“But your ankle…”
He gives me a cocky smile. “I’ll manage.” He pulls out his wallet and checks the contents. “I’ve got twenty-four bucks. Anyone else have cash? No way am I paying with credit.”
We all empty our pockets. After two days of living off the radar, it’s amazing we have anything left, but Jeremy ends up with close to eighty dollars. We watch nervously as he limps across the parking lot toward the twenty-four-hour entrance. I swear I don’t breathe until he limps out several minutes later with a shopping tote in each hand.
When he gets back to the van, Dante and Draven help him inside while Rebel and I grab the totes. Inside are stacks of baseball caps, a few University of Colorado tees and hoodies, and half a dozen pairs of sunglasses.
Nitro holds up the shades. “Seriously?”
“Facial recognition, man,” Jeremy retorts. “And it’s not like eighty bucks was going to buy you Ray-Bans.”
We divide up the goods. The guys pull on the shirts and hoodies, while Rebel and I hide our hair under the caps. When we’re as disguised as we’re going to get, we look around at each other.
“Now what?” Jeremy asks.
“Where can we go?” Rebel adjusts her cap.
“We could find a motel,” I suggest.
“Security cameras,” Jeremy says. “Even if we pay with cash, again, facial recognition. The software will flag the five of you in seconds.”
We sit in silence. Where can we go? We need to rest. We need to get Jeremy back online. And we need to figure out what to do next.
Reb shakes her head, like she doesn’t want to say it. “I have an idea.”
“We’re all ears, babe,” Dante tells her as he rubs a hand up and down her spine.
“It’s a crazy idea,” she explains, “but it would be the last place they would ever look. We should go,” she says, wincing as she does, “to my brother Riley’s.”
To say you could have heard a pin drop in the van would be an understatement. Riley Malone, son and egotistical heir of the Malone family. The guy who takes the job of being a superhero way too literally. The guy who wears a freaking cape to the office.
Oh yeah, we should totally stay with him.
Chapter 21
“That’s not going to happen.” Draven’s tone is flat. He sounds completely immovable.
“My brother is the only one who might know about the lab relocation and might actually tell us where it is.”
“Who are you kidding? The perfect son of Rex Malone would spill the beans on the top secret hero hideaway?” Draven sounds bitter, angry. “That’s so not even in the realm of possibility.”
“Well, I didn’t mean we should just walk up and ask him,” she says. “Geez.” She gestures to Draven, Dante, Jeremy, and Nitro. “Between the five of us, we’ve got some serious power. He won’t be able to hold out against all of us. No matter how much he wants to.”
It still hurts a little—okay more than a little—to be counted as powerless, especially by my best friend. Just because I can’t move things with my mind or crush skulls with a thought doesn’t mean I’m useless. I thought I’d proven that tonight. Thought I’d shown Rebel and the others that I’m just as important as the rest of them. It sucks that she still doesn’t think I can contribute.
But now’s not exactly the time for self-pity, not when so much hangs in the balance. Deacon’s life. My mother’s freedom. Exposing the superheroes for their crimes. Saving the villains.
We don’t exactly have room in our schedule for my existential crisis, no matter how overwhelmed I feel. Ignoring my hurt and embarrassment, I force myself to concentrate. To think logically about our next steps since emotions are running high right now. They’re not reacting; they’re overreacting.
“Don’t you think Riley’s is the first place they’ll look for us?” I ask Rebel. “They know you and I are part of this now. It’s not a stretch for your dad to think you’d go to Riley for help or—”
“I’m not going to that kiss-ass for help,” Rebel says through gritted teeth. “I’m going to him because my dad trusts him. He knows everything that we want to know.”
I hold up a placating hand. “I’m not saying he doesn’t. But you didn’t let me finish. Even though your dad knows you and Riley don’t get along, your dad has to know that Riley would be the first one you’d try to break. You’ve made him cry more than once through the years.”
“And I’ll do it this time,” she tells me determinedly. “If we get in and get Riley under control fast enough, he won’t have time to notify anyone that we’re there and we’ll be gone before Dad can send in the troops.”