Enslaving the King

Chapter 10

Raine barged into the office, fury propelling his steps. “What’s going on?” He snapped. “My card doesn’t work, and the secretary said you wished to speak to me. Wanna explain why?” He slapped his hand on his supervisor’s desk.

Bryant looked up. His lip twitched with a sneer, like his eyes had just landed on a dead skag. “I have received multiple complaints about you, Raine,”

“What?! How?!”

“They say you’re rude, lofty - being a poor representative for the Pleasure Palace.”

This had to be a trick. Bryant must’ve set this up somehow. Raine shook his head, glaring. “Why would they say that? You’re lying.”

“I can show you the reports if you don't believe me. Remember. I warned you, Raine. Your actions have been under intense scrutiny since you fell into Hayden's employ, as I told you before. You’ve become bad for PR. At first it was good. Lots of media attention. But the relations with the people have gone sour.”

“How the hell is that possible,” Raine asked. “Hayden has had no complaints- and I mostly avoid the public.”

Bryant shrugged, but now he looked smug. “Don’t ask me, Raine. You’ll have to ask them.” Raine wanted to punch Bryant's face in with his cyber arm, but he restrained himself. He gripped the back of the visitor’s chair so hard, his human hand ached.

“Why does this matter so much? You’ve wanted Hayden's money for a long time now, and now you have it! You’d throw it away?” Raine couldn’t believe this. He didn’t think Bryant’s grudge would run so deep as to self-sabotage his company's profits.

“Compared to the vast majority of Helios,” Bryant said, leaning back, “there is not much that can be done. Even Hayden's satisfaction can only go so far.”

Raine tensed. “I dare you to say that to his face. The customer-”

“Always comes first, blah blah. That’s just the pretty speech they give, it doesn’t always have bearing in every case.”

“I could tell him.” Raine almost bared his teeth.

“Wow, are you that stupid? You really want to bring Hayden into this? That’s highly unprofessional. What would Hayden even think of you whining to him like a pathetic little s**t, huh?”

Raine’s fists clenched harder still. He didn’t want to admit it, but Bryant was right. Hayden would...probably laugh in his face if he knew what was happening. He could hear it now. “The fame too much for you, kiddo?”

Raine forced himself to lose his tension. It was not easy. He drew a deep breath, fighting away his defiance. “What do you want me to do, then?” He dreaded the answer.

“You’re either going to have to make these complaints go away or I’m firing you. Obviously.” 

Raine couldn’t keep the fire in his chest down. “I bring in more money than half your top w****s-!”

“And so will the next escort Hayden takes a fancy in, I’m sure, now that he’s had a taste of the medium level workers, I’m sure he’ll happily move on to the top level...and to our ladies ,” Bryant smiled, expression dark and pleased. “You’re replaceable, Raine. Don’t forget it. Would Hayden really, truly , disagree? You know him perhaps better than all of us now. Why don't you tell me?”

Raine had a sinking feeling. He couldn’t bring himself to dispute it. He’d been working for Hayden for a while now, but Hayden was still a mystery. It was anyone’s guess, Hayden's overall feelings towards him, and if he guessed wrong…it would land him in the shitter. He was still just a w***e, after all. He couldn’t really believe there was any reason for Hayden to…to care about any of this.

Raine swallowed, hard, a lump in his throat. He ignored it. He also ignored his heart pounding, the ache building in it.

Bryant spread his arms. “Sorry, buddy, it’s out of my hands.” He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded very happy. It only fed Raine's fire. “You’ve got one week to change their minds, or else.” He made a schwtt noise and slapped his hands together. “You’re done.”

Raine gave himself a few heartbeats to think. “Give me the source,” he said. If he used his brain, he could...get this under control. “Who is rallying them against me?”

“I don’t know if there’s a main source, but the biggest complaints seem to be pouring out of the Securities Propaganda Department. Check there.”

“Thanks so much,” Raine said, sarcastic

“One week, Mr. Raine.”

Raine left Bryant’s office, fighting an array of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He needed to tame them, needed to keep calm. He had to figure out who was at the head of these complaints, and…he could pay them off, probably. He had the money. Or there were other options if that didn’t appeal to them. He’d find some way to make them stop. He had to. He just had to use think.

Raine headed for the main entrance of the elaborate rooms of the Pleasure Palace building. A familiar figure up by the front desk caught his attention. He paused. The figure had spotted him too.

“Hey, Raine,” the man waved, grinning an oily smile. “How’s it going? Fancy seeing you here.”

“Vasquez,” Raine muttered, wishing he didn’t remember the jerk. He considered walking off, continuing his way to Securities Propaganda. But there was something in Vasquez’s expression that made him suspicious. “Why’re you here? Can’t get laid otherwise?” He jibed, voice loud and unpleasant in his own ears.

Vasquez only looked smug, which was somewhat worrying. He leaned on the front desk. “Strong words from a man who doesn’t have much of a future left.”

“What- How do you-?” Raine put two and two together, and his temper flared once more. “It was you , wasn’t it?” He snapped. He crossed the distance between them, only just restraining his fists from lashing out. “You are the source of the complaints?”

Vasquez smiled more broadly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Raine’s fists clenched, and his limbs shook with fury. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Maybe you’re just an annoying guy, Raine. Have you considered that?”

“You know something though, don’t you?”

“It’s true I…have heard there are a certain number of persons...who feel you are an incompetent person to serve Hayden's direct needs.”

Raine scoffed. “If that were true, Hayden would’ve chosen someone else by now, I think. Or are you calling him an i***t? I don’t think he’d like that.”

“Hey, even the big man can get confused sometimes,” Vasquez said with a calm roll of his shoulders. “Happens to even the best of us. Not judging. It just happens in a place like Helios. He just hasn’t seen how much a snake you are yet. But he will, one day.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

"Everyone knows your only value is in your s*x appeal, and you'll never be more than that to anyone that matters." Vasquez was positively the worst thing Raine had laid eyes on today, and that included Bryant, somehow. "Lord Hayden certainly agrees, wouldn't you say? With all that money he must be giving you... Ah, but what do you care, all you care about is that money, you little w****s- Bet you couldn't even get it up unless it's over a pile of cash- I mean, there's a reason your soulmate left you, right?"

"How the f**k do you know that?" Raine lashed out, fist crashing against Vasquez's face. Something crunched. Vasquez screamed, hands flying up to the place of injury. Raine felt immense satisfaction for a few moments as Vasquez doubled over and held his bleeding nose. But he also heard a gasp from the secretary. s**t.

Vasquez straightened up, blood pouring over his hand. “Oh you...you little s**t!” He voice was muffled. "I’m gonna make sure you never…make another cent. I’ll get you airlocked for this!” He turned and yelled. “Someone get me a doctor!”

Raine stared at his bloodied cyber hand, heart sinking. Damn it. 

It was all good as over now. 

All because he couldn’t contain his temper.

Raine realized Vasquez had never answered his question.

How did Vasquez know who his soulmate was?

Raine later found himself at a bar with his friends, moping over a glass of bourbon. He'd just wanted to feel sorry for himself for awhile. He'd lamented his situation to Yvette and Vaughn. Well, as much of it as he could. He really didn't have anything better to do before work. The work he probably didn't have much left of. Gods, tonight would be difficult. How was he going to face Hayden?

“You should tell Hayden,” Yvette said, cutting into his brooding thoughts. “He’s got the money and or the murder rage to make any problem go away. Perfect solution.”

Raine narrowed his eyes at her. “No. Are you crazy? He’d think I’m pathetic I can’t even sort out one little work thing. The only problems he cares about are his own anyway...”

"I doubt it. All the s**t I've been hearing, I think he'd just burn the Pleasure Palace down. Besides, this is more than just a little thing." She nudged Vaughn with her elbow. “Right. Don’t you think so?”

“What-?" Vaughn looked at her, blinking. "Oh yeah, definitely. He definitely likes burning things. Hayden is the burniest.”

"See?"

Raine exhaled, stirring his drink. "You don't understand, Hayden is- He's not going to go out of his way for me." Raine sipped his drink, a bitter sigh leaving him. “I’m finished,” he lamented. “This is how the best job I’ve ever taken ends. At the hands of an jealous, greasy asshole.”

“I still don’t think it’d hurt to tell Hayden. He’s going to find out anyway. What do you have to lose?”

“Well, he might airlock me,” Raine said, not that he really believed that, but still… He thumped his hand on the table, frustration rising. “I don’t know. I just don’t think I can face him with this. It’s f*****g embarrassing, to put it lightly. It’d be better to just...have the Pleasure Palace tell him. Then someone else will have to deal with his disappointed response, which will probably involve strangulation. Hopefully it's Bryant who gets strangled.... I won't be that lucky, will I?” He sighed.

“Man, they’re all assholes,” Vaughn muttered, looking lost in his own drink. “Every last one of them…”

“I…if I lose this job,” Raine continued venting. “I lose my money. If I’m careful, I have enough to last me…a few months...maybe more - haven't done the budgeting yet. Or I could buy a ticket off Helios and wind up stranded somewhere. Either way I lose everything. Probably my life. Where would I even go? To get anywhere even remotely civilized, I'd- I'd need more money unless I want to be homeless.... Finding work is out of the question... I just don't know...”

Yvette gave a huge sigh. "You're an i***t, Raine. I love you, but you're a huge dumbass. Like literally the biggest."

"Thanks so much," Raine grumbled. He put his hand on his face, ignoring her. She just didn't understand. He wasn't special to Hayden. Hayden wouldn't care. Hayden only cared about himself. She just didn't get it- "I guess...I should try to apologize to that asshole... Vasquez..." If Hayden cared, he would've...shown it, somehow. Hayden...Hayden...

Why couldn't it be different...

Yvette rolled her eyes. Vaughn remained distant. Raine didn't pay either of them much attention. He had too much else to worry about.

Raine called Hayden. When Hayden didn't pick up, he left a voice message telling him he'd be a bit late tonight but not to worry. With that finished, he shut off his Echo comms and got on the elevator to Securities Propaganda.

Raine walked into Vasquez's office, his gut churning with an underlying sense of guilt, but he was nothing if not resourceful, smart. He had ideas. And if they didn’t work, there were always back-up plans. He wasn’t walking in here with no cards up his sleeve.

“Raine.” Vasquez eyed him with displeasure from behind his desk. There was, however, a light of interest glimmering in his eyes. There was also a bandage on his nose, and that gave Raine a bit of satisfaction. “Well, well, I was wondering if you would show.”

Raine dropped his hands on the desk, as he’d done with Bryant. He wasn’t going to go down quietly, timidly. “You won. You happy?” He asked. “You’ve successfully put my name on the airlock. Well-played and all that.” He leaned back, folding his arms. “But I have no interest in dying, because that’s exactly what will happen to me, and you know it well, don’t you? So I’m here to negotiate. What do you want from me? An apology? I can make it sincere.”

“You know what, Raine, I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that punch,” Vasquez said, briefly touching his nose. “Took some real balls to stand up for yourself, even if it was a death sentence.”

Raine felt impatient. “And?”

“Let’s just say...I have a little more respect for you. So I decided, that if you came to me and admitted the truth, if you manned up a little, I’d show you some mercy.”

Raine resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Stop beating around the bush. What. Do. You. Want from me?”

“Aw, don’t be so upset, Raine. You’ll soon realize this is for the betterment of all of us.”

“I seriously doubt it.”

Vasquez stood up, grinning. He made a motion, and Raine’s eyes were drawn to a gun strapped to his thigh, a clear warning. Raine wanted to back up, but he held his ground. “It’s really simple,” Vasquez said, “I’m gonna admit. Almost too simple for my tastes. I can’t say a lot of hard work went into this.... But that’s just how it is.” He walked around the desk, motioning for Raine to sit in one of the visitor seats. Raine did so, reluctantly. Vasquez sat on the desk. “I gotta hand it to you Raine. You did quite well getting the old man upstairs wrapped around your finger, but let’s face it... Hayden won’t keep you around for long.”

Raine did roll his eyes that time. “Why don’t you people let Hayden be. He’s not a baby. He makes his own decisions.”

“I know, I know. But you’re a real waste of time, regardless.” Vasquez took a deep breath. “So here’s the deal. How about I tell you who your soulmate is, and in return, you promise to leave Hayden's employ.”

Raine’s mouth gaped. “What? I… You really know who it is?” He shook his head in disbelief. "How?”

“I have eyes and ears everywhere. Everywhere.” Vasquez grinned. “And I have all the evidence you would need to confirm it. To throw in a little bonus, I can get you a respectable job, too. To avoid all the dying biz.”

Raine took a moment to process that. “What do you get out of this? This can’t all be about Hayden.”

“Hmm…fair,” Vasquez said, seeming to consider something. “I suppose you have a right to know a bit more. There’s something bigger going on. Bigger than you. Can’t give ya the details but…it could lead to me a big promotion… The only way, though, is for you to be out of the way. I could just kill you instead, if you’d rather. Doesn’t make much difference to me... So what’ll it be, Raine? I’m offering you a pretty nice deal. Hell, I’ll even put in a good word with Bryant if you’d rather keep w*****g…”

"You've been sitting on this, haven't you? This doesn't seem like something you just pulled out of your ass."

"I suppose you got me there."

Raine felt uncertainty rise in him. He…he wanted to know so f*****g dearly. He’d been needing to know. This could be his one chance to find out who it was. His soulmate. Did he really have to keep any promise made to Vasquez, after all? Lying was simple enough. It’d be worth it for this information, and depending on who it was, he could make adjustments later to his plans…

“Okay,” Raine said. “But on one condition. If I find out you're lying, no deal.”

“Perfect,” Vasquez said. “Raine, I’m happy to inform you that your soulmate is-“

There was an explosion of noise.

Raine stared at a bullet hole in Vasquez's stomach. Vasquez yelled, collapsing to the floor. Raine leapt up and spun around, eyes landing on...

"Hayden...?"

Hayden's eyes glinted with fury as he swept forward. "Why the everloving frig basket didn't you goddamned tell me, Raine?" He said in a low, dangerous voice, shoving the gun back into it's holster.

"I...uh..." Raine stuttered, uncertain what to even say. "I.." He felt like he’d gotten caught with his hand in the jar, for some reason.

Hayden breezed past Raine and stared down at Vasquez. "You know, i***t," he said to prone figure. "You might've gotten that promotion, if you hadn't screwed with what's mine." He squatted, grabbed Vasquez’s gun, and tossed it away. He pressed his own gun to Vasquez's forehead. "So now here's your options. One, you tell me who the frig this infiltrator is – I know you’re in on that Maliwan plot, don’t friggin’ lie - and I'll make your death quick for ya. Or two, you don't tell me, and I let your sorry ass bleed out nice an slow? Which is it gonna be?"

"H-Lord Hayden....sir..." Vasquez coughed on blood. "I...please... I didn't... I was trying to expose them..."

"Not what I want to hear," Hayden snarled, drawing his gun and aiming at Vasquez's gut. "Want another one in there with the first?"

Raine couldn't say, in that moment, that he felt any remorse for Vasquez’s fate. In fact, he only felt weirdly fixated on Hayden, more than ever, breath gone, a deep appreciation blooming inside of him, a gentler sort of fire in his chest. Still, his lips moved. “Wait.” He rushed over, also squatting and grabbing Hayden's arm. “Vasquez, tell me who they are- my soulmate-“

Vasquez just laughed. “No…deal… Raine…” Vasquez spat blood on him.

Raine grimaced in disgust. "Ew. What the hell?"

Hayden hissed. "Counting down. Three, two, one-"

“Hayden-“ Raine started, “wait, he knows-“

Raine's ears rang from the explosion of noise that was the second gunshot. Vasquez was dead, part of his head a bloody mess.

Raine held back his nausea and blinked at Hayden, whose frown was fading. "Got bored,” Hayden said, “he has an associate who will know the answer. One who won’t be such a pain in the ass.” Hayden stood up. Raine also stood and grabbed his lapels, forcing their eyes to meet. Hayden looked surprise.

“Goddamn it, he was about to tell me!” Raine snapped. “You just couldn’t wait a few seconds!?”

“Tell you what-?“

Raine closed his mouth, about to let go. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, your soulmate? That’s what this is about?” Hayden grimaced. “He wasn’t about to tell ya, kitten, and even if he was, he woulda just lied to you.”

“I meant before you shot him! I was making a deal. If he lied, no deal. He could’ve known! Damn it!”

“Deal? Why the hell would you make a deal with that sleezebag?”

“I…I had to okay?” Raine hissed. “I wasn’t going to follow through with it – god, it doesn’t matter.”

Hayden stared at him for a few moments, a deep furrow in his masked brow line. He sighed, shoulders sagging. “It matters that much to you, huh?”

Raine frowned and turned away, putting distance between him and Hayden. How did he keep ending up in rooms with Hayden and a dead body, anyway? He rubbed his forehead, trying to get rid of a headache growing behind his eyes. He felt too strung out now. What did it matter? He would never know his soulmate-

A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, Hayden's chin on his shoulder. “Heya, cupcake, don’t look so gloom. If Wallethead can figure it out..."

“Who?” Raine raised an eyebrow, turning his head to look at Hayden.

“Dead guy over there. Name’s Wallethead. If he can figure it out, so can I.”

Raine broke the hold to turn fully to Hayden, both eyebrows raising, eyes widening. For a moment, he ignored his curiosity at the weird nickname, because there was something far more important - if his ears were working correctly. “You…can? Why?”

“Why not,” Hayden said, shrugging. “I’m tired of you scowling all the time. It’s unbecoming of ya. ‘Sides it’ll be way cooler finding out from me, instead of that grease bag. Wouldn’t ya agree?”

Raine felt that warmth returning to his heart, strong and vicious. He just wanted to kiss Hayden until they passed out from a lack of air. “I’m…going to hold you to that.” He didn’t know why he said it, only that it felt right to say. He ignored the tiny part of him that didn’t really want to know because… Because of Hayden. How Raine felt for him. If he were honest, he...didn't think he wanted to feel like this for anyone else, as idiotic as that was.

“I know you will, pumpkin,” Hayden rumbled. He hooked an arm around Raine’s waist and guided them to the door. “Now, you ready to head into work? Or are ya just plannin' to take the whole night off?”

Raine laughed. “Nah, I’m heading into work.”

“Great. That's what I was hoping to hear, baby. Wanna take a shower with me? Get the blood off and everything?”

“Yeah, sounds great. It is pretty gross.”

“And we can do…things in the shower…”

“God, yes. Please.”

"Just one thing," Hayden said in his ear, a sharper note entering his voice. "Promise me you'll tell me the next time s**t like this happens, alright?"

Raine looked at him, trying to read Hayden's expression. He couldn't. "Why?"

"I..." Hayden looked away, but after a few moments, looked back at him. "I won't let anyone hurt ya again. Didn't I tell ya that before?"

"Hayden," Raine murmured. He grabbed Hayden's arm and dropped his head to Hayden's shoulder, trying not to let that tidal wave overwhelm him. He didn't think about how close he was to holding Hayden's hand.

"What, sweetcheeks?"

"Thank you..."

"Yeah well...it's what heroes do. Plus, I can't be losing my favorite piece of ass, can I? Come on. I wanna shower and then f**k until I pass out, mm'kay?"

Raine just laughed, still gripping on to Hayden, full of too many thoughts and emotions to process, let alone express. "Okay." They walked for awhile longer before Raine spoke again, "actually, if you wanted to...there's this giant asshole at the Pleasure Palace who wants to fire me... My boss, actually."

Hayden's answering grin was wicked. "Just give me the name, cupcake."