Toys - James Patterson [58]
Chapter 77
MY WELCOME HOME in the arms and breasts and long legs of my beautiful, violet-haired Lizbeth was certainly a memorable occasion. And it was heightened to the maximum by the Rapture we took—a legal drug for Elites only that produced an hour of euphoria and enhanced sensations such as “elevation,” not to mention up to half a dozen orgasms, for each of us, of course.
There is nothing like having orgasm after orgasm, especially with somebody you love. Lizbeth and I climaxed separately, but also jointly, almost perfectly in sync. Rapture is a drug that definitely lives up to its name. Most authors complain that the pleasure is almost impossible to put into words, and I certainly agree with them.
Afterward though, Lizbeth got a bit edgy, certainly in no mood for the tender lounging around that I required. “What’s the matter, Jinx?” I asked her.
“Oh, nothing really. But Hays, I do have to go to a meeting at the Agency. A quick one,” she said, finally jumping out of bed. “I’m sorry, darling. Don’t hate me for it.”
She pulled fresh clothes from drawers and her closet, then hurried off to the shower. She stayed in there a long time.
When she came back to the bedroom, she was dressed in black-on-black business attire, but looked gorgeous as always. She also seemed—I don’t know—brittle. Just a little out of sorts, hopefully not with me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Was it me? It was, wasn’t it? I didn’t perform as—”
“The girls will be home soon,” she said. “I’ve shielded them from—you know—the harsh realities of all this confusion. The coma, your healing process.”
“Of course,” I said. They didn’t need to know how I could have died crashing off that roof with the motorcycle assassin.
“And one more thing, darling. The nightmare you had… about the surgeons saying you were human? Little quirks like that… might keep cropping up for a while. Just recognize them for what they are, and tell me. It will help to talk them out. I’m here for you, Hays.”
Still in the doorway, she blew me a kiss, then she left. “Love you,” she called. “I miss you already.”
I sighed, but then I smiled. I missed her too. My Jinx.
Chapter 78
I GOT OUT of bed, pulled on some clothes, and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of high-protein coffee. My mind was still fuzzy, but that was understandable after lying unconscious for days. All in all, I was satisfied that I felt as good as I did. I’m thankful that I heal as fast as I do. All Elites do, but I seem particularly fortunate in that respect.
A few minutes later, I heard the front door open, and I rushed to meet my daughters, throwing open my arms, missing them even more than I thought I had.
“Chloe, April!” I cried. “Now… which one of you is which?”
But instead of laughing and hurling themselves into my arms as I’d hoped, they stayed where they were, their little faces subdued. Metallico, the sassiest robot on the planet, stood behind them, as rigid as a tree.
I was absolutely stunned into silence. Something was very wrong here.
“What? No big hug for Daddy?” I finally managed a few words.
That brought Chloe and April to me—reluctantly—for a quick embrace. But then they pulled away. It was as if they barely knew me.
“We missed you,” said April.
“Missed you,” echoed Chloe.
Then the two of them shared a look and hurried off to their room and all their books and toys.
I turned to Metallico. “What’s going on?” I said. “What am I missing here?”
“Going on, sir?” he replied with the formality of a butler in a palace, someone else’s palace. “I don’t know what you mean. No idea. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have duties to attend to.” The huffy robot marched stiffly past me toward the kitchen.
Sir? Metallico had never called me that before. He’d always treated me like an equal—at best.
So I followed Chloe and April to their room. I found them playing with Jessica and Jacob dolls. Lizbeth must have given in and bought them while I was gone. I just hoped they weren’t the adult