Janet’s hands slammed down on the table. “Fuck yeah!”
21
Janet: Everybody ready?
Orion: Do it.
Drew: Let’s get started.
Wyatt: The excitement!
Connor: It has been done.
Hudson added to group chat.
Ricardo added to group chat.
Dustin added to group chat.
Booker added to group chat.
Wyatt: ALL THE FRIENDS!
Janet: Welcome to the Society of Janets.
Orion: No.
Drew: No.
Wyatt: No, friend.
“You’ve got a plan?”
I stormed across the balcony toward the elevator. Connor and Arthur had moved to security. With the city on the verge of collapse, we needed allies, and none of us had a huge Rolodex of friends to rely on. Security knew our secret and had kept it to themselves; it meant support, and Connor finally got to play with their technology legally. They’d serve as the oversight, dispatching heroes across the city to stop the chaos.
What I didn’t have was an actual plan.
“I’m working on it.” Every hero knew that unless you took out the conductor, it’d only be a matter of time before it happened again. When I paused at the doors to Synergy, Booker’s reflection didn’t seem convinced by my determination.
Ricardo had wanted to deal with Ms. Keyes himself. I respected his wanting to clean up his company’s mess, but I could see the dismay on his face. If his emotions were sitting on the surface, she’d weaponize them. I had seen the weight of her abilities. The two most broken men were best suited for this job.
We sat through the smooth jazz in the elevator. When the doors opened, I headed toward the office. I flung the doors to Synergy open. I had nearly crossed the lobby when a hand grabbed my shoulder. Booker turned mearound. He could read every emotion running through my body. From the rage to the fear, there was no point in hiding it, not from him. Even if I could, I wouldn’t.
“You don’t have a plan, do you?”
“Sort of.”
“You’re going to throw punches?”
“Straightforward, right?” I cupped his face. I wanted to kiss him. One last taste of him before we headed into the unknown.
His hand slid to the back of my neck, warmer than usual. This time, I welcomed his abilities. My muscles relaxed, and the tightness in the pit of my stomach eased. He pressed his forehead against mine. I didn’t know what awaited us. It could be a woman sitting idly behind her desk perpetuating the Human Resources lie, or it could be a leather-clad villainess ready to blow up the building.
“Before we go in…”
With his powers flowing through me, the only thing that hadn’t calmed was my desire to feel his lips. I leaned forward, giving him a quick peck. When I tried pulling away, his hand dragged me closer, and our lips smashed together. His tongue grazed mine as his free hand moved to the small of my back. I expected a man who witnessed my darkness to run, fearful I’d drag them into my world. Booker stayed, his support unwavering.
“In case it gets bad,” he mumbled.
