Owen choked as the fabric tightened around his neck. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck and his heart pounded in his chest. This was it. The day of reckoning for his secret relationship with Amber.

  “Relax,” Amber said as she fixed his tie. “It was way too loose. Everything will be okay, I promise.” She patted his shoulders and flashed him a quick smile. It made Owen feel a bit better about his circumstances. Amber was wearing a black dress that was a bit more conservative than her normal attire. A white blazer covered shoulders and chest and she had on a pair of short heels. He liked this version of Amber more than the one built for the camera.

  “You sure?” Owen chuckled nervously as he looked up at the Callahan Manor. It was located in a secluded section of Callahan Heights above the rest of the high city. They were as far away from the metropolitan areas of City Seven as the walls would allow. The concrete cityscape melded into a sea of glowing ads and neon signage, the beacon of Callahan Tower blinked at the center as peacekeeper aerial response units patrolled the skies. “You grew up with this view?”

  “Yep.” Amber pointed at a window on the third floor. “That was my room right there.” She took Owen’s hand and led him to the front door held open by an employee in a red jacket. Opulence didn’t do Callahan manor justice. The gala at the Ambrosia gallery wasn’t so equipped with art works and sculptures. How many masterworks were trapped behind inch thick glass in the foyer? A hundred? More?

  “Where did these come from?”

  “Museums all over the world,” Amber said with a grin. “Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Van Gogh. If the Sistine Chapel were still around my great grandpa would’ve bought it too. Every piece of artwork in the house is real. No reproductions. Do you know art?”

  “No,” Owen said. He didn’t know any of the names Amber mentioned. He hadn’t seen anything like it. Graffiti on train cars and buildings was the closest he got to art. Hidden in the Callahan Manor were some of the most beautiful images Owen saw in his life, and they were for the Callahan’s eyes alone.

  “My grandpa used to say all of human history is told in art. I was never any good at it.”

  “I was,” Lucas Callahan said. He stood at the top of the stairs, a tailored suit fitting him perfectly and blonde hair slicked back. He looked more like his father than Jake, and when he descended the steps he did so with an arrogant swagger. “Lucas Callahan.” He shook Owen’s hand. “Good fight the other night. I thought Mace had you there, but you snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. You can let go of my hand.”

  “Sorry,” Owen said as he away. He knew Lucas the screen. He ran a game show every Friday Night that dangled credit prizes in front of the city’s poorest citizens. “I’m Owen Lamb.”

  “Yes you are.” Lucas grinned at Amber. “Little sis here has kept you secret for quite awhile.” He patted Owen on the shoulder. “You’re brave for showing up. Amber’s had quite a few boyfriends go running at the thought of dinner with the Callahans. Can’t say I blame them.” Owen recalled Ed’s story about the Yamada leg breakers. “Have you met our dad yet?”

  “That’s what tonight is for,” Amber said. “Did you bring Sam?”

  “She’s fixing her makeup. I’d better go find her. She says this place still creeps her out. Good luck, Owen Lamb.” Lucas chuckled as he went upstairs.

  “What does that mean?” Owen asked Amber.

  “He’s joking, a little,” Amber said. “Come with me.” She took Owen’s hand and dragged him upstairs. More portraits of Callahans past lined the halls. Amber led Owen to a balcony overlooking courtyard with a statue of a giant naked man as the centerpiece. “What do you think?”

  “He’s naked,” Owen said plainly. “He obviously works out. Wait! I've seen this one at the gallery.”

  “Daddy had it brought over. He likes to rotate them out.” Amber playfully slapped his arm. “What do you think of his expression?”

  “He looks scared.”

  “That’s right. He’s terrified.” Amber smiled wide. “This statue is hundreds of years old. Pure marble shipped straight from Italy. Do you know where Italy is?” Owen shook his head. “It’s on the other side of the world. My grandpa bought this one in return for foreign aid. It’s called Daniel.”

  “David,” Sensei Dan said as he appeared beside Amber. He scowled at the statue. “Take a good look, Owen. That’s you.”

  “What do you mean?” Owen asked without thinking.

  “That’s his name,” Amber said. “He was a mythological figure that defeated a giant with a sling. That’s why he looks scared. He is facing the world’s greatest warrior with nothing but a sling and his skill with it.”

  “That’s about right,” Sensei Dan said. “There’s some other stuff about being God’s chosen. The important bit is about felling an opponent that everyone believes is invincible. No one is invincible.”

  “Is that me?” Owen asked.

  “Not entirely,” Amber said. “Lucas wasn’t joking about my ex-boyfriends. They liked dating in secret, but they couldn’t handle the idea of looking my dad in the eyes. You’re the only one that actually showed up. I knew you would.”

  “It’s called David,” Owen said.

  “What is?”

  “The statue.”

  “I think it’s Daniel.”

  “Does it matter?” Jake Callahan asked. He strutted across the balcony dressed in a tight pink suit with a t-shirt beneath his jacket. “This him?” He sized Owen up. “Do I know you? I beat you ass before?”

  “No,” Owen said. Instinct told him to get ready for a punch that never came.

  “You look really familiar.” Jake brushed his nose with his fingers. “It’s kind of weird. I mean, you’re fucking my sister and we’ve never even heard of you.”

  “That’s enough, Jake,” Amber said sternly before Owen could defend her. “Which one of your fan girls did you bring this time?”

  “I don’t know. My manager sets the dates up.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “Too good to find a woman yourself?”

  “Why do it myself when I can delegate? You’re playing the game wrong.” He smiled at Owen, his perfectly white teeth gleaming. “That’s a nice dirty look you’re giving me. You think you could take me? We’ve got a gym downstairs if you want to give it a go. We’ll keep it private.” He took an exaggerated karate pose and howled. “You can show me some of your moves.”

  “Ignore him,” Amber said. “He’s a prick.”

  “I know I can,” Owen said with a smirk.

  “What?” Jake laughed. “You can what?” He threw a punch, stopping short of Owen’s face. He didn’t flinch. Owen locked his gaze on Jake’s eyes. Jake blinked first. “Whatever.” Jake walked away. “Mom wanted me to find you, sis. Dinner’s ready.”

  “Is he always like that?” Owen asked.

  “No,” Amber said with a sigh. “That was him being nice. Thank you for not fighting him.” Amber took Owen’s hand. “Ready to meet my parents?”

  “Nope.” Owen kissed her knuckles. “Is it too late to run?”

  “Way too late.”

  Owen wasn’t truly afraid of meeting the leader of City Seven. He’d done scarier things than meet someone over the past year. Duke Callahan and his wife Lauren waited for Owen in the dining room. Jake was seated next to a pretty young woman fresh out of compulsory education while Lucas talked with a pregnant woman in the corner. The entire ruling family of City Seven was before Owen.

  “Owen Lamb,” Duke Callahan said. He shook Owen’s hand, his handshake strong. “It’s nice to actually meet you.” Duke was taller than Owen, probably taller than most of City Seven’s population. And he was broad enough that he might have trouble walking through a door normally. His head was clean shaven and he had a dark blonde beard that was tinged with grey. “This is Lauren, the most beautiful woman in City Seven.”

  “Stop it,” Lauren said with a smile. “Amber, you picked a handsome one.” Owen saw where Amber got her looks from. She was a duplicate of her mother. If Owen didn’t know better, he’d think they were sisters.

  “You stop it now,” Amber said.

  “Fine,” Lauren said. “Now that we’ve met Owen, we can begin the interrogation?”

  “What?” Owen asked. He looked for an exit. The closest window was just behind Duke.

  “She’s joking,” Duke said. “Leave work at work, sweetheart.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Amber, sweetie. Do you mind if I borrow Owen for a few minutes while they set the table? I need to have a man to man talk with him.”

  “That’s up to Owen,” Amber said.

  “It’s fine,” he said.

  “Excellent,” Duke said. “Follow me please. We’ll take a stroll around the garden.” He led Owen out of the dining room to a garden full of flowers and more statues of armored figures and animals. “It’s uncomfortable, right?”

  “What?” Owen asked. He swallowed. Duke wasn’t looking at him, and he’d seen enough shows on the screen to know that a man to man talk with a woman’s father usually included a threat. “The atmosphere?”

  “No.” Duke chuckled. “The suit. You keep rolling your shoulders. Is this the first time you’ve worn one?”

  “Am I that obvious?” Owen asked.

  “Painfully.” There was silence in the garden. “I’m not going to threaten you.” Duke said after a minute. “I want to get that out of the way. Amber’s a grown woman. She can have a boyfriend.”

  “Thanks for that,” Owen said.

  “Don’t even worry about it.” Duke chuckled. “Owen Lamb. You lost your parents at ten years old and spent eight years in a care facility. Employed at a scratchpad repair shop until a little under a year ago. Then you start working as a freelancer. I had a buddy take a look at those payments.”

  “Is that legal?”

  “Not really.” Duke shrugged. “How much does it cost to get a scratchpad repaired in the low city? Fifty credits? More, less?”

  “Depends on where you go?”

  “Does it cost two thousand credits?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t think so. See my guy found some suspicious credit transfers disguised as legitimate payments. Paid through a fake client for a fake service. It’s the kind of thing criminals do to hide their nefarious activities.” Duke raised his eyebrows. “Do you get what I’m saying?”

  “I think so,” Owen said. It was over. Duke probably had peacekeepers hidden around the garden. They were away from his family and there wasn’t any chance of collateral damage. Owen wondered if he could hit Duke in the throat before his peacekeepers stunned him. At least he's serve the Liberation Brigade in some way.

  “I know what the payments are from,” Duke said. He smiled warmly. “You were fighting for credits!” He slapped Owen on the arm. “I bet you were betting on yourself and reaping the rewards!”

  “Right,” Owen relaxed.

  “Can’t fool me. I know my kind when I see him.” Duke looked at a nearby statue with a spear and shield. “That’s Mars. He’s the god of men like us. Do you know anything about me? Anything other than the stuff on the screen that is?”

  “Not really.”

  “My wife did a lot to make sure my sordid past stayed buried. I didn’t grow up with all this shit.” Duke waved at the statues. “I grew up in the slums of the low low city. Bet you didn’t know that.”

  “Wasn’t your dad a Callahan?”

  “My wife’s father was a Callahan.” Duke stroked his blonde beard. “Mine was some drunk that got himself sixty years in Black Hill for murder. Left my mom to raise little me in a tube. You know what I’m talking about. You lived in one just like it.”

  “How long did you know me and Amber were dating?”

  “Pretty much the whole time.” Duke nodded. “I like you. You catch on quick. Where was I? Right.” He clapped. “I wasn’t great in school. But I was a killer fighter. I fought in the streets and in the ring. I fought my way up the ranks of the Fighting League and defended the championship five times before I gave it up. Guess why.”

  “Your wife,” Owen said.

  “Bingo!” He shot Owen with a finger gun. “Most beautiful woman in City Seven then and now. She runs the News Network, and I run the city. Her dad liked me. Made me a Callahan. I got luckier than lucky. Lauren didn’t have any brothers and she didn’t want to take over her dad’s position. He taught me everything he knew about keeping the city running. Keep the cogs spinning and city works. Me included. The cogs stop spinning and the city dies. It’s that simple.”

  “I may have lost the point.” Owen was beyond losing the point. He knew how to take a punch. Hardknuckle didn’t teach him how to navigate this situation.

  “Right.” Duke chuckled. “The point is that we’re all cogs. We all have our places in making this whole thing called civilization work. You have a new position now, Owen Lamb.” Duke looked at him seriously. “You are a top news story with my daughter’s tongue in your mouth for the entire city to see. She’s shrewd, my Amber. She gets that from her mother.” Duke clasped his hands behind his back. “I’m more direct. I think you make Amber happy. And you had the balls to meet me face to face.” He shrugged. “That’s enough for me.”

  They shared a laugh and Owen decided that he actually liked Duke Callahan. They talked about their shared experiences of shopping the night market and eating Health Organization meals at low prices. This was the man Tuck hated so much he was waging a secret war against him, and Owen was one of his agents.

  “Do you know how I knew she was serious about you?” Duke asked and Owen shook his head. “Because she kept you hidden for a long time.” Duke smiled. “Have you ever been to the Founding Festival and Parade?” Duke asked when they started walking back to the house.

  “When I was little, before my parents’ accident.” He remembered sitting on his dad’s shoulders as the drone display lit up and fireworks exploded in the sky.

  “Bet you’ve never seen it from the top of Callahan Tower. It’s the party of the year with an unobstructed view of the fireworks show and the parade. We good food and live music from some of the city’s top performers. Everyone who is anyone will be there. So, if Amber hasn’t extended you an invitation, I will.”

  “I’d like to see it,” Owen said.

  “I’ll make sure you get a seat at the family table.” He patted Owen on the back. “Come on, dinner’s getting cold.”

  “Be careful, Owen,” Sensei Dan said. He stood beside the statue of Mars, arms crossed over his chest. “You have a place at the shogun’s table now. That’s the most dangerous place you could be.”