M A K A Y L A



The light of morning cut through the curtains and hit my eyes. I groaned and rolled over in the plush sheets looking for the sculpted body of my crime lord. But my hand hit nothing but more sheets. I turned my head and groaned louder.

I need to spell out to Alex exactly what a lie in was. I didn't care if it was a Sector 52 thing to be up before the birds even had time to find themselves. She should be mine for longer.

I stretched my hands high and smirked at the great feeling of aches that came with... Certain activities.

I dragged a hand through my messed blonde waves and slapped water over my face in her cool stone floored bathroom. My ice blue eyes stared back but I couldn't focus on them–a very red mark was developing on my neck.

"God damnit Alex." I growled.

I brushed my teeth and freshened up with a bit too much aggression. It took a few minutes to outfit myself in something appropriate. By the time I left our room I had enough weapons strapped to my hips and legs to rival a personal guard and an expression to match.

I found Proximo before her.

"Don't you look well prepared today..." He drawled.

I didn't fail to notice Art propped against a nearby holo screen who winked at me under a blue glow. I ignored his quip and fired my own.

"I'm so glad to see you two getting along–"

"There's that irritating royal blonde again." He interrupted before I could focus the conversation on the larger man with dark eyes watching the screen intently.

"Where's Scorpion." I deadpanned.

"Gym."

"What floor is that?"

He couldn't even resist the smirk that took his tattooed face.

"Unsurprising you have no idea."

I waited with my arms crossed and my hand inching closer to my throwing knife. Art sensed it and drew up from his screen. "You'll find that down on 37, Miss Xavier."

"Thank you, Artella." I said, emphasising gratitude. "At least one of you knows how to communicate effectively."

Proximo flexed his jaw and dismissed me with a hand wave returning to his work. Art rolled his eyes and suddenly they dropped to my neck. I covered it with a hand and turned rapidly.

"Do tell Scorpion not to mark Division personnel quite so obviously–"

Proximo didn't get to finish his words because he had to dodge a throwing knife that left my hand. I could have sworn I heard Art laugh but it could easily have been a cough.

The trip to the lift was quick.

Maybe it did say something about me that I didn't even know this base held a gym... For all the muscular men and women walking around I had to question if it was the training room alone. It was designed very simply. Concrete walls lit by floor and ceiling lights. They changed colour in certain areas of equipment–or maybe it was preference.

I had to walk for quite some time to find the queen among it all.

That was because she didn't want to be found. I had entirely missed the hooded head of her but not the tattoo running down her right arm. The sleeveless top was dark and loose but could not deny the curves and lines of her arm muscles as she drew down the weight bar.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a sight.

I know I was gawking at her. If it wasn't her it would be positively creepy of me. But her skin had a light sheen to it as she worked. It was tanned and muscled and those noises as she breathed–

"Are you using that?" A voice grunted beside me making me flinch out of my own skin.

I took in the agent that wore a questioning look. I shook my head as he eyed me with an expression that said I was indeed being creepy. I smirked as he sauntered over to another machine near Scorpion. I think I knew why she hid her face now. She didn't have to be bothered or scare anyone away from getting to work.

I walked out deliberately in front of her swaying my hips as I did.

She exhaled more sharply as I heard the weights drop back down. Then I dropped into a stretch that drew my combats very tightly against my–

"Makayla..." She sighed, controlling her breathing.

I turned my head over my shoulder in false shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

She was already smirking as she resumed her set and those muscles shifted to lift what I knew was a lot of weight. The agent that had taken the nearby machine recognised her voice and quickly made himself scarce.

"I thought–you'd be asleep." She grunted, hefting it high above her.

"And I thought this wasn't part of my complexion." I accused, pointing at my neck.

She didn't even drop her eyes to it. She knew exactly where her mouth had been. Those gold eyes burned into mine as she dropped the weights and rose before me. Her breathing was still slightly ragged and I had an urge to make it even more so. She sized me up scanning the many weapons strapped to my hips.

"You're missing a blade." She murmured.

"Proximo is holding onto it for me."

"I wish I had seen that." She smiled, brushing my jaw with her knuckle.

I moved my face back.

"I'm off limits until you apologise."

"I will never apologise for making you feel so good you forget your own name." She answered in a calmness that had no right to be there. It heated my face regardless.

"I'm a walking example of it. And I don't like it." I hissed.

Her expression darkened.

"Would you prefer a different location?"

"I'd prefer you being in bed..." I drawled, running my eyes over her again. I couldn't even help it she was too much at times–

"You're looking at me like you have different ideas, Xavier." She said, turning from me and pulling up a towel to her face.

"I'm not looking at you like anything."

She gave me a flat look before grabbing a bottle and taking a deep drink. I watched her throat move and the droplet of sweat that travelled down her neck before being lost below. I cleared my throat and ignored her smirk.

"Do you always work out alone?" I quipped, running my hand along another machine.

"Yes. I prefer not to be Scorpion in here."

"Does it help you focus?" I asked, leaning against a thin piece of metal.

"I doubt I could commit myself as fully with you in here." She admitted.

She walked to the next pile of metal with weight and lay down on a bench. I watched her set both thighs wide and grip the bar before pushing it high from her chest. My hand slipped and my forehead hit the side of the machine harshly.

Alex was shaking with laughter until she set the weight down and laughed properly.

"Enough. I can't focus–" She got out between another laugh.

I glared and nursed my temple as she ripped herself upwards and kissed the top of my head still snickering. I elbowed her in the stomach and she took it without complaint throwing her arm around my waist.

"It slipped–"

"You're adorable." She tightened her grip and walked us back towards the lift. "–and staying in bed next time."

"No you are staying in bed." I countered, pushing her back against the lift wall. The doors closed behind us and she scanned my face.

"I still lead the Underworld you know." She answered low, stepping towards me.

I met her gaze unflinching as she closed the space.

"Don't worry, you won't let me forget it."

She smiled in the inches between our lips. "I can't become too soft..." At that same moment her hands slipped behind my waist deliberately.

"Are you saying I am?"

"I love all of you." She said simply, before kissing me deeply.

The kiss could have been long or short. My mind tends to go blank when this woman of fierce power and desire kisses me like this. What neither of us expected was the opening of the lift doors and a serious second on the other side of them.

"The Empress is here." He stated. "Apologies for interrupting."

"Wait–what?" I asked breathless, pulling myself away from Alex. And why was it that Proximo could find her in any square inch of this place–was he god damn tracking us?

She reluctantly turned to her second and pocketed her hands. But the news was sending a heat through me that was not pleasant. It was ugly and possessive and angry that the woman had the nerve to show up here at all. Who else had that kind of nerve leaving Sector 1 other than me? That was exactly the kind of woman that got Scorpion's attention in the first place–

"What do you expect me to do about this now?" She drawled.

"An alliance for a start."

"She almost killed one of my men."

"I'm aware."

"And you invited her here."

"I'm still aware."

They appraised each other for a moment. Then she shrugged and pressed the button to our floor. "I'm having a shower. Entertain her."

The doors closed in his face.



* * * * *



I tapped my foot quickly against the floor watching the world outside. The shower was still running with Alex in it. She gave me a knowing look when I declined to join her and kissed my head. It wasn't that simple and she didn't understand. She didn't know Sector 1 women like I did. They had a thousand things under their sleeve and only a few on the surface.

Her comm glowed on the table for the third time in 5 minutes and I swiped it up.

"Makayla get her down here." Proximo stated.

"She's in the shower."

"I don't care."

"I think the Empress can wait five minutes." I answered curtly.

"This is our shot. You understand that correct? A chance to end feuds between upper and lower Merridian–this is more than your petty jealousy–"

"She. Will. Be. Five. Minutes." I drew out each word keeping my cool and watching his irritation grow. But my patience was already at its end with him today.

"Don't you dare hang up–"

The line went dead under my hand and I threw it back on the desk. I didn't notice Scorpion standing in the doorway pulling a combat skin over her torso. She dragged a hand back through her wet hair and braided it behind her as she neared me.

"Proximo?"

I nodded to the table.

She finished her hair and jumped the sofa to crouch before me. I couldn't meet her eyes that easily. So she slipped her comm back to her wrist and tilted my chin to meet her eyes.

"Don't worry. I've got this."

"It's not you I'm concerned about." I muttered.

"She is alone out here. That says something about how much she wants this alliance."

I put aside my feelings about her. If there was one thing Proximo was right about, it was that it was bigger than us. I met her eyes and forced a smirk.

"I think I'll go find Proximo."

"Makayla..."

I moved out of her touch though. I could force a smile for her but I wouldn't sit here in this room thinking of all the ways elite political power would try and win her over... In more ways than one.

Strong hands caught my waist and turned me before I could reach the door.

"You have nothing to worry about, Makayla." She promised, trying to will the same resolve into me. I looked at her flatly shaking my head.

"Alex. I know you. It is Sector 1 I don't know anymore." I answered, pulling away and glaring when she tried to advance on me again. "Just–let me handle this my way."

She dropped her hands, her mouth set in a firm line.

"I'll come find you as soon as she's gone."

"Don't rush yourselves." I drawled, turning for the door.

But it made Alex sigh a mixture of a growl and exasperation. "Makayla! This is hardly–"

The door closed behind me and I heard something like a metal clang that was similar to the sound her fist would make. I think I'd make my own introduction before she saw the queen of the Underworld.

I stormed to the lift and punched the main floor. The access flashed blue before flying downwards. When the doors opened silently it revealed a military scene of chaos. Personal guards lining the room, techies organising air assets and two very large men stood either side of a powerful woman.

Proximo's head snapped towards the lift and he glared when it wasn't Scorpion.

"Where is she?"

I danced around a few Division guards before propping myself in the doorway and crossing my arms. "She's right behind me. Just making herself presentable." I drawled, scanning the flawless pencil skirt and finely cut suit she wore. A white suit was risky in a place like this.

The Empress noticed my gaze and met it with a tailored smile. I didn't return it.

"I hope our unfortunate event hasn't tainted relations, Miss Xavier."

"Oh, no you are practically my favourite person." I returned with a cool smile. She matched it with one of a politician and those dark rimmed bronze eyes.

"Surely you can't argue with the value of our sectors becoming allies?"

Proximo stiffened beside her and nodded at Art. They drew back to the edge of the room in low discussion. I met her eyes again and scanned her face. Classically beautiful as all in the upper echelons of good breeding tended to be. Young. Intelligent. Lethal if given a chance.

"How is Sector 1 these days?" I asked instead.

Her expression became guarded.

"In need of firm leadership. Your leader has many of those qualities."

My fingers tightened into a fist. "That she does." I agreed slowly. "Which is why she is perfect here."

She smiled warmly at me again. Not saying those damn words I knew she was thinking. How long will that stay that way. I pushed off the door and strode towards her quickly inching towards the blade on my hip. She gazed back unconcerned as I dropped close to her chair, setting my fist on the arm rest.

"I know you think you play a good game, but it is nothing compared to what the leader of the Underworld has played." I looked her up and down. "And against better players."

Her smile revealed her teeth and she actually let out a light laugh. I didn't break the space between us that inched closer to rage by the second.

"You really don't know much about relationships do you?"

I stilled. Watching those bronze eyes scan every line of my face.

"Fiercely protective." She mused. "I'll keep that in mind when she joins us–"

I slammed a dagger through her suit sleeve and it made Proximo rush forwards. But the Empress just watched me with more amusement. Like I had done exactly what she expected of me. Like a child before a woman.

Agents stood to attention around us suddenly letting me know exactly who had just entered the room. I left my hand on the arm rest as we watched each other.

"Makayla." Scorpion said across the room.

I raised off her chair just as quickly and ripped my dagger out of her sleeve. I turned and strode back for the lift without even meeting her eyes. She moved her arm out to stop me.

"Don't." I growled, pushing past her.

"You and I need to have this chat–it had better be a good one." Alex spoke darkly to the Empress behind me.

The rest of the room turned to holoscreens and checked their guns while I couldn't move faster for the lift. I stepped inside and turned to the doors to catch that bitch still watching me. She smiled slowly before looking up at Alex and nodding.

The doors shut and I threw my fist into them hard enough that I heard something break. It split the skin on my knuckle but I just watched it drip a line of crimson over my hand unbothered.

I would enjoy spilling her blood a lot more.