I drove to the designated location, following Emma. Her car was a mess and it attracted gazes albeit not for a good reason. It nearly broke my heart, I loved her just as much as I loved her car. Fisk would have to pay for it.
According to Emma, this was one of her cribs, I was carrying Elizabeth Charleston, we went up the elevator to the fifteenth floor and Emma opened the door. As with anything that was on her name, there was glamour everywhere.
"Emma".
A dark-skinned gorgeous lady welcomed us, she had a complexion that resembled Veronica just a bit, a Latina. According to Emma, Lourdes Chantel is half-Spanish with Brazilian roots.
She's Sebastian Shaw's wife, the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club.
"Lourdes. You may have to pay more than previously accorded" Emma groaned, the relationship between them felt a bit distant. There were no hugs or exchanges, I guess this is to be expected.
The woman saw Emma's car downstairs and her brows flinched. Yes, it wasn't an easy job.
"Why is Mariah Stane here?" She asked first when she caught a glimpse of Raven at the door. Raven didn't give any explanations, merely transformed herself.
"Been a while".
"Raven Darkholme… I guess… there are just troublemakers here~" She giggled fearlessly, and glanced at Jean just for a few seconds before staring at me. I followed her directions and put the unconscious Elizabeth on the sofa.
"You must be Ray. Emma didn't mention you were getting involved" She extended her hand forward. I decided to be courteous and kissed it.
"Pleasure to meet you. I did not intend to intervene, but thankfully I was... or I would have lost someone dear to me".
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience, but Emma was the only person I could rely on that could get the job done. Thanks, Emma".
"Don't mention it, just pay" the blonde huffed but Lourdes merely giggled charmingly. She was indeed a sexy woman.
"I know you and my husband don't see each other in the eye" she leaned on me.
"He doesn't even know who I am" I commented, she broke into a fit of laughter.
"If that's what you think, you may end up paying a hefty price if you underestimate him. I hope, however, that you can prevail".
"You mean to say he's aware of my existence?" I frowned.
"He is. You are a powerful mutant, you have caused more than a few commotions. He may not know your real identity yet. But at the very least, you're on the radar. He hasn't reached that position by relying only on his powers" Her hand extended and she grasped my right cheek, "I know exactly what you're doing… and I appreciate it, boy. Thank you".
"Don't you love him?"
"There was a time when I did. Now there are just regrets, I want to leave, but I can't. I'm as much of a prisoner as Emma is… he may be the lover, I may be the wife… it doesn't matter, we were both just puppets".
"I'm not any lover".
Emma clenched Lourdes's wrist to put it away from my cheek with a frown, she didn't like that but Lourdes didn't take it personally.
"You slept with my man, the least you could do is let me sleep with yours".
"It is not that type of exchange, and you should know… I had no choice".
"I'm joking~ we haven't been enemies, let's not start now".
Emma then held my hand, thoughts were running in her mind that made her feel apprehension.
"Oh, you're in love~ Good for you, sweetheart. Anyway. I'll do as I promised. Once Shaw is down, I'll use my influences to put you both in charge".
"I already had plans regarding that, but I guess this will make things even smoother.
As you know I have a deal with Fisk. This woman can't appear publicly anymore" I said.
"You don't have to worry, I'll keep her here until we both elope to Brazil~ I pray for your success, we all here have made power moves believing in you, Ray".
Lourdes grasped my head and kissed me twice once on each side of my face.
"What stops you from leaving now?" I wanted to know, surely they both can just take a flight to Brazil. Or they could go through the border to Mexico and make their way from there, I don't know.
"I wouldn't make it far… just like Emma. He knows I'm here, he knows Emma is here, he doesn't know what this meeting is about though"
"Surveillance?" I frowned.
"When you have that much money, the city kind of becomes your maze" Raven sighed, "More than knowing in real time where everyone is… he has the means to research throughout camera footage the locations of whoever he's looking for at any given time".
"Is it his power?" I asked.
"It is the Hellfire Club's power" Lourdes giggled.
"Here between us, that little stunt of yours hurt him considerably" she whispered at Emma.
"What stunt?" I asked.
"Shaw called her and she said she was sucking someone else's dick and was too busy to answer amidst gags or something like that~"
Both Jean and I stared at Emma oddly. She's very classy but sometimes she can also be quite naughty and unruly.
"I wasn't gagging! Jean you were there, don't play dumb!"
"I don't know what she's talking about".
I just sighed again. Truly what's going on tonight?
"I appreciate your company but we have matters to attend now, Lady Lourdes".
Lourdes smiled and waved her hand at us, she wouldn't be living here, but Elizabeth Charleston would be staying here until the time came for them to go, hopefully… I will get it all sorted soon.
"I understand, you're a busy man~ stay safe, Ray Stark".
**
**
Before entering the car, there was a huge predicament that Ray thought needed to be sorted. The girls looked at one another, standing next to the car.
Ray had to voice out his thoughts.
"Is there anything wrong?" He asked Emma, her mood had soured after that conversation. The blonde entwined their fingers and stared at the connection they had through their hands...
"I don't like you hearing about my past, not that past"
'Oh, that?' He sighed in relief.
It was mostly the pettiness she felt in her heart, as there was a point in time where she and Lourdes were 'rovals'.
"What past?"
"The past in which I was with someone else" She harrumphed and pulled him down until they were face to face, "Because I don't know what you're thinking... do I become less charming in your eyes? I want to know".
Ray laughed and held both her cheeks, squishing them before he planted a kiss on her lips. Emma shivered, held his shoulders but eventually relented. Jean stared from the side and didn't say a word.
"I don't care about your past... I have a past too. There is hardly anything you can do to become less charming in my eyes" After spoiling her a little, Ray accentuated his feelings by opening her door like a gentleman to lead her into the car.
Emma's heart fluttered, for a second she felt immensely captivated.
Only for a second.
"Why the back seat...?"
Ray hadn't opened the passenger seat door like a gentleman as she expected him to.
"That's because I was sitting in the passenger seat first, blonde~" Raven laughed and took her rightful spot in the passenger seat while Jean sighed and sat behind, she knew she had no chance against those two.
Emma clenched her nails against her flesh and exhaled a deep breath, calming down, trying to not make a big deal out of it. There were women she could somewhat allow her boyfriend to bed, and then there were Mystique and Lourdes, big no-no's.
Ray drove off, the matter seemed to rest there, but Raven wasn't about to give it a rest. In the same way, Emma found her irritating, she also found Emma irritating... and she wouldn't miss the chance to spite the latter.
"Ray, you seem a bit tense" She began.
The boy's brows tilted, "I'm not... just a bit tired".
Her hand rested on his tight, earning a set of killing eyes to glare at her through the rear mirror.
"Should I give you head to appease you a little?–"
"What!?" Emma yelled.
The way she said it, her disposition… it made Emma feel that wasn't their first time.
"Raven, don't look for trouble" Ray rubbed his forehead, no such thing had happened in the past, all she wanted was to spite the telepath off.
"I was joking, it was just a mild joke" Raven laughed.
"Some jokes can get you killed" Emma threatened.
Then Raven's laughter stopped, "You gonna do it? I thought you didn't care who your boyfriend sleeps with?"
And that's when she said something she shouldn't have. Ray flinched and the car derailed a little.
"How do you know that!? Ray, you told her!?" Emma screamed in outrage, how did that conversation even go for Ray to have said she didn't mind?
'Oh, shit…'
Sweat dripped down the boy's forehead, it was then that he recalled, Raven was aware of some things that weren't convenient for him to be revealed.
A conversation like that did happen. One in which he had 'mistakenly' revealed that neither of his girlfriends minded sharing, it didn't lead to anything more than that, but it could have if he allowed it.
"About that…"
"Ray!" Jean too clocked on the issue at hand.
"This is why I don't get involved with taken men. You're so annoying, I'm just giving him head. It's not like he's cheating" Raven rolled her eyes like the two of them were making a big deal out of it unnecessarily.
"…" (Jean)
"…" (Emma)
"Bitch, that's cheating!" Emma screamed in outrage.
There was no parallel dimension in which that wasn't cheating, or so she thought.
"Is it though?~" Raven wasn't convinced.
"It is!" Emma affirmed.
"Miami lo confirmó" Jean agreed.
"But that still doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't mind. Aren't you and this redhead sharing anyway? There is even that other pretty girl, what's her name again? Annie!"
"…"
As if to emphasise, Raven's body started to change into that of Annie!
Ray felt death looming.
"Both she and Ray kiss quite often after school when you're not looking~ I know because I followed him for a while. You youngsters are all so eager to exchange saliva, just let me in for a bit~".
"Ray…?" Emma and Jean both glared at him dead.
The boy whistled and put some music then increased the volume.
"Hey, we're having an important conversation here! Don't play the donkey!" Emma screamed, the car accelerated and pushed them all into their seats.
Ray was having none of it.
"I haven't approved this whole sharing business, why didn't you tell me about Annie!?" Jean too was fuming, she didn't know her best friend and her crush had such business going on.
"Let's decide this the adult way" Raven decided to just stop the nonsense and get down to business.
"Alright, bring it" Emma was much the same.
"Whoever sucks his dick better, wins. No complaints, right?" Raven suggested wisely, clapping both her hands like she had a Eureka.
*Pft!*
Both Ray and Jean almost spat out.
"That sounds like fair game, let's do it" Emma agreed with thrill.
"Fair game my ass! Now all three of you stay quiet and listen to the music or I'll throw you out and do this myself" Ray yelled but if one looked closely, he was covering his crotch and sitting awkwardly.
Jean was too innocent to know, Raven and Emma weren't.
The two vixens stared at one another. This was far from finished.