Gamble Read online

  “It is,” Bishop said as he began to undress.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” I said, then looked at Bishop as he took off his shoes. “You have to get naked to go invisible? That’s got to be inconvenient.” I shook my head, then smirked. “But not unwelcomed,” I added when he exposed that sexy torso of his. Pecs and abs made of manly flesh and muscles. Yeah, that was my thing for sure. I turned to see Alexi also taking in the view, and of course, Jordan was smiling at the sight.

  “All eyes on me, I see,” Bishop said with a wink. “Yeah, at times, it can be inconvenient. Now isn’t one of them.” He removed his pants and underwear and again… I was gawking, as were the other two red-blooded males in the room.

  “Don’t we make a merry team,” Alexi said, then tore his eyes away from Bishop to look at Jordan. “What’s the comm I’m working with?”

  “Oh yeah… um… come with me,” Jordan said and gave one last longing look at the cock he’d had the pleasure of choking on earlier.

  “Maybe one day, when this is all over, we can all come together,” Bishop said.

  “Let’s hope we survive,” I stated, then went upstairs to change clothes. I came back downstairs to do the transformation so Alexi and Bishop could see. If we were going to be a team, we needed to be able to all see whatever the other was working with. It was a gamble, but one well worth the taking.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Alexi, Bishop, I want you both to see this,” I said, prepping my teammates for one of the freakiest things they would probably ever witness.

  “What?” Alexi asked.

  “His transformation,” Bishop correctly guessed.

  “Oh, will it hurt you?” Alexi asked.

  Awww, he cared. “Yeah, like hell. But it is necessary and I’m used to the pain,” I said. “Now, don’t freak out and run away, because this isn’t a pretty thing to feast your eyes on,” I warned.

  “It really isn’t. Kind of gross, actually,” Jordan commented.

  “Hey!” I looked at him.

  He smirked and gave me a slight shrug. “Just being honest.”

  “Well, that hurt my feelings,” I pouted playfully.

  “No, it didn’t. You know it’s gross,” Jordan wisecracked and I laughed.

  “Yeah, it is. Okay, y’all ready?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Alexi said and he was staring at me, waiting.

  “Get on with it so I can do mine,” Bishop stated.

  I rolled my eyes, then flexed my muscles, loosening them up for the change. Best thing was that I was taking the appearance of someone who was a male, but the worst part was that he was heavier built that I was. They watched as my features distorted to form the features of a pimp who I had killed that had murdered three of his working gals because they wanted out of the business.

  “Jesus,” Alexi gasped, then he winced as my bones audibly broke to reform themselves.

  I didn’t rush it, so four minutes later, I was someone else and on my knees panting. Alexi walked over to me, putting his arm around my back.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I shook a little as the last wave of pain flowed through me. “I’ll… I’ll be okay,” I managed to say.

  “Holy shit, even your voice is different!” Alexi exclaimed.

  I nodded. “When I take on a different form, everything changes. Finger prints, vocal cords, iris, everything.”

  “Ahh, I see now how this ability can be extremely helpful and dangerous.”

  “Only in the wrong person’s hands,” I stated.

  Alexi made a little expression that was obvious he was questioning if the ability was in the right hands, mine. I let it slide without comment. It was best I let him see me at work. That way, he could form his own opinion.

  “That was hard to watch, Eric,” Alexi said. “I can’t imagine what that all felt like.”

  “Excruciating, but I still like the fact that I can do it, so I endure,” I said, then rose to my feet with Alexi at my side.

  “Here.” He held out the earbud for me.

  “Thanks.” I took the little bud and placed it into my right ear. “Okay, so what’s the story? How did you find us in order to save Richard since I’m you in this scenario?”

  “Good question,” Bishop said as he was standing tall and proud in his nakedness. Couldn’t really blame him. The man had a body people drooled over and wished they had.

  “Easy, don’t be a cop. Be someone who broke in here, looking to steal some shit. Richard might feel more open and comfortable talking to one of his own… a criminal,” Jordan supplied, proving once more why he was so damned vital to our vigilante lifestyle.

  “See, this is what I’m talking about, J. You are helping me in ways no one else could,” I reminded him since he’d had the nerve to doubt himself before.

  He smiled. “I’m happy to do it.”

  “That totally works,” Bishop said, then he began to fade his body from our sight.

  “Holy shit, that is crazy,” I commented as I stared at the empty space Bishop had once filled.

  “You’re calling me crazy and you just put on a mini horror show over there,” the disembodied voice said.

  “Yeah, I am. At least I don’t resemble a ghost,” I shot back.

  “I’m just sad I can’t see the goods anymore,” Jordan stated.

  “You look calm over there, you must have seen him do this trick of his before,” I said, referring to Jordan’s chilled demeanor.

  He nodded. “When you left and we had some time alone, I just had to see it.”

  “Does it hurt?” I asked Bishop.

  “No, it does tingle, though,” his voice said.

  Alexi picked his mouth up off the floor and blinked before steeling his shoulders. “All right, boys, let’s get back to business.”

  “Sure thing, Silver Fox,” Jordan stated.

  “What?” Alexi asked, one eyebrow cocked.

  Jordan smiled. “It’s our little code name for you. Silver Fox.”

  Alexi frowned a little then nodded, his expression showing he was mulling it over. “I actually like that. You all have code names, right?”

  “Cobra, Black Knight, I’m ‘J’, and you can be Silver Fox,” Jordan said.

  Alexi chuckled. “As secret aliases go, I could do worse.”

  “Old Fart,” I quipped.

  He looked at me and pointed. “Watch your ass, boy. I can still toss you over my knee and give it a spanking.”

  I grinned. “I hope you do.”

  “Okay, let’s get back on topic, please. It takes a lot for me to remain invisible. It won’t last forever,” Bishop said from somewhere in the room.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” I walked over to the bathroom door, yanking it open and closing it behind me once I thought Bishop was at my side. I couldn’t be sure, just had to take the chance that I didn’t somehow close the door in his face. I felt something brush up against me and it unnerved me a bit, because I couldn’t see anything, but I knew who it was. He grabbed my hand, lacing my fingers between his, then placed our hands on Richard’s shoulder. That was another weird ass sensation, kind of like a ghost was getting a little too familiar. I cleared my mind of the uneasiness Bishop made me feel to get back on track. I needed to make Richard think I had stumbled upon him in my raid of this place. So, I took off the headphones first. “What the fuck, who are you?” I asked, sounding confused, eyes wide in my performance. Even though Richard couldn’t see my face yet, it was best I get and stay in character.

  “Who are you?” Richard shot back. “You don’t sound like the others.”

  “Others?” I asked.

  “The assholes who did this to me. I know you’re not them because you’d already know who I am,” Richard said. “So, who are you?”

  “The guy asking the fucking questions,” I said, repeating what Alexi was telling me in the earbud. By how well he was adjusting, he may have a future in vigilantism on the side.

  “I’ve been kidnapped, please l
et me go,” Richard said.

  “Who kidnapped you?” I asked, following Alexi’s instructions.

  “Some crazy son of a bitch who fancies himself a superhero. Look, I’ve got a lot of money. I can pay you if you free me,” Richard bargained.

  “How much money?”

  “How did you get in here?”

  “I broke in, was hoping to steal that nice car I’ve been seeing, but this place has a shit ton of guns and computers that are worth more. Don’t really have time for you,” I said.

  “Wait… wait… please, don’t leave me,” Richard begged.

  “Why should I waste any more time on you?”

  “You won’t have to if you just let me go. I’ll be out of your hair.”

  “Yeah, and straight to the cops. No can do, I need time to get all this shit in my ride,” I said, all the time repeating what Alexi told me, no room for adlibs.

  “Listen, my name is Richard Tate… I’m sure you’ve heard my name all over the news if you haven’t been under a rock.”

  “Yeah, you’re that rich dude who was kidnapped a few days ago, right?”

  He nodded. “I am. So, you know I’m not lying when I say I could pay you if you free me.”

  I reached down, rattling the chains that bound him to the toilet. “These chains, I need to find something to cut them. If I free you, will you turn me in?”

  He shook his head. “I swear, I won’t.”

  “How much you gonna pay me, playa?”

  “Can you at least take the blindfold off so I can see my way out of this shithole?” Richard asked.

  “How much?”

  “Name your price.”

  “I don’t know… five million,” I said.

  “Three.”

  Cheap ass motherfucker. “You bargaining down on your own freedom? You’re a real piece of work. Look bitch, I ain’t got all day. Five million or you stay on this damn toilet.”

  “Take the blindfold off and I’ll pay you six.”

  “Why not ten?” I said this time, not taking that cue from Alexi. This money game was all me.

  “Six.”

  “Ten and you have a deal.”

  “Fuck! Fine, ten,” Richard finally gave in.

  I snatched the blindfold off just to earn a little bit more of his trust. He blinked several times as he struggled to adjust to the bright bathroom light overhead. I didn’t know what all Bishop was getting from him this time around, because I wasn’t asking any questions that I would have asked. Shit that might be able to lead us to more answers about the Killing Game. I wondered if Alexi knew what he was doing.

  “Okay, I need to find something to cut these chains with. I’ll be back.” I repeated what Alexi had said as he was back in control of my words, then walked out of the bathroom once I felt Bishop’s hand separate from mine. I walked out of the bathroom, only closing the door enough so Bishop could slip out without being noticed. I made my way toward the kitchen and that was when Bishop tackled me to the floor.

  “Work with me,” he whispered into my ear. “Play the part.”

  “What?” I asked, not understanding what part he wanted me to play.

  “Pretend like you were discovered and are fighting,” Alexi said into my earpiece.

  “Oh.” So, that was what this was. Made me wonder if I’d missed something in our planning on this plot. I decided to go with the flow and rolled around with Bishop, trying to make as much noise of a scuffle as I could. I stood up and grabbed a pan and tossed it across the kitchen, then a pot, and again we scuffled in our play wrestling until Bishop pinned my arms to the floor. Of course, I let him. Still, it felt odd being restrained by an invisible force. Must be what it felt like to be attacked by a poltergeist.

  “I’m going back in to see what he’s thinking,” Bishop said. “You need to change back into your Cobra costume.”

  Now, things were making sense. I knew exactly what he was aiming at and I nodded. I felt his weight lift off me and I did as he’d told me and went back to my bedroom to get dressed as my alter ego with the face Richard was familiar with. When I came back downstairs, I entered the bathroom and looked at Richard, who was glaring at me hard. I smiled and placed my hand back on his shoulder, leaving my fingers wide enough for Bishop to slip his between them so we were both touching him. Bishop’s fingertip pressure was light enough for him not to notice, which was very clever and skillful on Bishop’s part.

  “Ugh, it’s you. I guess that robber is dead?” Richard asked.

  “Thought you were going to get away? And just where were you going to go?” I asked, the questions coming from my lover.

  “Anywhere but here,” Richard replied.

  He was really looking at my face now, trying to commit every detail to memory. He could do that if he wanted, not like it would serve him any purpose.

  “Going to your friends in Russia?” I asked.

  “Wouldn’t have to if you would’ve been killed by that robber. So, did you kill him?”

  “You’re damn right he’s dead. He knows about you, about my home. Couldn’t let him live. But him breaking in here lets me know that I have to jack up my security,” I said.

  “Put the blindfold and headphones back on him and pull out,” Alexi told me.

  I almost repeated what he’d said, but caught myself. “Well, looks like we’re still in this shit together,” I said instead.

  “Go fuck yourself, I’m done talking,” Richard snapped.

  I guessed he was in a far sourer mood seeing his one and only chance at escape go up in flames. He was still shackled to a toilet with his pants and underwear around his ankles. He’d probably never felt such degradation. Good. Fuck his comfort.

  “Don’t worry, princess, tomorrow you’ll be on a plane to Russia in first-class luxury.”

  He snorted. “Whose first-class luxury? None can compare with my private plane, which you took from me.”

  “Well, I used your funds to buy us all tickets, so, I’ll be enjoying flying in something other than economy. Don’t really care how you feel,” I said, then placed the blindfold back on him and the headphones. I flushed the toilet as a courtesy, then left, closing the bathroom door behind us.

  Bishop began to come back into view and he collapsed onto the sofa, panting as if becoming visible again took a lot out of him. I supposed it did. He did say that it wasn’t something he could do forever. I walked over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded and was a bit sweaty. “I will be, just need something to drink.”

  “I’ll get it.” I walked into the kitchen to grab some orange juice from the fridge, then made my way back to Bishop. By that time, both Jordan and Alexi had emerged from the coat closet where they’d be hiding in order to stay out of Richard’s sight.

  “Here.” I handed Bishop the bottle of orange juice and he damned near snatched it from me and sucked it down greedily. “Thirsty boy.”

  He nodded and I couldn’t help but watch his Adam’s apple working and wondered if he’d swallow as greedily on a load of my cum? Ahh, the things that popped in my head at the most inconvenient of times. Since Bishop was himself again, I took the opportunity to return to my real form. It didn’t take as long nor was it as painful, because the build was still the same.

  “My god, that is amazing,” I heard Alexi say.

  I turned to look at him. “It gets the job done.”

  “I find both you and Bishop to be marvels,” Alexi said.

  I smiled. I liked that he was adjusting to me being an EH so easily. “Thank you.” I removed my face mask, slipping it into my pocket. “So, what was with those questions? You really didn’t even ask about the Killing Game,” I asked Alexi, getting back to the mission.

  Alexi leaned against the dining room table, arms crossed over his chest. “Because he would be too guarded and would purposely avoid thinking about it in order to avoid making a slip of the tongue. Don’t forget, I’m a damn good detective a
nd if I had Bishop’s skill, I’d have a field day on every perp I arrested. By making him think about something else, subconsciously, he’ll be thinking about the Killing Game and all those involved that he was privy to. At least, that’s my hope, and that way, Bishop would be able to gather more intel.”

  Well, I would be damned. Schooled again by my alpha male boyfriend.

  “And that is exactly what I did. Your plan worked,” Bishop said, finally getting back to his old self. He stood up and walked over to his pile of clothes and began to get dressed.

  “So, ummm, you plan on sharing what you learned with the rest of the class?” I asked.

  He tossed me a smirk. “Not if you plan on being the class clown.”

  I gave him the middle finger. “Go fuck yourself and your momma.”

  “Oooh, Eric, play nice,” Alexi stated.

  “That was me playing nice,” I remarked.

  “Shit, I’d hate to see you playing dirty, then,” Bishop said and chuckled.

  “Yeah, you would.”

  “Eric, I know you’re a bit stressed, but we’re all here of our own free will. Calm down, baby,” Jordan said.

  He was right, all of my emotions were tangled up in a web I felt caught in. I didn’t know where I stood exactly with Alexi. I didn’t know what I was walking into when we got to Russia. I didn’t know what I was going to do with Richard when we got what we wanted out of him. I didn’t like being restrained by both Alexi and Bishop with their no-killing stipulations. On the upside, Alexi didn’t really give me one, but he didn’t have to say it. He’d want me to refrain from killing if I could, and only in self-defense. I wanted to feel the freedom I’d had before all this shit started and it was making me cranky that I couldn’t.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologized to Bishop.

  “For the veiled threat?” He chuckled. “No worries, I get it. While I was reading Richard’s mind, I was touching your hand and could read yours too.”

  “You nosey bastard,” I growled.

  He shrugged. “Out of my control when I open my mind up to absorb another’s thoughts.”

  “You could have told me first.”

  “Would it had mattered? Would you have opted not to do it?” he asked, now fully dressed.