Deck of Destiny 1, page 6
Mrs. Hudson quickly brought her husband up to speed on the situation.
The aging cop met my eyes with sudden interest. “Matt. I’ve heard your name before somewhere. Said your dad was on the force?”
“Sure was. Detective Surrey.”
“Heard of him,” Mr. Hudson replied thoughtfully. “Didn’t he—”
“He did a lot of things,” I cut in quickly.
Hudson’s eyes settled into an understanding nod. I didn’t want the exact details of the fire coming out around the dinner table. I’d already been through enough shit in my lifetime, and the last thing I wanted to do was heap it up on good people like Elsie and the Hudsons. The cop changed tack quickly and forged on with his original question.
“Quick thinking, getting out of there,” Hudson noted. “Can you describe the guy?”
I gave him a pretty vivid description of the leader of the trio. “Almost like he had claws on him or something. Maybe he had a rig with multiple blades. Little too weird to just be a knife.”
“Enough of that going around,” Hudson noted. “I’ll bring it up first thing tomorrow. What about your truck? You manage to get it towed?”
“His phone got destroyed,” Elsie replied. “I tried to call them, but they were busy. That, or my phone just doesn’t like the city. It’s just down from Commercial Mall.”
Hudson made a face. “Then it’s definitely already been towed, Matt. I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “It’s on me. I’ll get in contact with them once they call me.”
“Well, you’ve had a hell of an adventure,” Hudson summarized. “Here's hoping that it doesn’t get any worse.” He held up his coffee mug, and I clinked my own against it.
I listened with interest as Hudson gave his wife a rundown of his day’s activities. The guy was a beat cop, definitely not a higher-up, but he seemed to love his job. He complained about the lack of funding for the department and the steadily-rising violence in Millbank. He shook his head as he drained the last of his coffee.
“You keep hearing about this thing amongst the younger guys,” Hudson said. “They call it the Game. No matter how hard we’ve tried, and cyber’s had a good go at it, we can’t figure out what it’s all about. But there must be some serious money in it.”
Elsie and I made very sure not to make eye contact with each other.
“I heard one of the guys talking about it on the train,” Elsie said. “What do you think it is, Mr. Hudson? Some kind of social media prank?”
“If it is, it’s gone too far,” Hudson growled. “Too many good people get hurt over it. There are a lot of theories. Some say it’s foreign, something the Russians are pushing to mess with us, but that’s a little far-fetched if you ask me.”
“What do you think it is?” I asked.
“Was hoping you could tell me,” Hudson said with a dry chuckle. “I’m not really around computers. Know a thing or two, of course, but figured you kids might be able to tell me something about it.”
Magical cards, monsters, murder, and a hidden world right under the police’s nose.
I shook my head. “Not exactly a social media guy myself.”
“Mayce might know something,” Mrs. Hudson said.
Her husband’s eyes locked onto her with sudden interest. “The homeless kid?”
Mrs. Hudson sighed. “She’s troubled, but she did ask me if I knew anything about it. Don’t know what she was expecting, being at a church and all. Said she hadn’t eaten for two days, the poor thing.”
Elsie took a sudden interest in her gravy, and my mind raced at the news. I’d only caught a brief glimpse of the girl as she’d slipped out of the Hudsons’ earlier. She knew. Either she was a Player or she was in the circles who knew about the crazy world Elsie and I had suddenly landed ourselves in.
“And you didn’t invite her back for dinner?” Hudson asked.
“I told her it was on,” Mrs. Hudson assured him. “She’s scared, Mark. Must be caught up in it somehow. Can’t exactly keep her here against her will, though, can I?”
“You see her again, encourage her to step forward,” Hudson said. “More we know about this, the better able we’ll be to find out who’s behind it.”
“I’ll make sure to tell her that,” Mrs. Hudson assured him.
Elsie couldn’t bring her eyes up to her family’s friends, so I decided to change the subject. I asked Hudson about his career in college wrestling, and we went back and forth over the way that the sport was underfunded and how it needed more coverage. The guy had been close to winning a couple of state championships, and apparently, he taught at a local high school on his days off.
The conversation gave Elsie an opening to stack the dishwasher, and she shot me a grateful expression as Mrs. Hudson rose to help. The domestic goddess dropped vanilla ice cream and freshly baked pie on our already full stomachs ten minutes later, and Hudson asked me if I wanted to watch the local wrestling on TV.
“Appreciate the offer, sir,” I told him, “but I think I’d pass out on you.”
He chuckled. “Another time, then. Penny, we got the guest room set up?”
“All ready for Elsie,” she confirmed, “although I wasn’t expecting a second visitor.”
“Happy with the couch if I’m not in the way of the matches,” I offered.
Elsie managed not to roll her eyes with a supreme effort. “He can take the futon in my room. You’ve already done so much for us—hate to put you out further.”
Hudson chuckled as he saw his wife’s expression. “Elsie’s been through a lot today, Pen, and Matt seems like a good enough guy. Just let them be.”
Mrs. Hudson drew in a sharp breath and offered me a smile that carried a warning with it. I met her eyes seriously and gave her a single understanding nod. Penny Hudson was a good woman. She was damn near the closest thing I knew to a saint.
But Elsie was the closest thing she had to a daughter, and I had no intention of earning her ire. I thanked both of the Hudsons for their hospitality and stepped into the guest bedroom while Elsie stayed back to talk to them a while longer. The bedroom was a gorgeous little affair, with a wide king-sized bed, a study desk, and everything a hopeful college student could ask for. I found the futon under the bed, unrolled it, and bundled up my ruined coat to use as a pillow.
I spread myself out on the thin mattress, took in a deep breath, and tried to ease my mind. I was still wired from the day, and getting to sleep would be a bitch, but I needed to get rest where I could. Everything had happened so fast. Processing the information I’d been given wasn’t easy, and my brain demanded action. My body disagreed. It’d been in a truck collision, two fights against dangerous opponents, and it was making its need for rest known.
Brain and body fought, but my fatigue won in the end.
A bare foot nudged me awake a couple of hours later.
I opened my eyes and saw Elsie beside me on the edge of the bed. Her eyes combed over me for a long moment, and she nodded to the bed beside her.
“Up here,” she whispered.
I imagined several vicious tortures at the hands of Mrs. Hudson.
“You sure?” I whispered back.
“We need to talk,” she said, “and I don’t want to have to keep up this stage whisper thing all night. It’s more comfortable up here anyways.”
I managed to quash a sudden surge in nervous excitement and pulled myself up with a grunt of effort. Elsie grinned at me in the long shadows, and it took me a second to realize the only light in the room was peeking out from the kitchen outside. I pulled myself up as she rolled over to make room.
I caught a flash of her naked thighs as she tucked herself in, and I lowered myself down onto the pillow beside her. All kinds of indecent thoughts rocketed their way through my mind. We’d fought together. We’d bled together. Hell, we’d even been on a date, even if it’d just been a moment’s reprieve from the insanity around us.
I just decided to roll with it as best as I could.
“You doing okay?” I asked her with an undertone.
“Fine,” she murmured. “Better than fine, actually.”
She squirmed beside me, and a strand of her hair tickled my cheek. I could feel her breath on my neck as she cuddled in close to my side, and I kept my eyes firmly on the ceiling above us. A roaring tornado had started up in my stomach, and the more details I took in, the stronger it got. I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t want to do anything that might push her away.
But goddamn. I wanted to kiss her.
“This Mayce girl,” Elsie said. “We need to find her.”
I nodded. “Sooner the better.”
“Sounds like she’s in a similar situation to us,” Elsie said. “We could help each other.”
“That, or she’ll get us to let our guard down and kill us before we can stop her.”
Elsie tensed beside me. “You think that’ll happen?”
“It could,” I said. “We’re both packing serious heat. And I’d be surprised if other Players just let the fact we’ve taken their people out slide by. They’ll want payback.”
“Or their Cards,” Elsie realized.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t…” Elsie pressed a little closer to me. “I can’t believe it’s happened like this. I just wanted to go to college. Now I’m here with you, and all of this is happening at once.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” I agreed. “We’ve got to make smart decisions. For both of us.”
“I like the sound of us,” Elsie said quietly.
She shifted again, and I felt her hand touch my arm. A wave of lightning rippled down my arm, and the throbbing pain of the scratch I’d caught seemed to fade for a second. I reached down, caught her fingers, and curled them into her palm.
“So do I,” I said.
Elsie giggled. “Crazy to think I just met you today.”
“Yeah, just about anyone would warn you about getting into cars with strangers.”
“I’m glad it was your truck,” she said. “And I’m glad you’re here, Matt.”
She snuggled even closer, and her lips gently brushed my cheek.
I turned to face her. “You sure about this? About me?”
“What am I going to do instead?” she replied. “Go to college? Get killed by some Player because I don’t have someone with a crazy rhino up their sleeve to watch my back?”
“You’d be fine on your own,” I tried.
She shook her head. “You’re better at this than me.”
I couldn’t help but grin at her compliment. “Don’t know about that.”
“I do,” Elsie said. “Can I?”
The warmth in my bloodstream ratcheted itself up another notch. I nodded, and her lips met mine with a sudden passion that tore my breath straight out of my lungs. Soft sweetness crashed into my mouth, and I kissed her back just as hard. Elsie’s hands found my hair as I half-rolled into her. Her smooth, naked thighs latched onto my hips. The kiss deepened, and a flash of pleasure bolted its way down my spine as her tongue touched mine with a playful flick.
I forced myself to slow down, but Elsie didn’t make it easy. Her hands slid up under my shirt and traced patterns over my chest. She pressed her hips firmly against mine, and I found myself drowning in sensations as she rolled me to the side and wiggled her way up onto my chest. Her hair tickled my face as she kissed me harder, deeper.
I let my hands explore her thighs with slow, soft strokes, and an adorable little moan slipped out of her as she pulled away from me. I drank in everything I could see of her. The light outside silhouetted her gorgeous body over mine, and her fingers dug insistently into the fabric of my T-shirt.
I caught her hand for just a second.
“You sure?” I whispered.
“You think too goddamn much,” Elsie told me.
She tore my shirt up over my head. I pushed myself up onto my elbows to help her, and a second later, she was back in my arms. Her mouth found mine again, and she rolled her hips up against mine with a hungry urgency that caught me off-guard. I hadn’t expected this kind of passion from her, but I was going to be the last guy in the world to complain about it.
Everything about her was strong and soft at the same time. Her long T-shirt came off a second later and added a new dimension of skin-against-skin contact. My own roaring hunger came to the fore, and I caught her ankle with mine. I flipped her over onto her back with a quick twist of my hips, and she grinned up at me with shining desire in her eyes.
“Don’t think,” she breathed. “Just do it.”
Her hands found the catch on my jeans, and a second later, we were both scrambling to get me naked. Once I’d finally gotten the clingy denim off my ankles, I pushed her onto her back. Her eyes widened as I caught hold of her tight ass and kissed my way down the inside of her thighs. She slammed a hand over her mouth as my mouth found her soaking center.
Elsie’s muffled moans goaded me to use my lips creatively, and I gave her everything I had. My tongue slid over her soaking pussy, found her slit, and her hips bucked straight up into my jaw out of sheer reflex. Elsie’s other hand clamped down on her mouth over the other one, but it was still barely enough to hold back how good she sounded.
I stroked my fingers up and down her thighs as I licked her clit in smooth, firm circles, and her body trembled at the precipice of a tidal wave of pleasure. I glanced up, over her heaving breasts, and I gave her a wicked smirk.
I slid two fingers into her warm, wet slit and curled them up against her g-spot.
Elsie came seconds later. Her whole back lunged up into a perfect bow of pleasure as she exploded around my touch with a rush of musky scent and strangled moans. I waited for her body to settle down, and aftershocks ripped their way through her limbs.
She trembled as my fingers traced their way up over her wonderful hips, her smooth, flat belly, and up to her breasts. I shimmied my way up through her thighs and pressed the tip of my cock up against her. She kept her hands clamped over her mouth, and her wide brown eyes locked onto mine.
“You sure?” I whispered again and kept my tone teasing.
She caught hold of one of my shoulders with a hand and hauled me into her with a single, smooth stroke. I held back a snarl of pleasure as the sheer sensation of her engulfed my shaft, and I dropped my hands beside her head to keep myself upright. Elsie’s eyes shone with excitement as I settled into a rhythm. I didn’t want to hurt her or make her uncomfortable.
Her body twitched and spasmed under mine as I pressed myself deeper and harder into her. I went in until I felt something warm and soft halt my progress and stayed there for a moment. Elsie’s eyes rolled back up into her head, but she kept her death grip on her own mouth.
I rocked my hips up and down and bounced her cute butt off the covers until another shuddering orgasm rocketed through her body. I tossed my own control straight out the window and pulled out of her a split second before I came. Elsie’s hand found my shaft like lightning, and she stroked me firmly as I straightened up. A huge load exploded out of me and landed all over her belly and breasts, and she didn’t stop stroking me until the pleasure became too much, and I caught her wrist. Elsie pulled her other hand away from her mouth.
She was grinning like some kind of lunatic.
“Whoa there, stallion,” she whispered. “Sure you’ve had enough?”
She pulled up the covers to clean herself off, and I dropped to the bed beside her to catch my breath. The primal screaming in my head finally decided it’d had enough, and I rolled over to look at Elsie. Her whole body shuddered back and forth, and I realized a second later that she was holding in giggles.
“You okay?”
“I’m amazing,” she whispered hoarsely. “Just the look on your face when I—”
She curled up into my chest and started to laugh. A grin crossed my own face as I wrapped an arm around her shoulder to keep her close and stared at the darkly-lit ceiling. Death and possible destruction had been around us all day, and here I was being worried about what Mrs. Hudson would think of me. Elsie finally managed to control her breathing a moment later, and she laid a warm cheek on my chest. Her face was stretched out into a sunny smile, and she kissed my cheek tenderly.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Couldn’t help myself.”
My hand tightened around her uninjured shoulder. “I’m not complaining.”
“Yeah, but—” She shook her head to herself. “Don’t want you thinking I’m easy.”
“Can’t say that was the first thing on my mind.” I chuckled.
“You’ll need to take me on more dates,” Elsie said.
“Between fights for our life? Done.”
Her fingers curled pleasantly into my chest, and her breathing evened out. I realized that she’d fallen asleep a moment later, and I let myself relax back into the pillow a little more.
Well, I couldn’t say that I’d been expecting this kind of turn of events.
But I wasn’t about to complain, either.
I dropped back into dreamland against my new someone in a cocoon of warmth, pleasure, and the afterglow that came with good sex. Tomorrow could’ve held anything in store for the two of us, but whatever happened, I knew that we’d have each other’s back.
Chapter 7
We woke to an empty apartment the next morning.
Mrs. Hudson had left us a note, and it was thankfully clear of any moral judgments upon my soul. She’d said that there was bacon and materials for pancakes in the fridge, and we were to help ourselves while she was in church. Hudson himself must’ve gotten called in for an early shift. Elsie and I took a shower together. I took the opportunity to really appreciate her in the light, and she didn’t disappoint. The Texan pushed me away playfully after I grabbed her and pressed her against the tiles, and I didn’t try to take things any further.
But the shine in her eyes and the shy smile on her face told me that she’d enjoyed herself last night. Elsie insisted on making the pancakes and bacon herself, and I took up a position at the kitchen table with her phone. I combed through anything I could find about the Game online but only came up with a handful of conspiracy nuts.
