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Although the danger that darkened the edges of their mission did not escape him, he took in these small moments of happiness. Maybe, he could be optimistic for them to have a normal life. In a normal place. One that wasn’t run by material goods or shady business dealings.
Hope gripped his chest and wouldn’t let go. It swelled his heart and flooded him with emotion. Tears brimmed in his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. Strap chose to believe in that life with his mate. He wanted it soon.
Pain twinged in his heart. Strap wanted it sooner than soon. He wanted it yesterday.
“You have a very deep frown.” Mickey’s observation shook him out of his thoughts. “What are you musing about over there?”
Strap shrugged and pretended to focus on the road. “I’m just wondering what it would be like if we hadn’t met under these circumstances.”
“Ah. Well, I also wonder what it would be like not to have a father who was a criminal.”
“Says the woman who is following in his footsteps.”
Mickey ignored the jab. She took Strap’s hand.
Fireworks from the skin-on-skin contact pulsed through his arm. Strap was sure Mickey was doing it to distract him from the comment. But changed the subject anyway. They had to be focused.
He pulled his hand away from her grasp to point at a hidden street. The ghost of her touch still lingered over his hand. “We’re going there, and then we will drive past. Then park in a nook.”
“There’s a nook created just for people to spy on a mob boss?”
Strap rolled his eyes in her direction. “I am not going to dignify that question with a response.”
Mickey huffed. “Fine. I just think it’s weird saying we have a spying nook.”
“I didn’t say we had a spying nook. Those are your words. Not. Mine.”
“Still weird.”
Strap laughed. He’d definitely laughed more in the last three days than he had in five years. It was a strange change of pace. But not terrible, just different. It filled his heart with something he didn’t know he could have … love.
“You would say anything was weird to get a rise out of me.” He smiled at her.
“Probably,” she said with a grin.
The sun was cradled in the midafternoon sky as they drove by Biagini’s house. There was nothing to see but a gate and a hill of trees. Strap knew there were guards everywhere, and the wooded grounds were heavily monitored by video surveillance teams.
He ducked his head. “Look away from the gate. Turn to look at me. We don’t want your face on any cameras.”
Mickey listened. She focused on Strap’s face, and he felt her eyes tracing his profile.
“Stop it. You’re distracting me.”
“How?”
“Just by staring like that. I can hear your heart rate pick up and sense your desire heighten.”
“Well, that’s creepy as hell.” Mickey waved her hand in the air. “Where do you expect me to look?”
“Look out the windshield.” The moment Mickey shifted her gaze, Strap felt lighter. “Thank you.”
“Geez, if I had known this mate stuff was so complicated, I would have studied for the test.”
“I didn’t know anything about it either. If that makes you feel better.” Strap slowed as they came to a clearing in the trees. He turned into it. Then he proceeded to drive the expensive, paid-for-in-cash car through the forest.
Strap weaved in and out of the tree trunks as if he’d done this a thousand times. He hadn’t, but his animal instincts helped a lot.
He pulled into a spot about a mile from the house. They could barely see it at all. Strap wouldn’t tell Mickey, but he intentionally parked in a heavily shaded area.
