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“Yes. Porter, Phoenix,” I said, pointing us out. She followed my finger, taking it all in. “Does your head feel okay? You clipped it on the corner. I cleaned it and bandaged you, but we can take you to the hospital if you prefer.”
Her eyes shuttered as she winced. “Yes, of course. I was leaving and ran into the shelf. You mentioned… You mentioned that word, and everything went dark. Is there any on me?” she asked, keeping her eyes closed.
“None on your face.” I lifted her hand and spotted a little smear, so I wiped it off and checked her clothes. There was a little smudge on her hood, so I wiped it clean next. When I didn’t spot anymore, I tossed the wipes away. “All clear.”
Her whole body relaxed, and she let out a breath as her eyes opened; her blue eyes softened as she looked between Phoenix and me.
“Thank you. I can’t…” She shook her head. “Yeah, I just can’t. It makes it difficult to watch my favorite show too. No matter how many times I write toPhoenix Hospital,they refuse to do away with the red stuff. I mean, I get it, but also… eww.”
“You watchPhoenix Hospital?” my brother asked, his eyes wide as he smiled down at her.
“It’s only the best medical drama ever,” she said, some of the spark I’d seen the first time I’d met her returning. “If you’re going to make fun of me, just know I can kill you a hundred different ways.”
“He’s obsessed,” I said when Phoenix’s mouth dropped open. I couldn’t tell if he was scared or turned on. Knowing him, probably a little of both. He swallowed, nodding.
“It’s my favorite show, too. The guys get tired of me talking about it all the time.”
“Same! The other Belladonnas don’t understand my commitment to it, especially after—”
“Dr. Romano left,” they said together.
Robyn giggled and went to sit up but was blocked by Rueben’s arms holding her. She glanced down, finding the large tattooed arm across her middle. Tilting her head back, I nervously waited for her to freak out at the silent giant’s arms she was in.
She smiled, her hand reaching up to touch his cheek. “My chocolate cake hero,” she said sweetly. Rueben’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned into her touch. He’d never been this at ease with a woman before. I didn’t know all of his history, but based on what I’d gathered over the years, I believed his abuser had been his mother, making his trust in women difficult.
I’d only seen him with a handful throughout the years, but they never lasted long. Even when he liked one, he never treated them like this. He was standoffish and kept them at arm’s length, keeping their relationship physical.
“The three of you are with PROP, aren’t you? You’re the Loxley Crew?” she asked, looking back at the three of us. “I’ve wanted to meet you for so long. I follow all your heists as best as I can.” Her cheeks tinted red, pride filling my chest at her admiration.
“We are. Along with one other. Boss man is back at the house we rented. He had… to rest,” I said, not wanting to disclose Otto’s secret. He worked hard to not let it be a hindrance to his life, so I wouldn’t be the one spilling the beans.
“There’s four of you? I could only ever count three. That’s very clever.” She brightened as she looked between the three of us.
“And you’re the Peppermint Killer,” Phoenix said, earning him a scowl.
“No, I absolutely am not! I’m the Silent Blade. Or at least I am tonight. I haven’t decided if I’m committed to it yet. No one ever asked me if I wanted to be the Peppermint Killer; they just started calling me that, and now it’s stuck! So, I’m on a mission to change it.”
Her outburst was so cute it made us all smile as we watched her huff and puff. Our laughter had her crossing her arms over her chest, her lower lip dropping into a pout that I knew would be the end of us all. I needed to do something quick!
“Do you need to get in touch with anyone, Robyn? Are the Belladonna’s your organization?” I asked, hoping to learn more about her and distract her from the pout.
“Oh.” Her mouth formed an ‘o’ as she sat up, Rueben letting her this time. He didn’t release her entirely, though, settling her back against his chest. She shook her head, cringing.
“My name’s not Robyn. That’s just my cover. I’m Raven. Sorry for lying. And pretend like I didn’t mention the Belladonnas.”
“Raven,” I said, rolling her name over my tongue. It fit her so much better. “I like it. And you don’t have to apologize to us. We know the importance of keeping identities hidden. You can trust us. I know that sounds cliche, but you can.”
She deflated, her eyes shining as she nodded. Her trusting us felt significant, and I wanted to shout from the rooftops. She took a breath, swallowing.
“I don’t have anyone I need to get in touch with yet. The Belladonnas are my adopted sisters, my fellow assassins. But should we move? I don’t normally stay around the crime scene this long.” She looked around at the van, something clicking in her mind. “You’re the van parked down the street. I thought it was out of place,” she mumbled.
“Yeah, I guess we better. Um…” I paused, looking between the others. I didn’t want to let her go just yet. The two others seemed to agree, giving me a subtle nod. “Would you want to hang out some more? We have food, and we could trade war stories or something?” I asked, my cheeks flushing.
“Oh, are you sure? I don’t want to interfere.”
“You wouldn’t,” Phoenix and I said together as Rueben’s arms tightened around her.
“What’s your name, big guy?” she asked, looking up at him again.
