“I am being supportive. I’m giving you a solid kick in the ass. What is going on with you? You’ve been stomping around for the past hour, and now you’ve moved on to dramatic sighing. The loft isn’t that big. Headphones are my next move.”
“I’ve got them handcuffed together. What am I thinking? And of all people to put on this fresh-out-of-prison, probably unreformed thief, I chose Max. That was the stomping.”
“And the sighing is because you don’t see any other way?” Isabelle asked.
“Are you some kind of accountant mind reader?” Holt felt like she shouldn’t be surprised by Isabelle’s uncanny ability to know what she was thinking, but she still was. “I don’t trust Dubs. I don’t think she trusts herself, and she has no reason to trust me. I need someone close to her at all times, and Lola has other things on her mind right now. And Dubs is young, so Max is more likely to connect with her. But Jesus, Max is so damned green.”
“You said she did well in the park,” Isabelle said.
“She kicked a guy in the shin and almost broke her wrist punching his teddy bear gut. But she didn’t completely panic until he pulled a knife, so I’ll call it a win.”
“Sweetie, I love you. I really do. But two things. First, I could do without hearing about people swinging knives at you. It’s still too close to your getting shot for me. And second, not everyone is you. If you want Max to fight like you, teach her. But if she does, and she gets hurt, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Does it defeat the weight of your message if I find it sexy when you so clearly show me who is in charge around here?” Holt asked. She arched back as far as she could in Isabelle’s arms and lifted her head toward Isabelle’s. Their upside-down kiss calmed some of her roiling emotions. “You’re my safe harbor,” Holt said.
Isabelle kissed Holt’s nose and put her palm against her cheek. “I’m glad you feel that way. Every superhero needs a safe place to call home. I want it to always be right here.”
“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” Holt said. “Did I see you meeting with Lola today?”
“That poor woman is turned inside out right now. Tiffany left her the positive pregnancy test and offered her the baby, but now Lola can’t find her. She’s been looking since we found her on our doorstep. She doesn’t even know how far along Tiffany is.”
“Is she going to keep the kid?”
“I think so. I don’t think she can imagine what will happen if she doesn’t. Tiffany’s note indicated she didn’t want the baby, so Lola feels like she doesn’t have a choice. While we were talking, it seemed like the reality of it was starting to set in. That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“She’s going to need a lawyer,” Holt said. “If she’s going to go through with keeping the baby. And she should get it in place as soon as she can, so everything is ready once we find Tiff. I’ll call in a favor and get her hooked up. Sometimes it’s convenient being connected.”
“Do you want kids?” Isabelle asked.
“I love kids,” Holt said.
“Not an answer to my question. Spending five minutes with you and Superman sort of gave away your love of that little guy. What about your own, our own?”
Holt felt a little short of breath. She hadn’t thought about it, ever. She figured no one would want to partner with her, given the life she led, so being a parent seemed like the last thing on her mind. Sure, her friend Amy was a single mom, but she was an amazing woman. Holt didn’t think she could do what Amy did. But now she had Isabelle.
“What about my job?” Holt asked.
“I still hate how dangerous it is, despite you saying it’s boring and mostly paper pushing. But I don’t think it’s more dangerous than if you were a police officer or firefighter. Certainly not more dangerous than if you were a soldier. They all have children.”
“Did my mother put you up to this?”
“Your mother calls me ‘Adele.’ Although she might learn my name if we produce a grandchild.”
“Ugh. That woman gives me migraines. Do you want children?”
“I think so. I wasn’t sure for a while. Daddy issues and all. But lately, I’ve changed my mind. And now, the image of you holding our baby in your beautiful, tattooed arms…Well. I like that idea a lot.”
“You do have a soft spot for my ink,” Holt said.
“Just something to think about,” Isabelle said. “But if there is a baby in our future, this loft, as beautiful as it is, won’t work. So think long and hard, Hot Stuff.”
“I do think I might like to give mothering a shot one day,” Holt said. “But what’s wrong with my loft? You don’t seem in a hurry to leave. You even made me put my boxers and boxer briefs all in the same drawer so you could move in here.”
“Someone was murdered in my house. Considering that is my alternative, your underwear drawer problems seem minor.”
Holt felt guilty about the fact that Isabelle didn’t feel comfortable in her own home anymore. If she had gotten to Isabelle sooner that night, or if she had been by her side, as she should have been, it might not have happened. Not that Holt was complaining about Isabelle moving in. Coming home to her every day, and waking up next to her each morning, had enhanced her life in ways she didn’t think possible.
“I’m sorry about your house,” Holt said. “I’ll buy you any house in the state that will make you feel safe.”
Isabelle shook her head and smiled, as she always did when Holt offered. “If you’re here, then I feel safe. I like the loft. For now, it works just fine. Someday we’ll consider something else. And when we do, we won’t let any of your work acquaintances know where we are.”
“Sounds like heaven,” Holt said. It really did.
Chapter Six
Dubs knew Max was annoyed, but they were about to head out onto her turf to play her game, and she needed to feel comfortable. Since they were handcuffed together, that meant Max had to sit on the toilet awkwardly while Dubs put on her makeup. She never stole cars without it. It was part of her routine. At least she didn’t have to do her hair too. A ponytail was good enough for work.
“I’m almost done, Pretty Girl,” Dubs said. “We’ve got to look the part.”
“I don’t think too many car thieves look like you, Dubs,” Max said. “Makeup or not.”
“Is that a compliment? Are you flirting with me, even though I know you really don’t want to?” Dubs couldn’t get a read on Max. Maybe they just hadn’t spent enough time together. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. Usually, though, Dubs knew all she needed to about cars and women in less than half that amount of time. Either she had lost some of her edge in prison, or Max was unlike anyone she had ever encountered. She really hoped it was the latter, since she was about to take them out for a joyride. She might be technically working for Holt Lasher, Superwoman extraordinaire, but she was sure there were still more than a few Providence cops who would be happy to forget that and toss her back in jail for the night. Holt had done half the job of cuffing her already.
“I don’t flirt. Certainly not with you,” Max said, clearly grumpy. “Are you almost done? How long does it take to put on all this stuff?”
“A lot less time if I didn’t have to do it one-handed. And it would help if you could sit still,” Dubs said. She didn’t believe for one second that Max didn’t flirt. She’d caught her staring more than once today. “So, did our genius boss give you any ideas on how exactly we are supposed to blend into a crowd while handcuffed together? Stealing cars is all about not being noticed. These are pretty noticeable.” Dubs held up their joined wrists.
Max moved like a blur. Dubs’s mascara tube clattered to the floor as her cuffed wrist was wrenched behind her and her face was pressed against the bathroom wall. Max stood behind her, holding her there, forcing submission.
“There are a few things we need to get clear,” Max said, from the sound of her voice, clearly very angry. “Don’t lie to me and we’ll get along just fine, but until I know you’re
not lying, I have no reason to trust you. Stealing cars is your thing. You figure out how we do it. If it was easy, probably everyone would do it, so a few extra hurdles doesn’t require whining. And finally, when I’m around, which, given the cuffs, is going to be always, Holt gets the respect she deserves, from you and everyone else. Got it? Bow at her feet, kiss her pinky ring, whatever you think is appropriate, it’s probably still not enough. At least not in my eyes. And not in the rest of her crew’s eyes either. You’re lucky to be in the position you’re in. Take advantage. And don’t blow it.”
“Did you just burst out of all of your clothes and turn green?” Dubs asked.
“What?”
“You know, Hulk mad, Hulk smash. ’Cause I’m feeling a little like a mosquito here.” Dubs’s words were a bit slurred since half her face was pressed against a tile wall.
Max released her slightly. “You hear what I said?”
“Yes, yes. Don’t lie or cheat. You and the rest of Holt’s crew have a major hard-on for her. I got it. Well, I don’t get it, but I got it. She’s not been the most welcoming though. Just have to say that.”
Dubs felt Max tense up on her right arm, which was still behind her back, once again.
“Hey, wait a minute. No need to get all tyrannical again. I won’t say another word about Holt.” In truth, she hadn’t really formed an opinion about Holt yet. She was intimidated by her, and respected how much power she commanded. Until just now, she thought she must rule mostly by intimidation, but Max didn’t seem scared of her. Holt had seemed to be trying to intimidate Dubs earlier in the day, though. She was another one who was hard to read.
“She’s testing you,” Max said. “She’s not going to let you get close to any of us if she can’t trust you. She puts our safety and well-being above her own on every job we do. It’s just how she is.”
“And yet here we are,” Dubs said.
“If I needed her, she’d be here.”
Max seemed so sure of that statement, Dubs wondered if the room was bugged. Maybe the handcuffs?
“So do you want to go and cool off as far away from me as possible while I finish getting ready?” Dubs asked. “Maybe you could sit on the edge of the tub, and I’ll use this little mirror and sit on the toilet seat? If we stretch our arms out, it might work.”
The attempt at humor seemed to work, as the air in the room didn’t feel so charged, and Max actually smiled. Pretty Girl wasn’t just something Dubs called her; it was an accurate description. Especially when she smiled.
“Well, I don’t want you to think you’re the only one working around here. I actually did think about us blending in out and about. I asked Jose to make some modifications to our jackets. We now have zippers on our sleeves, and there is a tear-away Velcro closure inside each sleeve too. We can hide these pretty well, hopefully.”
“Jose the mechanic?”
“We’re a multitalented group. Do you play an instrument? Write poetry? I don’t think we currently have anyone who does face painting.”
“Okay, now I know you’re flirting with me,” Dubs said.
“Are you done with your makeup?” Max asked. “It’s almost dark. You promised me a joyride.”
*
“This isn’t quite what I had in mind for the evening,” Max said. “Don’t get me wrong; watching you consume five lattes in the past two hours has been awesome. Not so much when you have to evacuate all those lattes and I have to go with you, but didn’t we have something else in mind for tonight?”
“Pretty Girl, you sit still worse than I do. And we’re doing exactly what we planned on doing tonight. I told you, we’re waiting for the match. Until then, we’re just two beautiful women, enjoying a nice evening on the patio of a lovely coffee shop, on a long, luxurious date. Now snuggle closer, our cuffs are starting to show again.” Dubs had been holding Max’s hand, or snuggling up close to her, or somehow keeping their hands in very close proximity, in order to keep the handcuffs joining them hidden beneath their jackets, for the past couple hours. It was incredibly distracting. Sure, they were both simply putting on a show, but Max was hot, and Dubs had been in prison for a long time. If the end goal wasn’t getting behind the wheel of a sweet BMW tonight, all this hand-holding would have changed her plans for the evening.
“Why don’t you trust me?” Dubs asked.
“I don’t have any reason to,” Max said. “And any time you’ve been given the chance to provide a straight answer, you don’t. You have something snarky to say. You didn’t join this team willingly, so I don’t know what your motives are.”
“Well, that was honest,” Dubs said. Max wasn’t really that far off the mark. Her life prospects had changed so much in the past few days even she wasn’t sure what, or who, to trust. All she knew was once she found out about Levi dying, she had needed to get out of prison. Holt Lasher and this new group of thieves had provided that opportunity. She would figure the rest out later.
“Is it going to be a problem that some of your people saw you with me today?” Max said. “Do they know you date girls?”
“Please,” Dubs said. “My father set me up on my first date. If anyone has a problem with you being with me, it’s because they know who you work for. They’ll think this means I’ve turned snitch. My father, Mrs. Otis, they’re old school. In their world, you’re either good or bad, no gray area. If I’m there with you, I’ve crossed over.”
“Are they going to tell other people that?” Max looked worried.
“Hell no,” Dubs said. “That would get me killed. People will have to come to their own conclusions. But Holt is putting us both in danger by chaining us together.”
“I’m sure she has her reasons.” Max seemed a little less convinced.
“Don’t throw your coffee in my face or anything, but why do you follow her so unconditionally?”
“It’s not unconditional,” Max said. “And it’s not without foundation. You just have to know her, I guess. If you’ve been through the shit with her, you tend to be a believer.”
“That’s some pretty strong Kool-Aid,” Dubs said. “Does the really big dude mix it up special every morning? I bet with his biceps, he can practically froth it to a boil. Is that what makes it so powerful?” Dub hoped Max could tell she was teasing.
“No, they leave me in charge of that,” Max said. “It requires a featherlight touch. It’s like egg whites. You can’t over beat.”
“Tell me more about your featherlight touch,” Dubs said. “Tell me about the unstoppable badass, Max Winters. From your absolute spaztastic freak-out over that screen thingy in the office, I’m going to guess you lean slightly techy. Am I right?”
“I’m the data acquisition specialist and technology advisor for the crew,” Max said.
“You know I have no idea what that means, right?” Dubs said. “Wait. Are you like Tony Stark from the Iron Man movies? With all the fancy computer toys and tricks?”
“That’s just a movie, Dubs.”
“Oh.” Dubs was disappointed.
“My skills are so much better than Iron Man’s.”
Dubs caught Max’s eye as she grinned wryly. When it came to computers and whatever “data acquisition” was, Max was clearly the shit and she knew it. Dubs couldn’t think of anything sexier.
“Maybe you can show me some of your wicked skills soon,” Dubs said. “I am prepared to be very impressed. But right now, we should think about wrapping up. Our ride just arrived.”
“What do you mean it just arrived? From where?” Max looked around. She must not have seen the car Dubs had been waiting for for the past two hours.
“Did you really not notice that we’ve been enjoying our evening coffees right across the street from an extremely busy valet drop-off for half the restaurants around here?”
“Of course I noticed that,” Max said. “But I’m not a car thief, so I don’t understand how that is relevant to our situation. This is part of the trust issue. You could have shared your plan for the ev
ening when we sat down like I asked. Instead, you said you were planning on people-watching and having coffee.”
“I was watching people,” Dubs said. It wasn’t really a lie. She’d only ever told her secrets to Levi, when she was teaching him. It was habit to not let anyone in on her thinking.
“And apparently more than that,” Max said, looking a little more cooperative than earlier.
“Well, the car we’re going to steal just got dropped off with the valet. The couple that got out looked like they were dressed for dinner. We have at least an hour, but the sooner we move the better. That gives us the longest head start before they notice the car is missing.”
“It’s a busy night. Won’t the valet notice us?”
“I don’t plan on being in there that long,” Dubs said. “But if we get spotted, we’ll have to improvise. You willing to play along with whatever we need to do?”
Max didn’t look like she particularly liked the sound of that plan, but she nodded in agreement anyway. Max paid for their coffee and pastry and they crossed the street, hand in hand.
Dubs made sure they moved at a casual pace, keeping their focus more on each other than their destination.
“You seem familiar with this setup, the coffee shop, the valet stand, the lot. Done work here before?” Max asked.
“I’m touched you noticed,” Dubs said, snuggling a little closer to Max’s neck.
“What car are we looking for?”
“That beautiful black BMW they parked right over there.” Dubs had watched the car all the way into the lot. That was another reason she had used this place to scout cars for so long. The valet lot was open-air. She could watch the attendants park the cars she was interested in. It made accessing them much easier.
“Convenient,” Max said. “What do you need me to do once we’re there? How long do you need?”
“I’m usually on my own, but it will be nice to have someone keeping watch. If all goes well, we’ll be driving out of here thirty seconds from the time I first put my hands on that car.” Dubs hadn’t felt this particular brand of excitement in years. It was hard to force herself to calm down. She was already four steps ahead and behind the wheel driving away. She had to focus or they were both in trouble. Even though this was an easy steal, things could still go wrong.
Pedal to the Metal Page 4
