Permanent Lines (24 page)

Miles’ jaw visibly clenched.

“No one exited, but it sat there for a noticeable amount of time. Curt and I followed
them, keeping a reasonable distance between us.”

“Who’s Curt?” I interrupted. I knew that as far as Miles and Stewart were concerned,
this was all need to know, restricted, but I wanted to know everything about everything
and everyone involved.

“My partner,” Stewart answered.

I nodded.
Fair enough.

“Did you see where it went?” Miles asked.

“To the art studio.”

Miles rubbed his face in frustration as I shook my head, ready to blow.

“How the hell did they figure this out?” I asked to no one in particular.

Miles didn’t speak, but Stewart did.

“We’re trying to connect the pieces, but at the moment we’re unsure.”

“We need to get in touch with Joey,” Amelia said from behind us, startling both Miles
and I. We had no clue she was listening.

“I’m not sending my fiancé in there,” Miles was quick to respond. “Not now … not when
they could already have her on watch.”

Kayla didn’t argue or even budge when I glanced over Amelia’s shoulder to see her
response. I think she already understood the severity of the situation. She and Miles
could be under the radar now.

Fuck!

Stewart left soon after delivering the news. Miles and I both thanked him and he assured
us he would keep us posted with anything else out of the ordinary. We were back in
our circle, back to square fucking one. Sending Kayla into the gallery was a no go
now—if there was any possibility they were on to us, there was no way we were letting
that happen.

“I want to do it,” Amelia announced in a confident, no bullshit voice.

I looked at her like she was on crack. “No fucking way!” I only glanced at her when
I said it. It wasn’t up for discussion. I knew my girl was a toughass and could hold
her own, but no … there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was allowing her to go in there.

“Hear me out,” she said, not dropping the subject.

I stood, my hands locked behind my head as I began to pace. “It ain’t happening, baby,”
I repeated.

No one else spoke, just watched. I could tell they all wanted to know what Amelia
had to say, but I could give two shits. Call me controlling, but I wasn’t sending
the love of my life in to some guido-infested mob squad that wanted her blood. I might
be crazy, but it wasn’t fucking happening.

“Merrick! Just stop for a minute,” she pleaded. “Please!”

I stopped where I was and took a deep breath. It was going to take some crazy ass
control to even listen, but I loved her and didn’t want her to think that her voice
meant nothing to me … even though whatever point she had to prove wouldn’t change
my mind. In my head, it was a done deal.

“We can freeze the cameras right before I go in,” she began to explain. “You said
yourself that Micah is smart with security, and we have Stewart too, right, Miles?”
She looked at Micah and Miles as she said it to get their consent.

“Stewart is at our disposal,” Miles assured her.

Micah nodded. “Y-yeah …” he fumbled with his words at first, “it wouldn’t be a problem;
I can get her wired and everything.”

I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe that I was even listening to this and that my
best friend was going along with it.

“Perfect. We’ll wait until we see everyone leave,” she continued. “Sunday dinner is
always at five. It never changes and
everyone
goes to it.”

I took another breather, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. This
was hell to even listen to.

“Joey will freak as soon as he sees me, knowing that I’m not safe there. He’ll be
short and to the point, allowing me to tell him quickly what’s up, and make sure he’s
in. We’ll unfreeze the cameras as soon as I’m safely in a car. I’ll be in there five
minutes, tops!” She finished with a bright smile, like she just put the tail on the
donkey with her flawless fucking master plan.

“No,” I answered simply before I looked around to everyone else, shaking my head.
“No. Any other ideas?” I asked.

Amelia stood, cheeks flaming. “I’m doing it!” she shouted, her hands on her hips.
“I’m sick of watching everyone put themselves in danger when this is
my
situation. It’s not up for discussion. Either you’re in or you’re out.”

I was shocked. She had never spoken to me like that and I’d never felt even a pinch
of threatened by her. Now here she was, standing up to me with a no bullshit look
and tone. If I wasn’t so fucking worried about her getting hurt, I’d throw her over
my shoulder and make the best motherfucking badass love to her, but this was a serious
moment, so I had to stop thinking with my cock.

I shook my head of the mixed emotions flooding my brain. “I don’t have a choice in
this, do I?” I asked, my voice scratchy and somber.

She smiled, seeing me giving in. “Nope.”

I took two steps forward so that we were close enough to where I could lean in and
whisper into her ear, “We’re fucking tonight, and you’re gonna keep this badass attitude
the whole time.”

She snickered as her cheeks grew even more flushed. “Does that mean you’re in?” she
asked sweetly.

I stepped back and glared at her, taking a second before I answered. It was taking
everything in me to not say the fuck with it, and demand that she not do it, but I
knew she was being serious. I knew she was doing it regardless. I had to be on board.
I had to be there for my girl … I told her I always would.

I swallowed hard before exhaling in defeat. “Yeah,” I said, barely audibly. “I don’t
like it, but I love you, so … yeah.”

Her hands went to my cheeks before she kissed me like I told her I wanted her to tonight.
Apparently she didn’t care who was watching, and I certainly could give a fuck either.
It was fucking crazy hot and got a rise out of my manhood instantly. She knew my weakness,
and did I care? Fuck no!

She finished with a little nip at my bottom lip then gave me a hot ass smirk that
made my insides crave a whole lot more.

“So …” Micah interrupted awkwardly. “Is this the plan then?”

I took a step back, dropping my chin to my chest, rubbing my face with both hands
as I did. I couldn’t believe what I was about to agree to. “Yeah,” I said, looking
back up, but only at Amelia, whose face was glowing with appreciativeness that I was
going with her plan and trusting her confidence, “I guess it is.”

We went over the game plan daily for the next couple of days. We planned the car ride
there, the second the security would freeze, what Amelia would wear, how she was going
to be wired that night … no detail wasn’t thought out or rehearsed. It was scary as
shit and every day we practiced I got a little more nervous.

Miles and Kayla shacked up with us just to be safe. It was a good fucking thing that
the place was bigger than the average house because living under house arrest with
Miles and Kayla wasn’t top on my list as super fun things to do. It was necessary,
though, since we weren’t sure what the guido-fucks knew and how close they were watching
Miles and Kayla.

It fucking pissed me off that everyone’s lives were being uprooted. Kayla and Miles
had to work from home, and me, well, who the fuck knew what was going to happen with
my bar.

Miles and I had spoken about the damage and what I could do after, but what it all
boiled down to was how the situation played out. There was a chance we all could be
living on a secluded island next week. Who the fuck knew?

By Sunday, nerves in the apartment were at an all time high. None of us really spoke
or did anything to occupy the time. Of course Kayla tried to pull out some board games,
trying to make the most of our time together, but call me crazy, playing Scrabble
wasn’t sounding very appealing at the moment.

“I’m going to go lay down,” I told Kayla with a tight grin, standing from the couch.

She sighed, losing the battle of having a game day, attempting to lift the spirits
in the apartment. I leaned in and pecked her forehead. I knew she only meant well.

“After this shit is over, darling, I’ll play Connect Four all goddamn day if you want.”
I took a step back. “Just not today.”

She smirked, understanding, but continued with her rally for laughter. “You’re just
afraid of getting your ass kicked by a girl. Don’t worry, I get it.”

Her tactic worked, putting a grin on my face. “That’s
exactly
it,” I kidded before reaching for Amelia’s hands to pull her up from the couch. “Maybe
you should get in some practice by yourself, because let me tell you, I’m kickass
at Scattergories, and I promise to school your ass in it when this is over.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kayla said from behind us as we started to walk towards the hallway.
“Keep blowing steam out of your ass, Drake.” She made sure to have the last word before
Amelia and I disappeared. I didn’t respond. Today, I’d let her win.

Just after three, Micah and Maddy showed up. Shit was starting to get real. Operation
“Kill that Motherfucker” was getting closer and closer to commencing.

At four, Micah started to wire Amelia up. I watched inquisitively beside them.

“Watch the eyes, fucker!” I scolded when my girl’s tits were in his face—covered by
a bra, but on display no less.

He glanced up briefly, shaking his head, before looking back down and taping the wire
to her chest and upper body. “I’m taken, dude.”

“They’re nice tits, girlfriend or not,” I boasted.

He didn’t even look up that time, but shook his head again. Amelia snickered, amused
by my insinuation. I shrugged my shoulders and winked. They
were
mine.

“All right.” He stood up when he was finished, prompting Amelia to start buttoning
up her shirt. “She’s covered,” he added before walking over to the laptop that was
up and running on the kitchen island.

It had two windows open. One was linked to Amelia so we could all listen, and then
the other one was the page that Amelia had given Micah with the studio’s cameras and
security information on it. Stewart had the same access, but was watching from wherever
he lived. Although he was helping us out, he was still keeping his distance, trying
to stay undercover as much as possible.

“Say something, baby,” I said, needing to have the reassurance that we could hear
everything easily. I was a flipping the fuck out inside and needed to make sure everything
was working perfectly.

“Stop worrying,” she said, running her soft hand down my cheek.

Her voice came over the speakers clear as day, but it didn’t stop my heart from beating
uncontrollably at the mixed emotions I was feeling. I couldn’t even begin to explain
how fucking proud of her ballsy braveness I was, but at the same time, I was worried
as shit that something was going to happen to the only person that ever made me happy.