by A. J. Macey
“Well, it certainly wasn’t for shits and giggles, Cupcake,” Harrison joked. I raised a skeptical brow and glanced at him with a frown.
“Don’t call me Cupcake. I’m not a pastry,” I ground out, turning my attention to the projector.
“Carlia, the woman who was also killed, was an analyst for VCM,” Silas took over seamlessly, before Harrison and I could go back and forth some more. “Turns out, she had found some irregularities in the numbers that pointed some attention toward Councilman Rosen and a few other members of the Legion Council. It was honestly just a stroke of luck we found the tiniest bread crumb that led us to this information. The council is very good at scrubbing their digital footprint when they don’t want something found.”
“So, the fact that Rett and I were there was more of a problem for the Council than some random mugging,” I tacked on, my eyes burning as I stood up and stepped closer to the screen. My brother was just a casualty in someone else’s scheme, just another number in the Council’s fucked-up game they were playing with the city. I heard Acer and Kane ushering everyone out of the room, Carson quietly arguing to be allowed to stay. Eventually, the noise stopped, and I was alone, except for the tentative tap of Acer’s steps behind me.
“We’ll give you a bit, Angel,” Acer murmured softly before closing the door. The scent of building ozone, an impending lightning storm surrounded me as the audible crackling of my arcs was the only sound in the room other than my ragged breathing. Tears built, and before I could stop them, they finally flowed freely over my cheeks. Sobs wracked my body, my hand coming to cover my mouth in a poor attempt to keep my crying quiet.
“Oh, Blue,” Kane’s pained words reached me, his hands reaching around to hold me.
How the fuck is he so quiet? Unable to muster any anger about all their secrets, I collapsed in his arms, my tears soaking his shirt. He cooed softly to calm me, his hand rubbing down my hair as I continued to cry, letting the grief flow through me for the first time in several years. I don’t know how long I bawled, how long Kane rocked me softly, but the tears subsided, and the pain finally receded enough for me to take a deep breath. My shaking stopped, and after what seemed like another ten minutes, Kane finally pulled back.
“Ready for them to come back in?” he asked quietly, looking down at me. His hands cupped my face, calloused thumbs rubbing softly over my cheeks to wipe away the wet tracks. Taking one more deep breath, I nodded, pulling away from him to sink onto my seat. Kane opened the door, popping his head out briefly before walking back in.
“Alright, as we were saying, the connection between irregularities at the bank and the Council are what set off the chain of events,” Kane recapped as the men filtered in. My eyes were glued to the projector, refusing to look at Carson, Acer, or Silas, all of who I could feel looking at me. I refuse to be pitied, and I know that’s all I’ll find right now.
“So, by going into the same bank where she had worked and being Rett’s sister, I’m sure it set off some red flags.
“Ugh, fuck.” Rubbing my face, I groaned.
“We don’t know for sure about the men who tried to take you, but we think they worked for or were hired by the Council,” Kane added.
“So, what’s the plan?” Acer questioned.
“Until we correctly identify who exactly tried to take you and why they wanted you, there’s not much we can do other than research. Hopefully, we should know soon, though, yes?” Kane directed the last portion of his statement to Acer, receiving a nod in return.
“Guess that means I’m moving in,” I mumbled grouchily. I wanted my own space away from people or feelings, both old and new, that continued to confuse me. “Wait, what about work?” I asked with a start, realizing I was supposed to be working the afternoon shift later today.
“I’m sorry, Evera, but it’s not safe,” Kane explained softly. “Anything you need, we more than likely have on hand or can get for you.
“On the positive side, at least there’s food here,” Acer perked up, nudging me in an attempt to distract from the fact I would be dependent on Kane and his crew. “No more cold cereal all the time.”
“Yeah, true. It’s also not like I worked a lot or would be missed necessarily.” I tried to perk up, knowing I had been an extreme emotional rollercoaster lately, but all I wanted to do at that moment was go out and zap some bad guys, taking the anger out on some assholes.
“Alright, Granger, Harrison, take the night off. We’ll meet again once we have something,” Kane directed.
“Yes, sir,” Granger replied, followed closely by Harrison, leaving me with men who were the absolute definition of ‘it’s complicated.’ Talk about awkward.
“It’s only awkward if you say it’s awkward,” Silas piped in with a grin.
I glared, trying to direct my next thought at him. Stay out of my head. But much to my irritation, he just smiled wider and turned back to Kane.
“Can we go?” Acer tried to get up, but Kane’s next statement stopped him.
“Evera, if you want to go out at night, we’re coming with you.” I balked, gaping at them.
“Uh, no, you aren’t,” I countered with a head shake.
“While it would be safer to not go out,” Kane started, cutting me off as I opened my mouth to argue, “we’re not going to stand in your way of trying to make a difference in the community. That’s why I started The Syndicate in the first place. But if you’re going, so are we.”
“If you guys want to go out on your own, feel free, but I don’t need a crowd following me.” As much as I wanted to stay angry, Kane’s heart of gold made it ease slightly.
“Don’t want to add anyone to your superhero squad?” Silas teased, looking between Acer and me. I groaned, my face falling into my hands at the silly name.
“We’re not a squad,” I mumbled against my palms before dropping them dejectedly into my lap. Fuck, he’s as stubborn as a mountain. I don’t have it in me to fight anymore today. At least, not with them.
“Ugh, fucking fine, but if this is what we’re going to do, it’s not going to be just about helping people. We start looking into information about the Legionaries and the Council’s shit. Got it?” I couldn’t stop the worry about how they would respond to Wings if we were to stumble upon him again. Nothing I can do about it now.
“Deal,” Kane agreed immediately. “So, when do we leave?”
Well, here goes nothing.
9
October 13th
Sunday Night
Carson
Twenty minutes later, Evera emerged from her room, clothed in all black, her clothes well worn, a mask clutched in her hand. Her tight jeans hugged her curves and made me immediately harden, and I definitely didn’t try to hide it when she looked over at me. I loved seeing the two pink patches bloom on her cheeks as she zeroed in on the fact she still turned me on in a heartbeat even after all of these years. What I would give to have her again. Memories of our first few times flashed in front of my eyes. The way her warm, smooth skin had felt under my fingers and lips, how it was to sink into her, the little gasps and moans she’d made under me.
“Car,” Silas coughed, giving me a hard look, realizing he was struggling against the same desire. Okay, let’s not stick the telepath with a hard-on all night too. Why should we both suffer? I gave him an apologetic smile and focused on something else. We all look like we’re about to go rob a bank, I thought, before realizing it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for us.
“Alright, Angel,” the hacker started, throwing his arm over her shoulders. “What's the plan?” The smug curl to his lips made me want to punch him, but I kept it at bay—barely. A sense of excitement built within me at the thought of going out and getting to punch someone. Since I couldn’t punch the hacker without the risk of pissing off Evera, likely getting zapped in the process, I needed to vent some frustration.
“Uh, I don't have one. I usually just go out and zap assholes, not much to it. Kane?” she called out, my uncle'
s eyes flicking to her as he tied the laces of his boots. “Got any ideas?”
“You normally stay on the outskirts of the city center, right?” She nodded, fiddling uncomfortably before tucking her arms across her chest to stop from moving, the move hiding the small blue arcs that had started to bounce from finger to finger in her nervousness. “Let's start in your usual stomping grounds, see if we can find any information. If not, we can at least figure out how to work as a squad.”
“Ugh,” she groaned loudly, the exasperation in it making me smile. “We are not a squad. We can be a unit, but I'm not calling it a squad.”
“We need a name!” Acer spouted, making Ev give him the side eye. “What, Angel? We do, don't give me that.”
“I like the idea of a name,” Silas added softly, his finger tapping against his chin in thought.
“We can figure that out later, let's get going. Acer, you're with Silas. Carson, you're with Evera,” my uncle directed, starting toward the exit. We filed after him, a line of black clothes and excited jitters filtering through the narrow corridor.
“What about you?” I heard Evera whisper, “you shouldn't be alone.”
“I'll be alright, Blue, don't worry,” my uncle chuckled, his hand coming to rub her back.
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled. “I don't think it's possible not to worry. I close my eyes and expect you to be gone again.”
“Blue, we're not going anywhere. You're stuck with us.”
As much as I hated to think about Evera near the hierarchy, I couldn't stop the agreement from radiating through me. Damn right, I just got her back, I'm not losing her again. When the hand on her back changed to my uncle curling her under his arm and pressing her into his torso, I paused, my eyes narrowing as I continued to watch them.
“Is... something going on there?” I asked Silas silently. Loyal to my uncle, Silas didn’t reply, but the tightening of his jaw and pursed lips told me all I needed to know. My uncle had the hots for Evera Quinn. I couldn’t decide if it was surprise, jealousy, or a mix of both that washed over me, but stepping out of the building kept me from thinking too much about it.
“We'll meet up at the designated drop points,” Kane explained, looking between Silas and me. Nodding, we split up into our pairs and got into the waiting vehicles. As soon as it was just Evera and me, I had the overwhelming urge to pull her into the backseat and fuck her the way I wanted to.
“So,” I hummed, turning the car toward the south side and driving down the nearly barren street.
“So,” she echoed softly, trying hard to come up with conversation as she looked over at me. “How's working for your uncle?”
“Not bad. Stuck with him practically 24/7, but other than that, not bad.” Looking over at her, I gave her a small smile. She was the same Evera she had been at fourteen, yet at the same time, everything was different. Her icy blue eyes were closed off and hard, her lips almost always tilting down into a frown, and she curled into herself to not be noticed. As if someone as gorgeous as her could avoid the spotlight for too long.
“How's the life of Baby Blue?”
“Uneventful,” she sighed, relaxing more into the seat. “Working part time, going out a few times a week. That's really it.”
“Well, I would have to say going out at night is something Rett would have done,” I murmured, glancing at her to make sure I hadn’t upset her any further after tonight’s emotional meeting. She gave me a sad smile, her eyes haunted, but she didn’t seem angry at me for bringing up the one thing between us that hurt the most.
“I do it for him, you know, in his memory. I figured,”—she coughed slightly to keep her voice from wavering—“if I could be fearless like he was, following his example helping others, it would be a way to know I was honoring him.”
“He would be very proud of you.” My chest ached, knowing if Rett could see Evera now, he would have told her himself.
“So, what about you, Bruiser? Any woman able to get the flirtatious Carson Renick to settle down?” she asked, redirecting the conversation to something less melancholy.
“Ha, good joke,” I laughed. Her digging skills needed some work, but then again, she had always been bad at trying to hide exactly what she wanted. Hell, that was how we’d ended up together in the first place. “Nah, no one for me. Hasn't been in years.”
“Why?” Ev asked, seeming genuinely confused. Stopping at a red light, I looked over at her. Her lower lip was tucked in between her teeth as she watched me reach over and hook my finger under her chin.
“You should know the answer to that, Baby,” I murmured, pulling her closer until I could feel her hitched breathing on my face.
“Oh, really?” she challenged softly, ever so slightly leaning into me. Instead of giving her the answer, I barely brushed my lips against hers. They were soft and moved confidently against mine as she grabbed a fistful of my shirt and held me steadfast against her. Time passed before I knew it, and we both jumped apart as the obnoxious blare of a horn reminded us the traffic light had turned green.
“Yes, really,” I smarted as I drove. A familiar husky laugh filled the car while her fingers rubbed slightly against her lips, the nearly permanent frown finally tilting up into a smile. Before either of us could talk about our clearly unresolved feelings, we reached the drop point.
“To be continued,” I whispered, crushing my lips against hers briefly before hopping out of the car.
If I don’t stop right now, I’ll have her laid out in front of me in a heartbeat.
Oh, I definitely will have her.
Just not yet.
Evera
Carson hopped out of the car, leaving me stewing in my pent-up need and desire. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my erratic heart and got out, ignoring the slickness of my underwear. A cold whip of wind brought my attention out of the gutter and to the task at hand.
Time to light up some bad guys.
Following Car down the sidewalk, I kept my gaze on my surroundings as we walked down the block, my eyes landing on Kane standing on the corner, a block to our right, and Silas on the block to our left. One of Kane's stipulations was we could never be more than one block away from each other, or he’d essentially “protect” me by keeping me back at The Syndicate’s headquarters. I’d wanted to argue, but the plan was better than them all being in a cluster around me.
“Blue,” Kane murmured, walking from his corner, tilting his head toward the direction he just came from. “Got someone you might want to go zap. I'll grab Silas and Acer.” I perked up, striding confidently down the sidewalk until I could see who he was talking about.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I mumbled in irritation.
“What? You know him?” Carson asked quietly, his question littered with surprise. I turned and motioned for him to stay there. He ground his teeth in irritation but didn't fight me on it as I stormed over to the familiar man in a black face covering and beanie cap.
“Wings!” I called out, closing the distance quickly. “What the fuck, dude.”
“Sparky! Just who I wanted to see,” he cheered as I got closer. “There's that pretty face.”
“Are you seriously breaking into another fucking business?”
“Nope, not really, anyway. You just have a knack for finding me when I do, and I was worried when you didn’t show up last night, so I figured I might as well try this out..”
“Why were you looking for me?” I asked with all the sass this pain in the ass deserved, my hands shifting to my hips.
“Because the last time I saw you, you were running from three men chasing you.”
My blood ran cold at the reminder he had seen me without my mask, the adrenaline from that night having blurred everything until I’d forgotten that he had stopped them.
“Did you see who they were?” Kane's question was hard, the guys coming up next to me. Wings' eyes narrowed as he looked around at my decidedly nosy entourage.
“Why should I tell you? I don'
t know you,” he challenged, looking at me. “I'll tell her, though… but only her.”
“I don't think so,” Kane commanded.
“It'll be fine,” I told him. “This isn't exactly the first time Wings and I have had a little chat.”
“Besides, I like the spark,” Wings teased with a wink. Carson took a step forward, half blocking me from view. I rolled my eyes at the display, knowing this was exactly what I wanted to avoid.
“Do you know this guy?” Kane asked in a biting tone, his upper body leaning down to whisper in my ear.
“Caught him trying to break into some businesses a few times, he's harmless. Come on, Wings, let's chat.”
“Oh, hell no, I don't think so,” Carson tried to argue, but my glare effectively shut his objection down. Following Wings down the walkway, Silas rested a hand on Carson’s shoulder to hold him where he was. We didn't go far, staying within eyesight but out of earshot. Hopefully, Silas can listen. I knew he would be able to get more information than I could.
“So, information, cough it up,” I huffed, waving my hand between us.
“What do I get in return?”
“I could not zap you to hell and back.” I shrugged, letting my sparks dance up my arms and torso. He chuckled, the deep sound radiating through me in a rush of heat, building on the remnants Carson had started in the car.
“Maybe I want you to light me up, Sparky, but that's not good enough. What do I get for giving you this information?”
“What do you want?” I sighed, knowing he more than likely had an idea, or he wouldn't be playing this back-and-forth game.
“A name,” he said as if it was the easiest request in the world, but the smallest thread of worry wormed its way into my chest.
“Of?”
