Gay for my Nemesis

By Tabatha Austin

Sometimes, the man who would lay down his life for you, can be your greatest enemy.

Megalomaniac Dr. Janos Falken built his fearsome reputation from within his secret volcanic island. As the most menacing threat the world has ever seen, the reclusive genius must be stopped before his reign of terror reaches its final plan.

Agency super spy Matthew Rider’s reputation proceeds him. From his body-hugging tuxedos to his take no prisoners attitude, he is a man on a mission to save the world by any means necessary, but nothing in life has prepared him for the likes of Janos.

When men on the opposite sides of justice meet, Matthew discovers there’s more to the infamous doctor than meets the eye. In a world where espionage, egos, and the struggle for power rule, choosing what to believe is only half the battle; resisting mutual undeniable attraction will prove to be far more difficult.

Will the mortal enemies find a future together in the face of insurmountable odds?

Note: This is a high-octane, steamy, stand-alone gay romance that will satisfy readers of hot, spine-tingling spy novels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tabatha Austin
• Release date: Mar 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386760566

Book preview

GAY FOR MY NEMESIS

by Tabatha Austin

GAY FOR MY NEMESIS

Tabatha Austin

TabathaAustin.com

All Rights Reserved ©2016 Tabatha Austin. First Printing: 2016.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Author’s Note: All characters in this story are 19 years of age or older.

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Chapter One

JANOS

The glow from the wall of multiple blue-white monitors filled my control room. I watched the masked, black suited, athletic man run through the white corridors of my island fortress.

I wondered about the need for ‘The World’s Smartest Man’ – a title given by others − to engage in such stereotypical behavior. I would see a psychiatrist, but every country has a ‘shoot Janos Falken on site’ policy.

I could kidnap someone?

And sink more into stereotypical behavior?

I stared back toward the wall of monitors and the man who ran though my hallways. I suppose I should call him by his name − Matthew. No good scientist should make assumptions without verification. Although the probability it was him was well over 98.7 percent.

Who else would it be?

I turned to a soft almost imperceptible hum. In my side vision, I saw a familiar football-shaped robot float toward me. The top coating was colored gold but was not true gold metal. What covered her top was a nanotech armor of my own design. It was capable of withstanding bullets and non-ferrous. Her undersides were clear and pulsated with a soft red glow.

She’s worried.

Her unofficial name was Goldie. Perhaps the official name: Freewill Interface – Nth Degree Gigaflop Robot (F.I.N.G.R) was more scientific. But my gold F.I.N.G.R needed a better name. It was my attempt to be more… normal.

I created her as an additional protector. Although, with my intellect, I shouldn’t need extra protection. Still, I’ve seen too many in my line of work fail through arrogance. I wasn’t someone who got their gifts two years ago and ended up ‘Enhanced’. I had mere intelligence, but that was the true superpower.

Under her golden metallic top, pulses of light red glowed. The hue told me she wasn’t panicked, but she was getting there. I folded my arms and wondered how many other so called villains did what I do.

I’ve given much effort to avoid the stereotypical megalomania and inherent flashiness that seems common to my trade be it heroes or villains. Ever since the pink flash two years ago, some people turned into something not quite human. Some had the power to create storms, others could burst into flame, while others walked through walls. Each one was rare – incredibly so.

Then there were men like me. Men through genetics and force of will who created power capable of standing up to supers.

Or in this case, Agency men storming my secret, volcanic island fortress.

Island fortress. Is this what I’ve become… what the world has forced upon me?

My arms crossed as I frowned. I didn’t dress in a silver jumpsuit although I shaved my head bald. Most of my ilk weren’t as muscular as I, and I never saw the need to procure a fluffy, white cat and stroke it while I laughed maniacally.

Still, I was in a control room full of video monitors while a super-spy stormed my compound.

With enough time and effort, I could leave such inclinations behind but there was something to be said for style.

Anyone can grab power. How many look good while doing it?

From one monitor to the next, I saw the tightly, muscled black-clothed man continued to run down the corridors. I withheld the red flashing lights and booming klaxon.

No reason to let him know I’m watching.

Again, I should call Matthew by his real name. You didn’t need perfect memory to know whose biceps pushed out against his black form fitting body suit.

Or those familiar calf muscles as they flex out with every long stride...

I held my breath as he stopped before two pathways. On the left, I had a metallic vault door. Every 1.7 seconds, red laser beams passed over the floor with a pulsating – almost angry − glow. To intimidate if not entice, two seven-foot tall robot guards stood on each side besides my henchman... or rather, henchperson. I was an equal opportunity super-villain after all.

Toward the left pathway was a door that wouldn’t look out of place in a typical office building. It was a trick I came up with earlier to entice other spies. They always went for the flashy room. Every single one without fail.

No imagination in any of them.

Except for you Matthew. No, you’re too smart for that, aren’t you?

I smiled, but I wasn’t quite sure at what. Was it because my plan was working or respect toward a foe?

No that’s not it. I have no lack of enemies. Worthy adversaries however are few.

With one quick swivel, he turned toward the other room.

The dull and metallic yet feminine voice of Goldie spoke out between quick flashes of light. I didn’t have answers why I did certain things − such as make her female. Perhaps someone that understood emotions better would have a superior hypothesis. On the surface, it made little sense.

Even with my intellect, I found women unknowable – less so than men. That’s not to say I find no use in women. Only an idiot would discount fifty percent of the world’s resources. They are some of my best soldiers and scientists but that’s it. Whatever quirk of genetics gave me my intellect saw fit to make me one of the ten percent that preferred my gender.

The sounds of my breaths increased until they were audible to my own ears.

I folded my arms until my chest muscles pressed back. With a steady gaze, I watched my uninvited - yet not unexpected - visitor pick the mechanical and electronic locks to my computer room.

Less than 1.7 seconds... Impressive.

To my right, Goldie’s lights grew increasingly red and her voice grew in volume. The man’s a threat. He’s in our computer system.

As expected, I said. Again, I smiled to myself. I suppose if I wanted to be less stereotypical, I would come up with a new saying but it was true. He was expected, and I had to let him succeed.

My gaze darted to another glowing monitor, and I smiled when I saw Matthew pull his ski-mask up. The black material clung to his face and puffed his already untamed dark, curly hair further.

Despite my tendency to indulge in pop-culture behavior, he wasn’t what people typically thought of as a spy. Pop culture paints spies as emotionless Men in Black. Others give them a decidedly British flair while on their Majesty’s secret service. Not Matthew. He was American – and decidedly not typical.

My travels never took me to Texas, but he looked like someone that lived there.

Still, he wasn’t that different from spies on the Big Screen. I focused on his chiseled jaw and his inky black curly hair. With other men, that wet look would be from exertion. I studied him long enough to know his abilities – including physical. Sun Tzu said to know your opponent, and I took that to heart. I stared back into that wide cocky smile even though there was nobody he should be smiling at.

The possibility he knew I was watching him was too small to even consider. Yet… he was the only agent able to get past most of my defenses.

I looked up into Goldie’s glow. Even without checking her diagnostics, I could sense the desire within her programming. She wanted him dead and with good reason. Her job was to protect me and I was hindering what she was programmed to do.

Sure, I could kill him and remove the only person to be a threat. That was one option.

Another less clever man would put a stop to him.

What a waste that would be.

The loud voice of my feminine yet robotic protector blared from high up. "He’s bypassing the core computer system firewall. You have 1.21 Petabytes of data marked – For Your Eyes Only."

Yes, and I have multiple layers.

She floated in front of me but didn’t obstruct my view of Matthew. He’s gotten past three of them.

I raised an eyebrow and leaned back into my chair.

Red lights glowed and fought against the blue until the entire chamber bathed in purple. Her voice rang out. Standard protocol indicates it’s time to remove this agent.

My lips pressed together into a fine line as I thought about my options. Within my mind, possibilities floated of how I could turn this into my advantage. It’s nothing I haven’t done before.

Even with the stolen information, I could simply change my plans. What was once true becomes false and I still win.

And yet, that would throw thousands of other plans off by months if not years. I shifted in my chair as I thought. This would also increase the possibility of failure. Other so called megalomaniacs might dismiss the threat. History’s full of those who believed they were blessed by the universe but I had no such preconceptions.

No, there’s no blessings, except what I give myself.

Her sharp, metallic voice took me out of my self-imposed daydream. Kill bots are in route for termination.

My word. Did I really name them that?

Belay that, I said. Send them but no termination.

My voice lowered into a whisper. Why do you force me into the role of the villain Matthew?

***

Chapter Two

MATTHEW

If you asked me three years ago what I would be doing today, I would’ve given you a very well thought − even intelligent – answer. It would be wrong. I certainly wouldn’t have imagined being in front of the computer while I wait for a villain’s secrets to transfer to my hard drive.

I’m aware, life is like the mentioned ‘box of chocolates’ but who could expect the last three… to say nothing of the last two years?

Having an Agency recruiter at my graduation was unexpected and I suppose that was part of the point. Can’t have a secret government agency advertise on Facebook. I was just a good ol’ Texas boy. Not what I thought about when I imagined a spy. I’m not British, nor do I like my martinis ‘shaken but not stirred.’ Tried them once as a laugh but I still prefer Lone Star beer with its Texas star on the front.

I never expected I’d be a spy instead of a police officer. I certainly didn’t expect the sky to turn pink two years ago nor those dang weird ass supers showing up afterward. Once people got used to men turning to living rock or stretching, I figured that would make a normal man like me useless. What’s the ability to pick a lock compared to someone who could blow the hinges off with their mind?

Just like with the other surprises, it didn’t work out that