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“What do you mean by fun?” I asked hesitantly, glancing around at the expensive locked cases around us. There was no way they didn’t have silent alarms in them, and I highly doubted his contact could’ve disabled those as easily as the stores’ internal alarms.
Instead of answering, Spade wrapped an arm around my shoulders, tucking me against his side. “This is the epitome of capitalism.” He gestured around us, at the small luxury stores lining the sides of the sprawling store. “The system where they spend more on learning how to trick people into spending money that they don’t have, rather than helping those who are struggling.”
My lips quirked to the side at that, truly taking in the items around us. There were key dishes that cost as much as someone’s grocery bill just past the glass cases. Bags that cost more than most people’s rent.
“Haven’t you ever just wanted to smash it? To take what little control you can in this fucked-up world?” he asked with a devious glint in his violet eyes.
Yes, I thought, but he already knew that judging by the subtle smirk that tilted his lips.
“I’ve made arrangements to pay back the other store already, but this one is the epitome of what is wrong with the world.” He shot a defiant smirk up at the cameras as though someone was watching them. But if they were, I guarantee we wouldn’t be standing here right now. “This will be our act of defiance for the night, the act of reclaiming that part of yourself that was forced to live in this world of excess.”
“Okay,” I said simply, rolling up the sleeves of the hoodie as I set my sights on the ridiculously expensive plates on the far wall. The ones that were the exact same as the set I knew were sitting in Tommaso’s cupboards—not mine, not anymore. I’d scoffed at the ostentatious things, having wanted something more practical, but he’d insisted our guests’ impressions mattered more than my thoughts.
He huffed out a breath of amusement, as if he hadn’t expected it to be that easy to convince me. But as I glanced around at the luxury items, I could picture the people who would shop here, their designer watches, glinting in the halogen lights overhead. I could imagine their snide looks and sneering faces as they ordered the workers barely making a livable wage around them.
I let those lingering doubts slip away, and I decided to do what I wanted for a change. Fuck the consequences, if there were any, we’d deal with them then. But right now, I needed this—I needed this relatively small act of defiance to snap me out of the mask of impassivity I’d worn for so long. The adrenaline rush that accompanied danger had always sparked that love of life within me.
I grinned up at him, grasping the pieces of my old self that still remained, letting this act of rebellion feed those shards of my soul. And when his own smile broadened to match mine, I knew he could see the shadow of the devil that still lived within me, emerging, and he liked what he saw.
“Ready?”Spadeasked,aplate clutched in his hand and muscles poised for my answer.
I shook out any lingering stiffness in my shoulders and lifted the bat, planting my feet wide as I took a few practice swings. “You know it.” I was really starting to enjoy the feel of a bat wrapped in my grip as I unleashed violence and destruction.
“Three, two, one,” he counted and threw the dish in front of me. I swung the bat, the metal connecting with the expensive dinnerware with a crash, shards scattering all over the place in its wake.
“Again.” I laughed, pulling the bat back as I readied for the next piece. This time it was a coffee mug in the same red and gold pattern that I smashed with the bat, followed by the rest of the set. Luckily there’d been a sporting goods store next door that Spade was able to swipe it from. It just added to the satisfaction of watching the designer dinner set break into shards.
I’d already smashed most of them, throwing them against the walls, the floors, and practicing my swing on the display sets. My lips were tilted up into a permanent smile as we continued our crusade of destruction. The weight lifted off my chest with each piece of ceramic that crashed around me. I even let Spade get in a swing or two, out of the goodness of my heart.
“That’s the last of it.” Spade chuckled, striding up to me to ease the bat from my fingers and bringing it down on the display table. The glass shattered around us, and I couldn’t help the giddy laugh that escaped at the pure delight radiating off him.
He tossed the bat back toward the entrance, and it skittered along the ceramic tiles before clanging against the metal grate.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous, sugar,” he murmured, and I nearly jumped as his thumb traced along the curve of my lips, his eyes glued to the smile that was plastered to my face. “I never want to see this smile fade, and I’ll gut anyone who threatens to take it away.”
I knew the threat was serious, he would kill anyone who threatened me or got in the way of my happiness. The thought should have sent tendrils of fear skittering down my spine. Instead, my chest warmed like the sadistic bitch I must be as I leaned into his touch, my eyes fluttering closed as I savored the feel of his thumb caressing the sensitive skin, wishing he’d replace it with his mouth.
As if reading my mind, his lips lowered on mine, the touch light and soft, letting me take the lead. I could back away from him if I wanted to, but I knew in that moment this was exactly where I wanted to be. I pressed against him, his chest hard against mine as his hand trailed along my jaw. His fingers threaded through my hair, deepening our kiss, and parting my lips beneath his. His tongue swept in long possessive strokes, tangling with mine as he devoured me.
I moaned into his mouth, my hands shaking slightly as I pulled him closer. My heart thumped against my chest as warm tendrils of need curled within me, urging my body on. Heat flooded my veins, and the thick hoodie and sweatpants became stifling. My hands itched to strip them off my body to find any surface, any position that might be able to find some release. I whimpered into his mouth, needing the friction of his body against mine. His answering chuckle vibrated through me, and I could’ve sworn it went straight to my pussy. His hand slipped under the thick fabric of the sweatshirt and caressed the smooth skin of my waist, the touch teasing as he played with the waistband of my pants.
I groaned in frustration and his tongue swept against mine as though playfully showing off his skill … and now all I could imagine was the pressure of his piercing as his mouth stroked and sucked on my clit—
“I have an idea,” he blurted, abruptly pulling away and jolting me from the fog of lust that had settled over me. My eyes flickered open, my lips still parted as I stared back at him with a bewildered expression. Undeterred by my shock and disbelief, his arms shifted to scoop me up, lifting me against his chest.
“That statement officially scares me.” I giggled, squirming in his grip to get comfortable and wrapping my arms around his neck. I didn’t bother to protest the sudden shift, especially since I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk after that kiss. My body was still warm and languid from the desire pooling in my core.
“That’s a lie, I know you love my ideas.” He smirked down at me, waggling his eyebrows smugly as the broken ceramic crunched beneath his feet.
Yup, I really did, but I couldn’t voice that, not just yet. Because who knew what crazy plans he’d concoct if he knew I was down for whatever he came up with next. So instead I stayed silent and relaxed into his arms, ready to roll with whatever he threw at me next.
“Can you hold this, sugar?” He shifted me in his grip and pulled a still packaged blanket from the top of a display. I chuckled as he placed it in my lap and secured his grip around my legs again, the movement so swift, I might not have noticed it if he hadn’t said anything.
“Why do you need a blanket?” I asked, slipping an arm from his neck to secure the blanket against me.
“Oh, you’ll see,” he assured, his strides long and deliberate as he crossed the store. I stared up at him in wonder, wishing I could see inside his mind. Some I’m sure would balk at what they saw there but everything about this man fascinated me.
So I just shook my head, deciding to trust whatever clever plan he had up his sleeve now, knowing he wouldn’t lead me astray.
