20. Annalise
Chapter twenty
Annalise
Theo's car engine ticks quietly as it cools, sending wisps of steam curling from the hood each time a raindrop meets the heated metal. The lazy drizzle persists, accompanied only by the hypnotic rhythm of the windshield wipers.
Theo settles deeper into the driver's seat of his luxury sedan, one hand balancing a pair of binoculars while the other points toward the glowing neon sign across the street.
"There," I say. "Third window from the left."
"Great eye, Scout," he says before raising his binoculars.
We both sit in silence watching Mattey lean against the polished wooden bar, laughing at something his partner says. The woman elbows him playfully before taking a sip of whatever she's drinking.
"They're definitely not discussing Spellcasting," he mutters.
"No, Mattey would rather chop off his arm than talk shop in a bar."
"Mattey, is it?"
"Don’t," I warn, lowering the binoculars to look at him.
A grin stretches across his face.
"Hmm. So you’re not planning to be the future Mrs. Reyes then? Not what I expected."
“What would make you expect anything? You didn’t know me until a few days ago, and Mattey said he hadn’t met you until the other day.”
“Can’t say I mind you asking around about me, but after the way he acted while you were recovering from the rock slide, everyone was saying you were caught in some love triangle. He went so crazy while you were out that people started wondering if he’d finally lost his sanity.”
“Absolutely not! We’re like family,” I say, choking on air.
Theo arches a brow. “Actually family and like family are two very different things, with completely different rules about what is and isn’t acceptable between siblings.”
I groan. “You know exactly what I meant.”
Theo’s grin turns just a shade more mischievous. “Then I guess that leaves the field wide open.”
I flinch instinctively, then force my shoulders to relax before lifting the binoculars back to my eyes.
Theo’s and my mission itself is simple enough: watch Matt and his partner to find whatever object they’re responsible for obtaining, then try to intercept it before they can make the drop to their contact.
Unfortunately for me, Captain Lin and Major Halden also want to test where my morphing capabilities are after everything that’s transpired…and what’s better than to test them by having me place a listening bug on the man who knows me better than anyone else in the world without being caught?
Oh, and because that isn’t difficult enough, I also have to make sure Theo is none the wiser too.
I'm only partially confident in my plan when the unmistakable crinkle of paper comes from beside me.
"...What are you doing?"
"Preparing."
I glance over.
Theo reaches behind his seat and pulls out an entire insulated tote.
Not a backpack—A freaking tote!
My eyebrows raise in question, and it only takes a second before he feels my burning gaze on him.
"What?"
"What... is that?"
"Our stakeout essentials."
"No…the tech bag is between my legs. That monstrosity could practically fit my entire body in it."
His chuckle is low and warm. “Fitting.”
"What was that?”
“Nothing at all…Now, grab whatever looks good.”
He begins unpacking it like he's setting up camp: A family-sized bag of kettle BBQ chips, five types of chocolate bars, beef jerky, roasted corn kernels, gummy bears, cookies, three different flavored sparkling waters, six bottles of regular water, an insulated thermos… another thermos, real cloth napkins.
"Theo..."
He keeps going.
"Oh, and I wasn't sure if you'd want sweet or salty, so I brought both."
He places everything neatly across the center console and backseat.
"I also have apple slices…carrots…a fresh berry medley."
"You packed vegetables."
"And fruit! You have to balance out the junk food."
I blink.
"How long did you think we'd be here?"
He shrugs.
"I don't know. Could be an hour, could be all night."
"This is enough for a week! Why did you bring so much?”
“Because I did my research on you too.”
I shake my head, unable to hide my smile as I reach for the gummy bears.
"See?" he says. "Already paying off."
"I picked the closest thing."
"Doesn't matter," he beams, “It’s still a win.”
For the hour, the snacks are the only thing making this uneventful surveillance mission even remotely bearable.
Matt and his partner exchange bits of information in passing—casual conversations at the bar or by the bathrooms...People come and go without having interacted with either one of them…A waitress nearly drops a tray.
Theo eventually gets so bored, he begins narrating what we say as if he’s the host of a live TV drama.
Minutes stretch by.
Rain taps softly against the roof.
The chips disappear faster than either of us expected.
Matt dances with a few girls—something that clearly annoys his partner until he pulls her out next. I can practically hear him explaining that it’s necessary so his cover isn’t blown.
And of course, one of his big grins is all it takes before she’s smiling right along with him.
I glance toward the glowing restroom sign visible just inside the bar, then back at a yawning Theo.
Show time.
"I need to use the bathroom."
He immediately lowers his binoculars.
"I can come with you if—"
"No." The answer comes a little too quickly, earning me a raised eyebrow.
"I mean..." I clear my throat. "One of us should keep eyes on Matt."
"Right. Good point." He nods, settling back into his seat as I reach for the door, eager to escape before he can ask anything else.
"Wait." His gaze drops to the tote bag slung over my shoulder. "What's with the bag?"
"It's Crime Week."
He blinks. "Crime Week?"
"You know..." I gesture vaguely. "Because it's like a crime scene in my pants..."
A beat of silence.
Then he winces. "Oh, Gods. I should've stopped you after the first two words."
Snorting, I wave him off as I shut the door behind me.
I've barely made it three steps before I hear his door swing open, followed by the splash of hurried footsteps through the puddles surrounding the car.
"Hey, Scout."
Theo catches my wrist before I even make it a few steps from the car, a lazy smile spreading across his face just as another couple strolls past us. He steps into my space like it's the most natural thing in the world, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
I freeze.
His fingers linger just long enough for me to feel the cool metal of a communication rune sticking discreetly against the skin behind my ear.
Without changing his expression, he leans close, his lips brushing my ear as though he's whispering something intimate.
"I'll let you know if I see the drop," he murmurs. "Don't forget—tap it twice if you need me."
Then, just loudly enough for the passing couple to hear, he adds with a wink, "Don't keep me waiting too long."
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Big Guy. Now, I’m going in before the cops get called to investigate a murder.”
His deep, awkward laugh follows me as I disappear into the alleyway. The moment I'm out of his line of sight, I duck behind the neighboring building and let the morph settle over me.
Thankfully, it's a simple one.
After weeks of being sidelined while my body healed, I wasn't exactly eager to test my limits with a drastic transformation.
This only takes a few seconds—a subtle shift instead of a complete overhaul.
My black hair lightens a few shades, my brown eyes melt into a vivid green, my face rounds out a little more than normal, and my frame stretches another three inches.
Just enough to become someone else.
The crop top I picked out for the mission sits perfectly against my now much smaller chest, which is unfortunate because that means despite how cute it is, it’s as good as trash after this mission.
Luckily, the loose, ripped jeans hanging low on my hips give off a look of effortless confidence that guarantees once this mission’s over, and the jeans are hemmed to my actual height, they'll definitely be one of my favorite pairs.
Slipping around the side of the building, I ease through the kitchen entrance.
Luckily, two busboys are wrestling a keg toward the walk-in cooler, arguing over whose turn it is to refill the taps, neither of them so much as glancing my way.
Perfect.
Tossing a shot of tequila back that I snag from the waitresses tray, I force a slow deep breath in and replay the plan in my mind.
Music pounds through the room, bass vibrating beneath my boots as bodies sway shoulder to shoulder beneath strings of dim amber lights. One quick glance, and I spot him—back still to the bartender as he casually scans the bar for his target.
Unlucky for him, he is mine.
Losing myself in the music, I move just enough to look like someone out for a fun night, hunting for a different kind of target. Loose hips. Relaxed shoulders. A smile that comes easy and confidently.
Matt’s always said guys notice confidence before beauty.
A minute passes of me dancing before I steal a glance, but he’s staring at his phone, not at the dance floor.
A few more minutes.
He's checking his phone again.
I suppress a groan. Damnit, Mattey, come on!
Another song starts….And ends.
At this rate, Theo’s going to think I fell into the toilet. At least whatever flirting he'd managed on the drive over will be dead and buried by the time I get back to the car.
Finally, his attention lifts, his gaze sweeping lazily across the crowd before stopping…on me.
A slow grin curls across my lips. Gotcha.
Holding his stare for just a few seconds longer than polite, I turn as if I'd only just noticed the bar, weaving through the crowd and sliding smoothly into the empty stool beside him.
His partner's expression tightens immediately, annoyance flashing across her face, but he, on the other hand, doesn't even try to hide the way his eyes roam over me before settling back on my face.
Hungry, amused, and far too interested.
Exactly what I'd been hoping for.