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“Nonsense. I’ve enjoyed our drives to and from work.” I winked at him, causing his cheeks to flush as he wiggled in his seat.
“Those have been good,” he said, clearing his throat. “Don’t forget you gotta be friendly to Mark. Ask him about the game last night. We talked about it yesterday.”
“I can be friendly,” Phoenix mumbled, frowning. “What game?”
Porter sighed, slouching down in the seat so he looked shorter. “It’s basketball season, bro. You know what, just pretend you have to take a shit or something and leave. You’ll give yourself away.”
A giggle escaped me as I remembered a story Harlow had told me about her last mission. She’d been cornered by her new bestie in the bathroom, so she used farting sounds to distract her while she snuck out the window.
“I can do it, Bro. Have some faith. You don’t have to protect me anymore,” Phoenix gritted out, his voice stern and hurt.
“It’s not that, Nix—” Porter started but was cut off as the car pulled into the driveway. “Good luck. I love you, man.” Porter squeezed his shoulder before sliding out of the door. I did the same, fighting the urge to kiss his cheek. Phoenix gave me a grateful nod in the rearview, a determined look on his face.
“Hey, Mark. How’s your day been?” I asked as we walked up. He smiled at me, his eyes shifting to Porter.
“It’s better now. Who’s your friend?” he asked, assessing Porter, his eyes narrowing. Crap. I guess we hadn’t made Porter non-threatening enough.
“Oh, this is Dr. Romano. He’s here to run some extra tests on Mr. Duke.” I leaned forward conspiratorially. “Between you and me, I’m more of a doctor than this guy.” I rolled my eyes, scoffing. Mark smiled at that, dropping his protective stance.
“Guess what I made today?” I shook the box of laced brownies, opening the lid to let the addictive chocolate aroma escape.
“It’s no use saying no, is it?” He chuckled and took the box, setting it inside. So far, our plan was off to a great start.
“Will we be let in anytime soon? I have a patient to see,” Porter drawled, sighing loudly. Mark gave me a look, rolling his eyes as he grabbed his wand and scanned it over him. I sucked in a breath as he patted him down but didn’t seem to think anything was off about the extra poundage around his waist. Phew.
The golf cart neared on time, and Phoenix swooped in to distract Mark from checking me. Not that he had in a few days, but we definitely didn’t want him to today. We’d sewn Porter’s tools into my bag, knowing we’d need them to get into the safe.
Mark spotted the golf cart hitting the gate as he chatted with Phoenix. I had to admit, I’d also been a little nervous, wondering if Phoenix could pull off Porter’s carefree spirit, but as I walked to the golf cart, I knew I’d been wrong to doubt him. Porter seemed to think the same, his shoulders relaxing as he climbed onto the back of the cart.
“Hey, Sean. This is Dr. Romano.” I leaned in to whisper, Sean’s cheeks turning rosier than usual at my nearness. “I told them I play a doctor on TV, and he wasn’t needed, but they didn’t believe me.”
Sean chuckled, shaking his head at me. I grinned, settling into the seat as the cart took off. I didn’t usually get to interact with people on a job for this long and, therefore, never thought about them after it ended. But this job had been different. Both with my guys working with me and getting to know the people here. If this had been my real life, I’d garner to say I’d made friends.
It was an odd thing to realize. That it had taken me until I was twenty-six to make friends, but it was true. Being a Belladonna was isolating in a lot of ways. At first, I’d been excited to meet the other girls and train with them, hoping to make my treehouse of friends a reality.
But a bunch of broken girls living in a mansion, a treehouse of friends it did not make.
I knew Man had the best of intentions, rescuing us from worse fates. But for the first time, since I’d met him, I wondered what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t gotten into his car that day.
But I guess in the end, it didn’t matter. I did get in that car and traveled down the assassin path that led me to my guys. And that wasn’t something I’d ever regret. What it did do, though, was make me reconsider some preconceived notions I held about myself. Maybe I could do something different after all this? Perhaps I didn’t have to be an assassin for the rest of my life if I didn’t want to. The desire to get this job done doubled with an unknown future to look forward to.
“Any new gossip today?” I asked Sean, remembering I needed to focus on the now before I got lost in the future.
“Nothing exciting. Commander has been coming down on some of the guys more. He’s suspicious of someone. I’m not sure why. He grilled that new guy for an hour earlier. But he’s tougher than me; didn’t say a thing, just watched the Commander as he ranted at him.”
Fear sank in my stomach, and I glanced back at Porter. Shit. Was Rueben okay? I’d blow up this whole house before I left without him.
“He needs one of my brownies,” I teased, hoping it sounded light. Sean chuckled, rubbing his stomach. But seriously, he did.
“I’m going to miss your treats, Miss Molly. Have a good day.”
I smiled at him as we stepped off the golf cart and headed toward the door. The Commander was in place, his eyes trailing over me as I neared.
“Good evening, Commander. I brought some brownies today. Make sure you get one,” I greeted, just like I’d done all week. He didn’t reply as per usual, his eyes watching me the entire time. He was still our biggest hindrance, and I prayed our plan worked.
Once inside, I breathed a small sigh of relief we’d passed through but hurried to the room, needing to see Rueben was there. His giant frame came into view as I crested the top of the stairs, my heart slowing at his presence.
“You’re okay,” I breathed, stopping short when I saw his face. Rage burned through my blood as hot as the coals of Kilauea, the hottest volcano in the world.
