“Then why—”
“I like you.” Mal shrugs. “Come on.” He waves his arm and heads out of the door, over the road and to his house.
“Well, go on,” Livvy encourages.
“I—” I huff out a breath. “Right, yes. I’ll help put the stuff away when I get back.”
I don’t wait for her to answer before I shut the door and jog over to Mal where he sits in his shiny black eco car.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I say as I get into the car, pulling the seatbelt on and shuffling in the seat.
“I know, but like I said, I like you.”
I swallow and nod my head, clasping my hands in my lap all the while trying not to say what I desperately want to. I don’t understand how he can like me. I’m a criminal, someone that they don’t know. I could be a murderer for all they know, maybe even a serial killer.
“I can see those wheels turning,” Mal says as he stops at a red light. “Stop overthinking. I don’t care about your past, only about who you are now and who you want to become.” The car moves forward when the light turns green. “Cal and I have had our fair share of criticism, of hate, not just from people who don’t know us, but from people we love. We know what it’s like to be judged before you’ve even opened your mouth, so you’ll always have our friendship.”
“I… Wow.”
He nods his head and smiles sadly before his eyes widen. “You know.” He brings the car to a stop outside of the community center. “Cal never likes anyone off the bat, sometimes I’m not even sure if he likes me.” He winks. “But he took an instant liking to you. That never happens.” He raises a brow. “Never.”
“I—”
“Anyway! Enough of the ramblings from a middle-aged man.” He smirks and raises his brows when I flick my gaze to his salt and pepper hair and open my mouth. “Middle-aged... I repeat: I’m middle-aged.”
“Got it.” I chuckle and put my hand on the door handle, pushing the door open as I unclick my belt from the holder. “Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it.”
“No probs, pretty lady.”
I step out of the car and shut the door softly behind me, standing and waving as he pulls back out onto the road. I wait until I don’t see his car anymore and then start to turn around but someone shouting from the other side of the road gains my attention.
I look around me but I don’t see anybody else but me, so I can only assume that it’s my attention the woman is trying to get.
“Hey!”
“Me?” I ask, pointing at my chest as she jogs over the road.
“Yes, you,” she sneers. “Was that Malcolm?”
“I—yes?” I look around and frown, not understanding why she’s asking.
“How do you know him?” She plants her hands on her hips and it draws my attention to her belt where a badge and handcuffs sit, amongst other things. It’s at this point that I realize she’s a police officer. My breath catches in my throat and I back away.
It doesn’t matter that I haven’t done anything wrong, I can’t help my reaction to her. The last time I saw a police officer—it was an accident, a total accident, I didn’t mean to.
“Well?” she asks again, I can see that she’s getting impatient with me but I can’t seem to form any words, the uniform that she wears rendering me incapable. My eyes track her face and her auburn hair.
“Lexi!” I spin around at the gruff old voice, my shoulders sagging at the sight of Roy.
“You know her?” the woman sneers at Roy, but he ignores her as he walks toward us and takes my arm lightly, pulling me away.
“Geena.” He nods at her and then turns to face me. “Is everything okay?” I can see what he’s asking but I don’t know what to say so I just nod and shuffle my feet. “You head on in and get started.”
“Okay,” I whisper, spinning around and practically running into the center.
I make a beeline for the office, taking my jacket off and hanging it up before I clear the boxes that are on the floor: a new delivery of supplies for the several classes that are held here each week.
“You wanna stay away from that one.” Roy’s voice has my head snapping up. “She’s plain mean. I shooed her away for now, but just know that she’s like a dog with a bone.”
“I—okay.”
“You don’t owe her an explanation as to who you are or why you’re here. Just say you moved to town.” He shrugs and starts to take off his coveralls. “I fixed the roof today so we shouldn’t have any leaks now.”
“Oh! Awesome!” I hold my hand up for a high five and he watches it for several seconds, finally realizing that I’m not going to put it down until he gives me a high five. His palm hits mine and then my smile turns into a frown. “Wait… you were on the roof on your own?”
“Yep.” He grabs his own jacket and pushes his feet into his normal shoes.
“Shouldn’t you have had someone I dunno… holding the ladder?”
He shrugs and turns around, holding his hand up in the air while shouting that he’ll see me tomorrow.
I shake my head at him but can’t stop the smile that kicks up the side of my mouth. He may be eighty years old but he acts like he’s still in his mid-twenties.
I flip the lock on the door when the last of the women from the self-defense class leave and head back into the main room, ready to clear all of the equipment away. I haven’t seen Lexi since the diner last week where I introduced her to the awesomeness that is milk and pie.
I had to cancel my Friday session the day after seeing her. I wonder if she thinks I’m now avoiding her.
When she ran into me—literally—and told me about her new boots, I knew I couldn’t walk away without having a real conversation. She’s awkward, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because she spent the last five years in prison without anybody to really interact with.
So, I gave in and did a search on her. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until her photo popped up on my screen, that’s what I’m gonna keep telling myself anyway. It was a pure accident, my fingers worked on autopilot. I needed to know who she is, and that I’m not working with a serial killer.
Fine, fine! You caught me... she intrigues me. So shoot me.
When I found out she was tried as an adult at the age of fifteen, I was sure that she’d done something really bad. I couldn’t believe that I’d let her fool me, but then I read the report and the anger surged through me like nothing else ever has. She shouldn’t have been tried as an adult, not for what she did.
I wanted to search for more, find all of the ins and outs of the case, but ultimately, I clicked off it, deciding it’s best for me to not get involved. No matter how much I wanted to.
She’s been in town for nearly three weeks, and from the moment I met her, I knew there was something else to her than what she tries to portray. I see it in her eyes when she looks at me, especially when her defenses are down.
I shake my head, pulling my cell out and clicking on my playlist, clicking on “Shut Up and Dance,” nodding my head at the beat and rolling the mats up.
I open my mouth, singing along with the words, playing the air guitar and letting my head hang back as I close my eyes, the music flowing through me.
Holding my hands up in the air, I scream the chorus, rolling my hips and lifting one foot off the floor, spinning around and dropping my air guitar on the floor, picking up my imaginary drumsticks and smashing my invisible drums with them.
A melodic laugh catches my attention and I snap my head up, watching Lexi’s lips that are lifted into a smile as her foot taps to the beat.
“Having fun?”
I nod at her and shake my hips some more, moving closer to her.
“I can’t remember the last time I listened to music and danced.” A faraway look glazes over her eyes and she looks away. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m dancing over to her, pulling on her hand and spinning her around.
“What are you doing?” Her voice hitches
as I sway her side to side with the beat, singing the words and telling her to dance with me.
I let go of her hand and dance around her, my head bopping along to the music. “Come on, Lexi. Show me what you’ve got.”
She throws her head back, laughing when I spin her around again before pulling her into my arms and looking down at her, not letting up on my singing.
My hands grip her waist as hers land on my biceps, squeezing softly as I bend at my knees, bringing our faces level as the beat sounds through the small speakers and the singer’s voice lowers.
I keep my eyes connected with hers as I sing the words, my voice getting louder when his does. I stand up to my full height, hearing the last riffs of the song as I grab her hand and spin her around again. She squeals, her hand gripping onto mine tighter as she slips. I try to save her, but my foot slips on one of the mats that I left on the floor.
I see it happen before it does, we both go tumbling to the floor in slow motion and at the last second, I wrap my arms around her waist, softening the blow as my back hits the floor. “Ooof!”
She tries to get up at the same time as I do, our heads smacking off each other. She laughs awkwardly as I groan from the impact, immediately apologizing.
I move to the right to get up only she moves the same way. I keep my eyes connected with her chin as I move the other way at the same time she does.
“Sorry,” she whispers, her cheeks reddening as she tries to get up but slips, landing back on my chest with a thud. “Shit!”
My chest vibrates with silent laughter as the back of my head drops to the floor before I lift back up and try to get up again.
I hear her breath catching in her throat as my face comes within centimeters of hers, my gaze landing on hers and watching the green brighten. The music dies down as my gaze flicks from her eyes and down to her lips. My hands instinctively tighten on her waist as I stare into her mesmerizing eyes. I’m drowning; drowning in the depths of them and I have a feeling that no one will save me.
What the hell am I doing?
“Lexi.” My breath fans over her face as I lean closer.
She doesn’t move, almost as if she’s afraid to breathe.
We stay locked in the stare for several seconds before her hand wanders up my arm, over the veins and up to my broad shoulder. My eyes close at the contact as a shiver rolls through me.
“Evan,” she pleads. What is she pleading for? For me to help her up? To move closer? To close the distance and touch my lips to hers? I have no idea.
My eyes snap open at the sound of the music being cut off and a ringtone echoing around the room. The ringtone that I assigned to Geena.
I let the shutters fall over my eyes, realizing what could have happened just now. I’ve known her for such a short time, but it feels like I’ve known her longer, like some invisible thread is weaving us closer. I don’t know what’s happening, but all I know is that I can’t allow anything to happen.
I have a girlfriend, and I don’t even know her. Not to mention the fact that she’s an ex-con and with my job, the guys wouldn’t like it.
I stare up at her with sadness and regret in my eyes before slowly letting go of her waist. She manages to get up, watching me as her teeth sink into her lip.
I jump up and look away after a beat, heading over to my bag and picking it up along with my cell, swiping my hand through my hair as I walk out of the room, leaving the rest of the equipment still scattered over the floor.
I have to get out of here.
I take one last look at her when I get to the main doors, taking a deep breath and then walking out as I try to forget about the feelings she emitted when she touched me.
I push open my cabin door, jumping down the steps before coming to a stop and turning the song up to the highest volume on my cell that is connected to my headphones. I close my eyes and move my hips to the beat, loving this new song “Shape of You” from the ginger-haired singing machine that is Ed Sheeran.
Images of when I danced with Lexi a couple of days ago assault me but I push them to the back of my mind. I don’t have the time or headspace to delve into what happened, or what nearly happened. Instead, I push it deep down and focus on the words in my ears.
It’s been over a week since we started investigating Darrell Le’Fraine and I’ve got a whole stack of information waiting on my laptop for us all to comb through. I spent the weekend hauled up in my cabin researching, taking only a few breaks for food.
I get lost in the song and the beat that is so addictive you just can’t not move. I bring my arms up into a boxing stance and start to move my shoulders around, pulsing forward and backward. My head moves from side to side, almost like it’s a separate entity to my body as I stand here having my own little danceathon. When the beat gets more intense I start to crouch lower before I spring off my feet and twist ninety degrees to face the warehouse before dancing my way over the gravel to the door.
I still have the music on full volume in my ears as I get to the door and I open my eyes briefly to pull on the handle before slamming them shut again and dancing my way into the warehouse, singing at the top of my lungs.
Someone taps me on the shoulder but I ignore them as I pass the meeting table and head over to the mats. I know my way around this whole warehouse like the back of my hand. As soon as I’m on the mats, I jump up high, bringing my knees up to my chest before crouching down and moving my hips to the beat.
“Evan!”
I sing the lyrics out loud—although I bet it sounds more like a scream in the warehouse with the way I imagine it’s echoing off the metal walls.
“I love this jam!” I scream, gyrating my hips faster as well as my shoulders, matching the beat.
“Evaaaan!”
My eyes spring open and I see Kay standing a couple of feet in front of me, hands on her hips but her lips spread into a big grin.
“Huh?” I ask, silencing the song and finally focusing on what she’s saying.
“We have visitors.”
“Visitors?” I ask, looking around and spotting two new faces sitting at the meeting table with Ty, Kitty, Luke, and Dean. “Oh.” I clear my throat, determined to style it out. “Sup?” I nod my head and relax my shoulders, moving one lower than the other before I swipe my hand under my nose, but I’m met with silence before they all break out into full raucous laughter—even Luke is laughing.
It’s not until I step toward the meeting table that I realize who the visitors are and my stomach dips as my temper flares. It takes a lot to get me to the stage where I get this angry, but seeing their faces has my hands clenching into fists and my chest rising and falling faster with rage.
“Evan,” Ty warns, standing up and walking toward me, stopping right in front of me and blocking my line of sight. “My office.”
I don’t move for several seconds, not quite believing who I’m seeing. I stare at them for several more seconds, my eyes narrowed.
“Now,” he grinds out.
I spin around and stomp over to his office, hating that I just danced around like a loon in front of them. This is going to be so much worse now.
“Why are they here?” I grind out.
Ty shuts the door as he steps inside and waves his hand at the sofa, but I shake my head.
“They’re here to help with the Le’Fraine case.”
“What? Why?”
“They’re the best at what they do, Evan. You know that.”
Goddammit! He’s right, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like any of this. As kids, I lived across the road from them and we were all best friends, but as soon as we hit high school, they became the cool kids and I became the nerd. That’s when the name calling started.
They didn’t mind having rides to and from school from my dad, but as soon as we got out of his car, it was as if they didn’t know me, as if we hadn’t grown up together as thick as thieves.
As soon as high school was over, they moved away and haven’t been back since. I know
exactly what they’ve been doing: working for an agency undercover.
“They’re working as con artists, aren’t they?”
“Come and find out,” is all Ty says as he holds the door open and walks through it.
It’s fine, Evan. It’s been a long time since you saw them. Maybe they’ve changed.
I take a deep breath and walk out of the office, over the mats and to the meeting table. West sits in my seat, leaning back with his hands laced behind his head. Tattoos covering every inch of skin that I can see apart from his face. His clear-blue eyes turn to mine as I get closer and he runs his hand over his dark hair that is cut close to his scalp.
“You’re in my seat, West.” I grit my teeth, waiting for him to move.
His eyes widen and a smirk kicks up the corner of his mouth before he chuckles and pushes back his chair.
“Sorry, Nevan.”
Fuck. Shit.
He stands up and waves his hand at my chair.
“Nevan?” Kay asks as I sit down and pull my laptop toward me.
“Don’t—”
“It’s nerd and Evan combined.” I look up at the other voice, the same clear-blue eyes stare at me.
“Seb,” I warn.
“What?” He shrugs, bringing his tan hands in the air. “It’s just a joke.”
“No… No!” I slam my fist on the table and stand up to my full height.
The last time I saw either of them, I was a lanky strip of wind without an ounce of muscle on me. Things have changed, not only can I look after myself now, but I know for sure that I could best either of them. I’ve changed, and yes, so have they, but I’m not going to let them push me around. Not here, not anywhere.
“You will not come here and bully me. I let it happen back in high school, but no more.”
“What?” West asks, stepping forward, a frown on his face. “We didn’t bully you.”
“Yeah,” I nod my head emphatically. “Yeah, you did.”
“Dude,” Seb starts, standing up and coming to stand next to West. They’re twins, but you never would have known apart from their eyes. They look nothing alike: West has more of an athletic build and his hair is cut close to his scalp with pale skin, whereas Seb is tan with lots of muscles and dark blond hair, cut in that fashionable style that’s neither long nor short. “We were the ones who stopped the bullies.”
ReBoot (MAC Security Series Book 4) Page 9