Chapter 34 Kiera
KIERA
Before I could take another step into the room, Spencer was on her feet, rushing me back out into the cacophony of the empty arcade. “Forget you saw that.”
Her strong hands guided me by the back and arm, her touch firm yet gentle. Nervous laughter bubbled from my chest as I tried not to react to the electricity of her touch. “Relax, you’re acting like I caught you with a dead body.”
Her grip tightened ever so slightly as she led me back around the counter, letting that employee’s only door swing open and shut in our wake.
Geez, I didn’t think she took the rules that seriously.
But her clenched jaw and burning hazelnut eyes made it clear that my little intrusion had struck a nerve. Eager to lighten the mood, I raised an eyebrow. “That was a lot of cash for a deserted old arcade. What is this, some kind of money laundering front?”
Her eyes clenched shut and her head tilted like she was hearing nails on a chalkboard.
The smile on my face slowly faded as I took in her reaction. Her touch burned against the ice in my veins as the realization struck. “Oh my god, is this a fucking money laundring front?!”
Spencer’s eyes went wide as the bell over the front door rang. “Shhh, keep your voice down.”
Past the glass of the front door, a line of minivans idled, unloading cartload after cartload of children. Armed with sticky fingers, skateboards, and the younger siblings they’d been made to bring with them, they were rushing the arcade like tiny warriors storming the castle gates.
As the wave of invaders broke around us, Spencer tightened her grip on my arm, dragging me deeper into the arcade. “Come on.”
My eyes shot to the backroom door as Spencer dragged us in the opposite direction. “Where are we going?”
“To talk.” She craned over the mess of machines and children, looking for something I couldn’t see.
“What is there to talk about? You’re a criminal! You’re doing crimes—”
“Could you please keep your voice down?” Her expression was more pained than angry as she rushed us through the screaming children and blaring games. As the arcade blurred around us, I couldn’t make sense of anything.
I’d almost kissed a woman. I’d almost kissed a criminal. And I still wasn’t sure which of those facts was more shocking.
Before I could rally a new round of protest, Spencer found what she’d been looking for: a rinky old photobooth tucked against a back wall. Beelining for it, Spencer pulled the curtain back and helped me in first before shoving in behind me.
It was tight-quarters: squeezing together on the narrow bench with Spencer kept me pinned between the cold metal wall of the booth and the burning wall of her muscle.
Is that why she’s so strong? To keep up with whatever her “job” demands of her?
I swallowed hard as I realized that she’d closed off the path between me and every exit — that I’d let her do so willingly.
Seeming to sense my unease, Spencer leaned back an inch or so, but it didn’t make the air in the photobooth feel any lighter.
“Kiera, I can ex—”
“Just let me go.” Her eyes widened, shocked by my interjection, but I kept on. “It’s not a problem. I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
“It’s not that simple.” She sighed, shaking her head.
“Isn’t it?”
Before she could respond, the booth began to blare upbeat, royalty free music. A bubbly woman’s voice blared from the speakers surrounding us on all sides. “You look great! Press anywhere to start!”
I’d have jumped out of my seat from shock if Spencer’s thighs didn’t have me pinned so firmly. She took a deep breath, raising her voice just slightly over the din of the music. “It’s not safe for you to go back out on your own. Especially after what you just—”
“The mirror loves you! Press anywhere to start!”
Grumbling, Spencer smacked her palm against the screen, but that wasn’t enough to please our new digital overlord.
“Looking fabulous! Insert tokens to start.”
“Fucking Christ!” Fishing out a handful of gold coins, she gave the machine its tithe before turning back to me and taking a deep breath. “Okay. What do you want to know?”
“Big smile!” The machine shouted as a digital countdown displayed across the screen.
I did my best to tune her out as I waded through the tidal wave of concerns racking my brain. “What’s the money for?”
A big camera shutter sound rang through the booth as it snapped our first photo.
“I don’t know.” Spence sighed.
I pressed my hands to the booth, to her thigh, to any leverage I could find as I tried to pry myself out of the trap, but her hand on my shoulder brought me right back down. “I’m being serious, I swear.”
Panic danced behind her brown eyes as she searched my gaze. “I’m not in charge, I just work here and count the money.”
I pursed my lips as I studied her face as the next camera flash flooded the booth with white light.
From the furrowed brow to her slight frown, her concern seemed genuine.
And given what she’d told me about her mother, it would make sense that she would be willing to turn a blind eye in exchange for some stability.
Lord knows I’ve done plenty of bad to keep my own head above water.
“Grab a prop!” The machine prompted. My eyes drifted to the dollar sign glasses and “show me the money!” text bubble that sat in the small bucket of novelty signs and feather boas at our feet.
Jesus, a bit on the nose, no?
Biting my lip, I looked back at Spencer. A million questions swirled in my mind: how long had she been doing this, who did she work for, how had she gotten down this path? But as the camera counted down on the final photo, there was only one question that really mattered.
“You promise I can trust you?”
“Of course. All I want to do is protect you.” Pleading puppy eyes stared back at me, the slight scrunch of her brows sending a wave of tenderness through my heart.
“Say cheese!” The machine called out one last time before snapping our photo.
I sat for a moment, holding her gaze as I weighed the truth of it.
Could I really trust a criminal? Someone so willing to skirt the rules for her own gain?
I didn’t have any idea what the money was for, and in truth, I was scared to find out.
But despite all of my other questions, her concern for my safety was one thing I knew to be true. She’d had every right to leave me alone with Gabe, to throw me to the streets for Dom, but despite only knowing me for a short time, she’d proven her loyalty again and again at every turn.
“Okay,” I drew in a shaky breath.
“Okay?” Her brow hitched, hope bubbling under the surface of her concern.
“Okay.” I nodded, holding her gaze.
Before I could say anything else, the machine began to rattle. Some teenage twerp banged his fists on the booth. “Hurry up in there!”
With a sigh, Spencer ripped the curtain back to reveal a boy no older than fourteen puffing out his chest to impress the girl shrinking behind him. His confidence faltered as Spencer stepped out of the machine, towering without meaning to. “Sorry, kids. Booth’s broken.”
“Don’t forget your photos!” The machine chirped as two strips dropped into the slot outside the booth.
“That’s bullshit!” He pointed to the photos as I grabbed them from the machine and stuck them in my pocket.
But Spencer shrugged, pulling one of her millions of keys from her ring and putting the machine into maintenance mode. “Sorry. It gets fritzy when you punch it. Try asking nicely next time and see what happens.”
He grumbled as he stormed off across the arcade, but his friend laughed.
Once they were gone, Spencer intertwined our fingers and gave me a little squeeze. “Think you’ll be okay the rest of the day?”
“I’ll stay out of trouble.” My gaze drifted to the floor, until she lifted my chin with a finger.
“I didn’t ask about staying out of trouble, Bunny. I want you to be okay. That’s my priority.”
Her eyes glimmered with fierce protectiveness as she held my gaze. It was like she could see right into the deepest parts of me and tell if I was lying.
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the tingle of electricity that buzzed beneath my skin where she touched me. “I’m okay. Promise.”
Satisfied, she brought me back around to the prize counter, refilled my coin bucket despite the chorus of children protesting that it was their turn, and set me back onto the arcade floor. “Just a few more hours, and then I’ll take you home.”
I didn’t stray far from the counter, though. In all honesty, it was adorable watching Spencer help the kids out. She would hype up the number of tickets they’d saved, no matter how small, and help them pick out the best piece of junk in the prize buckets.
When a little girl no older than seven wandered up with a measly three tickets, I watched her slip her a prize from one of the big buckets so that she could impress her older brother.
Even when the kids were being bratty, Spencer kept a smile on her face that made them want to do better. For someone with a rough childhood, she sure does have a way with kids.
She was right that the hours passed quickly. Maybe it was the lack of natural light, or maybe just that I was enjoying her company, but before I knew it, six o’clock was approaching and the arcade was finally clearing out.
At some point, I’d moved closer to Spencer, sitting with my legs crossed on the prize counter while she flitted between doling out prizes and fixing up machines.
As she finally got a break from the chaos, leaning up against the counter next to me, I studied her face. “You really like this job, don’t you?”
“Running the local arcade like a one man show?” She scoffed. “Wasn’t exactly what I pictured during career day at school, but it’s alright.”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me.” I nudged her with my knee. “I can see how you light up around the little snot monsters.”
At that, the corners of her lips curved up.
“They’re alright I guess.” Then, with a deep breath, her playful mask dropped for a second.
“I think it’s just nice to get to be a bright spot in their days.
If I’m being honest, I counted on stuff like that a lot as a kid.
A hot meal at school and a few hours where I didn’t have to think about what was going on at home… it got me through a lot.”
Her gaze grew distant for a second, and all I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms. But before I could even respond, her concentration was broken by a buzz on her phone.
“Umm….” Angling the screen away from me as she read the text, a hesitant frown painted her lips. She looked at me before scanning the arcade floor. “Think you could man the fort for a minute? I just need to take a quick phone call.”
I wanted to ask who she was calling, but it felt too presumptive. Especially after the tender admission she’d just made.
“Sure.” I nodded, “But only if I get to wear the vest.”
“It’s yours,” she chuckled as she pulled it off her shoulders and tossed it over to me. “I’ll just be a second!”
Still, as she disappeared into the backroom, something in my stomach churned.
Mind your business, Kiera. Snooping’s never done you any good.
But when she emerged with a loaded duffel bag and strode over to a side door of the arcade, my curiosity was uncontrollable.
Okay, fine, just a peek.
Keeping an eye to the display case, I hopped down from the counter and crept over just far enough to peek out into the alley. Spencer stood with her back to the door, tapping her foot impatiently with the duffel bag in her hand.
Then, a second later, a woman on a motorcycle roared down the alley, coming to a hard stop in front of Spencer. “What’s good, Spotter?”
I watched the woman dismount the bike, dapping Spencer up with an easy familiarity.
Spencer nodded. “Same as usual. The kids okay?”
“Yeah, you know how it is. That for me?” She nodded to the duffel bag.
“You know it.” Spencer hefted the bag onto the back of the bike, helping her friend secure it with ratchet straps. The two of them moved like a well-oiled machine, and Spencer’s excuse that she was just some hapless employee was feeling thinner and thinner by the second.
And as the woman rolled up her sleeves before hopping back onto the bike, she drove the final nail into the coffin. There, in the center of her forearm, was a winged sword tattoo: the same kind that Spencer and Leo wore on their own skin.
That fucking tattoo is everywhere. But what the fuck does it mean?
My mind swam with questions, but there was one thing I knew now for certain. There was no way that Spencer had branded herself to a cause she didn’t understand. She knew exactly where that money was headed, and she’d just lied to my face about it.