Fighting for it, p.1
Fighting For It, page 1
Fighting For It
Three Player Co-op Book 5
Allyson Lindt
Acelette Press
This book is a work of fiction.
While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Allyson Lindt
Cover art by Romancepremades.com
All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Acelette Press
Created with Vellum
Contents
1. Luna
2. Luna
3. Luna
4. Luna
5. Luna
6. Luna
7. Luna
8. Luna
9. Luna
10. Luna
11. Luna
12. Luna
13. Luna
14. Luna
15. Luna
16. Luna
17. Luna
18. Luna
19. Luna
20. Graham
21. Cole
22. Graham
23. Luna
24. Luna
25. Luna
Epilogue One - Graham
Epilogue Two - Cole
To every geek girl everywhere, own your weirdness.
One
Luna
Anyone who said network installation wasn’t sexy, never had the right scenery. And when it came to great views, it didn’t get much better than Cole Denton, AKA Oz. As in The Wizard of.
Watching him lay cable—not a euphemism—along the bases of cubicles, so it could be connected and then hidden, was a thing of beauty. The way his back muscles flexed under his T-shirt… The deftness of his fingers as he crimped twisted pair… Wowza.
I was such a freaking dork. And proud of it. Best part was, Oz was too. Back in the day, he was top brass at Rinslet, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world. It was where he got the nickname, Oz. He preferred to be the man behind the curtain, making the magic happen.
He retired at thirty-five, and now, two years later, he’d founded an organization that offered tech apprenticeships.
“I was scanning the list of EdgeBite contestants this morning.” I snapped another cubicle panel in place to hide wires. I preferred programming over manual labor, so I watched all the innovations, amateur or corporate, so I could dive into the tech as soon as the opportunity presented itself. “That they have a think tank out of Silicon Valley this year— Is that redundant, aren’t they all?”
“No. They’re just noisiest about it.” Oz’s tone was flat.
“Okay.” I didn’t mind the gruffness. He was one of those guys who was like that. I expected to carry most of this conversation, which I hated with strangers, but it was okay with Oz. “Anyway, one of competing companies has a new rendering algorithm that extrapolates from video and makes digital characters look real. Like, closer than we’ve ever been to the other side of the uncanny valley.” The previews of their 3D models were amazing.
Oz moved a ladder under an open ceiling panel. “Up.”
I climbed into the hole, leaned over to grab the bundle of cables from him, and headed for the next pillar to connect these. The first time he had me do this today, I’d teased him that he only picked me for the job because I was tiny and better at crawling through walls.
He’d given me a completely flat expression and said Busted. Anyone else would’ve thought he was serious, but I knew he was teasing me.
In my fantasies, his teasing took a much more physical form. He was still quiet in my imagination. Rough, intense, and working my body over with those skilled fingers, until I was sore and pleasantly spent. Then cuddling after.
Not that I ever expected that to happen in real life. He was a decade older than me, my mentor, and basically a tech god. I was a chatty, sunshiny noob to him, and I was fine with that.
“No comment?” I called down as I worked.
“They built the tech so they could make more realistic porn.”
I grinned. These were the conversations I lived for with Oz. He had perspectives I’d never consider, and while they weren’t always the most positive—okay, they really never were—I learned so much about the industry this way. “You assume. Besides, the internet is so vast thanks to porn.”
Silence again.
I poked my head through the nearest opening in the ceiling tile. “No comment?”
“I’m your boss. I’m not talking porn with you.”
When he offered to personally work with me as part of his company’s program, to give me next level training, I almost died. Mr. Smart, Sexy-as-all-get-out, was going to teach me new tricks, and make sure I didn’t violate my probation in the process.
Wiring an office for CAT6 wasn’t supposed to be on the lesson list, I knew this stuff, but there was a scheduling conflict and he’d offered me an extra five hundred bucks to help. I would’ve done it for free, but I couldn’t afford to turn that down.
“You’re my mentor, and I’m not asking about porn. I’m asking about the tech. They could’ve made it for other reasons.”
“They could’ve, but they didn’t. They pitched an investor friend. Disgusting pitch.” Oz knew so many people in the industry.
I was both intrigued by his statement and wasn’t going to ask for more detail. His definition of disgusting could be actually disgusting, in which case I’d rather not hear. If he was talking about a little kink, I’d still rather not hear. Best not to destroy the fantasy.
“Even if they did create it for that, it can be used for other things. Video games are only the start.” Though they were what I was most interested in. I super was lucky that my best friend’s previously ex-, now current-again-boyfriend had pulled some strings with my felony conviction. Gotten me a reduced sentence. Made sure I wasn’t completely cut off from technology, especially not the way my accomplice was. But game programming and security was where I really wanted to be, and that had been out of my reach for the last couple of years.
The good news was I’d finished my probation a few months ago. My felony had been reduced to a misdemeanor. I’d be re-entering the industry in no time.
Oz’s sigh carried the heavy weight of why do you have to be so damn optimistic? “3D renders that pass for real could put people out of work with training videos, digital tellers—”
“Any tech can put people out of work.” I scooted to the edge of the nearby opening in the ceiling, grabbed the lip, and dropped down the few feet to the ground, rather than using the ladder. I was short, and I was nimble. “It can also create jobs. You can put the programming behind one of these to do training videos in places where there’s no Cole Denton to offer apprenticeships for hands-on work. Or as an avatar for someone who’s uncomfortable with their appearance for whatever reason. There’s as much potential for good as for porn.”
“This is why you’d make a shitty super villain.” Oz’s tone was flat, but amusement flashed in his eyes.
“I really would be bad at it. Why? Are you looking for a second?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I would make a good super villain?”
I shrugged. Wiring was done except for the clean-up, but I wouldn’t be the one to point out we could call it a day. “If the shoe fits…” And wowza they were big shoes. Was it true what they said about shoe size? “Think about it. The brooding tech genius who used to work for two of the city’s best-known billionaires.”
“Who left of my own volition. I don’t have any issues with them.”
“Exactly.” I was making my point, and pleased.
Oz looked at me, waiting for me to expand on what he thought was a ridiculous reply.
I didn’t have to hear the words; I saw it in his blank stare. “It’s always the ones people don’t expect,” I said. Duh.
Oz shook his head in disgust. “In that case, what’s my deal? If I’m a super villain, what do I want? Certainly not world domination.”
“Um… vengeance.” I should have worked harder on motive before making my declaration.
“For what?”
“For anyone who has the intelligence to create tech to change the world, but uses their powers to take advantage of others.” Like the people who used me. Who set me up to take the fall for their plan. I shook the unpleasant thought aside.
“Like the people who used you.” Oz being in my head was more comforting than creepy. “That makes me the good guy.”
It really did, but I was making a point. “All villains think they’re in the right.”
The corner of his mouth tugged up. If he wasn’t careful, he might smile. “If I were what you say, a genius mastermind super villain, I’d pick you as my second. Without question.”
Was that a catch in his voice? My phone chimed before I could process. “Sorry. I forgot to silence it.” One of Oz’s rules was no phones on the job. I didn’t usually have an issue with it, because Violet was the only person who called me, and she didn’t tend to do so during business hours. I grabbed my phone, and the name Graham caught my eye. My pulse kicked up, and I hesitated over the alert. Now wasn’t the time to read it.
“Luna?” Oz sounded concerned.
I shook my head, set the phone to quiet, and pocketed it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, we’re done anyway. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
In a way I had. In college, Graham was my computer science professor. He taught me so much. He was also, as far as the law was concerned, my accomplice in the hack that made us both felons. That was one bit of probation that pulling strings didn’t get me around—I wasn’t allowed to associate with Graham. No one cared that a few years after the law-breaking piece of code, before we were busted, we’d written another virus cleaner that stopped a massive piece of ransomware.
Did I completely lust after Graham? Yeah, but our relationship hadn’t been like that. Did I have a thing for older men who were willing to share the secrets of the universe with me? Apparently.
Would I act on it? No. Sexy daydreams were nice, but knowledge was orgasmic. I’d started a search program to find him the instant I was legally allowed, so I could say hi. No other reason.
It also didn’t escape me that I had an Oz in my life, just like my very favorite ever fictional redhead. Biggest differences between Willow Rosenberg and me? My college girlfriend almost landed me in prison, and if I was going to rock a corset, it would be microfiber, not leather.
“Luna?” Oz prodded again.
Right. “I know where Graham is.”
“Hmm.”
I expected that. Everyone in tech knew the sensationalized version of my story. Or they had. So glad that memory was fading for the public. Oz knew more of the details, but he didn’t believe that Graham had nothing to do with setting me up, or sucking me into the scheme to begin with.
It had all been me. I couldn’t resist the challenge, and when I asked for his help, never telling him what it was for, he’d helped.
I was to blame, and I owed Graham an apology for squashing his career.
My fingers twitched by my side, wanting to grab my phone. Work was over. I could excuse myself and go get the details. Graham was probably in another state. Would I call? Text? Email? What was I going to say? I’d been asking that since I started the search, but I didn’t have an answer yet.
“We’re done for the day,” Oz said again. “Go look, and I’ll clean up.”
I wanted to ask are you sure, but I didn’t want to give him a chance to change his mind. “Thank you.” I stepped to the side of the room, leaned against the wall, and pulled up the info. My heart leaped into my throat. Graham was still local. I could be there by bus in half an hour, that was how close he was.
That didn’t mean it was a good idea to drop in unannounced. I didn’t know anything about his life now. But looking him in the eye and apologizing was much better than a text. If he wanted me gone after that, I’d be on my way. Would he be indifferent? Hate me?
“Well?” Oz’s question startled me.
I showed him the address. It spoke for itself.
“You’re going over there?”
I nodded. That answered my question. My racing thoughts wouldn’t slow until I did something about this.
Oz jerked his head toward the parking lot. “I’ll drive.”
“No. It’s okay. You’ve got stuff to do. I won’t ask you to chauffeur me around the city. I got it. I’ll see you tomorrow. Thank you for everything.” I was already sliding toward the door.
Oz grabbed my wrist, and a shock of heat spilled inside. “You didn’t ask. You’re not going alone.”
I could argue, but I liked him looking out for me. Besides, if I was babbling at him, I could stay out of my own head on the trip, and we’d get there a lot faster. “Okay.”
I loved Oz’s truck. It was one of those big old Fords that had been around longer than me. He kept it in top shape, and it suited him perfectly. He gave me a hand up into the passenger seat, before taking his own spot.
My plan to fill the space with chatter failed. I couldn’t stop my brain from the if-then loop it was stuck on over what I was supposed to say to Graham.
We got to the address on my phone way too soon. The building was an old house. Stepping inside revealed four apartment doors. Not an unusual layout for Salt Lake. The only reason my feet didn’t freeze in place was I didn’t want to hold Oz up.
I approached Apartment C, muttered two conflicting prayers for there to be no one home and for Graham to answer, and knocked.
The seconds ticked away. We should go. Locks clicked on the other side. We should have gone.
The door swung open, and Graham’s wide-eyed stare landed on me. He looked incredible. Dark hair, penetrating gaze, and warmth in his hesitant smile. “Luna. What are you…? Not that I’m complaining, but why are you here? How did you find me?”
“I had a good teacher,” I said shyly. “Probation is up. We can talk to each other again.”
“Yeah. Who’s the bodyguard?” He nodded behind me.
I glanced at Oz, before focusing on Graham again. “This is Cole. He’s a friend.”
“Just a friend?”
My heart hesitated but my mind spit out an immediate answer. “Yes.” Impulse took over, and I threw my arms around Graham’s neck. “I missed you. I’m so glad I found you.”
“Me too.” He returned the hug, squeezing tightly. His warmth, the scent of aftershave I still remembered years later, his voice—they were all perfect.
I should pull away, this wasn’t the kind of relationship we had, but I didn’t want to let go. Disappointment slipped through me when he finally released me and stepped away.
Two
Luna
Graham jerked away from me and I realized Oz had a fistful of Graham’s shirt and had pinned him to the doorframe.
What the hell? “Cole.” My exclamation came out tighter than I intended.
“This bastard ruined your life,” Oz growled. “He manipulated you, he got you arrested, and I wouldn’t be fucking surprised if he was grooming you from the moment he met you.”
“Whoa.” Graham held his hands up, palms out. “Grooming? Never. Besides, you knocked on my door. What is this, Luna?”
Oz stepped between us. “You’re talking to me, not her.”
“Stop. Please.” I rested a hand on Oz’s arm. “This was never his fault. I sucked him in. You know that.” He was one of the few people who was familiar with all the details.
Under my fingers, Oz’s grip relaxed, but his muscles stayed tense. He let go of Graham and stood next to me. Loom might be a more appropriate word.
The disruption was nasty, but it didn’t erase the warmth spreading through me from the hug. From seeing Graham again. And Oz’s stance certainly didn’t erase the fantasies dancing in my head. If Oz weren’t here, a hug could’ve become a kiss, leading to roaming hands, stepping inside, clothes falling off—
“I was never grooming you.” Graham held my gaze, yanking me into reality. “You were the most brilliant student I ever had. I wanted the best for you, and I still do.”
A door opened and shut behind me. “Everything okay out here?” an older woman asked.
“All good, thanks, Gracie.” Graham was warm and friendly.
She frowned, then headed out the front door of the building.
“Let’s go inside and talk,” Graham said quietly.
“Oka—”
“Nope.” Oz cut me off.
I appreciated the concern, but it didn’t seem to have been the best idea to do this with him. He had a point though that I should have this conversation in a public place. I trusted Graham, but I also hadn’t seen him in a few years, and I was an optimist, not an idiot. “Coffee? I saw a place a few blocks away.”
