I opened the door for her, and quickly surveyed the layout. Everything seemed quiet as we walked in, and my stomach growled once the smell of the food hit me. My mouth watered at the thought of taking a bite of meat covered in sauce. No one came to greet us, so I gestured for Hazel to walk ahead of me to pick a table. Instead of strutting toward the seating area, she moved in the opposite direction.
“Hazel?” I prodded. Maybe she needed to use the restroom? As her bodyguard, I needed to know where she was, especially in public settings like this.
“This way.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door that said, Janitor’s Closet on it. Woah, what the fuck was happening here? She opened the door, and indeed, the small space contained janitorial contents.
I raised my eyebrow inquisitively at her and she pushed me in.
“Interesting turn of events,” I commented suspiciously. I wouldn’t mind if Hazel wanted to explore things physically, but it seemed too soon.
“I didn’t bring you in here to have sex with you. What kind of woman do you think I am?”
So many scenarios flooded my brain, and I nearly bit my tongue off trying to keep them from coming out. The kind of woman whose ass would fit perfectly in my hands as I fucked her against the wall? The kind of woman who would push me on the bed, then ride me cowgirl, using me for her pleasure? The kind of woman who secretly wanted to be dominated in bed? A groan rumbled within my chest with every sexy thought.
“This is the entrance to the Hero Society headquarters.” She lifted a switch somewhere and doors opened, revealing a secret location for a secret superhero society hidden inside an Italian restaurant. Life with Hazel was complicated, and it was about to get more chaotic.
Chapter Thirteen
Hazel
Maddox’s eyebrow lifted as we stepped into the elevator. I ran my keycard through the slider for identification and down we went. I’d found the fact that the headquarters of the Hero Society was under an Italian restaurant strange, but once I saw everything they offered, I didn’t object. A full kitchen, living room, containment area for questioning, and a workout room equipped with everything imaginable. The apartments above the restaurant housed people with gifts who had no homes. Many weren’t wanted and had no where to go. Phillip Griffin gave them a safe haven. Those who wished to train and do good, could, and those who wanted to live as close to a normal life as they wanted could do that, too.
The doors opened, and Phillip stood in our view with an envelope in his grasp.
“Welcome, Maddox, Hazel.”
“Should have known,” Maddox mumbled, and I elbowed him in the side. He was here with me, and he’d play nice.
“Here is your keycard to enter headquarters whenever you’d like and a communicator. We usually put them in watches or jewelry. Welcome to the Hero Society, Maddox.” Phillip handed my bodyguard the superhero contents, which were begrudgingly accepted.
“Finally got ya.” Phillip winked at the man and then strode down the hall toward the communications room, where the eighteen-year-old computer genius who practically lived in that room kept the world safe.
“He tried to recruit you before?” I peered at Maddox curiously, wondering why he accepted this time and not any others.
“Yes, about a year ago. Shortly after they started over.”
“Me, too.” I’d been doing my best to help mankind ever since I found out about my powers, but now I had a family with the Hero Society. These people were truly bound together in something more powerful than friendship. Although I didn’t have time for many friends, when I came into the city, I hung out with some of the heroes when I could.
“I’ve heard about the mysterious Black Lily using her plant powers to save the day. I assume that would be you?” A smile formed on his lips, and I felt like bumping my shoulder against his massive body.
“At first I thought superhero names were lame, but it helps with my real identity, and it’s inspired some people. I saw little girls dressed up in costumes like mine for Halloween, and teens put forth more effort into saving the Earth because of me. I have a huge platform as Hazel Kennedy to do good in the world, then add in Black Lily and I am covering more ground.”
I knew my passion radiated from me. It always did when I talked about my dreams. I wanted to inspire and help build our world into the best version it could be.
“I’m not sure I want a superhero name,” he grumbled while looking around the room, tearing his gaze away from my beaming expression.
“You could be Wind Man, passing wind wherever he goes.” I laughed. “Criminals will run in fear.” Being with him made me silly and carefree. We were establishing a new relationship.
He didn’t say a word, and that made me giggle.
“My squad called me Tornado. Everywhere I went, I fucked things up like a tornado.”
I wanted to continue laughing, but something in his tone sobered me. “We’ll figure it out. I really don’t expect you to join and be a part of this. Helping people is my thing. I like it. You don’t need to be with me all the time while I’m not Hazel Kennedy. I only brought you because I knew you would be pissed if I left you in the restaurant.”
I lied. I wanted him to do this with me and be a part of the Hero Society. I’m not sure why, and I didn’t care to analyze it.
“I’m not leaving Hazel Kennedy again, even when she’s saving people in a night job as a sexy superhero.”
I dug my nails into my palms, fighting off any powers trying to sprout from the warm emotions growing within. He said sexy disguise. Did that mean Maddox found me sexy? He keeps saying he won’t leave me again. I wanted to believe him, but I’d thought that once before.
