Chapter 6
6
sucker punch
Luna’s question hung in the air between us, and I swore I could almost feel it in a physical way, pressing down on me just enough to prevent normal breathing.
I had no good answer for her. And worse—I didn’t even have a way to sidestep. No clever quip or smooth deflection.
She was right—of course she was right. The zip ties were a dead giveaway.
Even if I hadn’t moved the way I did, the simple fact that I carried restraints in my back pocket was enough to make anyone suspicious.
Especially someone who’d seen The Blade in action up close.
And yeah… right again—kidnapping wasn’t much better as far as alternate conclusions.
I should’ve been more careful. Should’ve found another way to handle that guy without revealing my true nature and the depth of my skills.
How would an Average Joe have handled it? Surely, any random customer in my position would’ve attempted to take down an armed robber, right?
Eh, maybe not.
Not if they were unarmed and untrained, anyway.
But the second I’d heard that glass break? My instincts were all I’d had. They’d taken over, leaving no room for thoughts about to how to make it look like I didn’t have something wholly different coursing through my veins.
At first, I’d been so focused on tracking the Valentine Villain’s patterns that I hadn’t even realized Luna was locking up. Usually, I was hyper-aware of my surroundings, but tonight, I’d gotten caught up in my research.
Amateur move.
When she’d loudly said goodnight to her employee, the sound of her voice had snapped me out of my haze, but by then, I’d gotten a few ideas for how to get the maniac, and no part of me wanted to pack up and leave.
If she’d asked, I would have. I wasn’t an animal.
But as she’d neared my table, shocking me by leaving me alone in favor of closing up in companionable silence, trusting me in a way no one else probably would…
I’d stayed.
I’d chosen to stay.
And now, I was trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Or, more accurately, between an unconscious robber and a very headstrong coffee shop owner who thought I was something straight out of a comic book.
Which was... a very big problem.
And yet, I wasn’t mad that I’d been here. Luna had been in the back room when he’d come in, probably doing paperwork or inventory. Blissfully unaware.
And the thought of her getting hurt?
Unacceptable.
So… I’d done my thing.
And now Luna was staring at me with those bright eyes of hers, practically vibrating with those pesky, unanswered questions.
I needed to handle the aftermath of my bad choices tonight and smooth things over somehow, but first...
“Are you okay?” I asked, maybe a little too gruffly.
It seemed to catch her off guard—definitely not the answer to her question about me leaving before the cops arrived. “Am I— Wait, what?”
“An armed robber just broke into your place of business,” I said, keeping my voice steady and cool. Impassive, even. “Most people would be shaken up.”
Her lips curved into a small smile. “Honestly? I feel safer than ever.”
I frowned, hoping she was joking, but also not.
And she made me this way—a tangled web of contradictions that twisted me up inside.
“Okay, well, now that you mention it,” she said after a beat, glancing toward the front door, “I’m super not okay about the mess he made. Definitely not looking forward to cleaning that up tonight.”
I followed her gaze to the glittering shards on the floor. “Don’t you have an alarm system or something?”
She winced, her face scrunching up adorably.
“Take that as a no?” I ventured.
“She’s feeling a little… under the weather.”
“ She ?”
Luna shrugged. “I don’t know, the system has an eerily human-sounding voice. I named her Grace, and we were getting along just fine until she spazzed out one night, and I haven’t been able to get her to work again.”
I looked at the ceiling, trying not to care about her being alone in here every night, unprotected. “Thought about asking Chris to take a look at it?”
“Chris?”
“Yeah. Chris. He’s some kind of tech guy, right?” I’d deduced as much—and more—but I kept that to myself.
Did I like the idea of her seeking help from someone other than me?
Nope.
And that irrational surge of possessiveness was a sucker punch.
But I’d already guessed that Chris’s skills with computers were likely superior to mine, so as much as it pained me, he was the logical choice.
Luna nodded slowly. “Right. Yeah. I’ll ask him.”
“Good.” And since the word came out more curtly than I’d intended, I tossed the would-be-burglar another glare just to make sure his lights were still out.
Satisfied, I turned back to Luna, drinking in the sight of her.
Safe. Unharmed.
Sure, I was grateful that her security system hadn’t gone off. The last thing we needed was that level of attention right now. But it bothered me way more than it should how exposed she’d been tonight.
Or, would’ve been, if I hadn’t stayed late.
“I’m gonna call the cops,” she said, then shook her head and laughed to herself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound like a threat, like I was gonna call them on you . Whatever, you know what I mean. Have you decided what I’m supposed to tell them?”
That brought me up short. I’d never been in this situation before.
Normally, I came in with my blades, my mask, and my hood. I did my job, and then I bailed. I didn’t have to worry about what the victim said to the cops. The only thing they could say was that The Blade had shown up, kicked some butt with a side of names, and now he was gone.
No muss, no fuss.
But not this time—not with her.
This time, if I decided to bail… I’d have to trust her to lie. To keep my secrets from the world.
“I get it, Jax. Chill. I’m not even worried about it,” Luna said, and she sure didn’t sound worried. If anything, she sounded amused. “You should go.”
“I should?”
“Well, yeah . Unless you wanna explain to the cops why you just happened to have zip ties on you. Not exactly a standard accessory, last time I checked.”
I shot her a look. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Can you blame me?” She tucked her lips between her teeth, as if that did anything to hide her smile. “I just unmasked The Blade. Sort of. You weren’t wearing a mask, so it’s not like I ripped it off you or anything. But still. It’s not every day a girl learns her favorite customer is secretly a superhero. You’re like my very own Clark Kent or Peter Parker—only hotter.”
My jaw clenched. “Luna?—”
“Yeah, yeah. Still pretending you’re not The Blade.” She waved a dismissive hand, then pulled out her phone. “And you wanting to avoid the cops is totally normal behavior for an innocent civilian.”
“Are you done?”
“I think so.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, then nodded at her phone. “What are you gonna tell them?”
Luna’s eyes sparkled. No wonder those cookies were so glittery. She shot the stuff straight from her eyeballs. “About what? The guy who broke in? Or the mysterious regular who saved my life and then disappeared into the night so he wouldn’t get outed as you-know-who?”
“ Luna .” This time, her name was a plea.
“Relax, Blade.” She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell the intoxicating blend of coffee and vanilla that clung to her skin. Feel the heat of her body, and the warm whisper of her breath as she angled her face so she could look up at mine. “I’ll tell them the truth.”
“Which is…?”
“Guy broke in, The Blade came to the rescue, and then he dipped out like he always does.”
I studied her face, looking for any sign that she was lying. That she would run straight to the media with the truth about me the second I turned my back.
But all I saw was sincerity.
Loyalty.
And maybe a hint of challenge—one that suggested covering for me now would have consequences later. Ones I might not be prepared for.
“Why are you covering for me?” I had to know. Had to understand what prompted this unshakable faith in me.
“Because you want me to.”
I arched a brow. “And I’m supposed to believe you like being told what to do?”
Her eyes flashed with something I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—name. “Maybe it depends on who’s doing the telling… and what they want me to do.”
Then, she shrugged, moving past that loaded comment like it hadn’t just set my blood on fire and turned my world upside down.
“Honestly?” she went on, retreating a step. “Because I like having you around, Jax. And something tells me you wouldn’t stick around if I outed you. Either because you moved on to save some other city, or because the officials who run this one would throw your butt in jail. Keeping your secret sounds like the best plan for both of us.”
“Thank you,” I said, the words feeling small after everything she’d just confessed. I leaned in a little, drawn to her light. Then, I caught myself and took a quick step back. “I should go so you can call them.”
She nodded.
There was understanding in her eyes now, but not defeat. I had a feeling that with Luna Wilde, there would never be that.
Then she reached out to brush some stray bits of broken glass off my sleeve, and instead of easily dodging her touch, I let her. I even let her linger for a second, the heat of her palm soaking through my hoodie and warming me to the bone.
Glancing down at the guy again— man, I really got him good— I pursed my lips. “I’m gonna stay close until they get here. Just in case.”
“In the alley? What if they see you?”
Meeting her gaze, I let the corner of my mouth quirk up just slightly. “They won’t.”
Mostly because I’d be on the roof, watching. Guarding her like a freaking gargoyle, primed to come alive to crush anyone who meant her harm.
But she didn’t need to know all of that.
Without another word, I turned and headed for the back exit, moving silently through the shadows like I’d done a thousand times before. But this time felt different.
Momentous.
Like my world had shifted on its axis.
Because this time, someone knew who I was. Who I really was—beneath the mask and behind the blades. And instead of feeling exposed or compromised, I felt lighter .
Like maybe having someone in my corner wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, even if that someone was impossibly cheerful and asked way too many questions.
“But you’ll be back tomorrow, right?” she asked, causing me to turn.
Her voice held a kind of hopeful anticipation that I couldn’t ignore.
Why? Because I felt it, too, as much as I hated to admit it.
Even to myself.
“Same broody corner?” she prompted.
Getting close to anyone was a risk I couldn’t afford. Not with the life I led and the secrets I kept. My refusal should have come easy, but it didn’t. Not with her looking at me like she saw something worthwhile, even though I had a hard time with that myself some days.
“Maybe,” I said.
Her grin widened, lighting up her whole face. “Good. Because I have so many more questions.”
I grunted. Of course she did.
She turned the screen toward me as she pushed the green button on her phone, waving me away. “Go. Be mysterious. I’ll handle this.”
I hesitated for a beat, but then I went… only to pause at the door, glancing back one last time.
I told myself it was to make sure she was really okay.
That I wasn’t already addicted to her presence or her light.
Luna paced near the counter while she spoke to the 911 dispatcher, her face a mixture of calm and excitement. And just before I slipped out, she looked up and caught my eye.
And that smile?
Yeah. Definitely more dangerous than any weapon I carried.
Bowing my head, I disappeared into the night, letting the shadows wrap around me. As promised, I didn’t go far until I was sure she was safe.
But later, as I made my way across the rooftops of Slate Harbor, the usual silence felt... different. The city was the same, the shadows still mine to claim, but something had shifted. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that it all came back to her.
The only question was… if I didn’t have the strength to stay away, how bad would this turn out to be?