“What did I just–”
“I believe the lady told you to sit.”
A tremor shook Tori’s stomach as she turned. She knew that voice.
And much as she’d desperately wanted to talk to him on Saturday, today she wanted to prove that she could do this superhero thing on her own.
“YOU’RE late,” she said, letting a little heat creep into her words. “I don’t need you anymore.”
Pedestrians slowed on the sidewalk, staring as slack-jawed as the drunk.
It occurred to Tori that she’d never seen Superhero X in the daylight. The man was huge. He must’ve stood close to six and a half feet tall, arms folded like ax handles over his chest, feet planted like trees. He flicked his gaze over to Tori and back to the drunk. Who gaped at him and slowly released Tori’s ankle.
“He did that because I told him to, by the way,” she said, nodding to her foot and stepping away.
His eyes moved in such a way that Tori knew he raised his eyebrows under his mask. He didn’t even have the courtesy to believe her. His gaze was intense, but with an underlying sense of humor. Tori tried to decide if he was laughing at her.
He was bigger than she remembered. Broader. When the word “handsomer” began to cross her mind, she gave herself a mental shake. It wasn’t even a word. And she was a married woman now. Not like when they met at Halloween. Maybe, possibly, she’d been infatuated with him for, like, a day. But that day was long gone and she shouldn’t be thinking about it now.
Irritated with herself, she took it out on him. “What are you doing here?” She shook her ankle like she’d stepped in something nasty and glared at the drunk. Who knew what was on his hands?
“Helping. What are you doing here?” His neutral tone irritated her even more.
“I found him,” Tori motioned vaguely toward the sidewalk, “harassing people. I’m trying to get him some help.”
Superhero X didn’t take his eyes off her as he lifted his right arm and pushed back a flap of his costume exposing what resembled a wristwatch. She’d noticed it last Friday after her car exploded. He pushed a button and spoke.
“Patrol car needed at Lincoln and 22nd Street. A drunk harassing pedestrians. Situation under control.”
Tori glared at him. “I already called the police. I have the situation under control.”
A tinny female voice came from his watch, or whatever it was. “Acknowledged, Superhero X, car on its way.”
Tori fumed. A voice in her head suggested her reaction was unreasonable. But he acted like she was incompetent. She was totally competent.
“I have it under control.” The gathering pedestrians caused Tori to pitch her voice at a teeth-grinding stage whisper. She crossed her knotted fists under her arms and kept her back to the crowd. Why didn’t he tell people to move on, nothing to see?
Though he truly was something to look at. His eyes were the rich brown of Godiva chocolate. They radiated both authority and compassion.
“You’re huge,” the drunk whispered in alcohol-inspired awe.
“He didn’t seem to be listening to you.” Superhero X tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in question. His voice was as deep as the harbor at the end of the pier, deep and dark and slightly metallic sounding. Tori tried not to think about what it did to her stomach.
No, what she needed to focus on was his costume, his watch, his thingy that changed his voice. Those were things she needed help with, needed to get for herself. But no, he had to make her feel like she couldn’t take care of one single drunk on her own. She was disappointed in him.
“No one listens when they’re drunk.” Tori noticed people openly staring at Superhero X as if she weren’t even there. He ignored them, focusing on her and the old man. Tori felt her heart racing. She tried to remember if this was what it felt like when her power was building. Or maybe this was what it felt like to be around this superhero.
Weirdly, he reminded her of Joe in a lot of ways. Especially in the daylight. But this guy was bigger than Joe, tougher, scarier. Only she wasn’t scared around him. In fact, she felt a little like she felt around Joe. Safe. She remembered she felt a little safer with him after her car blew up.
But today she was also a little angry. Why did he think she couldn’t…ohhh.
She’d never told him. He didn’t know.
She moved closer to him, back still to the pedestrians, and whispered, “There’s something you need to know.” She looked up at him, but couldn’t hold his gaze. She moved her scarf a little so she could lower her voice even more. “I can…”
Wow, how exactly do you word it? Hey, I’m part of the fraternity. Hi, I can do super stuff – wink. That song from Annie Get Your Gun shot through her head and she wanted to sing, “Anything you can do, I can do better!” But that probably wouldn’t ingratiate herself to him.
She finally went with, “I can convince people to listen to me.” Yeah, that sounded good. Not as scary as Joe made it sound the other night. Not as villainous as, I can control people with my mind.
His silence intimidated her so she glanced up. He seemed to neither believe nor disbelieve her. Fair enough. He hadn’t seen her in action yet.
The drunk looked at Tori, interrupting her thoughts. “He’s a lot bigger than you.”
“Size isn’t everything,” Tori snapped back at him.
Superhero X grinned. Disconcerted Tori frowned at him. He had a lovely smile, what she could see of it. She turned abruptly away.
And ran right into the police officer walking up behind her.
“Whoa, careful now.” The officer put his hands on her shoulders until she regained her balance. “What’s going on here?”
Tori pulled her scarf back over the lower half of her face.
The cop and his partner looked at Tori, the drunk, and Superhero X. The first cop spoke directly to the obvious leader. “More work to keep us busy, huh?” he said to Superhero X.
The superhero grinned. “Somebody needs to keep the city safe.”
The male bonding made Tori grit her teeth. She stepped between them. “Did Casey send you?” she asked the cop, trying to get her “sincere, yet professional” face in place.
“Yeah, she did. So you’re the new girl, huh?” The three men looked at each other and shared a smile.
For a moment, Tori wished her super power were something more useful. Like the ability to turn men into slugs.
CASEY and Art watched the exchange from their car just down the street from the action.
“She said he didn’t take it well,” Casey said, “but she’s the one who’s angry.”
“Can you tell what they’re arguing about?” Art asked.
“Yeah, Art, ’cause I took that lip-reading class last week,” Casey said with an annoyed look at her partner. The pressure from the top was getting to her. Their leads in Evan Ruffalo’s death didn’t lead to an actual person to arrest, and they were no closer to finding any of the missing children. Their other open cases were almost as frustrating.
Casey had a strange thought. “She said she told Joe about her power. But what if he didn’t tell her about X? What if she doesn’t know it’s him?”
“How can she not know it’s him?” Art asked.
“I – she – he’s got his super suit on…?” She shrugged.
“Wouldn’t she recognize his voice? I’d recognize your voice anywhere.”
Casey looked at him in surprise. Really? “He disguises it, remember?”
“Eyes? Mouth?”
“Mask.”
Art turned to look at her. “But she lives with him. She sleeps with him. How could she not–?” Art shook his head, unable to find words.
Casey rolled her eyes. “If one of the women you slept with walked up to you on the street in a costume with her face covered, you’re telling me you’d recognize her?”
Art frowned at her, exasperation in his voice. “One would certainly hope so.”
Count on Art to always surprise her.
They watc
hed for another minute, then Art said, “Well, we might as well join the party, try to figure out what’s going on.”
They walked across the street to the group on the sidewalk. There were two uniforms, two superheroes, and a gaggle of looky-loos. Oh, and the original reason everyone showed up – a single, drunk old man.
Tori turned at their approach. “Casey! Art! Thanks for coming.” She shook their hands vigorously. “Actually, thanks for sending someone to take care of this. I knew if I called you, everything would be completely under control.” She directed the last part over her shoulder at Superhero X.
Oh yeah, she was pissed. Casey eyed X. He was glaring at his wife. If the stakes weren’t so damned high right now, this would be better than a soap opera.
“Hello, Art, Casey.” He walked over and shook hands.
Casey caught the slight shake of his head as he squeezed her hand. So Tori didn’t know. And he was keeping it a secret because…? This was getting more interesting by the minute.
“How’s it going?” Art asked pointedly.
Superhero X kept his voice neutral. “Just helping out a new friend.”
“Interfering is more like it,” muttered Tori. She took Casey’s arm and moved a step away from him. “Can you set up a lunch with one of your superheroes this week? I really need a mentor, someone to help me figure this out, not try to outdo me.”
Tori kept her voice loud enough to be heard, but actively turned her back to Superhero X. Casey glanced over to see him scowling at them both. He shook his head slightly. “Sure, I’ll call you with a day and time.” Casey knew she shouldn’t be, but she was enjoying this.
“That’d be great!” Tori brightened up considerably.
Another pair of cops walked up. “Must be one dangerous drunk,” one of them said to the group at large. “Or are we having a party?”
“Mine showed up first, proving that I had it under control,” Tori shot toward Superhero X without facing him.
“And when you were pulled off your feet and into his smelly lap, would you still be insisting you had it under control?” he muttered back at her.
“You two fight like an old married couple,” laughed one of the officers. “A bit territorial, aren’t you?”
Art burst out laughing. Casey elbowed him. He tried to feign a cough, but it didn’t work.
“If you fellas would handle this,” Casey looked from the uniforms to the drunk. “X, would you fill them in?”
Casey saw Tori stiffen and took her arm. “Art and I need to talk to you,” she said quietly.
Art flanked Tori’s other side as they walked across the street to their car. On the sidewalk, Tori looked nervously from one detective to the other.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Do you know him?” Casey nodded to Superhero X across the street.
Tori wrapped her arms around herself defensively, her eyes flicking to X and back. “Except for a couple times when he’s helped me out – you know about that – I don’t know him. Why?”
“Listen, Tori,” Art began, “we appreciate you helping out. But there are several good reasons why we ask superheroes to register with us. Some of them for your protection, some of them for the public’s protection. If you’re going to actively work as a superhero, you need to register.” Art’s charming “aw shucks” attitude was gone. His features hardened along with his voice.
Tori turned to Casey, looking panicky. “But you didn’t mention this yesterday. What I’d do wrong today?”
Casey used her most soothing voice. “I understand. And we don’t mean to pressure you. But there are other factors here you may not be aware of. Factors that could lead to your arrest unless–”
“What?” Tori screeched.
“We don’t really know what you can do,” Art said. “We don’t know who you might be working with, working for–”
“I’m a temp! You think I’m a criminal?” Tori’s hands flew to cover her mouth and Casey could see her eyes watering.
“I don’t want to arrest you, Tori,” she said. “Personally, I don’t think you’re doing anything other than trying to help, but it’s our job to keep track of the superhero teams.”
“And you don’t seem to be on any of them,” Art said. “We have a lot more important things to do than arrest the homeless.”
Superhero X elbowed his way between Art and Casey. Casey had seen him coming out of the corner of her eye, had counted on his interference. He towered over all of them, took one look at Tori’s terrified expression, and narrowed his eyes at the two detectives.
“You need us for anything else?” he asked.
“I think we’ve got it,” Casey said, meeting his gaze, not allowing him to intimidate her. “We’ll be in touch.”
Casey watched Tori. She was off balance, scared. But there was no sense that she knew she was standing next to her husband. What game was X playing?
X took Tori’s hand and marched down the street. After a few steps, Tori pulled away, but X put his hand on her back to keep her going.
Art moved closer to Casey as they watched the other two walk away. “Does that beat all or what?”
“You about scared the crap out of her.”
“Just wanted to give her a little push and see where she lands.”
“What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when she finds out.” Casey shook her head and smiled wryly at her partner. “X may be bigger, but I’d lay odds on Tori.”
SUPERHERO X led Tori around the corner and down the street, ignoring the stares of pedestrians. If Hayley hadn’t called and berated him for not telling Tori about the team, he wouldn’t have known what Tori had started doing with her free time. At an alley, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in.
When she started to protest, he covered her mouth with his hand. His blood was pounding. He was furious for a dozen reasons and all of them began with “T.”
“If you don’t want the whole city to listen in,” he growled, “follow me. We need to talk.”
Her eyes widened and after a second, she nodded her head. As Joe, he would never have wanted to bring fear to his wife’s eyes. But as X, he was damned glad. If she were afraid, she’d put this foolishness behind her.
He marched down the alley to where a fire escape ladder hung down.
He pointed up. “We’re going to the roof. Give me your foot.” She hesitated, then grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder hanging at her shoulder height. She put her foot in his hands and he boosted her up.
He followed her closely in case she slipped. Gritting his teeth, he tried to ignore her shapely behind as he climbed. He hadn’t seen much of it since their fight a few days ago.
When they reached the top of the three-story building, he walked to the center of the roof.
“Okay, go ahead.” He turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest.
She looked at him warily. “Go ahead, what?”
“You wanted to talk. Let’s talk.”
“Here?” She looked out over the city.
“Where else do you think we can talk? You want me to invite you back to my place?” The thought sent ideas through his mind of all the super creative things they could be doing. He wanted her to say yes. He shifted his feet uncomfortably. Focus.
She swung her gaze back to him and scowled. “No. This is fine.”
He returned her scowl and waited.
She cleared her throat. “Listen…Superhero X…” She paused. “Is that what you want me to call you? It’s kind of long…” She waited.
He grunted, then said, “My friends call me X.”
“Is that…is that an invitation?”
He waited, still entirely too pissed off to speak. The things that she’d been through already and she had the audacity to go out into the city looking for more. She could die. How could she not understand that?
She sighed and her features relaxed. “Listen, X.” He didn’t say anything, so she continued. “There’s a lot going on in my life
right now. And as of about five minutes ago, it just got a whole lot worse. So I’m sorry if–”
Superhero X felt his scowl soften a bit as Tori’s eyes filled with tears. “What do you mean? What got worse?” He’d been afraid Art and Casey had called Tori over to tell her about him. That didn’t seem to be the case.
She hugged herself and shook her head. “You helped me after I got mugged on Halloween. I was wearing a Pirate Wench costume.” Her comment hung like a question.
X drew in a ragged breath. She’d looked amazing in that costume. He’d fallen in love with her that night. “I remember every detail.”
Tori stared at him in surprise. She started to speak, then changed her mind and shook her head again.
“What?”
She looked like she was doing battle inside to speak or be quiet. “I thought something happened between us that night. I mean, the things we said and…I guess it meant nothing to you, then.”
She looked angry, which was ridiculous. He was the one with everything to be angry about. He was the wronged party here. He was the one who changed around his entire life for her.
“You made it very clear you wanted nothing to do with superheroes,” he ground out. “So I stayed out of your way.”
Tori huffed in indignation. “I did not! And you kissed me. The best kiss I ever had! Then you never came back!”
The best kiss she ever had? That mollified him somewhat. “You said you hated superheroes.”
“I said no such thing! That must’ve been some other girl you kissed and left!”
X grunted and walked a few steps away from her, confused for a moment as to what she had said and to whom. Then it occurred to him – she’d told Joe she hated superheroes.
He turned to face her again. “I never kissed any other girls after you.”
She brushed her hand across her face, surreptitiously wiping it on her pants. It half-killed him to stand there and pretend he didn’t notice she was crying. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” she said. “It’s too late.”
It did matter, but X had to cover more territory first. He suspected Tori wasn’t going to feel like talking to him again for a while once she found out her husband had been keeping a secret from her. He had to take advantage of the moment.
Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke Book 1) Page 24