I loved being part of this wild, reckless new life of sex and crime sprees—it totally suited me, but I missed my sisters so much.
I gazed out at the palms and the sea. Everything was wild and beautiful and dangerous in this life. Intoxicating.
And then I had this strange thought, standing there, that maybe it was too wild, too beautiful, too dangerous, and too intoxicating to last. My guys had such dangerous enemies. It was only a fluke we’d survived their last attack.
Odin took one look at me and knew. He always did. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Is it the job? ‘Cause it’s going to be a cakewalk.”
“Not really,” I said.
“The First West is the loosest bank we ever saw,” Odin said. “We could do it in our sleep even if I didn’t hack their security system.” We planned to hit it in two days. I would be the driver.
“Yes, I’m nervous for the First West, but it’s not that. Maybe I’m just…I don’t know.”
“Do I have to get it out of you?” Odin’s eyes glittered. “I can be persuasive.”
“It’s just that, things are good. Does that ever spook you?”
“Hey,” Zeus said, coming over, tightening his robe belt. “This is a good day. We’re here now. Together. With nothing to want for.” He slapped the table. “Over here, you guys. Feet. Up.”
He lifted his leg and put his left foot up on the table, on the side, so you could see his tattoo. Odin and Zeus crowded next to him and put their feet up, and then I put up mine on the very end. Shivers went over me as I laid eyes on my gorgeous tattoo under the protective cellophane wrap.
“Oh, wow, it’s beautiful!” I said. The top of the tattoo was a cloud with big, soulful eyes, brows raised up in fury, lips blowing wind, with four slim, perfectly matched, badass lightning bolts shooting fiercely downward. We were the four lightning bolts, striking out. It touched me in a way I could barely explain, seeing all our tattooed ankles together. Maybe we were a little bit doomed, but wasn’t everybody? And what the hell, we were together. “It’s the most beautiful thing ever,” I said.
“You’re the most beautiful thing ever,” Thor said.
“Group hug!” I joked, acting all sarcastic to hide that I wanted to cry.
“I have a better idea. Let’s go out and celebrate! We’re in L.A., baby!” Zeus drained his scotch and threw the glass at the fireplace mantel, where it shattered.
I jumped.
“Jesus, Zeus, that’s Waterford crystal.” Thor tended to know things like that. He’d been a doctor before he got mixed up with Odin and Zeus.
“They’ll put it on our bill,” he said. “Throw your glasses.”
“We’re running out of money,” Odin said.
“We won’t be the day after tomorrow,” Zeus said. “I’m getting bored with these small potatoes banks. I say we knock off something big next month. I say we start thinking about the Prime Royale.”
“The Prime Royale First Bank of L.A.?” Odin barked. “Fuck.”
“Then they’ll really wish we were dead. Actually, that would be a good motto if we were so inclined.” Zeus put his hands up, as if to frame the motto in the air— “You WISH we were dead. Like, you wish we were dead but we’re not, motherfuckers. Thor, what is that in Latin?”
“E mords… something,” Thor said.
Zeus nodded. “We should add that to the tattoo, on a scroll above the cloud.”
“On a banner that angels hold,” Odin said.
“Yeah, angels hold it,” Zeus said. “You WISH we were dead, motherfuckers. In Latin.”
“Hold the presses.” I put up a hand. “Did you just suggest we add another massively intricate element to that tattoo? Did I just hear you say that?”
Zeus glowered at me. “You liked getting a tattoo.”
“Nobody robs the Prime Royale bank of L.A,” Odin said.
“That’s why we should.” Zeus wiped a hand over his mouth. “But first we have to celebrate. I say we hit Guvvey’s. We should introduce Isis to L.A. society. The crème de la crème.”
“Like the movie stars?” I asked.
Odin snorted. “Not exactly, baby. We have a much more fun set.”
I smiled. The criminal crème de la crème!
“We lost our suits. We’d need suits for Guvvey’s,” Thor said. “Why not sneak by the hideout and grab them?”
Zeus shook his head. “We don’t go back there until Manning’s done sweeping and monitoring it. Our enemies came too close. We hit the hideout after we know it’s clean. Only after it’s clean. Tonight maybe.”
“I’m good with clean,” I said. I’d met those enemies. They came from ZOX, the intelligence organization Zeus and Odin once worked for; they were dangerous and vicious and smart, and they’d nearly killed Zeus and me two weeks back.
Odin watched Zeus closely.
“They came too close,” Zeus barked at Odin. “We can’t wreak vengeance against those who wronged us if we’re dead. We let Manning do his job, ensure it’s clean.”
“Yet you want us to knock over the Prime Royale?” Odin demanded. “How is that not a death wish?”
“Because we’re awesome at robbing banks,” Zeus said, “That’s how.”
Thor and Odin seemed suddenly interested in the design details of our hotel room. I wondered what they were thinking. Our little group was a democracy when it came to hotels and restaurants, but we were an army when it came to criminal activity, and Zeus was the commander in chief. Were they feeling unhappy about the idea of the Prime Royale?
“I want to take a sweep,” Thor said. “Let me take Ice to check out the atrium.”
Zeus nodded. “Good idea.”
I threw on some clothes. My guys had gotten concerned about picking up tails lately. The enemy was getting smarter. Or maybe they were trying harder.
Five minutes later, Thor and I were strolling off the tenth floor elevator. There was a section of balcony from which you could see everything on the atrium level down below…if you were a super high-functioning criminal who had glasses with a small scope attached to them.
I leaned over the railing next to Thor, who was discreetly adjusting the magnification while he examined the people lounging around. I was giving him cover, making this look like a romantic liaison instead of a spying liaison.
A giant plastic dolphin was suspended from the atrium ceiling, apparently in mid-jump, just hanging there over a reflecting pool far down below.
“Every time I come out here, I just itch to shoot the chain and send that dolphin into that pool.”
I smiled. “Let him complete his jump.”
“No, I mean, I really want to.”
I turned my gaze to him. “Like, really?”
“Yesterday I brought my piece out here. With a silencer.”
My heart pounded.
“I just wanted to release him. Give him a little resolution.” He sounded weary.
“But you wouldn’t.”
After a bit too much hesitation, he said, “No. It’s just, you know, it’s always this. Mid-jump.”
“Right,” I said.
I felt him straining at the bonds of this life. Always on the run, taking chances. I thought about a certain experience that might be called the ‘orgasm while weaving around in traffic in front of a traffic cop,’ an incident that Thor incited.
Did he want to get caught? Did he want to bring things to a close? A life of crime was hard on people. My guys had been frank about that.
I’d had a hard time deciding if I should say anything to Zeus about Thor’s crazy recklessness that day in the car with the cops and the orgasm. I didn’t want to seem like a tattler. And really, taking dangerous chances with the cops? Flaunting the law was practically in the bank robber job description right under ‘ability to effectively communicate hold-up demands’ and ‘outstanding multi-tasking skills while wearing mask.’
I’d decided instead to ask Zeus about it in princi
ple—if there were things members should alert each other on.
Like things with Thor? he’d asked me.
Things with anyone, I’d said diplomatically.
Zeus had seen right through me. I’m well aware of where Thor is at, he’d said. I’ll figure something out.
“Imagine seeing it drop into that pool,” Thor said, interrupting my train of thought. “Not like anybody would know it was us. They’d think it broke.”
“You can’t,” I said.
“That’s why I want to do it,” he whispered. It was almost a confession.
It was then that I noticed he had his gun out.
“Put that away!” I whispered.
Thor grinned. “C’mon. It’ll be such a spectacle.”
I stared into his blue eyes. “What do you need?” I asked.
There was this moment of truth between us then, just silent truth. There were lines under his gorgeous blue eyes. He looked tired. Or maybe sad.
“Fine.” Thor shoved the gun into his pants. “Come on.”
We continued on with the second half of the check, which involved a spin by the front desk and through the lower lounge.
Was he really going to shoot that thing down? Did he want me to stop him? Or did he want me not to?
I felt so worried. What did he need? He was so smart. Was he not being challenged?
Zeus and Odin were still lounging in bathrobes when we got back to the hotel room.
“Isis needs a gown for Guvvey’s, too,” Thor announced. “She deserves to go out there in style.
“Take six large out of the case,” Zeus said to Thor. “You and Isis, handle it.”
“Six is all we have left,” Thor said.
“Let’s blow it all tonight, then!” Zeus said. “Fuck it!”
I said, “So, the L.A. criminal crème de la crème dresses in suits and gowns? Seriously?”
“Only at Guvvey’s,” Thor said.
“You better not get me any pretty boy shit,” Odin said.
“We’re getting you a double breasted fancy suit and aviator glasses,” I teased.
“That settles it. I’m going with you,” Odin said.
“What the hell, we’ll all go shopping,” Zeus said.
I felt relieved. I wasn’t eager to go shopping with Thor alone, what with the mood he seemed to be in.
“We go shopping and out to dinner at Guvvey’s,” Zeus announced. “It’ll be like our first proper date. As a group.” He held out a threatening finger and growled, “It’ll be a romantic date with no fucking until after. Because the four of us are like a couple.” He nodded, liking his supreme pronouncement. “What do you think, Isis?”
“You are so romantic.” I said it like I was joking, but it touched me that Zeus wanted the four of us to have a proper romantic date.
Thor turned to me and said, in his gravelly dirty-talk voice, “Then, after our romantic date, we will use your body mercilessly for our own gratification. We’ll tie you up so that you’re helpless, and then fuck you like a whore.”
I frowned, as if I found his words improper, as if they didn’t send a crazy jolt of desire into my core.
Odin came over and drew a finger up my neck, stopping at the point below my chin. He tilted up my head, forcing me to stare into his eyes and at the bruise covering his cheekbone. “Is something-g amusing?” he asked me.
I swallowed. “No.”
He came closer, invading my space. I was feeling wild. I wanted to kiss him on the badass bruise.
“No, I think you are amused, Ice,” Odin said. “Do you think we use you like a whore for your fucking-g amusement?”
I swallowed, enjoying the feeling of being off-balance by his unpredictability. “No, Odin,” I said smoothly. “I don’t think you do it for my gamusement, no.”
Something flared in his eyes. “Oh, Isis.” He grabbed my wrists, squeezed. My heart sped. “That is what a naughty goddess says.” He walked me backwards until I hit the wall. He pressed me there, panting, looking strangely alive. “Bring me the case with the paddle,” he called.
My pulse raced. “The paddle?” He’d only ever spanked me with his hand.
“You think this is for your fucking-g amusement. It is not.”
My heart pounded. Odin always pushed it. He understood me in a way that Zeus and Thor didn’t. He got that thrills and danger called to me.
He lowered his voice. “You will take your punishment, and it will not be easy.”
“Jesus,” Zeus said. “Are we getting out of this hotel room anytime tonight or not?”
“I’ll get the case,” Thor said.
My insides turned to jelly. Odin nuzzled my cheek with his sandpapery whiskers and I reveled in it. I felt completely receptive to him, at his mercy.
“You will take it, Isis.” He latched onto my earlobe with his teeth, and I melted into him. My nipples rubbed against the inside of my robe, still incredibly sensitive.
“I didn’t technically disobey,” I managed to whisper.
He said, “Not technically. But you did, Isis.”
“Did we not just agree to a romantic date?” Zeus demanded. He put on his sunglasses and hat, all ready to go, just as Thor came in with a small black case, like a small suitcase. A case of paddles?
“You’re right,” Odin said. “We must go on our date first.” He pulled away from me, amber eyes glittering, like he’d thought of something dastardly. He took the case from Thor, held it in front of him, unopened. What was in the case? My imagination ran wild.
“What?” I panted.
“Zeus is right. You will wait until after our romantic date. And you will feel your punishment as you have felt nothing in your life.”
“Hold on,” I said. “I have to wait?” A crazy thrill buzzed through me.
“You will wait,” he said, watching me watch the case. “And you will contemplate what it means to me that you would make fun of my fucking-g accent.” He smiled, daring me to say gaccent.
I wanted to say it. I wanted to!
“Sweet Jesus,” Thor said.
“You want to say it,” Odin said. “This, too, I will remember.”
I smiled. “You can’t get me on what I want to do!”
“I can get you on anything.”
I felt my eyes widen as the heat blossomed between my legs. Whatever dirty punishment Odin had in mind, I wanted it to happen now, not tonight.
Odin smiled. He reached out and took the sunglasses Zeus handed him and put them on—they were junky mirrored sunglasses with purple frames in the shape of hearts, like something you’d make your dog wear in Facebook pictures. “Tonight,” he said. I could no longer see his eyes. Somehow the fact that I couldn’t see his eyes increased the thrill factor, which was also amped by the sheer weirdness of the glasses. Were they girl’s glasses? I couldn’t look away.
He smiled again. “You like them? Perhaps I will wear them when you receive your punishment. Perhaps I will wear gloves. Perhaps I will be a different person.”
A different person?
He spun around. “Let’s go.”
It took me a while to collect myself.
I looked over at Thor to find him smirking. He handed me sunglasses and ball cap and then put on his Greek fisherman’s hat and Ray-bans. Zeus wore a ball cap and aviator glasses.
“We look like we’re in disguise,” I observed as we left the room. “Like, a little conspicuously in disguise.”
“Not in L.A.,” Zeus said. “Incognito blends here.”
“The people, they will think we’re movie stars, or more, that we want people to think we’re movie stars. Nobody would ever think we are wanted men. We love this fucking-g place.”
It was dark when we reached the outside shopping district. “Do stores stay open all night here or what?” I observed.
Banging around as a gang made me feel so good. I felt like we were on the fringes, like we were in on a secret nobody else in the world knew. And all the trouble at home, my grief about my p
arents dying, missing my sisters, it was far, far away, especially when I thought about tonight and Odin’s box.
We went to a tuxedo store and got them suited up, though Odin insisted on a tux that was just a little too small, and the most dorky purple ruffley shirt. He never wanted to look perfect, yet he always did. Zeus got a sweet black suit with a red shirt underneath. Thor came out of the dressing room in a suit of white linen and a Panama hat, hot and exotic.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” Odin growled.
“If you got it, flaunt it,” Thor said.
I grinned. “You are looking very young writer in 1950s Cuba-ish.”
Thor liked that.
They put their normal clothes back on and we went to a dress shop next. I tried on a series of dresses and was dismayed to discover that the eating-and-drinking-with-bank-robbers lifestyle had caused me to put on a few pounds. I finally tried a sexy red number with a fabulously low back that worked with my curves instead of against them.
My criminals were getting all crabby with man-shopping burnout, but they perked up when I strolled out of the dressing room and spun around. “What do you think?”
“Fits like a glove,” the sales girl said.
Odin grinned. “A glove indeed.”
“Come here,” Thor said.
Zeus just burned at me with his green, green eyes, making me feel naked. “We’ll take it,” he whispered.
“Take it off,” Odin added.
I felt my face go red. But I loved it, too. I felt like a queen. I sometimes wondered if they marveled at it like I did, like if they sat around when I wasn’t there and said, “I can’t believe we found a girl who will rob banks with us and let us boss her around and play dirty sex games with her.”
I turned to the pretty blonde salesgirl who seemed a bit stunned by our foursomeness. Heat invaded my face. “Looks like it’s a go,” I said. She nodded, expression professionally blank.
Oh well, I’d never see her again.
We picked out some shoes. They had to be strappy and not cover my tattoo, which was still settling, according to Odin. I got the feeling they wanted people to be able to see it.
We carried our bags down the moonlit street. It was true—everybody wore sunglasses and hats in this part of town, even in the dark. We totally blended in.
The Wrong Turn Page 3