Page 55 of Hero & Villain
Felicia’s phone beeped, and she straightened from where she was zipping up her black army pants to check it. “Jezzie, they’re en route. We need to get in place. Does Rosa come with me or you?”
“Me,” Jezebel said in her killer voice. “You ride with Trix. Keep an eye on everything. You’ll need to come in and take us out if things go sideways.”
“Sideways?” I asked, taking the assault suit that Minx handed me.
She gave me a sweet smile. “Don’t worry. Jezebel’s the best at what she does.”
“What does she do?” I asked, giving the crazy cowgirl a side glance.
“Whatever she wants. She’s been planning this Girl’s Night for months and months. Everything is going to go smooth as silk.”
“Or a good poly-rayon blend,” Felicia added.
Minx gave the other girl a shocked look. “How could you even compare anything polyester to silk? Felicia, sometimes I really worry about you.”
Felicia rolled her eyes and grabbed Minx in a hug. “Ah, chica, glad to know you care. Andale. Suit up. The sooner we’re in, the sooner we can get tacos.”
“Come on, Pinkie, you can dress in your room,” Jezebel said, nodding at me as she went into the hall.
I followed her, still holding the black suit. “Jezebel, I’m not sure if I’m a good fit for this Girl’s Night. I have a record.”
“Police won’t be involved,” she assured me with a sharp smile. “But if you’re nervous, you can stay home and play Othello.”
“I’m not nervous, but I don’t like not knowing what I’m getting into.”
She put an arm around my shoulders, but somehow, it didn’t feel intimidating. “Does anyone ever know what they’re getting themselves into? When you came to Vegas to take down the Dagger, did you expect his soft eyes to slay you? And what are you doing about it? You don’t know, and you’re in the middle of it with your eyes wide open. Why should Girl’s Night be any different? Come or don’t come, it’s up to you, but you will be curious and bored if you stay home hiding.”
She turned and walked towards her room, her own assault suit and helmet swinging in her hand. I stared after her for a long moment. Was I really so blatant about what I was trying to do with Dirk? Maybe what I needed was some proper villainy to get me back into the mindset I needed to deal with Dirk, who was the monster who had destroyed everything I’d worked so hard for.
I gripped my helmet and headed to my room. I was more than capable of taking care of myself. Maybe I’d take care of Minx and Felicia as well. They were clearly in over their heads with Jezebel.
Chapter Seventeen
VILLAIN
“There’s a com in the helmet and a tracker on the suit, so we won’t lose you. This way you won’t miss the play-by-play,” Jezebel said, rolling her eyes in the vestibule that led to the garage or the front.
“I’m off,” Minx said with a little wave. She was still wearing the sundress that tried to hide her assets, but failed miserably. Her wedge espadrilles were the opposite of my serious boots.
“Don’t take any shortcuts,” Jezebel warned. “Stick to the plan or we won’t get tacos.”
Minx nodded and shot a stunning smile at Jezebel. “Make sure you take your own advice, cowgirl.”
Felicia came out, wearing a harness holding an assortment of tech gear over her black army pants and tank top. “We’ll be watching you, Minx. Don’t get too flirty. We’ll be right with you.”
I drove the pink car behind Jezebel’s blue Betsy, with Felicia taking the rear in a beat-up red hatchback that had seen better days. We drove on the highway south for a few hours. Finally, we parked in a deserted motel parking lot’s barn off a smaller highway that didn’t get a lot of traffic even on a Friday night.
“You’re with me,” Jezebel said, nodding me towards a truck and trailer. A moo and a kick came from inside.
“Is that a cow?”
“A bull,” Jezebel said, climbing in the truck. “Are you coming?”
“Where’s Felicia?” I hadn’t noticed her not following me until we parked. I settled in and buckled up.
“She’s taking the helicopter with Trixie. We can’t all meet at the same place. That would be suspicious.”
“Right. It’s much less suspicious to drive into the middle of nowhere with a cow.”
