Morning came bright and hot through the window, with only a few minutes left before the day turned into afternoon. Kane lay beside me, and my first thought was this was all I wanted for the rest of my life. To be with him, to help him with his work, to understand him more, and to wake beside him each morning – or afternoon. Hell, who needed watches?
This was our third morning together. The social media hunt was easier than I thought it would be. People just can’t help themselves. They tell you everything about their lives and friends on there. What they don’t say directly, they tell you through their attitudes and responses about current topics, like government, laws, religion. Anything, and everything. Building profiles for these people was laughably simple. At this point we had a clear idea of how many members of the Cortez Cartel were in Tijuana, how many were in contact regularly with the Loco 49s and Mexico City members, and an accurate list of what topics were important to them. Not to mention, who was fucking who, and who was pissed off about it.
Going through all that information left me thoroughly impressed. As a reported, I knew how to dig and I knew how to dig deep. But this new spin Kane put on things, it woke parts if my brain that had obviously been asleep.
I ordered breakfast of cut fruit, smoothies and a large plate of steak and bacon for the man still in bed, dreaming dragon dreams.
When breakfast arrived, the man brought it in on a cart, and left it to me. Kane came out of the bedroom, looking yummy just as I was tipping the waiter.
I turned to my lover. “So, what’s on the list for us today?” I had my normal clothing on; t-shirt, running shoes and jeans. My hair pulled back in a ponytail, since I hadn’t showered yet. I enjoyed showering with him, so I’d decided to wait until he was ready.
“For us? Not much. You have a date with Slate down in Mexico City,” he said.
“What? I thought we would be together more than a few days before I had to make the rounds with your brothers.” The thought of what I agreed to felt off and not at all fun. I found the man I wanted to be with, and nothing any of his brothers could do would be of interest to me, or turn my head. It was a waste of time.
Still, I did agree. Right now, I couldn’t remember why that was a good idea or why I agreed to it at all. But I did agree. Fine.
“When do I leave?” I asked.
“There’s a ticket waiting for you for a one o’clock flight,” he said, and poured himself a cup of coffee.
I walked over to him, wanting to wrap my arms around him – and he stepped back, putting his hand up, “That’s not the way this works. Our time is done, you’re with Slate now.”
“What? You’re just going to cut me off, like I mean nothing to you at all? No good-bye, just get out?”
“It’s not like that. I care about you, Misty. I have cared about you for longer than you can even imagine.” He sighed. “But I also care about this world. This is a serious matter, a serious task you have been burdened with and despite my feelings, I have to let you go and you have to understand that it you need to let me go too. Not forever, if that is the choice you ultimately make. But for now, you are not mine and I am not yours. As of today, it is like you are married to Slate, and any transgression would be a serious insult to all of them, but especially Slate.”
“It doesn’t matter what I agreed to. I want you! From the beginning and until the end,” I told him. Fingering my ring.
“You said you would be open minded.”
“Who gives a crap what I said?”
He looked displeased, shook his head and narrowed his eyes away from my face. “You need to leave that here as well,” he said.
“What? Leave what here?”
“The ring.”
He wasn’t fucking serious. No way was he serious!
“You promised to be open to seduction, for each of them. That said, you can’t go to them wearing my ring — on your finger or in here,” he said, putting his finger on my heart. “That would not be open. That would be decided.”
Well fuck you, I thought — but didn’t say it because he was right — as if right, mattered.
“Fuck off!” I cursed instead, and ripped the ring off my finger, as I backed up, and threw it at him. “Now I’m not open either. Slate has it easy. All he has to do is not say something stupid for fifteen minutes, and I’ll be sucking him off!” I screamed, and stormed out of the room. “Mother fucker!” I yelled, slamming the door behind me.