by Helene Gadot
It was something bad enough she was even worried about them. And scared of the Legion. It wasn't just disgust; it was fear. He didn't think she was a criminal on the run from the organization. If she was, they'd have heard of her. Something else was going on.
If she didn't hate the Legion so much, he'd guess she was in the organization's version of witness protection. It was still possible if she hadn't wanted to leave her life behind and they'd made her. But it definitely didn't sound like she had any plans to tell them anything even if she learned to trust them. Which was unlikely considering they were Legion and had forced her into joining them.
This had gotten way too complicated. But he didn't regret it. He wanted to get to know her; he liked how fierce and smart and powerful she was. She made him laugh and took no shit from anyone. And yeah, she was hot as fuck. It drove him crazy that Maddox got to her first.
Reese pulled out his phone and called Maddox.
"What's wrong?"
Reese rolled his eyes at the concern in his leader's tone. "Nothing. She's in her garage, working on the bikes."
"Then why are you calling?"
"I overheard something you need to know."
"What's that?" Maddox asked.
Reese replayed the conversation between Ridley and her friend.
Maddox remained silent for a moment. "Not completely surprising, based on the little we know so far."
"Agreed."
"Let's leave it alone for now. I'll tell the others, but if we question her, it'll just make her lock down even more."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Anything else?"
Reese paused, not sure if it was something he should mention or not. "Uh, yeah. You've seen her place, right?"
Maddox groaned. "Yeah. Why do you think I insisted she stay with us? It's a depressing hovel."
"She's got nothing sentimental in there. Nothing that hints at her past. No photos, no knickknacks, just clothes, weapons, and tools. Most of her stuff fit into a duffel bag she packed." It broke his heart a little. There was no sign of who she really was. Jail cells had more comforts.
"That's horrible."
"She lives like she's ready to run at any moment. She's definitely a flight risk if we push her too far or hard."
Maddox sighed. "All right. We focus on her helping with the case. We won't dig at her at least at first. I'll get Beckett to expand his searches and see if he can't find more info."
"As long as he doesn't use the Legion's programs to do it. I think someone from the Legion might have hurt her badly."
"If we have someone in our organization who scares someone like her, then I want to know who the fuck it is and I want to take him out." Maddox's tone hardened with grim determination.
"We will." Reese didn't care if they had to tear the entire organization apart to do it.
The four of them had long wanted to initiate an overhaul on the Legion, hating the politics which drove what had turned into a corporation. It was all about the big wins against major villainous knaves, making splashes in the news. They cared more about protecting their own even when they were worthless piles of dog shit like Tyler than the people they hurt.
Hell, the dude they were after currently wasn't even a marvel. Their commanding officer had no idea they were looking into a human. But not a single one of them gave a shit.
The guy was a scumbag and needed to be taken down. He hoped Ridley would be more interested once she read the file, but with her there was no telling.
Part of what intrigued him so strongly, her complete lack of predictability. And not just him. The others were just as interested in her, even Cormac, though he'd be the last to admit it.
He didn't feel right about sleeping in her bed, so he stretched out on her horrible second-hand couch. If it wouldn't infuriate her, he'd completely refurnish her home while she stayed with them. No one should live like this.
Maybe he could tempt her into letting him.
It felt like he'd barely closed his eyes when a small hand shook him with rough strength. "What?"
A gorgeous and angry Ridley scowled down at him. "Get up. We're going for happy hour."
14-Ridley
Reese looked way too good asleep on her couch. How he could rest on the horrid and uncomfortable thing, she did not understand.
He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Happy hour?"
"Yes. Malia and I want drinks after the heinous two days we've had, and I assumed if I disappeared, you would freak out and call your team on me." She really did not want him to come with them, but Malia refused to listen to reason.
Reese chuckled. "Fair assumption."
"So, come on. I haven't slept at all, and your sleepy eyes are irritating me."
"Everything seems to irritate you."
He wasn't wrong.
"Yep."
Malia popped her head through the door. "Now you understand Ridley. Come on, surfer boy."
Reese's brow furrowed. "How'd you know I surf?"
Ridley and Malia looked at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.
Reese's frown grew as he looked back and forth between them in confusion as he followed them down to the street. "What?"
Malia took pity on him. "We had no idea you surfed. You just look like the stereotypical California dude."
Reese faked a pout. "You two are mean. Let's hurry up and get a few drinks in you. Maybe that'll make you nicer."
"Nope."
Reese let out a long-suffering sigh. "Of course not. Maybe I should call in backup." He looked over his shoulder at his car, but didn't ask why they were walking instead of driving.
No way was she dealing with all of them yet. Not until she absolutely had to. "Do that and we're out."
"Fine. Let me just text them what we're doing." He pulled out his phone and his fingers flew across the screen.
Ridley rolled her eyes. "Ah yes. Make sure and get permission."
"Not permission, grumpy. Just letting them know so they don't worry. We stay in pretty constant contact."
Not creepy at all. "Yeah, that's not going to work for me."
"Take it up with Maddox."
"Oh, believe me. I will."
Ridley opened the door of the corner bar she and Malia frequented, holding it for them to walk through. The familiar scents and sounds embraced her as she waved over at the bartender with a grin.
"Is this where you brought Maddox?" Reese asked.
"Yep."
Reese laughed, his blue eyes lit up with mirth "No wonder he was so intrigued with you."
Huh? "Why?"
Reese swept his arm out to gesture at the bar. "This is just his sort of place and the rest of us refuse to go with him anymore."
She sneered at him. "Why? You prefer high class bar with top shelf martinis?" There was no place better than Jerry's bar.
"Yes. We do."
She jerked back in disgust. "Ugh. After seeing your fancy digs, that doesn't surprise me. This place isn't some piece of shit place. But it also isn't some pretty place for tourists to go and feel like they're getting the real island experience. This place has history. It's a part of the community. And it has good beer and the best onion rings on the island."
Reese's eyes widened. "Onion rings?"
"You don't like onion rings?" She knew he wasn't trustworthy. Who the fuck didn't like onion rings?
"Sure. I like them. I just prefer an appetizer of prosciutto wrapped asparagus."
Ridley blanched, staring at him in horror. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Reese's face broke into a mischievous grin. "I'm messing with you. Sort of. I do love asparagus, just not with my beer. We really don't like the bars he chooses mainly because he usually ends up in a fight and we get kicked out. The nicer places force him to act like a human being. Well, Cormac only likes the nicer places. He stopped going long before the rest of us."
Figured. Cormac being a snob didn't surprise her in the slightest. "Yeah well, he'
s an asshole."
Reese winced and sat way too close to her in the booth. "He's not really. He just...doesn't really like people he doesn't know."
Ridley snorted and yelled across the bar. "Jerry. The usual please, brah."
Jerry nodded with a grin. "You got it, gorgeous."
"Friend of yours?" Reese asked.
"Oh yeah. She comes here almost every night after work." Malia laughed.
Ridley stuck her nose into the air. "I'm his best customer. He loves me."
Malia sat forward, elbows on the table, her eyes pinning Reese to his seat. "So tell us about yourself and your team and explain why you pulled my girl here into your shit."
Reese smiled, not the slightest bit intimidated. "We pulled her into our shit so she can help us take down Jon Gregory."
Ridley and Malia exchanged a glance, eyes wide.
"That's who you're going after?" Ridley asked.
"Yes. Which you'd know if you'd read the file."
She glared. "I was a little focused on the blackmail at that point."
"If you'd known before the blackmail, would you have agreed to help?"
"No." She'd have taken it on alone.
Malia's pointer finger tapped out a beat on the tabletop. "I didn't expect someone without powers to be on the Legion's radar."
"He's not. We're a little off-books on this one. Which is why running across someone with your power was such a stroke of luck." Reese rubbed the back of his neck.
"Luck, eh?" Ridley wasn't feeling very fucking lucky.
Reese had the grace to look at least a little guilty. "For us anyway. Maybe not for you."
"Definitely not for me." But now that she knew who they were taking on, she was a lot less pissed off and a lot more willing to help.
She'd come across his name over a dozen times, but he surrounded himself with marvels as protection. He was a complete slimeball, using others' powers as weapons for his crime empire. He was basically a mobster, running a gang of knaves. He was into drugs, guns, women—a complete cliche. He ran his business out of a string of high-end clubs where a lot of women have been date raped, but the footage was always mysteriously clear when cops came to investigate.
Jerry dropped off the round of beers and three plates of onion rings. "Didn't see you last night."
Ridley smiled up at him. "Yeah, I got a side job that will be keeping me busy for a few days, but I'll drop in when I can."
Jerry nodded in understanding. "Beers are on me then." He'd discovered her secret a year before when he caught her stumbling home covered in blood.
"Mahalo."
Jerry clapped her on the shoulder before he returned to the bar.
Ridley took a long pull of the beer, then sat back with a satisfied sigh.
Malia shoved an onion ring soaked with the special sauce into her mouth. "How did you and your team meet?"
Reese examined the appetizer for a second before he picked one up to sample. "In training. What about you two?"
Malia shook her head and spoke around a full mouth. "Nope. This is about you. I need to be convinced you four can be trusted with her."
"We have no plans to harm her." Reese plopped the ring into his mouth, his eyes sliding closed at the taste.
Ridley grinned. Maybe now he wouldn't be such a snot about the places she chose.
"No, just turn her in if she doesn't do as you ask."
Reese's usual good-natured expression hardened. "We'll do whatever it takes to get that asshole off the streets."
"Right." Malia drew out the word. "Do you guys have shitty powers or something that you need an illusionist to help you?"
Reese chortled. "No, we're doing just fine on the powers department, though her illusions would be incredibly helpful."
"What kind of powers are we talking? You know ours. It's only fair."
It hadn't taken long for them to figure out Malia was the one with the force field powers. Dammit. Too bad they weren't morons.
"I can fly, Maddox has control of the elements, Beckett is a healer, and Cormac has invisibility."
Shit. Damn. Fuck.
Ridley would never be able to take them down, her powers would be nothing against them. One on one, maybe. But all four?
Reese smirked at her, like he read her thoughts. She ate an onion ring to keep her mouth from running. Damn, she loved these fucking things.
"These are amazing, by the way. Did Maddox have any?"
Ridley winked. "No. We didn't make it past the beers."
"If you ever want anything from him, trust me and feed him these. He'll be putty in your hands."
A cocky smile quirked her lips. "I doubt I need onion rings for that."
"Probably not."
Malia fanned herself. "I am starting to feel like a third wheel here, but it's hot so don't stop."
Ridley ignored her irritating friend. "What info do you have on Gregory so far?"
Reese cast his eyes around the bar. "Let's discuss it tonight back at the house. I'd rather not have the conversation twice."
"Fine. What's on the agenda for tomorrow?"
Reese drained half his beer before answering. "You're closed and we usually take Sundays off. Since you're joining us for a bit, we'll probably spend tomorrow planning."
"Then why can't I move in on Monday?" An extra day away from them would be lovely.
"You're a flight risk. Speaking of, do you need help dealing with the guy from last night?"
No, thanks. "Lia's on it. She's safe for now. We need to do a little recon on him before moving on him again. He'll be expecting it, I want him to let his guard down."
Malia flicked a piece of rolled up napkin at Ridley's face. "You mean I'm doing the recon. You'll be busy."
Ridley batted it away. "I can hack your surveillance and spy on him in my off time."
The door to the bar opened and three huge white men with guns spilled inside.
Oh, hell no. Not at her bar.
15-Ridley
The blond one in the middle stepped forward. "Everyone, wallets and jewelry on the table. Try anything heroic and you'll eat a bullet."
His two comrades hung back and trained their guns on the customers.
Those idiots. Ridley almost felt sorry for them.
She turned to Malia. "Where do these guys get their dialogue? Is there a blog they follow? Or do they just lift it from shitty crime movies?"
Malia shook her head with a sad sigh. "Oh honey, they don't read. It's definitely from movies."
The blond glared at them and pointed his weapon at Ridley. "Hey. You bitches better shut the fuck up."
Reese stiffened, but he kept his mouth shut. Ridley was glad he wasn't trying to be a hero and was letting them handle it. This was their bar, their neighborhood, and they were damn well going to protect it.
Ridley ate the last onion ring on her plate. "Or what? We'll eat a bullet? Is that what he said? Seriously, where did you come up with that? I might need to use it. You don't mind, right?"
The guy swelled up with offense and spluttered with how dumb he was. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you want me to shoot you?"
Malia grinned and made a bring it motion with her hands. "Go ahead. Try."
The dumb one pulled the trigger, and it ricocheted off Malia's force field and hit him in the knee.
Ridley laughed and fist-bumped her friend. "Nice, Lia. You got him in the kneecap."
Malia inclined her head in a regal bow. "Why, thank you. Though it was all him. I'd have aimed for his ugly face."
The blond clutched his knee and moaned, writhing around on the floor, his face scrunched in pain. So dramatic.
"You see, boys? This is how you smack talk in the middle of a fight. You really need to work on your menace. It's not impressive."
The balding redhead snarled. "Fuck you, bitch."
Ridley clasped a hand over her chest. "Aw. Sorry, but my friend here is the only one allowed to call me that."
"Bitch."
"I
t's sweet how you think you're still in control." Ridley cast an illusion of his brunette buddy turning on him.
They shot each other. All three down.
Ridley finished her beer. "Sorry, Lia. I couldn't let you have all the fun."
Malia sighed. "It's fine. I'm used to you having to one-up me."
Reese's shocked gaze bounced between the two women. "You two are insane."
Malis burst into laughter. "You should know what you're getting into with her."
Reese finally relaxed, the tension slowly bleeding out of him. "Right now, I'm kind of glad Maddox didn't force the issue and bring you in as well. You two together are pure trouble."
Three more huge men with guns barreled through the door.
Ridley rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "Oh, for fuck's sake."
Reese waved at them. "Hey guys. We're over here."
"I take it that's the rest of them?" Malia asked.
Ridley banged her head on the table and groaned. "Yep."
16-Beckett
The three men bleeding on the floor of the bar was enough to get Beckett to shove his phone in his back pocket. "What the hell?"
They were just supposed to come for drinks, not end up cleaning up a crime scene.
"Everything okay?" Maddox asked carefully, kicking the weapons away from the injured men.
Ridley stood from her seat at the booth and sauntered over. "We're fine. Those three thought they could come into my neighborhood and rob it. They learned it's a bad idea."
"The cops are already on the way." Reese joined Ridley, standing at her side.
Her friend stayed at the booth, eating onion rings.
Beckett groaned. It was going to be a long night and none of them had slept, too busy getting a room ready for Ridley and making plans on how to move forward. And discussing the disturbing information Reese had uncovered. Beckett just wanted a beer and then bed.
One of the men groaned, and Cormac kicked him in the stomach. "Shut up. You're lucky she let you live."
"Just get us away from those crazy bitches." The one with red hair tried to crawl away from Ridley.
"What did I tell you about that word?" Her voice was somehow both ice cold and filled with humor.
