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“Now we can introduce ourselves properly.”
Rook offered his hand to Maine, who was still rubbing his face, then glanced at Sasha, whose mouth was still slightly open.
“I’m Rook Mercer, former Arasaka R&D.
This is Lucy, a netrunner I…
picked up tonight.
We saved Sasha on the way here, and now I’m interested in Maine’s crew.”
He gestured toward Lucy as he spoke.
She snapped her mouth shut and glared at him.
“Introduce me properly.
What do you mean, picked up?”
Of course that was the part she focused on.
Some things apparently never changed.
Fortunately, the crew chief was straightforward.
When he saw the offered hand, he grinned and clasped it.
“Rook, I’m Maine.
I’ll skip the extra words.
Thanks for saving Sasha.
She’s our netrunner, and she’s an important part of the crew.”
He hissed as pain flared across his face.
“Mr.
Mercer,” Sasha said, catching the important part of what he had said.
“Are you trying to hire Maine’s crew?”
She stepped forward, her pink jacket framing the black skintight bodysuit and flawless figure beneath it, while her sharp eyes studied him with open curiosity.
“Not exactly hire.
It’s complicated, so let’s talk tomorrow.
Give me your contact info.
I’ll call.”
He thought it through quickly.
He wanted to test the Source-series cyberware frames on the crew, but that needed a proper plan.
He waved, then left the alley with Lucy.
Sasha watched him go.
“He’s mysterious,” she said after a moment.
“I have a feeling he’s going to matter to Maine’s crew.”
Maine watched him leave for a long second.
Then he got into the car and drove away from the alley.
“Where now?”
Lucy stopped once they reached the street and looked up at him.
“Would you believe me if I said the moon?”
Her eyes lit up at once.
“Really?”
“In your dreams, maybe.”
Rook clicked his tongue and rubbed her hair.
It looked like the moon really was an obsession for her.
She slapped his hand away, her expression cooling.
“Don’t joke about the moon.”
“Not a joke,” he said, softening the words before they could cut too deep.
“We’ll go eventually.
Just not tonight.”
The light came back into her eyes.
She grabbed his hand.
“Promise.
When it happens, you take me with you.”
“Why should I?
You tried to steal my chips today.”
He tapped her lightly on the head.
“And then I helped you make fifty thousand eddies.
That cancels out.
We’re partners now.”
She said it shamelessly, switching from dangerous and seductive to almost cute in the span of one breath.
Rook took out the cigarette pack, put one between his lips, then saw Lucy looking at him like she had been personally betrayed.
With a sigh, he placed one in her mouth too.
“Last one.
Enjoy it.”
She took a pleased drag and immediately became elegant again, all lazy grace and dangerous eyes.
Then she looked at him and smiled.
“Brave enough to come home with me?”
“If you’re bold enough to invite me, why wouldn’t I be bold enough to go?”
He paused, then understood.
After everything that had happened, she was finally willing to show him the little secret she kept close to her heart.
“Hmph.
Put away whatever dirty thoughts you’re having.
I’m not that kind of woman.”
His answer had been too calm, apparently, because her own imagination caught up with her.
A rare blush touched her face.
“You’re the one with dirty thoughts,” Rook said, blowing a small smoke ring as he walked.
“I didn’t say anything.
You filled in the rest yourself.”
After a few steps, he draped the Arasaka suit jacket over her shoulders.
The small gesture made her smile.
Their silhouettes, one tall and one slight, moved through Night City’s neon glow.
“Damn it.
We should’ve made Maine drive us.”
“Idiot.
You only remembered after we walked this far?”
“Careful.
Say that again and I’ll assume it’s your name.”
“Rook,
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.