Chapter 21 #2
A light knock at his door drew his attention, his stomach clenching. He hurried to it, pulling it open a smidge before he yanked it open fully. “Ava! What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t think you’d be asleep,” she said with a slight smile.
“I know I’m supposed to be but…”
“You’re wired,” she answered as she slipped inside.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
“Yeah. I figured. You want to go game a little?”
A grin crossed his features as he bobbed his head. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
“I didn’t suggest it before because I wasn’t sure you wanted to get your butt kicked again in Mario Kart, but…”
“I’m letting you win,” he told her as he trailed behind her down the stairs to the living room.
She shot a coy smile over her shoulder. “You keep saying that but…I don’t think that’s true.”
“Oh, I’m going to show you it’s true,” he answered, the weight lifting from his shoulders as they plopped onto the couch.
They played a few rounds of the game, each one of them undoing the knots that twisted their insides more and more. They were an excellent team, and they could handle this mission from Raven.
And he’d even seen glints of hope for their relationship.
After over two hours, they fell asleep together on the couch. He woke up alone as the morning sun began to paint the dark sky at the horizon.
He found Ava already brewing coffee in the kitchen. She poured him a cup and delivered it before she leaned across the counter, sipping her own drink. “Well, you ready?”
“Yes,” he said. “You know you have–”
“Just over five minutes,” she answered. “I know, Ace. I’ll be quick.”
“And this time, no radio silence,” he warned. “Got it?”
“I got it. I was only quiet because I could not talk when Miranda was literally a room away.”
He wagged a finger at her. “We are never going back to her house again like that.”
“I hope we never have to deal with her again, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. She seems to have it out for you now that you rejected her in favor of your cheating wife.”
“You’re not my cheating wife,” Alex answered, the words meant as much for him as for her.
She reached for his hand, squeezing it before she pulled away to nurse more of her coffee. “We’re going at noon, right?”
“Yep. Busy time at the bank. It’ll be chaos.”
“Perfect. Well, I’d better get ready. I have a long drive.”
“Oh, speaking of, your new car should be here just in time, Sparky.”
Her brow furrowed as she set her mug in the sink and twisted to shoot him a confused glance. “You bought me another car?”
“I did. This time, I bought you an SUV with all the safety features. No more tiny sports cars for you.”
“What color?” she asked as she skirted around the island.
“Pink, Sparky. It’s your color.”
She laughed, shooting him a grin before they parted ways. Within an hour, she was ready to head to the New York-based bank in her brand new vehicle.
“I’m surprised Chris isn’t up,” she said as she slid into the seat, keys in hand and communication device already in her ear. “Maybe he’ll just stay in his room and leave you alone.”
“Hey, remember, I can’t see you once I start the reset, so…no radio silence.”
“I know,” she said as she cupped his face in her hand. “I’ll talk to you the entire time.”
“You’d better.”
He finally stepped back, allowing her to swing the door shut. With a wave and a smile, she pulled down the drive, taking a piece of his heart with her.
He shuffled into the house to wait for her to arrive. The tension would be unbearable until she was home, or at least out of the bank.
He drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch as he watched the little dot representing her vehicle move along the map.
She finally arrived at the bank, announcing her arrival in the comm as she entered. “I’m here. Heading for the elevator.”
“Okay, Sparky. I’m heading in to shut down the security system.”
“Okay, Ace.”
As he set his fingers on the keyboard, snaking his way into the bank’s security system, the sliding door rolled open. He glanced up to find Chris entering.
“Where’s Ava?” the man asked.
“Busy,” Alex said, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
“Busy where? Upstairs? Outside? Where?”
“She’s in New York,” Alex mumbled as he accessed the security panel.
Chris rounded the sofa, peering at his screen. “Wait…is that…is that Ava on the screen? Where is she?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“What is about to happen?” Chris asked.
On-screen Ava stepped into the elevator. “Okay, Sparky, lights out.”
“See you on the flip side, Ace.”
With a lick of his lips, he tapped the button to start the reset. After verifying the choice, the bank’s system went into a full reset, with lights and all cameras cycling off before they started into their reboot cycle.
“What just happened?” Chris asked.
“The bank’s security system had a little…glitch,” Alex answered.
“Are you kidding me? Is Ava robbing a bank?”
“No,” he answered.
“Is that Chris?” Ava asked.
“Yep.”
“Yep, what?” Chris asked. “Yep, she’s robbing a bank?”
“I’m not talking to you,” Alex answered.
“Then who are you…” Chris’s eyes went wide as he spotted the communication device in Alex’s ear. “Give me that.”
He pulled it out of Alex’s ear.
“Hey! Give that back.”
“No,” Chris said as he backed away, shoving it into his ear. “Ava?”
His forehead creased. “Ava! What the hell are you doing?”
His eyebrows squashed. “No. No, I won’t. Look, Ava, we have to talk.”
With a deep sigh, he tugged the comm from his ear and held it out toward Alex. “She wants you back.”
Alex snatched it from him, his lips in a deep frown as he shoved it back into his ear. “Avs?”
“I’m fine. But I do not need Chris in my ear right now.”
“I wasn’t thrilled with it either. Tell me you’re out of the elevator.”
With a grunt, she answered him. “Almost…Out.”
“Good. Now, the safe deposit room is–”
“Third door on the right, I know.”
“Yep, you got it, Avs.” He paced in front of the fireplace, his stomach twisting as the time ticked by. “Avs, you have–”
“Enough time,” she answered. “I’m in the room. Box 134.”
“Yep.”
He waited, holding his breath, to hear that she had it.
A second later, her voice crackled in his ear. “The key’s not working.”
His heart stopped, heat washing over him as he froze. How would they get the blueprints now?