Dangerous Games: Chapter 8

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Chapter Eight

A million different thoughts ran through Ethan’s head as he tried to predict Sera’s next move, he could tell from the look in her eye that she was thinking the same thing about him. They both just stared waiting for the other to move first.

“Lover?”

The sound of his mother’s voice broke through Ethan’s thoughts reminding him of where he was and the danger his mother was in.

“You two know each other?” Diane, who had been looking between the two of them with a confused look on her face, chimes in.

Ethan watches as the realization that his mother didn’t know about his work, dawned on Sera’s face. She puts on sweet smile before turning to face his mother.

“I am so sorry; I did not mean to say that out loud. It must be awkward finding out I was involved with your son like this.”

Ethan’s jaw drops as he listens to Sera lie about their relationship and feign embarrassment to his mother.

After moment Ethan’s mother smiles, “I wouldn’t say awkward, but it is surprise!” His mother replied happily.

Ethan closes his mouth with an audible snap, his mind suddenly clear, there was no way in hell he going to allow Sera to drag his mother into whatever the hell this thing between them was.

“We’re not involved.” Ethan interrupts.

All three women turn to look at him, his mother confused, Sera surprised, with Diane still dumbfoundedly looking between them. Clearing his throat and realizing he was still on the line with Joe, Ethan hangs up and calmly walks over to the opposite side of his mother’s bed.

“We’re more acquaintances than anything else.” Ethan retorts.

Sera’s eyes narrowed, she clearly did not like the way Ethan downplayed their connection.

“I’d say we’re a little more than that, we’ve seen each other twice before.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed in return, she was clearly trying to endear herself to his mother, knowing he couldn’t tell the truth.

“Yes, but they were both coincidental. We barely know each other.”

“That’s because after getting physical, you left while I was asleep the first time.”

Ethan’s jaw drops, she was purposely twisting things by using vague words and stating partial truths he couldn’t deny. Glancing over at his mother and sees her cheeks were pink with embarrassment and she was actively avoiding looking at him.

“Mom, it was not like that.”

“Really, how else would you describe running your hand up my thigh up to my-”

“SERA!” Ethan shouts interrupting her, his face turning beet red.

A part of him wanted to tell his mother that it was Sera who told him to do it in the first place, but another part of him didn’t want his mother to have a negative impression of her. Ethan’s conflicting emotions were driving him crazy, and the cocky grin on Sera’s face didn’t help. They both knew she was winning whatever this game was.

“Dr. Umbra, can I please talk to you in private?” Ethan asks through clenched teeth.

Ignoring him, Sera turns to Ethan’s mother, “I think I have all the info I need for now. I’ll be in touch with news of treatment.”

“O…k, I look…forward to it.” Ethan’s mother replies awkwardly.

With that Sera turns and leaves, leaving Ethan, his mother, and Diane in awkward silence. Ethan is torn between chasing after Sera or trying to explain things to his mother.

“Will you just go.” Ethan’s mother urges.

With that Ethan shoots off after Sera, seeing she wasn’t outside the room, Ethan races down the stairs and through the main hall until he reaches outside. Looking around the crowded street Ethan spots Sera leaning up against a black car apparently waiting for him. She had let her hair down and was no longer wearing the doctor’s coat. Revealing the dark purple round neck cap sleeve pencil dress, she had been wearing underneath. The dress hugged her every curve and it cut off just below her knees, leaving Ethan momentarily dumbstruck by her exquisite figure.

After a moment, Ethan mentally shakes himself out of his stupor and notices he wasn’t the only one awestruck by Sera’s beauty. Quite a few men and even a few women were gawking at Sera as they walked by while others just stopped and stared. Despite this, Sera’s eyes never left him, even with all these people around Ethan couldn’t help feeling a sense of trepidation as he walked toward her.

“You stay away from my mother.” Ethan threatened.

Sera’s eyes harden at Ethan’s tone, calmly pushing herself off the car, Sera steps closer to Ethan until she’s looming over him. Her already impressive height further enhanced by the heels she was wearing. Unwilling to back down Ethan cranes his neck to look up at Sera, and that’s when she grabs him by the throat.

“Don’t think for a second your safe just because all these people are around, I could take you right here and no one would stop me. So I’d watch my tone if I were you.” Sera threatens in a low voice.

The hand on Ethan’s throat wasn’t choking, but it was tight enough to keep him place. Looking around; Ethan saw that the people who had been staring just a second ago had scattered, and the people passing by were now actively ignoring them.

‘Typical.’ Ethan thinks to himself in irritation.

“How did you connect my mother to me?” Ethan asks.

Sera lets out a throaty chuckle that sends shivers down Ethan’s spine and straight to his groin.

“I didn’t actually, I was meeting your mother for a completely different reason. Finding you was just a happy coincidence.”

“And what reason is that?”

“The same reason you’re going to do whatever I say from now on, I can save her.”

Ethan feels his chest tighten, he wanted to believe her, that she could save his mother, but he couldn’t trust her.

“No.”

Sera smiles, and let’s go of Ethan’s throat, but she doesn’t step away.

“You think you have a choice.”

Ethan didn’t have a response, deep down he knew she had him. After all the precautions and preparation made to insure no one could find his mother through him. The most dangerous one of all finds him through his mother by sheer dumb luck.  Still, he wanted to wipe that smug look off her beautiful face.

“If you can save her then that means others like you can too, maybe I’ll go find the three in the hoods from the other night and ask them to help my mom instead.”

The smile on Sera’s face quickly fades, her purple irises begin to glow, and the whites of her eyes go black. Ethan could feel Sera’s anger pressing down on him, but he refused to back down and held her inhuman glare.

“You’re treading on thin ice beloved.”

Wanting to make use of his current advantage, Ethan decides to bluff.

“And you’re assuming you can control me through my mother. You said it yourself that you went to see her even before knowing who she was to me. That means that helping her was always your goal, or should I say, assignment from the council.”

Sera’s eyebrow twitches in surprise; letting Ethan know he had hit a nerve.

“Also, threatening to kidnap me in front of all these people doesn’t make me afraid of you.”

After a second a slow smile creeps back onto Sera’s face as she steps even closer to Ethan, their bodies practically touching.

“That’s not what I meant when I said I’d take you in front of all these people.” Sera states as her hand gently slides up the front of Ethan’s pants.

Ethan stiffens in shock, “You’re insane.”

“For you.” Sera leans in close to Ethan’s ear and licks the skin right beside it, “Absolutely.” she whispers, grabbing Ethan’s left butt cheek and squeezing.

Ethan tries not to react, but his body can’t help but fidget from her touch. With that Sera walks back to the black car she had been leaning up against earlier and opens the back passenger door.

“I’ll be in touch.” Sera calls back, before getting into the car.

The car pulls away as soon as the door closes, leaving Ethan confused, aroused, and humiliated all at the same time. Looking around, the onlookers who had been ignoring him and Sera earlier had returned and were now looking at him. Ignoring them, Ethan heads back into the hospital and up to his mother’s room. Opening the door, he sees his mother alone with no signs of Diane.

“Before you start, where did Diane go?” Ethan asks.

“She pretended to get a message from work and said it was an emergency. But I’m pretty sure it was seeing that you and Sera are involved that really had her scrambling for the door.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because it was Diane who brought and introduced Dr. Umbra, Sera, to me in the first place.”

Ethan inwardly scolds himself for missing the obvious, of course those two were involved, it made sense now. Diane had been the person at the party that Sera had wanted to avoid, and the reason she had stayed in her room. It also explained why Sera never tried finding him through Diane’s catering company even though it was the most obvious place to look.

“Okay, your turn.” Ethan’s mother states.

Ethan looked at his mother and opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out. He was at a complete loss at what say or even tell her.

Ethan’s mother sighs, “Ethan, it’s obvious that Sera is the girl you were telling me about the last night, the one you felt a connection to, right?”

Ethan sighs, “Yeah.”

“Look, I don’t want to nag, and I don’t want to meddle so all I’ll say is this…I like her.”

“Of course, you do.” Ethan replies while pinching the bridge of his nose to stem off the headache he feels building.

“Looks, brains, and attitude, what exactly made you think she wasn’t the type to bring home to me?”

“Mom, it’s-.”

“Complicated, I get it. I’m just letting you know; I approve.”

“Fine, but don’t go marrying me off just yet.”

“Don’t worry, like I said, I’m not going to meddle…but she does have your number in case you guys want to meet on purpose and not by accident.”

“Oh, geez mom you gave her my personal cell?”

“To be fair this was before you came, I gave it to her because you’re my medical contact.”

Ethan sighs: he wasn’t really upset about his mother giving Sera his number, now that she knew who he was it was only a matter of time until she learned everything about him. He was just aggravated by the entire situation, and he was worried his mother might get hurt because of it.

“Look, I’m exhausted. Why don’t we call it a day and you go home?”

“You don’t want to hear about my date with Rose?”

“Do I need to?”

Ethan shakes his head, “Not really.”

Kissing his mother goodbye, Ethan leaves and heads straight to his apartment, but instead of going home he goes straight to Joe’s. He was about to walk in like usual, but remembered that Ava might be in there too, so he decides to knock instead.

Knocking once, Ethan hears Joe call out from inside, “Come in.”

Walking in; Ethan finds Joe still sitting in front of his computer.

“Where’s Ava?”

“In the bedroom.”

“Oh, do you need me to come back later?”

Joe swivel his chair to face Ethan.

“Shut up and sit down, it’s not even like that. She was exhausted after helping get through the encryption on the drive, so I offered her the bedroom so she could get some rest. Now quit stalling and tell me what happened.”

“You mean with my date?”

“Don’t be a smart ass, Erik called not to long ago and told me that Eckhart’s men suddenly stopped following him and his men. Eckhart wouldn’t call them off without reason, so something happened. So, spill.”

Ethan gives Joe the broad strokes of what happened, and only tells him of Sera’s claim that she can save his mother.

“Geezus kid, what do you want to do?”

“Not much I can do. I bluffed her for now, but who knows how long that’ll last. Shit, for all I know she could be waiting for me in my apartment right now.”

“We could try sneaking you and your mom out of the city.” Joe suggests.

“Yeah, but…” Ethan starts.

“What if she really can cure your mom.” Joe finishes.

Ethan nods.

“What a mess.” Joe states.

“The only play I can think of is the drive, she had it for a reason. It’s no coincidence that my mom name is in the drive and Sera happened to be meeting her.”

“I thought you said Diane was the one who brought her to your mom?”

“I did, but she’s a part of this somehow. I’m sure of it.”

“Well then here let me show you.”

Joe swivels his chair back to the computer and after a few keystrokes brings up the list that was on the drive.

“Like I said, the only name I recognize is your mom’s.”

Looking at the list of names, Ethan has stops on one a few up from his mother’s.

“This name here: Marianne Cartwright, I think I’ve seen it before.”

“Where?”

“I think it was…! Joe cross check that name with all the hospitals in Port Iron.”

Joe begins typing and after a few moments a hospital file on Marianne Cartwright appears on the screen.

“I knew I recognized that name, she’s one of the patients with the same illness as my mom. I remember seeing it when I was looking into what treatments other patients had already tried.”

“So, chances are everyone else on this list has it too.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember this many people in Port Iron having it.”

“More than likely this list includes people with cases outside of Port Iron.” A female voice states as the door to Joe’s bedroom opens.

“Ethan this is Ava, Ava this is- What the hell are you wearing!!”

Looking toward the bedroom door, Ethan is greeted by the sight of same beautiful blonde woman Joe had shown him a picture of before. Only now Ava was standing in the doorway wearing nothing but one of Joe’s shirts, which only barely reached her thighs.

“It was hot in your room, I had to take my clothes off too cool down.” Ava explained nonchalantly.

“That doesn’t explain why you’re wearing my shirt.” Joe states in irritation.

“Consider it a preview for our date.” Ava says cheekily, as she grabs a chair and places it right next to Joe.

“I agreed to take you out to dinner, that’s it!” Joe yells.

“Umm, I should probably go.” Ethan interrupts while backing away.

Ignoring Joe’s angry outburst; Ava turns to Ethan, “We’ll get started on checking out all the names on the list, we’ll let you know if we find.”

“What do you mean, we!?” Joe retorts.

“I told you before there’s something else hidden in the drive, we can work on that while we cross check all the names on the list. Or do you really think you can do it without me?” Ava questions.

Joe growls in frustration before turning back to his computer.

“At least put your clothes on.” Joe asks through clenched teeth.

“Fine.” Ava states with a victorious smile.

Ethan was already at the front door and watches as Ava calmly skips back into Joe’s bedroom before poking her head back.

“It was nice meeting you.”

“Yeah, um, you too.” Ethan replies awkwardly.

“Watch your back out there, kid.” Joe calls back to Ethan.

“You too, and…try to keep it down tonight.” Ethan jokes.

Joe responds by raising his hand and flipping Ethan off. Ethan chuckles as he opens the door and walks out, the door is just about close when Joe let out another yell.

“What the hell are you doing?! Don’t change in front of me!!”

Ethan quickly closes the door so that Joe doesn’t hear him burst out laughing, a part of him was rooting for Ava.

Still chuckling; Ethan is about to open the door to his apartment when he stops, and his hand begins to shake. All the joy he had felt just moments ago fades as the realization that Sera could be in there waiting, dawns on him.

‘No.’ He reassures himself. ‘That would be too easy.’

Steadying his hand; Ethan opens the door and finds the apartment empty; causing him to let out a sigh of relief and disappointment.

“Stop it.” He tells himself.

Despite the increasingly dangerous situation he was now in, a part of Ethan was still drawn to Sera.

“What the hell is wrong with me?”

Shedding his clothes; Ethan decides to hop into the shower to relax, the warm water immediately putting his mind and body at ease. After a quick lather and rinse he begins to focus on his breathing. He’d been too complacent lately; he hadn’t practiced his ability in a while, and he needed to be ready for when Sera made her move. Slowly the sounds of the shower fade and he begins to feel each drop of water as it hits and cascades down his body. Practicing in the shower helps him with maintaining his concentration despite the excessive feedback. After thirty minutes Ethan stops his ability and steps out the shower feeling focused and refreshed.

As Ethan dries himself off, he senses something change, something was off. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he exits the bathroom and steps into his room, finding Sera sitting in his bed. She was still wearing the same purple dress from earlier, but this time her feet were bare, she was no longer wearing the heels from before. Despite his anger at her invasion into his home, it was taking Ethan a great deal of effort to not simply walk over and start kissing her senseless. And with the way she was biting her lip as she looked at him, she seemed to be thinking the same thing. Still, Ethan refused to give in to her and himself.

“I’m surprised, I figured you’d wait until I was asleep.” Ethan half jokes, trying to keep his voice calm.

“What, and miss watching you squirm, never.” Sera replies with a serious expression.

Ethan braces himself, but Sera just chuckles.

“Calm down, beloved, I’m not here for you, yet.”

Still wary, Ethan slowly relaxes his stance, “Okay, then why ARE you here?”

“I want to hire you, or rather, I want to hire Red Eye.”