Thrill Ride (Black Knights Inc. #4)(42)
“Three,” Ghost announced in a low voice, and Eve jumped like someone poked her with a cattle prod. Not that Bill could blame her really. Ghost had a certain quietness, a weird stillness about him that sort of allowed him to blend into the background, making one forget he was there. And, thankfully, the frightened movement and the look of intense embarrassment on Eve’s pretty face was enough to take the tiniest edge of his ardor. Of course, what happened next assured he wasn’t thinking about her, or feather beds, or lipstick-shaped vibrators at all, because the silly woman clenched her eyes closed and proceeded to do something completely preposterous.
She reached up and smacked the middle of her forehead with her palm.
Every eye in the closet zeroed in on her, the expressions on the Knights’ faces varying from concern to amusement to consternation.
“Aversion therapy,” she said by way of explanation. “My personal defense instructor says I need to…um…grow a pair of balls.” She bit her lip. “Which I take to mean includes not jumping like a scared rabbit at the slightest thing.”
And despite himself, Bill felt the wall he’d built up around his heart—the one Eve had provided the mortar for—begin to crumble. And when she glanced over at him, her face awash in embarrassment and uncertainty, but with…
What was that glowing in the depths of her eyes?
It looked suspiciously like the same flame that ignited the gazes of hardened operators right before they crossed the wire and jumped into the danger zone. It looked suspiciously like the fire of determination…
Wow. You’re really coming into your own, aren’t you, sweetheart?
Again, he felt that sliver of pride for her. Because if there was one thing he’d learned in life, it was that seeing yourself clearly, baring witness to all your faults and foibles and trying to do something about them, took a level of courage most people never attained.
“You think that kind of therapy would work for Ozzie’s annoying habits?” Becky asked.
“What annoying habits?” Ozzie demanded, and all the Black Knights groaned in unison.
“Seriously, though,” Ghost brought the conversation full circle, “Will three be enough…um…devices?”
“Three will be enough to cover the picture windows in the living room,” Ozzie said, all serious again. The kid had a wacky ability to play the village idiot one minute and don his superhero clandestine operator mask the next. Bill would never understand it. “But we should still be careful what we talk about. From now on, or until we can scrounge up some more vibrators, all mission-related issues should be discussed in here.”
“Agreed,” Boss said as Bill furtively watched Eve unwrap the Dum Dum in her hand and shove it between her lips. And whatever sadistic genius invented the lollipop should either be shot or sainted—at this particular moment, he couldn’t decide which.
“And I think Ozzie should probably pay a visit to our CIA friends in the van across the street,” Boss continued.
“Why?” Becky asked, frowning.
“Two reasons. One: to let ’em know they’re not fooling anyone. And two: to maybe see if we can’t get a bead on any other nifty devices the f*ckers—” The big guy winced and smiled apologetically at Eve. “Er…sorry for the language.”
Becky groaned and rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Frank. Nobody gives a shit right now. It’s not like we’re at a f*cking cocktail party or something.”
Boss slid her an exasperated look before slowly grinning and squeezing her close to his side. “It would be good,” he continued, “to know what other nifty devices the spooks might be utilizing; not to mention we need to know if we’re being watched by satellite.”
“Not as of twenty-two-hundred last night,” Ozzie answered. “I checked all Eyes In The Sky. One was focused on Santa Elena, but none here.”
“Good. That’s good,” Boss nodded.
“Wait a minute,” Eve held up her hand, moving the sucker to her cheek with her tongue, and the flash of pink had Bill’s gaze lasering in. Oh, how he remembered the taste of her. So sweet. The feel of her in his arms. So lithe and trembling and…Jesus! “Are you trying to tell me you knew all this time the CIA was out there?”
“Of course,” Boss and Becky answered in unison.
Bill watched the slideshow of emotions flit across her face. First disbelief, then realization, and finally confusion. Two jobs Eve should never attempt: government operator or poker player. “But, but,” she sputtered, shaking her head.
“We knew they were keeping an eye on us,” Becky explained. “But it didn’t matter since we hadn’t planned on actually doing anything here. Of course,” she frowned, “that’s before we knew the f*ckers,” she emphasized the word and grinned up at Boss, who only rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose, “were listening in.”
“Right,” Boss nodded, straightening. “And I think we should—” Right at that moment, his cell phone blasted the opening bars to “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” and the big guy was cursing and pulling the device from his hip pocket. “Go,” he said by way of answering. Then, “Thank God, Vanessa! We’ve all been worried sick!”
At this point, every eye in the closet was focused solely on the Black Knights’ leader.