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“Well, thank you for the ride. I’m glad it was you that picked me up. I’ll make sure to give you a 5-star rating.”
His smile returned, and he hopped out, opening my door before I could. His big hand reached in and took mine, the tingles returning as he pulled me from the seat. My body was only an inch from his, and I had to stop myself from leaning into him. He had an aura about him that I wanted to soak in.
“I’m glad I picked you up, too. And you’re not bad with people, Robyn.” He bent down, his face growing closer to mine. I sucked in a breath, my eyes closing of their own free will as I waited for his lips to touch mine. It was dumb to let him, but I couldn’t make myself pull away. Not even if he had a knife to my throat would I want to.
His breath fanned across my cheek, and I blinked, realizing he’d been reaching for the luggage—notanother assassin. Of course, he wouldn’t be kissing a stranger! Who did that? It wasn’tPhoenix Hospital. I was officially going cuckoo.
“Maybe I’ll see you around,” he said, handing me my bag and winking.
“Yeah, maybe.” I waved as I hurried inside, knowing there was not a chance in Hell he’d ever see me again. I was here for two nights, and then I’d be gone, just a memory in the wind.
Sadness washed over me at that knowledge, and I cursed the fact I was a Belladonna. Porter was a nice guy. There was no world where the assassin got the nice guy. It just didn’t work that way.
Being an assassin had never felt as lonely as it did right then.
4
OTTO
The musclesin my neck ached, reminding me I’d been poring over the blueprints for far too long. Lifting my hand, I massaged the strained area, rubbing my palm over the short, coarse hairs at the back. The texture soothed my nerves, relaxing my frayed edges.
Compared to the other jobs we’d done, this one felt more important. I didn’t know why, but something inside of me lit up when it appeared. These three weren’t any more criminal than the usual rich assholes we’d targeted.
Though, saying that, I knew it wasn’t exactly true. They might not be mob bosses or serial killers, but they’d been greedy, entitled pricks who’d sacrificed a bunch of people’s lives to get rich. So, yeah, maybe they were worse because their crimes had targeted the vulnerable, taking advantage of their desperation.
A desperation I knew all too well.
And if fate hadn’t intervened, bringing me a savior in the form of a little bird, I’d likely have been one of their numbers.
So, yeah, I guess this one was personal.
“Surveillance is set,” Phoenix said, popping his head around the door. “Have you seen my brother?”
I turned my head, taking him in as I ran through my mental checklist. His dark blond hair was sticking up, probably from running his hands through it while he worked. His threadbare t-shirt had seen better days, and his gray joggers had a few orange stains from his favorite hacking snack. A sleeve of tattoos wrapped around his left arm.
His appearance, combined with the bags under his eyes, told me everything I needed to know. Phoenix had pulled an all-nighter and would need a day to recover, meaning the earliest we could strike would be tomorrow evening.
“Picked up a ride-share job. You know how he gets on the pre-planning parts. If he’s not doing something, he gets bored and in the way.”
“Right.” Phoenix nodded, blinking, rubbing his eyes. “I vaguely remember that now. He’d gotten up after PH, and I’d zoned back into the job.” He yawned, covering his mouth. “I’d honestly thought he’d gone to poop and was worried he had food poisoning or, worse, was setting up an elaborate prank.”
Chuckling, I leaned back in the chair, used to the twin’s pranks on one another over the years. After my little bird had saved me, I’d been placed in a few foster homes before inevitably ending up in a group home. That was where I met Rueben and the twins a year later. The four of us had bonded, becoming a brotherhood.
At night in our bunk beds, I shared with them the stories Little Bird and I had created, helping them get through the darkness with a future to focus on. I hadn’t intended for the four of us to become the modern-day Robin Hood, living Little Bird’s dream. But after a handful of failed attempts to make it on the straight and narrow, it felt like the only valid option—an inevitable conclusion.
That, and I think they were all a little in love with her as well from my stories and wanted to give her the dream she had, regardless if I never found her. Knowing we were making it happen was enough for them.
But not for me. I wouldn’t stop until I fulfilled my promise—together forever.
“You should get some sleep, Nix. We’ll hit the first target tomorrow.”
The door opened, and his wayward brother sauntered in. The grin on his face was unmistakable—he’d met a girl.
Porter was as notorious for falling in love at first sight as he was for pulling pranks. Whereas his twin, Phoenix, tended to be more introverted and solemn, preferring to stay behind his computer for most jobs, Porter was the complete opposite. Restless with boundless energy, he couldn’t stand to be cooped up and always had a smile for everyone. Porter was like a golden retriever puppy, and Phoenix a hairless cat. Both were cute to the right person.
“How did you meet someone already?” Phoenix asked, dropping his head into his hands with a groan.
Porter ignored his grouchiness, spinning around in a circle with his arms out as he fell back onto the couch. A loud sigh escaped him as he placed his hands behind his head, crossing his feet at his ankles.
