AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If Nydia hadn’t threatened his freedom with this heist, he would’ve been long gone from it after this Biagini job. He worried that he would always be associated with the life of crime, which he began when he was too young to realize he was committing himself to.
“What do you think?” Mickey’s voice shook him out of his thoughts.
Strap searched Mickey’s face. The excitement of her expression made his heart skip a beat, and when he realized she was pointing to some schematics of the house layout, he turned his attention there.
“I am not sure,” Strap muttered. He rubbed his face and pulled out a piece of paper. Then, he grabbed a pencil from Mickey’s host of equipment.
From memory, Strap drew the layout of the house. Mickey looked over his shoulder. “You remember all of that?”
“Yeah, it’s something I’ve always been able to do.” Strap stiffened as she placed her hand on his shoulder. His manhood betrayed him and swelled with her touch, tightening his pants around his thighs.
Strap swallowed the passion and shook off the shiver at the base of his spine. He refocused his attention on the illustration and sketched out the forest.
“The kitchen seems to be the best place for entrance. I can go up the hill in panther form and sneak in once the guard has done his rounds.”
Mickey picked up the piece of paper. “All my surveillance stuff was completely unneeded.” Disappointment flooded her voice. “This drawing is incredible.”
Strap looked at Mickey again. She was transfixed by the drawing. He could see the wheels turning in her mind. A pang of heartache broke through his chest when he saw how much she looked like his old partner. Her behavior reminded Strap of Mick’s as well.
“We are going to really kill this job,” Mickey said. She set the paper on the table and tented the layout with her hands. Her body was painfully close to Strap’s, stirring his animals. The heat radiating from her arms and breath made him want to push all the equipment off the table and take her right there. Instead, he backed away from her.
Strap couldn’t tell her he was going to do the job without her.
Nothing good would come of it if she kept going down this path with him.
The omission was the safest bet. Plus, Strap knew there was no reason for her to go with him. She was, at best, an amateur. Mickey had made countless rookie mistakes that would only land her in a human prison. His panther snarled at the thought.
Strap couldn’t live with himself if that happened.
She would be better off if he left her. The ideas of grandeur she seemed to have about thievery were too much from the movies. The truth of the matter was that Mickey could get hurt mentally, physically, emotionally, and mortally if she took one step out of line.
Strap wanted to protect her. But Mickey didn’t want to be saved.
Strap was suddenly blasted with a memory. Mick had said the same things that Strap had said to Mickey. When he was caught, Strap was in his early twenties. Maybe Mick hadn’t betrayed him after all. Maybe Mick did what he thought was best, making Strap see the consequences of his actions … that thought settled heavily in his chest. Tears pricked his eyes and threatened to spill over.
Strap wouldn’t have left criminal life behind otherwise.
The wind knocked out of him, and Strap stood. “I’m going to go to bed.” He cleared his throat, trying to catch a breath. “Big day tomorrow. Have to get some rest.”
Mickey looked up from the Strap’s drawing. “Yeah. You’re probably right.” She gave him a strange look. Strap was sure the pain was written on his face. “I’ll see you in the morning, then we’ll make final plans for tomorrow night?” Mickey asked as she took a step toward Strap.
He couldn’t tell if she was inviting him to her room or if she was concerned about what was going on with him. There were too many lies floating through the air. As much as Strap wanted to be with her, the mental toll it was taking was too much for him to process.
This night was going to be over soon. The job would be done.
Strap would have his freedom, but not without a huge loss. “Yup,” he choked out. “See you in the morning.”
Strap spun and walked away. He felt her disappointment. But he couldn’t bring himself to kiss her. It would be a goodbye kiss.
He didn’t want to kiss her for a final time if he couldn’t tell her they’d never see each other again.
Strap made his way to the guest bedroom to make it clear they would be separate tonight. He closed the door and flipped himself onto the bed.
After a few deep breaths, Strap kicked off his shoes and pulled off his clothes. He lay on the fluffy comforter, naked, listening to Mickey get ready for bed.
He heard her pad to her bedroom.
Mickey turned on the shower. Then, Strap envisioned her naked, soapy, with steam everywhere.
