Tyrant. Scrapper. Part 5. Damantha Makarova

faint aching again – the thoughts about Hunter returning to her barely settled mind.

      Walking inside and hearing the heavy silence, she hoped everyone was sleeping.

      She stopped by the minibar, stocked to the brim with all kinds of alcohol and took herself another bottle, before stepping out into the chilly air of their private beach. Lying down onto one of the lounge chairs, she spent the next hour there, watching the skies that glimmered with the stars and moons that floated through space.

      Finishing the bottle, Serena sighed, realising she would have to go back inside for another one.

      As she walked in, though, she immediately saw Hunter standing by the stairs – he was definitely looking for her and could have noticed her on the beach before coming down to talk to her.

      Seeing him, she felt anger returning to her heart, and she gritted her teeth:

      «I’m not in the mood to speak to you, Hunter.»

      The cyborg swallowed hard, but approached her:

      «Serena, please. I wanted to say I’m sorry…»

      «No, Hunter. Sorry isn’t going to cut it.» Serena said harshly. «You asked if I slept with Elijah. Well, maybe I should! Or maybe I already have! You wouldn’t be able to know now, would you? Because whatever I say you will not believe me!»

      «Serena, I am sorry…» Hunter felt his heart aching. «Please…»

      He reached out to touch her, but she stepped back.

      «Don’t!» she hissed. «Grab me like you did, and I will tear your arms off. Be sure of it! Because from now on, I am going to carry with me at all times my armour and some Shimmer to be sure that if you do, I’ll be strong enough to go through with my threat!»

      «Serena…» the man couldn’t hold back his tears.

      The woman scowled and walked off, heading back to the front door. Seeing Lindon and Wolfin there, she shoved them aside and went out. The Veluthians exchanged glances and looked at Hunter, who now slipped to the floor, grasping at his hair and crying.

      Chapter 8. Surprise

      Elijah took a sip and glanced towards the sex bot charging station, wondering if he should indulge himself again. He was about to step towards it, but suddenly heard his watch chirp with a notification.

      The man tapped onto the tiny screen, accepting the call, and a small holograph appeared, showing Serena’s face.

      «Serena! What a pleasant surprise!» he greeted her, smiling with pleasure.

      «I… uh…» she glanced aside. «Is your invitation still open?»

      Elijah felt a wide smile coming to his face:

      «Why of course!» he said, extremely pleased. «Let me come get you. Where are you?»

      «Let me get a drink, and you can pick me up…»

      «No-no-no, my dear!» he didn’t even let her finish. «Don’t bother yourself with whatever watered down alcohol any of the bars or clubs offer! Let me come and get you and you can have the best alcohol you can find in the Human Universe!»

      Serena sighed and shook her head:

      «Fine. You can find me…» she glanced ahead and saw a tall statue depicting some partygoers. «On the statue near the mansion we’re renting.»

      Elijah frowned in surprise and tilted his head:

      «ON the statue?» he asked. «The Night Party?»

      «Yeah…» Serena saw the name of the statue, etched in stone at its base and glanced up at the perfect grips she could use to get up to the tallest point of it somewhere on one of the dancing people’s heads. «I don’t want to hang around down on the street. Drunk men around. I’m not in the mood for a brawl. I might send them packing.»

      The man chuckled:

      «Very well. I’ll be there shortly. Just… don’t fall.»

      «I won’t. And you can help out and tell your security bots not to bother me.»

      «Done. See you soon.»

      «Uh-huh.» Serena jumped to the lowest grip and pulled herself up, beginning her climb.

      The statue was so easy to climb that Serena got to the top long before Elijah got there. The woman watched the surrounding lands from atop and basked in the evening air, trying to calm her nerves down. She didn’t even know why she called Elijah – the man still made her feel strange and somewhat uncomfortable. But, perhaps, she just didn’t want to be around Hunter for the moment. Or anyone else from her team for that matter.

      When the hover car approached her, she saw the amused face of Elijah Winchester through the windshield and waved to him, though still feeling dark and heavy inside. He stopped the vehicle near the head of the statue and Serena easily jumped in, taking the passenger seat.

      «Daredevil.» Elijah chuckled as the door closed.

      «I’m a mercenary. I’m used to doing things like this.» Serena shrugged. «So… where are you taking me? Your place again?»

      «Yes and no. I thought that you would appreciate some privacy, away from anyone on the mainland, so…» Elijah tapped the screen of the car and it showed the local map. «I have a private island not far from here. It’s calm and protected, so… no one will bother us. Seems like you want to get away, so… we can take time there to just relax and have all the time we need while we’ll be discussing the contract details.»

      «Yeah… getting away is something I’d like right now. Together with a strong drink…» Serena flicked her earpiece off, denying any communication, because she grew tired of switching it off every time someone from her crew reached out to her.

      «You’ll have all the strong drinks you want, I promise you. Besides, John will come only later, because there’s been a slight development. So we have some new data to give you.»

      The speed of the hover car calmed Serena quickly, offering the slight buzz of adrenaline rush in her body, while she was watching the vast stretch of water that shimmered under the stars.

      «Good.» the woman sighed. «The more details I know, the better.»

      «Care to tell me what happened? You look and sound… distraught.»

      «A disagreement with my crew. Don’t worry about it. We settle them quickly, I just need a bit of time to cool off. One of those assholes got on my nerves.»

      «Ah. Unfortunately, that is common when people are stuck together for long periods of time.» Elijah smiled to her. «That’s why I prefer to rest alone and away from my co-workers. Helps recharge.»

      Serena glanced at the man and felt she had nothing to say to that. Because if she were to start talking about everything that’s been going on in her life for the past few years, Elijah might as well turn his car around to get rid of her. Plus, he really didn’t need to know all that, since he was nothing more, but an employer.

      The uneasy silence that followed was broken only by the soft humming of the car’s engines that carried them towards a relatively large island with a beautiful mansion built on a side of the mountain that was covered with snow.

      Serena looked at the picturesque horizon shimmering under the moons and stars before her eyes and thought if she would have been able to purchase an island like that with the funds she had.

      «What are you thinking about?» Elijah suddenly asked, slowing the car down to ready it for descent onto the parking square next to the mansion.

      «I’m trying not to think about anything right now.» Serena replied truthfully.

      In fact, she tried her best not to think about Hunter and her crew that were left way back on the mainland in their rented mansion. And even if she would