Page 83 of Eat. Prey. Love.
This shit is the fucking tits and no one will ever convince me otherwise. It’s almost as good as killing people.
“Easy does it,” I murmur to myself, mimicking the cool demeanor of an action hero though my pulse races with the fervor of our clandestine escapade.
A glance through the glass below shows Dolly, twisting her lithe body through a maze of laser beams in a dance that would have gymnasts weeping in envy. Her movements are fluid, practiced—she’s in her element, and it’s as infectious as it is intoxicating. I want to leap down and fuck her senseless, but I know I can’t—I have to focus on the task at hand.
“Show-off,” I tease through the earpiece. “Guys, I think someone needs to plan a heist roleplay in the future. This shit is so hot my dick could sub for the diamond glasscutter.”
“For fuck’s sake…”
The dragon’s irritation with me isn’t unusual, so I ignore it as I look for my mark. My eyes fixate on the spot where I need to land and I reach down to grasp the release on my harness. Humming the theme song of the movie I’m copying, I release the rigging and land on the balls of my feet, poised and ready for the prowl.
“Fitz, we’re trying not to trigger World War III here,” Felix’s voice crackles in my ear, a blend of exasperation and brotherly concern. “Don’t set off shit by singing to yourself like an idiot.”
“Relax, bro,” I retort, “I’m as silent as the ‘p’ in psycho.”
Who says you can’t have fun when you’re risking your ass? Not me, that’s for damn sure.
The museum is eerily still, a stark contrast to the adrenaline that dances under my skin. Moving with exaggerated caution, I skirt around pressure-sensitive floors, my eyes scanning for any sign of tripwires or hidden cameras. The faint green glow of night vision goggles casts an otherworldly hue over everything, turning the mundane into something out of a spy flick.
“Find anything yet?” Dolly’s breathless voice filters through, laced with the thrill of our mission.
“Working on it,” I reply, spotting the glass case housing a book that reeks of ancient secrets. “Be patient, grasshoppers.”
Its leather cover is cracked with age, and I swear I hear the whispers of the dark shit emanating from its pages. Carefully, I pull the cutter out of my side pocket despite my assertion about my cock. I use it to cut the case open, then lift the glass out. It takes a few more moments to determine that it doesn’t have any other measures in place and once I know that, I lift the entire case off of it and set it aside.
“Fuck yeah, Tomb Raider Fitz,” I mutter. There’s a chorus of guffaws on the other end and I huff, slipping the book into the bagI have strapped flat to my chest. “You guys can suck it; I have my prize.”
“Jackpot,” says the female voice on the comms. That confirms Dolly found whatever offices they have in the building and she’s going to work on the computers. I can almost see her smirk as she plugs in the drive I gave her, the little gadget blinking to life as it copies files upon files of data that will no doubt unravel this enigma.
“Just be careful,” Renard says softly. “We don’t know if there are enemies within.”
“You need to get out before they realize their hideout has been compromised either way,” Chess advises. “So don’t snoop more, Angel. Just download whatever you can and shake your cottontail.”
“Guys, it’s transferring,” Dolly responds, and even through the static, I can tell she’s pleased. “Stop motherhenning me to death.”
My twin’s voice comes over the line, worry obvious in his tone. “You guys haven’t read all this shit Fitz found, but this place is not just a museum. The rumors are pretty dark, and if even half of them are true, it’s definitely a cult headquarters. Get the hell out as soon as possible.”
“This office is creepy as hell,” Dolly replies. “It smells like death. Trust me, I’m not staying any longer than necessary. The drive is almost done, but I can’t wait to find out what the hell this place is a front for. I mean, it’s hiding in plain sight, you know?”
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I muse, feeling the weight of the book against my side. “Especially since I’ve got the one book they thought needed to be put in a protective case.”
Dolly sighs, and my heart stops thundering when she finally says, “Done. I’m headed out. You get moving, too, Fitzy. Time to go home and get some answers.”
I walk over to the dangling line and hook the harness to it, grinning to myself.
No matter what info we managed to steal, getting to see Baby Girl in that catsuit was definitely worth the effort—no one will ever convince me otherwise.
Everybody Talks
My leotard clingsto me like a second skin, damp with the effort of today’s ballet class. The mirrored walls of the dance studio reflect a chorus of exhausted students, but I can’t help noticing my own outline, slightly more rigid than the rest, as if I’m still on high alert. It’s been a week since the museum heist—seven days of trying to blend back into the mundane rhythm of campus life.
But who could blame me for being tense? We stole shit from some unknown cult in alast minute raid.
“Come on, Dolly,” Cori coaxes, her voice upbeat as she tugs at my arm, pulling me toward the admin building. “You can’t avoid this place forever.”
I hesitate, memories of snarling dingoes and their cruel laughter at Apex biting at the edges of my mind. My stomach tightens, not from hunger, but from the thought of walking into another potential ambush. If the ladies in the clinic hadn’t helped me escape, I wouldn’t be here right now. It’s a sobering thought, despite the fact that I can defend myself now.
“It’ll be fine,” she insists, her eyes bright and reassuring. “Plus, Rufus needs to film some candid ‘student day’ stuff for his final project. He’ll pout if we don’t go.”