Chapter 68
One blink, and I’m staring at a series of dancing waffles, next to a crude haiku and what I really hope isn’t someone’s actual phone number.
I’m almost afraid to ask.
“Lucky, where are we?”
“Sorry, love, this is the closest place I could think of.” He’s already opening the bathroom door, surprising the young girl about to enter.
Lucky pulls me out the door and through the restaurant, which appears to exclusively sell waffles, and—oh my God, that chocolate stack with ice cream and fudge sauce looks amazing. I’m definitely coming back here.
Then we’re out the door and on the street.
“The bank is on the next corner,” he says, but he needn’t have—the dance of red and blue lights and cacophony of shouts do the job for him.
Police cars block the entrance, and a crowd has formed around the barricade, people trying to sneak a look at the drama happening in front of their eyes.
“Can you see anything?” I’m too short to get a good look.
“Yep,” is all he says, gripping my hand and pulling me past the crowd.
There’s a break between the buildings across the street, an alley that stings my eyes with the smell of urine and trash, but I follow Lucky until we’re hidden from view.
“The foyer mostly looks empty. I could only see one brute inside, but he looks bored as fuck. I can take him.”
“You’re not going without me.”
He brings my hand up to kiss. “Wouldn’t dream of it, love. You ready for this?”
Instead of answering, I raise a pointed brow and slam the lid of the dumpster closed behind me. Lucky laughs.
Okay, I’ll admit it; this might be a little bit fun.
It doesn’t stop my heart from racing when he wraps his arms around me and closes his eyes. There’s a violent tug in my gut and …
We’re standing inside the bank.
“What the—who the fuck are you?” The man we’ve surprised raises his gun, but Lucky is quicker, moving us behind him in the blink of an eye. “What the ever-loving hell is going on?”
The man now stands in front of us, frantically searching the space we were a second ago. He’s dressed in black from head to toe, a mask covering everything but his eyes and a backpack slung over his shoulders. There’s something jittery in the way he moves. Nervous maybe.
Lucky lets me go to tap on the man’s shoulder. “On your left.”
He blinks out of view when the guy whips around and appears behind him again.
He taps again, smiling wide. “Oops. Your other left.”
The man lets out a guttural sound. “I’m going to kill you.”
He finally realizes I’m there and trains his firearm on me. My pulse rockets up in my throat. We might have a handle on our new skills, but are either of us faster than a bullet?
I’d rather not find out.
With a flick of my eyes, the gun flies out of his hands and skitters across the floor in a clatter.
“Yo, B, what’s all the noise about?” A second man, clad in all black, appears across the room. “Who the fuck are you?”
Lucky and I share a look. Two-on-two. Okay. We can do this.
I nod, and we move.
Forcing the guy in front of me on his ass is simple; one swift push with my imagination, and he’s down, his eyes wide as he stares up at me.
Yeah, that’s right, asshole. Try threatening me now.
Out of view, Lucky continues to goad the other guy. “Almost got me that time, mate. Oops. No, missed again.”
“Fucking shitbag, quit moving!”
I bite back a smile and knock the guy he’s teasing against the wall. He slumps to the floor at Lucky’s feet.
“Aww,” he says, appearing beside me. “I was about to ask him which Henchmen ’R’ Us he got his outfit from.”
A laugh escapes me. Is that bad form in the middle of a crime scene?
“You two are crazy,” B spits.
Rich, coming from a man who put a mask on and terrorizes innocent people.
“Oi, don’t talk to her like that.” Lucky knocks him out in one punch.
He squats down and rips open the backpack, but there’s no money there, just more ammunition and zip ties. They must be using them to tie up the hostages.
“What do we do with them?”
There’s a glint in Lucky’s eyes. “Wrap them up and post ’em. Let the cops deal with it.”
I follow his gaze outside and read between the lines. He’s right. Better outside than in, especially if they wake up anytime soon.
We tie up their legs and hands, and I slide B across the floor until he bumps into the other guy. I’m tempted to take their masks off, find out who we’re dealing with, but we’ve already spent enough time on these two guys, and we have no idea where the hostages are or where the rest of the crew is.
“Be quick. Don’t be seen.”
Lucky pulls his ball cap lower and ducks down to press a quick kiss to my cheek before disappearing with the two guys.
Barely two heartbeats pass before he’s back.
“What a rush.”
“Come on. I think everyone’s back here,” I say, already walking down the corridor.
A door opens to our right, and nothing could have prepared me for who walks out.
Sterling Ross.
Lucky huffs, the first break of his good mood I’ve seen. “Of course you’re here. Is there a story you won’t put yourself in the middle of?”
Sterling looks between us, surprised.
“Go back,” Lucky orders, pointing back in the direction he came from.
“Excuse me?”
“Wherever you came from just now, find your way back to it and get out of here before anyone sees you.”
Sterling steps closer, meeting Lucky’s glare with his own. “I can’t leave.”
“Yes, you can. I don’t care what story you’re chasing. Be a hero another day.”
They’re the same height, almost nose to nose now. Any closer, and they would be kissing.
“Lach—”
“No. I know you know how to disappear,” Lucky spits, his pain ripping at the tender underside of my heart. “So, do it.”
There is no room for argument, and the math completes itself in my head. Sterling is Lucky’s once in a lifetime.
Oh.
Sterling stills. “I don’t care how angry you are. I’m not leaving either of you.”
“Better late than never,” Lucky grumbles.
The crease between Sterling’s brows deepens as he sighs. “How did you even get in here?”
“Oh, that? That part’s easy,” Lucky says, his signature smile starting to peek through. His ability to bounce back is impressive. “Are you watching?”
The space he’s standing in clears, and I can pinpoint the exact moment when Sterling stops breathing. Yep. I remember how shocking it was the first time.
The next second, Lucky is back. Gone long enough to make his point and now staring at me.
“Go on, love. Show off for him.”
Any other time, and I might. But this situation has only gotten more complicated since we arrived, and the personal history we’re tripping over right now can wait.
“Can we keep focus, please?” I ask. “The news said there were half a dozen guys inside. Is that true?”
Sterling recovers. “That’s right. The leader is wearing a motorcycle helmet, answers to T. He took three down to one of the vaults with the manager and left two up here to keep the police out.”
“Okay, so that leaves us four to take care of.”
“You’re not going down there,” Sterling says, and it turns out Lucky can get angry.
“Look who has an opinion about my life after ten years.”
“This is hardly the time to—”
“You just can’t handle not calling the shots—”
Oh my God, this cannot be happening right now.
Their hands slap over their mouths with a clap, and the silence is a blessing.
Sterling’s eyes are wide in terror, and Lucky looks knowingly at me.
“Sorry, sorry, but you do both remember that there are hostages here? I don’t know what happened between you, and I’m not taking sides, but I think we have bigger issues at hand.”
I drop my control, and Sterling rips his hands away.
“Mia?”
“Sorry,” I say again. “I should have warned you I could do that.”
“No, I …” The rest of the sentence is lost.
There’s a slight flush to his cheeks, and I feel my own heat as I trace the color down his neck. Usually, he’s in a full suit, but he doesn’t have a jacket on right now, so I get to be quietly tormented by the stretch of his black shirt over his strong chest.
Shit.
Sterling shakes off the shock, and the man I’ve seen at work every day for two years reappears. “We need to get the hostages out of here safely.”
“No one’s stopping you,” Lucky responds, and if they don’t kiss and make up soon, I might have to make them.
“Lucky’s right,” I say. “You should stay here and help them. We can go find the rest of these guys.”
Of course, it's too much to hope that Sterling will listen to reason.
“No,” he says. “It’s too dangerous. Whatever … powers you have, the men down there have guns, and unless you’re invincible or invulnerable, you'll be safer away from them. I'd rather you hold back and let me take care of this.” He turns to Lucky. “There are still six of them down—”
“Excuse me,” I say—because what the fuck?
He cannot be serious right now. “Don’t you dare dismiss me like that again.
” I push him backward without touching him, using more force than I would if I wasn’t filled with rage.
He backs into the corridor and hits the wall with a thud.
“I can look after myself, and I think it might be better if you stayed here.”
I don’t even need to see Lucky to know he’s smiling.
“Mia, please,” Sterling pleads, finally dropping the polite indifference I’m used to. There’s pain underneath—so much pain—and a longing I know matches Lachlan’s own.
It’s enough to make me crumple, to change my mind.
* * *
Oh, Sterling …
take him along (go to 71)
keep him safe (go to 73)
go back (go to 42)