CHAPTER SEVEN #2
In that vein, he picks me up fireman-style so my dress and heels don’t slow us down.
Since that seems to have people giving us a wider berth, I don’t protest. Despite the amber hue that drapes the house, everyone is still on edge, so it’s chaotic as he dashes for the door with me in his arms. But once we’re outside, beneath the brilliant stars and haloed moon, fresh air fills my lungs, and he sets me on my feet.
“I have a car waiting down by the gate,” I tell him when we reach the driveway fountain that is no longer running.
“I’ll drive you. We have things we need to discuss, and the power is out all over the city.”
That lands as monumentally as he intended.
I swallow. “How do you know it’s a city-wide outage?”
“More like this corner of the city.” He flashes his dimple at me, mischievous Noire dominance crashing my night once again. “Like I said, we have things we need to discuss.”
“And you’re sure the cameras were completely wiped?” I ask as the wind whips my hair all around my face.
I might be salivating over this Ferrari Amalfi Spider. The top is down. The ride is smooth. The color is Verde Costiera, which is a mesmerizing teal green, emulating the Mediterranean Sea. Every inch of it screams luxury.
And, yes, I have plenty of money. I just don’t have the type of career that enables me to make such ostentatious purchases without the ethics of which I snagged them being brought into question. But I do love anything with a motor.
“Positive.” He side-eyes me, a smirk curling his lips.
We’re racing to freedom after I just robbed one of the wealthiest men in the world, who also happens to be one of his members, and he’s treating this like we’re on our way home from a date. He’s either delusional or … no, I’m going with delusional.
“I need more than that, so this is your chance to brag. Tell me how you pulled that off because I was having a hell of a time shutting the security system down from my phone, but you managed to cause a major power outage and wipe any footage.”
“Sly and Noire.” He winks, and against my better judgment, I laugh. “I told you I’d make a great partner.”
Realizing goading him is my best bet to get what I want, I keep the lighthearted mood going despite the anxiety knotting my muscles. “Then prove it, Noire. Spill your secrets.”
This affluent neighborhood is eerie and spiritless with most of the lights out. And yet life goes on. Traffic keeps moving. People continue partying. Plans are still being made.
No matter how dark it gets, the world manages to spin.
He veers onto an on-ramp that leads to my hotel, and he taps my tightened fist, as if he were privy to my inner thoughts and doesn’t want to jump-scare me out of my gloom.
“I have a lot of connections, which I’m sure isn’t surprising.
A buddy of mine is part of a group that has power companies under their thumb.
I shot him a text, told him I was in a pinch, and asked—”
“What kind of pinch?” My heart plummets to my stomach.
“Take a breath, Palmer. I told him I was with one of my members who happened to be repeatedly hitting on my date, and I really didn’t want to kill the guy in his own goddamn house.
Causing a huge disruption was the next best thing.
So, we settled on shutting off that whole area and destroying any security footage from the prior twenty minutes. ”
Maybe I should be alarmed that he and his friend so casually discussed killing Peter Fairfax as an option, albeit a less desirable one. That is one line I never cross. Taking lives is not in my job description. But I’m too hung up on the fact that multiple people are attached to this now.
He must notice how unsettled I am because he covers my whole fist with his palm. “You got what you needed, didn’t you?”
I nod because I did, and from his perspective, that should make everything dandy, but I have a bad feeling about all of this. “Who is he?”
“A friend.”
“I want a name.”
“No.” He careens off the exit, coasting to the stoplight without sparing me a glance. “I didn’t give him yours, and there isn’t a good reason you need his.”
You’d think his refusal would piss me off, but it’s actually refreshing.
Most people in our world don’t have a stitch of integrity.
They’d offer a name to earn my loyalty, only to stab me in the back when it suited them.
This is a loose end I’m not happy about, but I prefer that to being tangled up with someone who would sell out their friend.
“Why does he think you needed the security footage wiped?”
“He didn’t ask, and he doesn’t care. He showed up because I needed him.”
I don’t miss the parallel to him, never asking what I was doing, but still willing to help.
“Okay,” I concede, rocking my foot on my spiked heel as I take in the vibrancy of this section of the city. “You said he’s part of a bigger group. Will he share this with them?”
He mulls that over, taking the final turn to the hotel.
“He might have to provide an explanation for the disruption to someone in his organization. But he’ll leave it at me needing a favor.
And my story will check out if anyone digs deeper.
It would certainly make sense to Peter. And everyone in that lounge knew there was an issue regarding you after you walked out. ”
That’s a strong argument.
There’s a strange twinge inside me, an urge to know how much of what Cash said back there was performative and how much was authentic.
He has expressed keen interest, but I’m sure he’d lose it as soon as I caved.
My brain going there is pathetic. Post-larceny emotions are always muddled.
If I wasn’t dreading giving E a report, I’d be so high on the thrill of my success that I’d probably be itching to crawl into Cash’s lap.
So, I suppose the unfortunate web I’m ensnared in is good for something.
My fingers drift to the door handle as soon as he parks. “Thank you for being thorough. You did all right, Noire.”
“All right?” he mocks, his eyes crinkling in a way that unquestionably gives most women flutters. “I’ll take that half-assed compliment for the stellar save I provided, along with your number.”
“I gave you my number. You texted me, remember?” I pull on the handle, but he leans over and grips my wrist.
I expect him to mention that the text was from a burner, but he doesn’t.
“I’ll walk you in, just to make sure you get to your room safely.”
God, he’s sweet sometimes. He’s been intent on tracking me down and consistently crossing lines, but I believe he wouldn’t try anything if he escorted me to my room.
My instincts are shit though. That’s not actually true, I suppose.
They’re spot-on when I choose not to suppress them.
Which is why I can’t ignore the potential fallout of strutting through that lobby with him.
A ragged breath pours out of me. “It’s not a good idea.”
His thumb sweeps back and forth on the wrist he’s still holding. “I asked you once before, but we weren’t friends yet, so let me ask again. Are you in trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” I peer out the windshield, wondering if my father felt his world shifting before everything fell apart.
Each small decision we make stacks on top of another, creating a ladder that can either take us higher or lead us to hell.
It’s hard to obtain clarity amid pandemonium though.
Sometimes, blindly placing a rung is necessary.
I’m halfway through this commitment. That should mean something.
But all I have to show for any of it is complete isolation.
Turning back to Cash, I determine to give in a little, no matter which direction it takes me. “I’m going to go up to my room and text you from my regular phone. You’ll know I got in okay. If you don’t hear from me in ten minutes, I’m in room 1132.”
He smiles. Victoriously.
“That’s not an invitation, pretty boy. That’s me treating you as I would a friend concerned about me getting in safely.”
“Yep.” He pulls the handle and pushes open the door, like he understands I don’t want him to get out, but he can’t resist being a gentleman even if he’s inside the car. “And that’s progress, Sly.”