"Congratulations, host, you have obtained the gift of a top-tier strategist. From now on, you can accurately predict trends in the market based on experience and come up with creative strategies that are guaranteed to work."
"Wait, so I am invisible in the business world."
"Yes, host, given your technological savvy and foolproof strategizing, you can be unstoppable if you apply yourself to your business."
I was raised a solider and although that was a lifetime ago, all my survival skills remained intact, and combined with Ben's weapons mastery, I was confident in my combat skills. Business was a whole different ball park, and I was worried about how I was going to pull off being legitimate when the only experience I ever had was with the illegal side of things. Now I had all the skills I needed to sever my world from the main characters. As long as I could erase any links between the underground world and my business empire, then all would be well.
Sex with Mathew was a full workout for me, and my body was still sore from straining muscles balancing on top of him. The man in question was nowhere to be seen when I opened my eyes, but almost as if on command, he appeared out of the bathroom, hair dripping wet, water still trailing down his body from his shower. I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful specimen that was my first husband.
'Why is she staring? Do I have a dirty spot? no that can't be it. I scrubbed myself thoroughly with the passion shampoo she likes. Did my abs flatten? I didn't get a chance to work out today. Does she think I look disgusting today? Oh my god, does she hate me because of last night?'
A flood of questions bombarded my mind, reminding me of my mind-reading ability. Despite his racing thoughts, his face was a mask of cold indifference that I used to find off-putting but was now endearing to me. I liked that he kept himself hidden and that he had chosen to share his true self with me.
"How can I hate my wonderful husband? You were amazing last night, exactly what I like."
His cold mask warmed as blush invaded his face, leaving him looking hot and bothered despite his best intentions. I kissed him on his cheek because his forehead was out of my reach, and walked to the bathroom. It wasn't until I bent over to step into the tub that I noticed the silent Mathew behind me.
"Can I help you?"
'I want to wash her. Will she let me?' He silently wondered, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his timidness.
" You can help me bathe, I don't mind," I answered, and it finally hit that I had been answering questions he had not voiced. He took a long, hard look at me.
'Can she hear my thoughts?' came his alarmed thoughts in my head
"Yes, I can hear what you are thinking. I can hear what you are all thinking, but don't tell everyone yet."
'She only told me her secret, which must mean I am more important than the others.'
"Yes, you are very important to me," I answered his thoughts once more. Of course, I couldn't tell him the real reason was that I could only hear the thoughts of the ones I slept with, and that still left out three of my husbands.
So far, only Ben had behaved predictably; Henry and Matthew had taken me off guard, and it made me more excited to see what my other companions had in store for me. As I walked out of the hotel Mathew in tow, carrying all my belongings, I couldn't help but marvel at how drastically my life had changed. A month ago, I died trying to escape a prison after a lifetime of hell, and now I was living a life only a few dreamed of, and I had six top-tier men at my disposal, and they were all eager to please me. Not to mention an empire with more money than I could spend in this lifetime. If heaven existed, this would be it.
As I was walking along the corridor, a room opened, and three men jumped out, plowing right into me, sending me crashing to the floor in pain. I did not get the chance to cry out as I was pulled to my feet by one of the men, and I found myself staring into Tony's bewildered eyes.
"Lisa? What are you doing here?" Despite the question being directed at me, his eyes roamed the corridor, obviously looking for the men who had run past me, long gone.
"If we take the fire escape onto the third floor and stall the elevator with the emergency button, we can trap them before they exit the building." I blurted out as soon as the strategy formed in my mind.
Tony pulled me back into the room they had just come out of, and Mathew, who was just getting off the floor having been toppled as well, could only shout at our retreating backs as Tony pulled me out the window and onto the escape. He did not hesitate to engage the lift; Matthew barely made it on before it started lowering.
"What are you doing? We need to go to a meeting," Mathew protested, latching onto me like an overgrown baby. 'Why are you allowing this man to touch you when he also touched you yesterday?' He whinnied silently.
I did not have time to comfort him as Tony once again pulled me into the window of the third-floor room that the lift stopped at. The maid cleaning the room let out a scream, but we were already at the door, Mathew on our heels. He hit the emergency button, stopping the lift that was still on the fourth floor. A second later, I was being dragged up the staircase again, and after almost falling over, I took the lead. I was lighter and faster than the two men.
My plan had worked flawlessly, and I saw gratitude all over Tony's face for a split second before my vision was eclipsed as Mathew chose that very second to establish his claim over me, kissing me. I would have responded, but the men inside had somehow managed to get a way to start prying the lift doors open, forcing me to push him aside. He almost looked hurt and would have said something if a knife hadn't flown past his face, bringing his attention to the urgent matter at hand.