“How could such a slender branch bear such heavy fruit?”
The Deep couldn’t help marveling at the stunner lying on top of him.
Her slender waist was easily wrapped in one’s hands, yet her curves were impossibly lush.
Popclaw lay atop The Deep, her body forming a perfect S-curve.
If Starlight embodied jade-like purity, Popclaw was all soft, rounded perfection.
Popclaw pulled a thin blanket over them both.
She didn’t want to get off The Deep.
Lying on him, feeling his warmth, gave her a comforting sense of being cradled and pampered by her master.
With her eyes closed, pressing her nose against The Deep’s neck, she inhaled his scent and murmured softly, intoxicated: “Deep, why are you always so gentle?
You really are nothing like him.”
The Deep stroked her silky skin with a faint smile.
Just as some people preferred direct action while others enjoyed emotional setup, now that he was here, it would be a waste not to milk this Popclaw connection for all it was worth.
He idly stroked her soft ears, eliciting a sweet, needy purr from her.
He chuckled.
“Did you take a hit today?”
“No,” Popclaw said, hugging him tighter and burying her face deeper into him with pure affection.
“I didn’t take any—that’s why I texted you.”
“Oh?”
“Deep…
I don’t want to be an addict.
But you…
you’re something else I’m becoming addicted to.”
She might not have been well-educated, but her sweet talk came in effortless waves.
The Deep almost believed her.
*Nom!*
The little greedy cat bit his earlobe, licking it gently and exhaling warm breath.
“Deep…
if I told you I lied to you before, would you forgive me?”
Popclaw tilted her head, her lips slightly parted in confusion.
She didn’t know whether she was just dumb or barely a normal person, but she found it impossible to follow this man’s train of thought.
“No!
Ah!”
Popclaw clung to The Deep, her chin resting on his shoulder, her breath coming in gasps.
“Deep…
I’m sorry…
I lied to you about the Compound V.
A-Train was always the one who bought it.
I thought you were going to kill me back then, so I made up a story to fool you.”
*Slap, slap, slap!*
“Yule Ramen!
Every time A-Train went to buy Compound V, he’d bring me back a bowl of ramen from there!”
Oi!
Yule Ramen.
“Why tell me the truth now?”
This intel was genuinely important to him.
The Deep remembered the main plot of *The Boys*, but he couldn’t recall every minor detail.
For instance, he knew Soldier Boy was locked away in a secret Russian military base, but he didn’t know the exact coordinates or name of that base.
So he needed an insider like Popclaw to fill in the missing pieces for him.
The Deep kissed Popclaw on the lips.
His gratitude flowed through the kiss right into her heart.
The feeling of being needed was truly wonderful.
*Ding-dong.*
Another notification popped up on his phone.
[Your account has received a transfer of $10,620,000.]
Popclaw blinked, disbelief on her face as she counted the digits.
“Deep…
being a superhero makes *this* much money?”
“Otherwise, why do you think A-Train and I fight tooth and nail to stay in The Seven?
Of course, I didn’t get this from Vought.” The Deep nipped at Popclaw’s ear and chuckled mischievously.
“Your boyfriend earned this for me.
I put my entire net worth on his solo victory.”
Popclaw let out a soft groan.
*Don’t squirm into my ear…*
Not only was he using her boyfriend to make money, but he was also sleeping with her.
She had never met a man so wicked.
Dusk began to fall, and the setting sun cast a golden glow through the window onto the bed, coating the young woman’s shapely body in a sheet of gold leaf.
Only two encounters weren’t enough to make Popclaw fall in love with him, but through The Deep, she had experienced a totally different world.
He really was nothing like A-Train.
The Deep leaned against the headboard, taking a phone call.
It was from the Vice President of Vought International.
When A-Train used to take calls like this, he treated them like sacred rituals—he’d practically bathe, change, and answer with utmost solemnity.
The Deep, however, just lay there lazily, not treating it as a big deal at all.
“Deep, you can head back for the charity gala now,” Madelyn said over the phone.
“A lot of big shots in New York are coming tonight.
I’ll introduce you.”
“Got it, Madelyn.
Yeah, I’m heading back to the company now.”
Madelyn clearly picked up on something over the line and laughed playfully.
“You really are an untiring little terrier.
Wrap it up fast.”
Popclaw helped him put his clothes back on.
“Charlotte, I have a task for you.”
Looking at the fully dressed Deep, Popclaw’s first instinct wasn’t to agree, but to doubt herself: *Am I worthy?*
“Deep…
what task do you want to give me?
I promise I’ll get it done.”
“Keep an eye on Yule Ramen.
Help me find the dealer who trades Compound V with A-Train.
I want to find their hideout.”
Popclaw took on the task with solemn dedication.
Besides A-Train, a second person had finally entered her life—and he needed her far more than A-Train ever did.
***
After The Deep left, Frenchie immediately wanted to head to Popclaw’s apartment with the video footage to interrogate her thoroughly.
However, Butcher flatly rejected the idea.
Frenchie asked displeasedly, “Butcher, what the hell are you playing at now?
Don’t you want to squeeze more intel out of Popclaw?”
Butcher grinned.
“There’s an old Chinese saying: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”