His pouting didn’t end. This really bothered him. “You’re serious?”
He nodded. “I can get a read on a person in seconds.”
I tensed at the idea. If he could see beyond my facade, he’d find something dark and less than pleasant. He wasn’t ready for it. Nobody was, and that’s why I kept my extracurricular activities to myself.
A growl from the lobby broke the tension. I leaned to the side, glancing around the corner. Tia held the sides of her computer monitor as if she might chuck it across the waiting room. As soon as she glanced in my direction, I ducked out of sight.
“We might be overlooking the obvious,” I said.
It took him a moment to step out of his thoughts. “The receptionist?”
“She knows every person who steps through those doors. If I were to place bets, I’d say she’s the most likely traitor to Synergy.”
His head tilted to the side as he curled his lips. The red hairs of his mustache were uneven, and I could only imagine they’d tickle if?—
“I’m going to kill somebody!”
Her scream stopped me from staring at Booker. “See?” Janet would be thrilled to know her arch-nemesis had goneon my watchlist. It’d be another hip-thrusting dance from her.
“Thanks,” he said.
“For?”
“Carrying the conversation while I got lost in my insecurities.”
His grin was like a warm hug. The smirk on his face filled me with joy. I had to resist lunging at him and carrying him off in a bear hug. My powers went to work, keeping my cheeks from turning red. A compliment from this almost-stranger stirred the butterflies in my stomach in the best way possible.
“We’re a team.” I gave him a playful jab on the shoulder.
“Alright, partner.” The half-laugh made me melt. “We’re going to do a slow walk out of here so I can get a read on your target.”
He put a hand on my shoulder, guiding me forward. While Tia’s death glare threatened to blow me to pieces, I imagined Booker’s hand deflecting her death ray. There was no doubt in my mind that when we got her in the interview room, hell would break loose.
As we reached the door, I couldn’t help but smile at her. Janet would die knowing I gave her a slight wave and a chin nod. Yes, Tia, I had her number, and I couldn’t wait to see her in handcuffs. I’d be declared top dog, and at least one person at Secret Identities would sing my praises.
Well, herandBooker.
“Job well done.”
The Lone Horsemen struggled against their cuffs. These four had terrorized the streets of Vanguard for the last time. With the hoods of their black robes pulled back, they were nothing more than middle-aged men with subpar powers. Wrath’s ability to make people raise their voices during disagreements wasn’t exactly that of an assassin guild.
“Friends, are we done?” Wyatt jumped back and forth from one foot to the other. “Are we?”
Orion shook his head, neither of us shocked. “Yes, we’re done.”
Wyatt vanished in the blink of an eye. He wanted to cash in on the promise of ice cream once we made the streets a little safer. This trio of heroes wasn’t changing the status quo like the Centurions hoped to, but we were doing our part.
“The Lone Horsemen will return!” Death cried…literallyas an officer tucked him into the back of a squad car.
“Poor grammar should be a felony,” Orion said.
“Huh?”
“It’s Lone Horseman or Horsemen. You can’t have both.”
“A pox on your families,” shouted Pestilence through the glass.
“They never shut up,” Orion said. “Would it be bad to climb into the squad car and punch them?”
