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Should I let her finish the rant before I chimed in? I’m all for sex positivity, and hell, a bit of exhibitionism can make for a fun romp. But flaccid on a roof as a masked crusader commented on my technique? Yup, this was mighty awkward. I should probably—
“Wait. A drift?”
“Yeah, a drift.” She cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out the confusion. Beating her head against the end of her staff, she groaned. “A group of pigs is called a drift. Is this what we’re talking about?”
I giggled. “I’ve been in the middle of a drift before.”
“Huh? Who’s there—” Theo tilted his head back to see an upside-down Hellcat. It was amusing to see the flash of panic as he rolled over, propping himself up on his elbows. He might think this position better than his cock pointing to the heavens, but if Hellcat had watched our tryst, his ass was just as much a source of raunch.
“Can we help you with anything?” Might as well get to the point. I’m betting she’s a voyeur, and this was her thing. It would explain perching on the top of buildings. Easier to see into the windows of couples getting it on before bedtime. Even heroes had their kinks.
Her body straightened at the same time the emotion drained from her face. “I came to speak with EO. We need you.”
I didn’t think anybody other than Julian and I knew his alter ego. I jumped in to cover. “Close, but his name is Theo. I think you have the wrong—“
“Theo? EO? Let’s discuss a less obvious alter ego later.”
She had a point. It was bad enough that half the heroes of Vanguard walked around with skimpy masks, thinking it provided anonymity. But at the rate they were going, a guy named Marc would change his name to Mark and think himself safe. Somebody needed to teach our powered community the difference between subtle and stupid.
“What’s wrong?” Theo asked.
“I’m putting together a team and we need your help.” As if on cue, two capes dropped out of the sky. Both Hyperion and Lionheart were newer heroes, but since their appearance, they had made a name for themselves. If Hellcat had convinced these soloists to join her group, she must have a convincing pitch.
Even in the dark of night, Theo’s face lit up. It was the offer he had been waiting for since arriving in Vanguard. “About damned time. What took you so long?”
“We would have asked twenty minutes ago, but you appeared busy,” Lionheart said. Hyperion snickered at the comment, a sentiment their leader didn’t share. Hellcat shook her head before shooting them a look, silencing the powerhouses.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. When you’re naked as a jaybird in front of three people known for saving the planet, you can only laugh at the situation.
Hyperion and Lionheart couldn’t hide their smirks.
“You’re a bunch of deviants,” I said.
“Yes,” she said, “yes, we are. And these deviants are going to save the world.”
Where the two men were new to the scene, Hellcat had been around as long as I worked at Midnight Alley. But if this was a world-saving endeavor, her skill with martial arts wasn’t going to be enough. I’m not sure if a Galactic Empire’s elite guard cared how hard she kicked.
“I don’t want to state the obvious, but isn’t this a job for the Centurions?”
The tone shifted. Neither man snickered as Hellcat lowered herself to one knee. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she spoke. “The Centurions are the ones we’re saving the world from.”
One sentence came with a world of questions. The Centurions were known as Earth’s greatest heroes. They had saved the planet from apocalyptic events for as long as I could remember. Bernard. What about Bernard? What did this mean for him? Was I going to need to choose between my boyfriend and best friend?
Theo didn’t hesitate. “I’m in.”
“¡Dios mío!”
32
Midnight Alley.Home.
For the last week, the club had been closed while we upgraded the sound system and had the furniture reupholstered. I wanted a facelift, familiar, but with little touches that transitioned the club from one stage to the next. A grand re-opening had been Bruno’s idea, and I ran with it. Despite being closed, every staff member pitched in. Tonight we prayed it paid off.
I still thought of this room as Scarlet’s office. Even without her photographs or newspaper articles on the wall, it didn’t quite feel like it belonged to me. Any moment, I’d shoot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, and realize this had all been a dream. Staring at the floor-length mirror, I almost didn’t recognize the suave man staring back at me.
“Damn. I look good.”
If mi madre saw me now, she’d be thrilled with her baby. In the reflection, I could see the bouquet of dahlias. Eventually, I’d invite her to Vanguard City for a visit. If I didn’t, she’d show up on my door with la chancla in hand, ready to strike me down like a sharpshooter. I might be brave when it came to villains, but nobody stood a chance against Señora Martinez.
