Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
Joan grinned at her text chain with Sadie. Lots of winking and kissing emoji-filled messages about tonight. They were pretty tame given that Sadie was at work, but the thoughts they conjured were decidedly more?—
A burst of snow hit the side of her face. She wiped the wet flakes off as Mark leaned back in his plastic warehouse chair. “Hi. Remember me, your brother? The one you dragged to HQ only to ignore and draw little doodles with Sadie’s initials?”
The fast-food napkins in front of her were covered in big hearts with JM + SE written in them. “So we could finally talk to Perry,” Joan said.
Perry glanced at them from where he was on his phone in the nearby kitchenette.
“We’ve been trying to talk to Perry.” Mark picked lint off his cerulean-blue shirt. “It’ll be a cold day in Hades before he works with the Supers.”
“You said the same thing.”
“Do you really want to form an alliance with Darlene and Otis?”
“No, but…” Joan tucked her phone in her pocket. “Zee seemed to get that we don’t want to be lumped in with Trick any more than they want to be lumped in with the other Supers.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re guilty by association. And I don’t trust anything a Super says.”
She normally wouldn’t either, but Zee had opened up in a way no Super had ever done. In a way they hadn’t really needed to.
“Do we tell Per about what Greta said?” Mark asked.
“It’s just gossip. Per hates gossip.”
Greta’s words from earlier gnawed at the back of her mind. Rumblings among the criminal element that Spark and Ice were acting weak, not supporting their fellow Villains. How distancing from Trick—even though no one could stand him—went against their code. Losing respect in their line of work was never good since nobody would have your back.
Did that really matter anymore? It’d make it easier to get out of the life. Not get grouped together with the other Villains. Be able to hang out freely at Vector City Coffee to marvel at Sadie in her element. She truly had the gift of connecting with people.
Perry nodded and said something into his phone.
“Sounds like we’re unloading that ugly painting of some old jugs and fruit sitting on a rickety table,” Mark said.
“That ugly painting is worth over two million dollars.”
He made a face. “Really?”
“It’s a VanderHooven,” Joan said. “And our last job. And the only reason we’re helping even though Perry took it from a goddamn museum with goddamn Melvin is this buyer trusts me and has the hots for you.”
“I know,” he mumbled.
She raised her voice. “And we’re using the money to open Hot and Cold whether Péricles is involved or not.”
Perry waved a hand to quiet her and moved farther away.
Mark sighed. “Péricles doesn’t want to leave the life.”
Now it was Joan’s turn to mumble, “I know.”
Her brother ripped little pieces off a napkin. “He could do all the spreadsheets and agendas he wants.”
“He’d be in paperwork heaven balancing the books and placing orders and costing out menu items. Putting his fancy college degree to use.”
“I think he’s hurt,” Mark said. “After all he’s done for us, it seems like we’re turning our backs on him.”
“He has to know it’s not personal. We’ve done this before. Only this time, we have a plan.”
“And you have a reason to stick it out.” He tapped one of the lovey-dovey heart napkins.
Joan moaned and dropped her chin to her chest. “I hope so.”
Sadie kept dreaming up ideas for Hot and Cold and was talking more seriously about her café. Her excitement made Joan excited for the future.
A future that could only happen if she told Sadie the freaking truth. But then that wonderful future might never happen.
Mark chucked her shoulder. “I like Sadie, but I have no idea how you’re gonna right this ship.”
Greta had said as much. Only she’d all but guaranteed it was going to explode horribly in Joan’s face.
“You’ve been really distracted lately.”
“I’m all in on the food truck,” Joan said.
“I meant with our current employment. Greta wasn’t wrong. We should probably?—”
“We have to focus on our next steps.” Joan nodded to herself. “We’re making this food truck happen.”
“Because it’ll help you with Sadie?”
“Because it’s what you’ve wanted for a long time.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “There you go, being all big sister.”
“Making up for sisterly guilt,” she muttered.
“Guilt for what?”
Buried shame rumbled to the surface, and for once, she didn’t stuff it back. “Don’t you resent me for everything that went down? With school, with Mom and Dad…?”
Mark just stared at her. “Are you serious?”
“I was the one who caused the most damage. Who did the worst of?—”
“Joanie. Jesus, no. I was just as destructive as you. Maybe more. Remember the basement floods—plural?”
“Yeah, but?—”
“No buts.” He shook his head. “I’ve never resented you for a millisecond. You’re the reason I’m a somewhat functional adult.”
“Okay,” Joan murmured.
“My abandonment issues and inability to form attachments aren’t from you. They’re from dear old Mom and Dad.”
“You’re stuck with me, bud.”
“I know.” Mark’s blue eyes glimmered. “You’re very clingy.”
She punched his arm, then rubbed it. “I really want this food truck to get us on a better path. Right some wrongs. It’ll be easier to go legit now than when you tried culinary school.”
“I sometimes wish I’d tried harder. It just sucked having people tell me what to do. And not being able to tell them why I never once had a hot dish.”
“That’s why we have to be our own bosses,” Joan said.
“Amen.”
“A-women.”
They snort-laughed and fist-bumped.
Some of the weight she’d been carrying lessened. It was good to know Mark didn’t hold a grudge.
Perry ended his call. “You’re meeting the buyer at eight. Cash deal. What are you whining about?”
Joan shared a look with Mark. “When was the last time you put together profit and loss projections for a proposal?” she said.
“Is this about the food truck again? We have more important things on our plate.”
“On our plate, haha,” said Mark.
“Tonight is important.” Perry walked over. “I took that painting as a good faith gesture. I’m playing along.”
“Wait, what?”
“Trick might trust me enough to let me know his plan. Then we can stop him.”
Oh. Wait. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Joan said.
“Because you ran off in a huff the other night and Mark was too busy making fun of Trick’s new cape.”
“It looks fucking ridiculous!” Mark cried.
“I used it as a cover for me being sick of you two. Trick believes I’m trying to break away from you . That’s why I left town.”
It couldn’t be that simple. “So you didn’t want to steal a VanderHooven?” Joan said.
“I absolutely wanted to. He was the last Flemish master on my list.”
Hope fluttered in her chest. “Then you’ve taken everything you’ve ever wanted to. You can retire.”
Perry glowed the way he did after a big score. “That’s just the Flemish masters.”
Shit. They weren’t gonna change his mind unless he wanted to make changes. Even if he cut back on his thieving ways, he’d never create an alliance with the Supers.
“Can we get back to the real problem at hand?” Mark said. “Joanie still hasn’t told her special lady she’s not Catch.”
“ Mark. ” Joan glared at him. Damn her brother for telling Per the other night.
A low groan rolled out of Perry as he sat. “I can’t believe you didn’t set the record straight from the start.”
“Yeah, well, you weren’t there.”
Mark elbowed her a few times. “This is a deep crush. It goes way, way deep inside.”
“Gross, but yes.” Joan didn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. “I’ve told her things I’ve never told anyone. How it sucks not being able to drink a cold drink unless I down it really fast. And how I melt shit. I actually told her I melt shit.”
Perry groaned louder.
“Buuuut you didn’t tell her that’s because your insides are a big pool of fire,” Mark said.
“I can’t or she’ll never want to see me again.”
“That’s not good,” Perry said. “You’re putting yourself at risk giving her so much information. You’ve known this woman for what, a week?”
“A couple of weeks.”
“That’s plenty of time.” Mark leaned toward her. “Perry’s straight. He doesn’t understand gay math.”
“Sadie gets me,” Joan insisted. “I get her. She’s open and honest and a total sweetheart.”
“Or a very good actor who’s trying to get something from you,” said Perry.
She rolled her eyes. “This is why I don’t tell you things. I finally meet a nice girl, and you think she’s a plant for the Supers. Dude, she thinks I’m Catch.”
“So she says.”
“Because I’ve been leading her to believe it. And it’s awful.” Before he could further rebuke her, Joan said, “I saved a dog in front of her. Oh, Mark, the dog looked just like Sprinkles.”
Mark set a hand on his heart. “Aww, Sprinkles.”
“I’m trying to have her see Villains aren’t all bad before I tell her the truth.”
“The only way you can prove yourself is to show her things like that. Prove you’re not an evil pile of shit.”
Joan met Perry’s displeased expression. “She’s really great. You’d like her. I want you to meet her if you promise to be on your best behavior.”
“She’s the real deal,” Mark said. “There’s a sweet honesty about her. There’s no faking how much she wants to dive into Joanie’s tight-ass pants.”
“She has a clear vision for her life. It feels really good to support each other’s dreams.”
“She’s already helping with the food truck planning.”
“Wait.” Joan flattened her palms on the tabletop. The solution was so obvious. “I can help her start her café. I’ve got the money. She wouldn’t have to pay me back. I could get her started on her dream, and we can get started on the food truck, and after I prove to her I’ve changed, I can explain how I used to be Spark, but?—”
“Joanie.” Perry shook his head. “You will always be Spark. Even if you’re not wearing the spandex and stealing cars?—”
“One car, one time!”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not going to have the abilities that make you Spark. It’s who you are. You can’t wish it away because you want to.”
He was right, damn it. But also, “I can make changes. I won’t use fire for bad things anymore.”
Perry raised his eyebrows. “What are you going to do when the real Catch is still out there? How will you explain that?”
“I’ll…” Shit. “…cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ll tell her soon. I really will.”
“I just don’t want to see you disappointed again.”
“Sadie likes me ,” Joan said. “She likes boring Joanie. That’s what we have to focus on. I’m still the same person.”
The hidden side door cracked open. A putrid odor wafted over the table. Mark wrinkled his nose and said, “Ah, jeez. The hench-asses.”
Joan peered over her shoulder. “What are you doing here, Irving?”
Irving fizzled out of invisibility. He wasn’t in his Hide gear, but jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “Who’s Sadie?” he asked.
“Your mom,” she maturely answered.
“My mom’s name is Norma.”
Mark snorted and cradled his head in his hands.
“What are you doing here?” Perry said.
Irving shuffled his feet. “Trick wants to keep track of the painting you took from the haul. You said you had a buyer for it?”
“Yeah. We’re doing the handoff tonight.”
“And then none of you ask me or Mark for anything else,” Joan said.
“Tonight.” Irving gave a thumbs-up. “Good. Get it moved quickly.”
Mark pointed both index fingers at Perry. “We’re doing this for you, Per. Because we love you and we’re eternally grateful to you.”
“And so we can have a nest egg to start the next chapter of our lives,” Joan added.
Perry adjusted his glasses, not saying anything to keep up appearances in front of the hench-douche.
Ethel scurried in through the side door like a rodent. She was even dressed in shades of brown that matched her dull hair. “Trick wants to make sure you—” She stopped when she spied Irving. “I wanted to ask them.”
“I got here first,” he said.
“That’s not fair. I had to park the van.”
Joan gave Mark a chin nod, conveying it was time to suit up and get ready for the handoff. Mark scooted his chair back and said, “You can both tell Melvin?—”
“Trick,” Ethel said.
“—we’re taking care of the ugly painting tonight. And then it’s goodbye, so long, smell ya later.”
Irving crossed his arms. “Trick’s still willing to let you be a part of his big plan.”
“This is your last chance to join him,” Ethel droned.
“I’d rather eat week-old uncooked lutefisk,” Mark said.
“I’d rather eat week-old uncooked lutefisk that’s been sitting in a car with all the windows rolled up during a heatwave,” Joan said.
“Damn, that’s a good one.”
Mark draped an arm across her shoulders. She did the same and squeezed. They walked toward the little changing room that housed their gear.
“Do you think those two have ever boned?” Mark muttered.
“I literally never want to imagine that,” Joan said.
He snickered and glanced behind them. “Are you coming with us, Per?”
Perry followed them inside the room. He shut the door securely. “Be careful tonight,” he murmured. “I don’t trust those two. They’re up to something.”
“We never trust them.” Joan leaned against the counter where they kept an array of ropes and grappling hooks.
“Don’t give them any information about the drop. Get in and out as quickly as possible. Change out of your gear right after it. Try not to be seen. And for god’s sake, don’t run into any of the Supers tonight.”
“Relax,” Mark said, inspecting one of his black gloves. “Joanie’s gonna sprint home to Sadie. My dance card could easily be filled, and then my?—”
“Don’t,” Joan groaned.
Perry blew a strong puff of air from his mouth, knocking the glove out of Mark’s hands. “Will you two listen for once in your lives? Be fucking careful.”
Jeez. Perry didn’t swear very often, and almost never dropped an f-bomb. He must not have had his afternoon nap. “Fine,” Joan said.
“Okay.” Mark picked his glove off the concrete floor.
“Text me when you’re home,” Perry said. “Let me know if anything seems off.”
“Aren’t you coming with us?”
He looked at the door. “I’m gonna stick close to those two tonight. Let Mel keep thinking I’m not with you.”
Joan nodded. “Smart. Let us know if you need us.”
Perry reached for his charcoal-gray bodysuit. “Just stay focused.”
“Focus is my middle name,” Mark said. “Ooh, a penny!”
“You be careful too, Per,” Joan said. “You’re all Mark and I have, you know.”
“Lucky me,” Perry groused.