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I shake my head, marveling at how there is no part of me that gets upset about this anymore. Those days are long gone, beaten out of me at the academy. Any lingering feelings, even most of my empathy, disappeared over the years I’ve been on the force. The sick shit I’ve had to deal with and the messes I’ve cleaned up.
After searching around, even this chat seems like it’s all tied up in a fucking bow. There are no ends to unravel; at least none my meager probing skills are able to uncover.
My hand curls into a fist on the laptop touchpad.
A headache brews, and distantly, I remember the forgotten coffee from this morning.
There’s a layer of sludge in my personal coffeemaker, the product of too many evenings spent at the precinct rather than at home in my own bed.
When was the last time I changed the sheets? Shit, I can’t even remember. I’ve been on autopilot, dragging my ass through each day with my focus a million miles away and holes in my brain. Pertinent details slip through those holes. At least I managed a shower before I got called out on duty this morning.
A small win.
A notification dings, and with my next glance at the computer, a giant chat icon takes up the majority of the screen.
Darkling:You’re new.
Hmm. Maybe there’s a new thread to unravel after all. If someone is taking the time to reach out to me, they’re more than likely a regular. Someone who knows the ins and outs of the website and who will have a better chance of offering me a connection to my dead guy. A ghost of a smile flickers over my face.
Hopefully,Darklingwill be my goldmine.
I stretch my arms overhead, my stomach rumbling painfully and reminding me that I haven’t had anything to eat since a bowl of brown sugar oatmeal at five this morning.
Darkling:Cat got your tongue? Or are you making me wait because you think you’re clever?
I arch a brow at the chat. Apparently, five seconds of formulating an answer isn’t acceptable.
EnemySquare:I didn’t realize attendance was being taken, I type back, a little annoyed.
Darkling:Ooh, a feisty one, too.Maybe you needed the extra time to try and come up with a flirtatious line.
They’re typing so fast my head spins.
Darkling:Not knowing the rules here can get you in trouble, though. And the last person who caused this room trouble didn’t live long enough to be properly punished. Would you like me to spell things out for you?
I lift my brow.
EnemySquare:Is that a threat?
I receive my response seconds later, a winky smiley face accompanied by:
Darkling:I guess it depends on what kind of punishment gets you off.Come on. You can tell me. I promise I’m great at keeping secrets.
Okay. This one seems ready to play.Please let it be a woman. I’d be able to handle a little light flirtation with a woman, and no matter how dark the overtones of this Darkling character, I’m aware enough to know when someone is flirting with me.
Mental fingers crossed.
EnemySquare:Seems to me like you’re interested in what gets me off.
Darkling:Someone has a big head. I wonder if that counts for both of them or the empty box on top of your neck.
Alright, so I’m not wrong. Whoever is on the other end of this chat is definitely fucking with me. Or flirting.
EnemySquare:It counts for both, I promise you.
Darkling:Abide by the rules of the chat and you won’t force me to find out how to punish both those massive heads.
EnemySquare:What if I like the punishment?
