“Oh, that?That part’s easy,” Lucky says, his signature smile starting to peek through.His ability to bounce back is impressive.“Are you watching?”
The space he’s standing in clears, and I can pinpoint the exact moment when Sterling stops breathing.Yep.I remember how shocking it was the first time.
The next second, Lucky is back.Gone long enough to make his point and now staring at me.
“Go on, love.Show off for him.”
Any other time, and I might.But this situation has only gotten more complicated since we arrived, and the personal history we’re tripping over right now can wait.
“Can we keep focus, please?”I ask.“The news said there were half a dozen guys inside.Is that true?”
Sterling recovers.“That’s right.The leader is wearing a motorcycle helmet, answers to T.He took three down to one of the vaults with the manager and left two up here to keep the police out.”
“Okay, so that leaves us four to take care of.”
“You’re not going down there,” Sterling says, and it turns out Lucky can get angry.
“Look who has an opinion about my life after ten years.”
“This is hardly the time to?—”
“You just can’t handle not calling the shots?—”
Oh my God, this cannot be happening right now.
Their hands slap over their mouths with a clap, and the silence is a blessing.
Sterling’s eyes are wide in terror, and Lucky looks knowingly at me.
“Sorry, sorry, but you do both remember that there are hostages here?I don’t know what happened between you, and I’m not taking sides, but I think we have bigger issues at hand.”
I drop my control, and Sterling rips his hands away.
“Mia?”
“Sorry,” I say again.“I should have warned you I could do that.”
“No, I …” The rest of the sentence is lost.
There’s a slight flush to his cheeks, and I feel my own heat as I trace the color down his neck.Usually, he’s in a full suit, but he doesn’t have a jacket on right now, so I get to be quietly tormented by the stretch of his black shirt over his strong chest.
Shit.
Sterling shakes off the shock, and the man I’ve seen at work every day for two years reappears.“We need to get the hostages out of here safely.”
“No one’s stopping you,” Lucky responds, and if they don’t kiss and make up soon, I might have to make them.
“Lucky’s right,” I say.“You should stay here and help them.We can go find the rest of these guys.”
Of course, it's too much to hope that Sterling will listen to reason.
“No,” he says.“It’s too dangerous.Whatever … powers you have, the men down there have guns, and unless you’re invincible or invulnerable, you'll be safer away from them.I'd rather you hold back and let me take care of this.”He turns to Lucky.“There are still six of them down?—”
“Excuse me,” I say—because what the fuck?He cannot be serious right now.“Don’t you dare dismiss me like that again.”I push him backward without touching him, using more force than I would if I wasn’t filled with rage.He backs into the corridor and hits the wall with a thud.“I can look after myself, and I think it might be better if you stayed here.”
I don’t even need to see Lucky to know he’s smiling.
“Mia, please,” Sterling pleads, finally dropping the polite indifference I’m used to.There’s pain underneath—so much pain—and a longing I know matches Lachlan’s own.
