The Six: Genesis | A Reverse Harem Novel

Seventy-Five

Oh, my stars... this man is beautiful.

I watch as he easily scales the letter I sit on. It creaks under his weight and shifts, but he doesn't falter and the curious gleam in his dark gaze draws my attention the closer he comes. Subtly, I wipe my hands on my pants and sit up straight.

"Nice singing."

Coughing, I look away. "I had hoped he hadn't heard me, but it seems those were misplaced."

I continue the song under my breath, the saucy jazz tune softening the chaos in my mind. Leaving behind Chris and Michael—and Charlie—had drained me. I suppose I could count the last few weeks as traveling.

Hopping from train-to-train, hoping to stay a few steps ahead of my tail, was an adventure. I spent so many nights sleeping under a blanket of twinkling stars and listening to the crackling of the night's creatures. Though I had the money to stay in the finest hotels and wear the best money could buy, there was something about being a wanderer I couldn't let go of.

A freedom.

Out here, there are no expectations, meetings or people constantly waiting for me to fail. Out here, I'm just Blue and I haven't been 'just Blue' in so long I've forgotten what it feels like. I haven't been able to completely disconnect from my life.

Chris, Charlie and Michael lurk in the recesses of my mind, bound by our shared mindlink. Sometimes, when the night gives way to daylight, pleasure flitters through it and brings desire to the surface. It's so strong I have to physically hold on to something to keep from returning to them.

Our time apart has done nothing to reduce the attraction. It eats away at me. Constantly, I find myself knocking back memories of us together.

The bright side of being alone means more time to research and plan. In a bundle, my sketches for possible mockups await along with a litany of mathematical projections. I need to find a way to boost my systems, design clones and find a way to store weapons we can access in a fraction of a second.

Guns, while useful, will run out of ammo. Knives, also useful, can only cause harm if I'm holding them or directing the threat toward the blade. Unfortunately, I have no magical powers.

My thoughts come to a screeching halt when I catch sight of him. His muscles bunch and roll as he rises, roiling under his t-shirt. Slowly, it rides up, exposing rigid abs and the lines of a black tattoo. I catalogue it, analyzing his mannerisms.

"Like what you see?"

I shrug and roll my eyes. "Sure, if I liked spinach in someone else's teeth."

He pauses, and the wide grin he was sporting falls. His cheeks puff and he grunts, quickly swishing his tongue around to catch the phantom piece of greenery in his teeth. A laugh bubbles out of me as I watch.

"There's nothing in my teeth, is there?"

"Nope," I admit, still laughing, "but it was fun watching you panic about it."

"I'm Lewis."

I nod. "Nice to meet you, Lewis."

He stares at me in silence, obviously waiting for me to return the favor, but I don't. Instead, I look away from him, toward the setting sun. This place is not what it once was.

Decades ago, an earthquake struck the area—seven point five—and devastated more than I can describe. A vast metropolitan city with a booming economy and millions nearly reduced to ash in a matter of minutes. Once the earthquake started and the gas lines ruptured, the city went up in a torrent of white hot flames. Over six million people died in the flames and another two in the aftermath.