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2024-10-29 19:42:56Targu Province: Kerrigan Lokir's POV
Kerrigan Lokir trudged along an onyx lined corridor, a step behind the slimy-haired Prima Zadok Sundeas. Prima Zadok’s leering gaze always gave her the creeps, so she did her best to keep him in front of her, where she could be the one keeping him in her sights.
“I want you to go to Jinstain. It has been three years since the loss of the Pendent of Celia. See if you can find it. The Dragoons seem to have lost the scent again,” he was saying.
“I have business to deal with here in Targu. Bayan Province is too far out of my way,” Kerrigan said tartly. She was in no mood to do his bidding.
Prima Zadok stopped and turned to her. Gripping her chin with his long fingers he said, “Kerri dear, you will do as I say.” He g
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Rejected Billionaire 37: Cracks in the Foundation
Conor stepped into the apartment, the tension palpable as Jessica glared at him from across the room.“Where have you been? I’ve been calling for hours!” Jessica’s voice was sharp, her frustration evident.Conor instinctively reached for his phone, only to realize it was dead. He held it up as an explanation, “I’m sorry, the battery died.”Jessica’s eyes narrowed, skepticism clear in her expression. “That doesn’t answer the question. Where did you sleep last night?”Conor hesitated for a moment, knowing the truth would only worsen the situation. “I found a spot in the park.”Jessica’s expression shifted from anger to horror. “But it was freezing last night!” she said, covering her mouth in disbelief.“Well, you didn’t exactly give me much choice,” Conor replied, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness.Jessica’s eyes widened as she realized the gravity of what he had said. “I thought you would go to Yuri’s or something!”“Yuri is out of town this weekend at a convention,” Conor explaine
Rejected Billionaire 38: Alcohol Does Not Drown All Problems
High Street was known to be a bit more upper class for Jinstain, with several nice taprooms where business deals were often negotiated long before they ever saw the inside of a boardroom. Conor rarely had an excuse to visit this end of town but tonight felt like a grand time to forget the past few hours, and maybe even the past few years. As the evening crowds began to form, Conor found himself at a smaller tavern near the end of the street, where the crowd seemed much lighter than everywhere else. The atmosphere was light and cheery, with several small pockets of conversation throughout the sparsely populated room. Conor made his way up to the bar and pulled out a silver dragon he had been saving for Jessica. If he played his cards right, this coin should last him the night, but even that was an exorbitant splurge for Conor. The barkeeper made his way over, shining a glass that looked to have been polished several times already out of boredom. His eyes widened
Rejected Billionaire 39: Celia has Surfaced!
Kerrigan watched the man stride past her alcove, as she slowly scanned every patron here. Despite what it had become, this was still an excellent location. Under the right management of course, and, she thought, plenty of remodeling.“A pleasant evening to the beautiful lady.”Well at least he didn’t waste time stopping like the last one – sudden recognition flooded her as she clutched her chest. ‘what in all of Dovari hell was that?’‘CELIA HAS SURFACED’ came the deep guttural response.CELIA! Kerrigan recoiled some at the sheer primal lust coming from that voice in her mind. Did that gentleman have Celia’s heartstone?! After three years, is there finally a clue? Kerrigan froze in a panic a moment too long because when she stood to shout to her guards, the man was already out the door and gone, and the sense of him fading. ‘Nice of you to finally wake.&rsq
Rejected Billionaire 40: Vo Kri Zin
Conor breathed hard as he stared up at the stars circling overhead. What was that series of emotions? He had never experienced anything like it. When the sky finally stopped spinning, he sat up and tried to collect his thoughts. The night was already cooling down rapidly and he had no desire to spend the night outside again. He slowly got to his feet and began the trudge back to the apartment. Just as he got to the end of the street vendors section of town, he noticed a flower girl closing down her stand. She still had a full bouquet of flowers that she had not managed to sell that day.“Are those still available?” he asked gently.The girl jumped and spun but calmed when she saw a finely dressed gentleman behind her. “Oh, umm, yes! No one wanted them because they were picked too soon. All of the buds are still closed.”“What kind of flower are they”“O umm this is called an Alstroemeria. These will bloom into a d
Rejected Billionaire 41: New Budget
Jessica arrived home just in time for dinner. “How was the temple?” “Crowded. The new Prima droned on about bringing back the worship of Falak, the original dragon god and all this nonsense. We didn’t stick around long once Kelan showed up and started talking to him.” “Kelan was there?” “Yea, it seems he is rather friendly with our new local abbot. This one seems to have been sent here from… Velyki? I don’t know. Thankfully Nyman was able to run interference and we left.” Jessica paused as she said the last, but quickly moved to put stuff in her room. &l
Rejected Billionaire 42: Community Center
When his shift ended, Conor took a stroll through the back streets of Jinstain. He was not in a mood to go back to the apartment right now and risk running into Jessica. As he rounded a corner, he heard children playing. His aimless walking had brought him to the community center near the center of town. The old run-down building sat nearly hidden between several warehouses but still had a decent courtyard for the kids to congregate in. to Conor’s joy, he spotted Cara off in a corner playing with a group of girls. “Cara!” “Conor! What brings you by today?! Care to join us?” Conor smiled around at the kids, “Oh I suppose I could be convinced.” As Conor
Rejected Billionaire 43: Grind
Conor settled in for a grind. He had promised Jessica he was going to make this work, and finally things were in place to make that possible. Work at Jackson’s may be mundane, but he knew that with enough time, his other investments would give them both the room they needed to breathe, and, eventually, to thrive. He longed to give Jessica a life worthy of her upbringing. She had reluctantly agreed to the arranged marriage because he had potential, now was his chance to live up to that. He knew that once the deal with NewAge Gaming was complete, he would be able to start making rapid progress in his pursuits so the tedious work at Jackson’s no longer felt like a slog. Instead, it was a race to get through this one month. He pushed harder each day to accomplish tasks and his mind raced with possibilities. A highlight to his week came every Tuesday and Thursday when he would head to the Spice Emporium for sampling night. The environment was amazing as the crowds g
Rejected Billionaire 44 Targu Province, Kerrigan Lokir
Week 2 Friday Kerrigan's POV Kerrigan sat at her desk at Dragon Corporation headquarters. That boy she had seen elicited such memories. Man, she supposed was more accurate, but she couldn't help picturing a young boy of around six playing around a pond. Conor reminded her also of Rania. Oh Rania, you were like the big sister I never knew… Kerrigan remembered the times that Priestess Rania visited Targu province. They had been joyous breaks in her torturous existence with Zadok. Rania had never found out about the extent of things, and they had never been left alone long enough for her to open up. A tear fell down her cheek as she remembered today was the day Rania had been killed. The bastard Zadok had not even prepared a proper funeral because the body was never recovered. But they knew. She knew the second it happened because Abrasax had nearly destroyed her office in the blast of power he unleashed. He had been dormant ever since, until Conor…
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S3 Chapter 22: Train rides
Monday morning broke with a cool spring breeze showing the last vestiges of winter before summer’s heat. Conor tossed his suitcase into the back of the SUV and hopped into the passenger seat.Parker drove them to Kerrigan’s house, pausing briefly to acknowledge the gate guard. Conor recognized him as one of Colonel Eli’s men he had seen around Vokrizin.“Jamison is a good man. He will make sure nothing happens to Miss Lokir’s house while you all are away,” Parker said.Conor just nodded.They pulled up to Kerrigan’s house and Parker honked twice.Conor jumped out when he saw the four ladies exit with several bags each. He and Parker quickly moved to help and filled the back of the SUV with bags, nearly completely blocking any hope of looking out the back window.“Guess you are moving out. No plans to return?” Conor asked.Kerrigan replied smoothly, “I am sure I will be back. This isn’t a fraction of what is in that house.”Parker closed the trunk and addressed everyone, “The Colonel do
- Rejected Billionaire
S3 Chapter 21: Kelan
Targu Province. Saturday night “A toast! To our good brother Kelan, for without him, many of us would still be scrapping the bottom of the barrel here in Velyki!” declared Darren Krellis. “Here, here!” chorused the room. "My family thanks you for letting us take over this place and turn it into the exclusive club Velykie can be proud of!" Darren declared. Kelan Benedict stood and saluted the room with his wine glass and took a swig. “Brothers and lovely guests,” he began, eyeing the ladies around the room dressed in tight-fitting evening gowns. “Tonight, I thank you for this gracious meal. Hopefully, the future will bring mutual benefit as the Benedict family begins its absorption of Velyki and then Targu!” There was a round of cheers and Kelan slumped back into his seat, wrapping his arm around Clarise, a tall attractive blonde dressed in a red dress that did wonders for her figure. “Brother Kelan,” came a grading voice beside him as someone sat down on the couch. Kelan took h
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S3 Chapter 20 : Visiting the Spice Emporium
“That was crazy,” Conor said as they headed across the street. Kerrigan slipped up beside him, slipping her hand into his, “I get the feeling that our lives will always attract crazy.” Conor sighed, “It does seem that way. Let’s see how Mr. Arroz is doing.” Conor gave Kerrigan’s hand a gentle squeeze as they crossed the street and stepped into the spice shop. A small bell sounded as they walked in. “Be right up!” came the bellow from the back room. Conor pointed to the glass case that protected the world from the hottest spice known, Abrasax’s wrath. “Now, any idea how we can get Kelan and perhaps Nyman to swallow that whole jar?” Kerrigan giggled, “I have a few I would like to feed it to. Think Mr. Arroz will part with the whole jar?” “Depends if he thinks he can replace it,” Conor said as Faolon brushed past him. “Hey, Faolan! Sit! PRALL!” Faolan came back and sat at his feet. Kerrigan looked up at him, “She just wants to sniff. This whole place is full of new smells.” “I k
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S3 Ch19: Entitlement
Conor and Kerrigan rode in companionable silence for most of the trip back to town, content to rest from the day’s climbing. They sat, each leaning against opposing car windows, but their legs met, touching from knee to heel. Conor felt their fingers brush and gently laced his with hers, enjoying how her hand fit so perfectly with his.It was near dinner time when they finally turned onto the street near the Spice Emporium. As Parker pulled into a parking space at the far end of the street, Conor noticed the Grizlehut. It had been a long time since he had thought about his old job. While his condominium home was at the far end of the street, he never come down this way anymore. Too often, Parker would be waiting for him, and they would simply drive the other direction to get to Vokrizin.Conor reached for the door and realized Kerrigan was completely passed out against her window. He leaned over and gently shook her shoulder. As she came awake, Conor saw a flash of panic cross her face
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S3 Ch 18: Trust building
He changed his hand position and reached, finding the quickdraw dangling from its anchor. He clipped the rope in and began his attempt to crest the bulge in the rock. As he pivoted, he realized the angle he was moving to would erase any grip he had on that hold. As he thought this, he felt a weightless sensation as he began to fall away from the rock. The rope went taught and jerked him mid-air as Kerrigan was pulled off her feet, flying fifteen feet in the air. She managed to hold the rope in its breaking position but her head was dangerously close to his feet. When he had caught his breath, Conor looked down into Kerrigan’s terrified green eyes. “Fancy meeting you up here. Think we could meet up again, once we are safely on the ground?” Kerrigan gawked at him for a second before smiling, “I suppose I could let you down, but You are at my mercy. I might just have to leave you up here like a pinata.” Conor chuckled as he watched her slowly release tension, lowering herself back dow
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S3 Ch 17: Rock climbing
“OK, now it's time for you to try. Who is up first?” Conor volunteered. “Fine, Kerrigan, you are on belay. I will back you up and walk you through each step. I want you both to understand, Lead climbing like this places your life in the hands of your partner. If you don’t trust each other and learn not only to communicate but to anticipate each other’s needs, you will fail and likely hurt each other.” Kerrigan looked dubiously at Parker. “Conor is easily 50 pounds heavier than me!” Parker eyed Conor’s muscular but toned form, “You are what? 200 or 210 pounds these days?” “Last I checked, yea, right at 205.” “Should be fine. Kerrigan, you just have to learn to brace yourself correctly. You could go for a ride but if you use the skills I taught you earlier you could even belay me, and I am 230 pounds these days. Climbing is about technique as much as it is about skill. Now, let's get Conor tied in.” Parker tied the end of the climbing rope to Conor’s harness and showed Kerrigan.
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S3 Ch16:
Conor leaned against the SUV with Parker standing across from him checking through a few bags of gear. “We have three ropes, harnesses for everyone, belay devices, and four full sets of quickdraws. I am also bringing a few crash pads. I don’t plan on you needing to use them but we will put them along the base just in case. Here, try these on.” Parker tossed a pair of strange shoes to him. Conor looked at the shoes that had a sharp curve to the toe and the sole was a flat rubber that followed the arch curve. The tan material seemed to be some sort of soft doeskin or very supple leather. Conor tried to pull the shoe on but his toes cramped and they were shoved into the tight shoes. “Umm, I think these are too small.” Parker walked over and check them. “your heal fits right?” “Yea, but my toes are all curled” “Painfully curled or just uncomfortably curled?” Conor considered before finally replying, “just uncomfortable. My shoes are normally a bit loose.” “Then they fit perfectly.
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S3 Ch 15: Issues at home
Kerrigan spent the next day walking around the property at her house with Faolan. It had been a while since they had been able to just play, and she took this opportunity to play fetch. Thankfully her right arm still functioned, though being it was her off-hand, it was a bit awkward to throw. She figured this was good training for anything that might injure her dominant arm. Mercifully she had awoken almost entirely pain-free. The pills the Colonel had given her had truly worked wonders overnight and she had to admit, she was looking forward to being able to learn to climb the sheer rock faces near the waterfall tomorrow. The day passed rather uneventfully, and as the sun set Kerrigan found herself curled up on the back porch on one of their outdoor couches, with Faolan warming her feet with her furry mass. Reilynn stepped out a few minutes later with two glasses of wine and handed one to Kerrigan as Gabriella come out behind her. the girls each sank into chairs and leaned back, look
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S3 Ch 14: Kerrigan's Family revelations
The next morning Kerrigan arrived on the roof of Vokrizin for their daily training session. Colonel Eli strode over to her but before he could start setting her to drills she decided to interject, “I actually wanted to talk to you.” “Oh?” “two things really. First, do you think tomorrow I could take the girls climbing? Perhaps Conor will join us?” The Colonel glanced to where Parker was sparing with Conor, “I don’t see why that should be a problem.” He looked to Reilynn, “You feel confident in training them?” “Yes, sis.” “Fine, I will requisition the gear. What size shoe do you were, Miss Lokir?” “Umm about 23.5 cm.” “Hmm ok. I will make sure to get you and Conor some. Be warned, they will be tight. These are not meant for walking, they are designed for grip. Don’t be surprised if they feel a size or two smaller than is comfortable. What was the other thing?” “I am returning to Dragon Corporation at the end of the week.” “Ah, I see. I will begin redeploying a detail. We still
