by EJ Whitmer
Unfortunately, with it being a week night, Navy Pier closed at ten o’clock. After the second warning was broadcast over the loud speakers, the team regrouped outside the main entrance.
“Nothing?” Lilith asked as Blake and I approached.
Blake shook his head. “Nada. All I heard were teenyboppers fixated on their lip gloss, old women thinking about their bowel movements and Jennings obsessing over whether or not her panty lines show through her super suit.” He turned to me and cocked a brow. “They do, by the way.”
I huffed at him and wrapped my cape around my body.
“So are we calling it a night?” Dom asked.
The group murmured its agreement and began splitting up. Emmett said goodbye to the team and then grasped my hand. “Where are you parked? I’ll see you to your car.”
I nodded in agreement and glanced over Emmett’s shoulder at Blake’s retreating form. “I’m just south of here at a meter.”
We began trekking back to my car in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The once chilly air was dancing dangerously close to being downright cold. My fingers were numb as we reached my Mini and I fumbled to hit the right button on my keyless entry. Emmett reached out and gently pried the keys from my trembling fingers. He quickly hit the unlock button and opened the driver’s side door.
“Are you alright to drive? You’re coming back to my place, right?”
I hesitated. I was cold, tired, fussy and I really didn’t have the energy to pick up on our relationship topic. And there was no way I was going to stay the night without working things out.
“I think I’m going to head home, actually. I just …”
Emmett interrupted me with a shake of his head. “It’s fine. I understand. We can talk about things later.”
I sighed with a mixture of relief and regret, then rocked onto my toes to give him a quick kiss. “See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”
21
I climbed in my car and shut the door. As soon as the engine roared to life, Emmett gave the roof a quick pat before turning and walking away. I rested my forehead on the steering wheel for a moment while the heater warmed up. A few minutes later, my fingers had regained at least some feeling and my super suit was no longer in danger of being shredded by my glass nipples. With a gusty sigh, I shifted the Mini into drive and pulled out onto the street.
“I gotta tell ya, that was painful to watch.”
I jerked the wheel and nearly popped the curb as a voice sounded from the passenger’s seat. I quickly steadied the car and glanced at the empty spot next to me. A check in the rearview mirror revealed a vacant back seat as well.
“Honestly, doll, why didn’t you just go back to his place? Poor guy looked like you’d stolen the last clam in his chowder.”
“Who said that?” I gasped. “Where are you?”
“I said it. And I’m right next to you, sugar tits.” An invisible hand tugged on a clump of my hair and I instinctually batted it away. The voice definitely belonged to a man. It was a bit raspy and held a hint of an accent I couldn’t place.
“What do you want from me?” I hated the quiver apparent in my voice.
“Right now I want you keep driving. What else do I want? Well, that depends,” the voice replied. “What do you have to offer?”
“Not a lot,” I replied honestly. “I make a decent stroganoff. I can identify over thirty species of sharks. I can-“
“Enough,” the voice commanded. “Don’t play dumb. Regardless of your foolish rambling, I know you’re not as stupid as you seem. I want details about your team. Who’s in charge? Why do they all work for the same company? What are their weaknesses?”
“Even if I did know the answers to those questions, what makes you think I’d tell you?” I demanded. “I know what you did to the Boston team. You think I’d just give up my friends, knowing what you’re capable of? Dream on, dickwad.”
The man snorted. “Those Boston idiots deserved what they got. Bunch of morons. No tactical fighting skills. No organization. No real control of their powers. I didn’t break a sweat.”
“So they weren’t the most amazing fighters. That means they deserved to die? What did they ever do to you? What do you gain from killing innocent people?”
“They weren’t innocent people. They were innocent Supers. And they, along with your team, will do nothing but get in our way. We’ve got plans, dollface, and the first step is eliminating anyone who might try to stop us.”
“Us?” I asked. “Who is us?”
“One might call us the bad guys.” I could hear the smirk in his voice. “I’ve been assigned to eliminate your team. Why me, I have no clue. I’m better than this. Your pathetic team is a minor speed bump. No one can best me. Soon my talent will be recognized and revered by all!”
A noise like a duck call mixed with a tuba punctuated the end of his rant.
“Yuck!” I cried. “Is being an asshole not enough? Do you really need to fart in my car!?”
“I didn’t fart, you crazy broad. It’s too moist in here. My buns got stuck to the leather upholstery.”
I cringed at his use of the word moist.
“What’s the matter with you? I told you I didn’t fart. Why the face?”
“Nothing,” I bit out as I merged onto Highway 41. “If it’s so humid in here, why don’t you let me pull over and you can air out your buns on your walk home?”
“Do you think I’m stupid? Just keep driving, bitch. Besides, it’s just as moist outside as it is moist inside.”
I was dangerously close to hoarking up my sushi dinner. “Look, I don’t have any information you could possibly want. I’m just a normal person. I’m boring, really.”
The man snorted. “Right. And boring women just randomly walk around in spandex super suits? You will answer me, and you will answer me now. First, I want to know where your headquarters is and what kind of security measures you’ve taken to guard it.”
Another farting noise echoed off the walls of my Mini. “Second, I want to know how in God’s name you’re not chafing your ass off in that spandex suit. Christ, it’s moist in this car.”
I cut my gaze to the right and glared at the empty space. “I swear to God, if you say the word moist one more ti-“
The car jolted to the side and we sideswiped an SUV in the lane next to us. The steering wheel jerked under my hands as the invisible asshole next to me attempted to steer the car. I hauled off and elbowed him as hard as I could, dislodging his hands from the wheel and sending my Mini careening off the road, over the rumble strips and head-on into the ditch.
We rolled for a mere fifteen feet before slamming into the other side of the ditch. Both front airbags exploded, knocking me back into my seat. After what felt like ages, the car finally stopped moving, perched at a sharp angle against the side of the ditch.
“You crazy bitch,” wheezed the man.
I swatted at my deflating airbag with one hand and desperately tried to unclip my seatbelt with the other. I lurched in my seat at the whizz of the passenger window being lowered.
“I’m outta here,” grumbled the voice. “This isn’t over.”
A small flash of white caught my eye and I squinted to get a better look. The powder from the deployed airbags must have stuck to my assailant’s skin. I could just barely make out two bushy eyebrows and a head of thick, curly hair. The rest of his face and body remained clear of any residue.
A grunt followed by a string of curses signaled the man’s exit through the open window. The car rocked back and forth with the weight of his jiggles. With one last groan, the car stilled and I was left in the quiet.
I gave myself a moment to catch my breath, then began searching for my phone. A quick rap on the hood of my car sent me into another round of hysterics.
“Whoa! Lady! Calm down!”
I peered out my window to see the concerned face of a middle-aged man. Breathing a sigh of relief, I lowered my window and scrounged up
a pathetic smile.
“I’ve called nine-one-one. The police are on their way. Are you hurt? Can you get out?” The distress in his voice head me near tears.
I cleared my throat and continued to fumble with my seatbelt. “I’m alright. Just shaken up a bit. I could get out if my seatbelt would release, but it seems to be jammed.”
The man released a sigh of relief and reached into his pocket. “Here. Take my knife and cut through it.” He extended his arm and handed me a worn pocket knife.
I could hear sirens in the distance as I sawed through the seatbelt. After a few pass-throughs with the knife, I was free. My highway helper reached in and grasped my arm, easing me out of the car. As soon as both feet were on solid ground, I threw myself at the man and administered an extremely awkward, yet justifiable, hug.
“Thank you,” I gasped, fighting back tears.
He patted me on the back and gently pushed me away. “You sure you’re alright, ma’am?”
I glanced down my body to check for any injuries I missed and groaned as I realized I was still wearing the hot pink super suit. The man must have noticed my outfit at the same time. He quickly took a couple steps backward and averted his gaze.
“This isn’t what I usually wear,” I stammered. “I’m … A trapeze artist. The flying …” I looked down at the bird emblem on my chest. “Quail. The Flying Quail. You’ve probably heard of me. Anyway, I was on my way home from a dress rehearsal.”
I don’t think he bought it. His relief was palpable as the first police cruiser skidded to a halt in front of us. I could just make out two more sets of flashing lights quickly approaching from down the road. Two officers jumped out of the first car, a man and a woman, and jogged toward us.
“Any injuries?” the female officer asked.
“No. It was just me and I’m fine.”
The male officer immediately approached my Mini, shining a flashlight on the interior. Silence from the female officer and my rescuer drew my attention back from the mangled pile of metal that was my Mini. The female officer was eyeing my outfit with raised brows.
The sound of slamming car doors alerted us to the arrival of two more police cars. The female officer turned to my savior. “Are you a witness?” He nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind sticking around for another minute, please head up to one of the officers who just pulled in and give them your statement.”
She continued to stare at me as the man scrambled up the bank and approached one of the officers.
“I’m a … Professional cycler. The spandex is aerodynamic. The cape helps.”
Swing and a miss. No way did she buy that. Probably didn’t help that I didn’t have a bike or bike rack on my Mini.
“Ma’am, what you wear is your business. I wasn’t going to ask. Now if you’re sure you’re alright, would you mind explaining what happened here?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I sideswiped another car. I don’t know if I crossed into their lane or vice versa.” I craned my head around, searching for the other car. “I guess they drove off. Anyway, I must have overcorrected my vehicle. Next thing I knew, I was plowing through the ditch.”
“Did you get a look at the car you sideswiped? Color? Make or model?”
I shook my head. “Just that it was an SUV of some sort. I’m sorry. It all happened so fast.”
“I’m going to need to see your license and proof of insurance.”
“Absolutely. It’s in my purse, which is still in the car.”
The officer whistled to her partner. “Joey, see if you can find this lady’s purse in there, will ya?”
Fifteen minutes and fifty questions later, I was given back my purse and awarded a ticket for failure to maintain control of my vehicle. I leaned against the mangled bumper of my car, waiting for the tow truck and contemplating who to call for a ride home. I knew I needed to let the team know about the invisible carjacker, but having Emmett or Blake pick me up would only result in a night of lectures and “I told ya so”s. I couldn’t call Lea or Jo. They’d demand to know why I was wearing a cape. This left only one option.
22
Twenty minutes later, I watched two men load my Mini onto a flatbed truck and tried to ignore the crunch of gravel announcing my brother Michael’s arrival. I continued to stare at the crumpled mess in front of me as I heard him approach.
Michael stopped and stood next to me, whistling low as he examined the wreckage. “That’s not driving anywhere in the near future.” He slung his arm around my shoulders and gave me a light squeeze. “On a positive note, I just made a hundred and fifty bucks.”
I turned to glare at him. “And how is that?”
He grinned at me and wiggled his eyebrows. “The siblings and I may or may not have placed bets on when you’d crash the Mini. We all figured it would be in the winter, but I threw my vote in for March. Slush can be hazardous.”
I groaned and turned to walk to his truck. “Well congrats. Please feel free to donate your winnings to my repair costs.”
He caught up easily and opened the truck door for me. “Might as well donate it to the new car fund. There’s no way it’s not totaled, Anna.”
“It’s not so bad,” I argued. “Half of it will buff out. You’ll see.”
Michael rolled his eyes and shut my door, then jogged around the front to his side. He was silent as he pulled back onto the highway and headed toward my loft. However, his bouncing knee told me he was severely itching to ask questions.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I grumbled.
“Talk about what?” he feigned innocence. “I wasn’t even going to mention that horrible pink wrapper you’ve managed to wedge yourself into. I certainly wasn’t going to ask about the accompanying cape or cute little briefs. Nope. Wasn’t going to mention it at all.”
I tilted my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. “Again, I don’t want to talk about it. Someday, maybe. Probably not. And I swear, if you breathe a word about this to the family, I’ll tell Mom it was you who got drunk and took a crap in the back seat of her Hyundai.”
“Yikes! Vicious little shit, aren’t you? Fine, I won’t tell anyone. Except Blake. I’m totally telling him.”
“Let me tell him first, please. He’s going to be angry enough. Hearing it from you first will send him over the edge. Not to mention he’s already going through enough this week.”
“True. And alright, you can tell him first. But text me when you do. I’ll want to call him right after to pick at the wound.”
The rest of the ride was gloriously silent. Michael pulled up to my building twenty minutes later, cut the engine and stared across the seat at me. “Are you sure you’re alright? It might not be a bad idea to go to the doctor just to get checked out.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed my purse “I’m fine. Really. Thank you for coming to get me. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Of course. I’m your big brother. And I’m clearly the most mature out of the three of us. I was obviously the best choice.”
I smiled sleepily at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “See you later. Remember, not a word to anyone!” I slammed the door behind me and waved as he peeled away.
The calico cat emerged from the shadows and snaked its way around my ankles. He wrestled around with my cape while I searched for my keys and finally slinked off when he realized I wasn’t in the mood. What felt like a decade later, I found my keys and plodded inside, eager to fall face-first into my mattress and pass out.
23
Friday morning, Figaro woke me by kneading his paws into my shoulder blades. From the drool pooled on my pillow case, it seemed I had actually passed out on my face. I enjoyed the rare moment of feline contentment and mentally ran through my checklist for the day. After hitting the gym, I really had no choice but to tell Lilith and the guys about my near death experience. I only hoped they’d be willing to keep it from Blake until he had a couple of days to get used to being officially divorced. I would definitely have to
watch my thoughts if he showed up at the gym that morning.
My alarm went off at 4:30, startling poor Figaro and ending my kitty massage. I rolled over with a groan and headed to the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror stopped me in my tracks. A very large seatbelt-shaped bruise had formed across my chest and extended to just past my collar bone. I made a mental note to choose an outfit with a high neckline and went about my usual morning routine.
With my transportation options now limited to taxis or walking, I arrived at the gym a bit later than usual. After quickly tossing my work clothes in a locker, I jogged to the cardio equipment and snagged a treadmill. The walk to the gym had given me enough of a warmup, so I set the machine to jog and eyed the other exercisers while stuffing earbuds in. I immediately spotted Gia running on an elliptical machine. Not surprisingly, several men were also on the neighboring machines, trying to hide their stares.
