That wasn’t a yes or no question.” He took out a shirt from the closet, hurried to put it on, and buttoned it up. “Don’t worry about any of this.”

“I can worry if I want to.” I returned to my suitcase. “I’m helping you with this. Whatever I can do please let me know. Even if it’s something as simple as making you a cup of coffee.”

“I do like coffee.”

“I’m serious.” I took out a pair of jeans.

“No.” He whispered from behind me.

Not knowing he was so close, I jumped a little. “No what?”

“Wear a dress and sit next to me. I want to be able to slip my hands under it and finger your pussy when I feel like it.” He kissed my cheek and rushed away.Chapter 14

Misha

The philosopher Nietzsche said that “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

The internet served as the dark abyss—a mysterious space that had no form. Very liquid. Full of rising fog and the distant screams of those either being tortured or making love. One would never find out what the screams were about unless they dove into the black liquid and followed the noise—the dark web.

In the abyss, hackers represented the monsters. Sometimes the public loved them. When groups like Anonymous hacked into political machines and showed all their secret crimes, the audience cheered. Most of the time hackers were despised. They stole identities. They inserted viruses into banking corporations and polluted thousands of accounts. Love or hate, hackers were the heroes of techno romantic horror.

What else could people do with monsters? One could love a monster. That brutal evil beast could also love the person back. Still, the monster never changed. That was what made it a monster.

And hackers represented the biggest monsters of all.

I stood in my combat room with my hands in my pockets.

A map of Japan decorated the entire wall in front of me. The noise of typing filled the air. Circuit flanked my right. Naveen was on my left. Maxwell had gone up the stairs and through the bar to smoke.

Munching on a chocolate donut, Circuit pointed to the red blinking dots in Japan. “We have sixteen nuclear power plants spread across the island. The Tokai Nuclear Power Plant is near Tokyo and one of Japan's first commercial nuclear power plants.”

Naveen leaned forward and looked at him. “Why is that important?”

I answered for Circuit. “Fewer bells and whistles. Much easier to hack into.”

Circuit munched on the donut and spat crumbs as he talked. “I say we get all of the nuclear plants around Tokyo. Shut that out and then—”

“Hiro wants all of Japan without power.” Naveen waved the comment away. “That’s what we’ll do. We’re not going to play around with Hiro.”

Circuit shook his head. “I don’t know Hiro, but already I don’t like him.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Naveen scowled. “This is about keeping Misha safe.”

“And Ava,” I added.

Naveen shrugged. “My loyalty is to you. Ava will have to grow on me.”

Carrying two cups of coffee, Ava strolled into the room. “I’ll do my best, Naveen.”

Naveen uncomfortably stirred on my side.

I turned to Ava, giving her all my attention. “Did you enjoy breakfast?”

“I did.” She handed Circuit and me a cup of coffee and then sat at the desk behind us.

Naveen glanced at my coffee. “I don’t get one?”

She shrugged. “I guess you will have to grow on me too.”

He frowned.

“I’m glad breakfast was good.” I turned back to the map. “And are you still hungry or—”

“We have other things to worry about.” Naveen cleared his throat. “I’m sure Ava can take care of herself for a few minutes while we attempt to keep Hiro’s blade out of your chest.”

Ava blinked. “Naveen is correct. Focus, Misha.”

Naveen quirked his brows. “Thank you, Ava.”

Setting my coffee down in front of me, I grumbled and directed my attention back to the screen. “Circuit, we start controlling all of the plants around Tokyo. Those go out first.”