Chapter 25

“What did we get?” Ed was being all practical again.

I was still afraid and Koz was half in awe of me. Not good.

“A Marble, a Brass key, a Silver lockbox, and a scroll tube with fuck knows what’s inside.”

“I have a key,” Ed waved her silver key at us, “and you owe me.”

I did?

“You do.”

Never argue with a woman who thinks you owe her. Especially when she has two razor-sharp swords at her sides.

“Koz, can you take the Marble and key? I have tons of keys. I want the scroll.”

Awe diminishing slowly, she accepted the two pieces of loot. Two items, and one a key at that wasn’t as good as a Silver lockbox, but still good. “I’m fine with that. You did pretty much everything anyway.” She replied to my proposal, after a brief thoughtful delay.

I couldn’t blame Koz with the awe thing, we all had it at one point or another.

“Jason shares,” Ed added. Oddly, I thought. Ever since we entered this Dungeon, Ed had been acting strangely. She was almost too relaxed around Koz, almost as if she knew her before, where she had been ‘Edna professional normal’ around her on the outside.

Almost like they were... close...

I had no clue.

“Save the Marble for later, you can Identify it here. We open our presents after major runs together. We also trade.”

“I heard,” she didn’t quite believe it.

With magic items, it was hard to not want to immediately use what was in hand. Heather’s idea of waiting and trading, hoped to lessen our greed and impulses. Group greed and avarice were better than individual greed, she reasoned. We could bring out our faults into the open that way. It sounded strange and felt strange. But seemed to work. Besides, we found the trading part fun.

I had just as much greed as the rest. Well, maybe not as much as Nat. But my fair share. Kate’s only activated when it came to the big ticket items.

Actively oversharing my spoils was damn hard at first. It had become easier as we all got stronger. I now didn’t quite feel like I was completely on an island.

Most of the time.

“Koz, we do not discuss Jason outside of the Dungeon. You can laugh at the way he dresses. But do not talk about his Skills. Do you understand?”

“I don’t even understand how he does that. Killing a Lord is one thing. He is just better than I am. Two hundred zombies solo? I know that he uses a Spell to augment his Axe, but still, that is beyond what anyone else can do. How doesn’t he get exhausted?”

“Synergy,” I answered. Ed would take it from there. Gods, I was tired. After a long run, the mental strain always got the better of me.

“Jason gets some stamina back with each area of attack spell. Not much but everything adds up. That is something else we do not discuss. Your choice, tell your superiors, or stay on the team.”

Ed was back.

Lieutenant Kozlov looked hard at my prone form. I wasn’t moving until we had to go. Or Ed made me.

The atmosphere became serious. Even with my eyes closed, I felt it get heavy. “I have to give them something.” Our Air Force liaison finally spoke after several minutes of silence.

“You saw his fight up close with the Ghoul Lord. Give them that.”

“That Spell...”

“You couldn’t use anyway. Didn’t you notice; Jason only strikes with his blade in broad swings when using it? Your weapon does not have an edge.”

“Has he showed you how to use that spell? You have an edged weapon.”

“He doesn’t know how to teach others. We believe that it is because Jason does not have a Mage class. He might be able to learn Mage spells, but that should be the extent of it. Besides, look at him; that spell takes a toll.”

“We are still low Level. Give it time,” I added. Either she cooperated or she didn’t. If not, I would keep her on the team, but she would not run any harder level runs with me.

Heather and her stupid test. This was an amazingly dumb way to do it.

After our run, Ed dropped Natasha off first, then took me home while I rested in the back seat with my eyes closed, trying not to fall asleep.

“You’re too heavy, get out by yourself.”

Oh, we arrived.

“Don’t you dare break my car.”

“What was that with Koz?”

“She is too good for you to bury in a side team.”

“Are you reading my mind again?”

“Still,” I heard her tired smile.

Har di Har.

She waited until we were in my condo before speaking again. I wasn’t complaining that everyone had a key. I didn’t have to bring one with me on runs.

“Go shower, the girls left us sandwiches in the fridge.”

At least I was wearing boxers. Ed only had a towel wrapped around her exceedingly fit body. But we were both too hungry to say anything.

Until I was finished that was. “You are distracting in that outfit.”

“Thanks,” she didn’t even blush.

Crack.

Crash!

“Fuck.”

“Serves you right. That will teach you to weigh four hundred and fifty pounds.”

“Four-hundred-and-twenty-two,” I replied while laying on what used to be my dining room chair. Now splintered and broken.

“I’m not helping your ass up.”

I glanced under the table at her legs. Noticing that she shaved. A pink line amid the shadows winked at me. I pretended not to notice.

“Aren’t you going to get up?”

“I think I’ll sleep here.”

“I’ll use your bed then.” I watched those fabulous legs stand and head to my bedroom.

Sigh...

Maybe I would sleep right here...

“Jason. You cannot sleep like that.” A strong feminine hand with chipped blood-red nail polish, reached out to help me up.

I remember climbing into bed and curling up and that was it.

...

Bang.

“How did it go...”

“What the hell is SHE doing in his bed?”

Mutters...

“Let go of me you mastodon!”

Creak. Click.

I need to oil those hinges...

...

“I told you it was too soon.” Ed was not pleased by the tone in her voice.

Glad it wasn’t directed at me.

“What happened?”

“He soloed the fucking run. He doesn’t trust her.”

“Did he sleep at all?”

“Cat naps, but only when I was on watch.”

“Will Natasha tell them about his Spell?”

“She knows she is off his team if she does.”

“She still might though.”

“Yes. She is still under orders. Not reporting something that significant, is cause for a court-martial.”

“Your gut?”

“She will hold off. Who knows what else that grabby bastard,” the last wasn’t said with any ... bad thoughts? Heat? ... not sure how to put it, “is hiding.”

Possibly with affection?

Maybe a little.

“You slept with him this afternoon?”

“I was beat, too. It also reassured him. He got good sleep for the first time in six days.”

“What about Kate?”

“She needs to grow up.”

“The Boss?”

“Handled it like a charm. Never even touched him. Go back to sleep Jason. I have watch.”

Sounded like a plan.

...

Coke, a separate glass of ice cubes, and a dagwood sandwich wrapped in a paper towel on one of my plates.

Someone loves me.

“I’m awake and thank you,” I called out.

I checked the time, 15:37. I hoped it was only Wednesday. Twenty-four hours asleep was one thing. Two days was another.

“It’s about time you woke up.”

Starving, I chewed.

“You look better.”

I nodded with my mouth full.

“I received a copy of Natasha’s report on our run and you. I wasn’t entirely happy with it, but she didn’t go overboard.”

“Thanks, Ed,” she waved me off.

“Thank you, Ed.”

Sighing, “You’re welcome, Jason.”

She looked good in those dark blue dress shorts and tight white tank top. “Is today Wednesday?” It was amazing what a change in attitude, hair-style and clothes could do for that woman. She went from a seven-ish to a solid nine.

“Yes, you only slept one day.”

“Good.”

“Are you up to going to Beau’s in two hours?”

“I thought DB was hosting?”

“Beau stole it. He has a new place and wants to show off.” Hesitating, “Austin sold both tickets.”

“Something wrong?”

“He got five million. Says next time he can get more.”

“Five?” I choked out.

“Said he could get 10 next time.”

Holy shit.

“Who bought them?”

“Quincy from the Texans.”

Ah, that made sense.

Quincy was a good choice for Austin to hit up. “He was pretty messed up at the end of last season. I can see paying that, for all those fixes his body needed. He’s probably sedated up the ass right now as the pain from fixing that shoulder, back, both knees and neck is hitting him.” But he was older than I would have chosen. 37, I thought.

“Don’t forget the hip. He never reported it.”

We football fanatics were a breed apart. We followed the injury reports closer than the actual players most of the time. “His career was over anyway. Five million to escape pain-free is well worth it.”

“That’s Austin’s thinking. He wants to talk to you about taxing some of their Silver earnings. I don’t like it.”

“You’d rather draw them in?”

“Not that crowd. They are too high profile and prima donna-ish. Your friends are all mid-tier and young. They got their Weapons naturally. The ones who purchase the Jokers will be cocks in the yard.”

“Feel strongly about that do you?”

“Quincy.”

Enough said. Tyler Quincy was and is a prima donna. Leader of his own pack and otherwise all-around ass. His commercial and interviews turned off the fans older than nineteen.

“Jason, we will discuss your wandering hands later.” I heard more than a little hint of reproach in that command.

“I was asleep in my own bed. You can’t blame me.”

“Jason.” Her tone warned me off from saying more.

“Sorry.” I gave her a sincere apology instead of my earlier joviality.

“Go shower.”

How I finished my sandwich that fast, I had no idea. Naked, I stumbled into the bathroom and showered under Ed’s critical eye. To the bathroom at least. Edna didn’t follow once the shower started warming up.

...

Ed changed back into her everyday clothes; i.e. stiff, off duty, security-merc, no-nonsense, ready-to-kill apparel. No nonsense shoes, black business slacks, black long-sleeved shirt, and a light windbreaker.

Heat must not affect her.

I was in jeans and a newer college jersey. (Last two digits of my graduation year number and no name.)

She drove. I had come to a hard conclusion that I would not ever be driving again while she was with me. She loved her car too much and teasing her about her taste in cars was definitely VERY VERBOTEN.

Beau rented a mansion...

Marshawn was renting a room from him on the cheap, we laughed at Beau for letting Mar freeload. Mar shamelessly admitted to it. I had heard that both Matt and Austin were leasing a condo downtown, smaller than mine, but high up in the same building overlooking Lake Michigan.

We were let in, only to hear an argument. “I don’t care how much it costs. I want the next pair. Do you hear me Austin Marrs?”

I didn’t recognize the voice, but the face was plastered everywhere in this city. The Bears all-pro running back in the last year of his second contract. He wasn’t getting a third. He had slowed too much last year and it wasn’t because the QB or line sucked. Open discussion of the lack of cartilage in his knees on the sports talk shows wasn’t a guess.

Lionel Eggerton went to push by Ed and me and bounced off. I didn’t give an inch.

“Mr. Eggerton, I will sell you a pair for the low price of twenty thousand Silver nuggets. Gate Currency only.”

“Who are you?”

“Their friend and teammate. The deal stands, just let them know when you have the silver nuggets. Remember, earth silver does not work. And I do not accept cash. Good luck this year.” I stepped aside.

“Twenty thou in silver? No prob.”

“Did he skip out on training camp to come here?” I asked once the door closed behind their obnoxious guest.

Laughing, “You know he will bring you a necklace from his stash, don’t you?” Mar wasn’t an Eggerton fan.

“I think he will at least try to find the real stuff. His last contract got him sixty mil. Endorsements probably the same, if not more.”