Perceive by K E Osborn

 

 

AXEL

 

“Does he always eat like that?” Annamae questions, her eyes locked on Luca.

The look on her face is one of shock and disgust, a sure-fire response from a southern lady like her to a meathead like Luca.

His fork firmly stabs through a piece of steak the size of his head, and he gnaws pieces off it instead of cutting it up.

Everly rolls her eyes, refusing to even look at him. “Eventually, you just learn to accept his ways,” she explains, slicing off a piece of her own and delicately probing it with her fork. “Or he just fades into the background and you forget he’s even there doing weird shit.”

Kenzi keeps her head down, trying to disguise her giggles with her hand.

The table is full, everyone taking a seat around it, their plates loaded with food. It reminds me of the clubhouse, the barbecues we had, the way everyone would come together despite what kind of stress or drama we had going on outside the clubhouse walls. It’s a moment to just be together, to remember what we stand for, what we fight for, and who we bleed for.

And these people can have my blood any day.

“Ruin, how’s the recovery going?” Kace inquires, leaning back in his seat with his arm around Lily’s shoulders.

Their relationship has always been one I’ve admired, even though at one point, it almost destroyed us. I guess Kace and I are the same in that way, where we know what we want, and nothing or no one is going to get in the way of us having it.

He knew in his gut when he met Lily, she was it.

And I knew in mine, no matter what, Kenzi was still out there.

Sometimes you just know.

Ruin shifts his body in his seat, his face pinching in pain as he sits a little straighter. “I’m good. It’ll be a little before I can get back on my ride again, though. I’m not enjoying being cooped up inside a car for the foreseeable future.” His nose crinkles in disgust.

“You could walk places,” I offer, throwing my brother a knowing grin.

“Get fucked,” he curses, shaking his head.

“I’ll get you a scooter,” Kenzi adds, her eyes lighting up in delight at Ruin’s visible shudder. “Maybe a skateboard? One of those hoverboards?”

Ruin glares across the table. “I swear if you—”

My entire body jerks as my cell phone that’s buried deep within my jeans pocket begins to wail loudly. I reach for it, but like a Mexican wave, the sound moves around the table. Jack, Kace, Luca, Noah… one after another every single member of the team reaches for their screeching alarm, jabbing at the keypad to try and turn the incessant noise off.

For a second, I think Annamae might leap under the table, the way her eyes are wide as saucers and looking around the backyard like she’s expecting a wave of soldiers or maybe a tsunami.

I turn my attention to Kenzi who urgently waves me off. “Go. We’ll deal with miss southern peach,” she orders, Lily and Everly already on their feet and moving toward the shocked woman. I dip my head, pressing my lips to Kenzi’s head, enjoying the way her eyes flutter closed, her body relaxing and leaning into my touch.

“Come on,” Kace snaps, shoving at my shoulder to get me moving.

We rush through Kace’s house, the SO7 and Jack all piling into two vehicles out front, my body barely on the backseat before Tanner takes off out the driveway and onto the street.

“What’s the situation?” Noah demands as he and I yank out the false front of the seat beneath us.

I start pulling the guns out while Noah tosses us each a bulletproof vest and a mask to wear.

“There was a bypass override code used to try and get into The Agency,” Kace explains quickly.

Noah and I both pause and look at each other with a frown.

A bypass override code is something only The Agency heads have. A code that can get them into anything and anywhere within The Agency. Like a key to the city.

“Jack had me turn all the king codes off when Brandon went AWOL last week, seems as though he’s been borrowing someone’s code to gain access to classified materials.”

Kace turns his entire body around, his eyes narrow and darkening. “And who might he have borrowed it from?” Kace growls, the rasp in his tone letting me know exactly what the answer is.

“Your mom,” Noah answers with a heavy sigh, refusing to look at Kace as he straps his vest on. “Jack said he’d deal with it. It’s not up to me to give you that information.”

I’m sure Kace is well aware, when it comes to The Agency, Noah doesn’t answer to Kace.

He answers to Jack.

Kace tells us to jump, but it’s Jack who says how high.

“So, Mommy Dearest has been sticking her finger in the pie again.” Tanner laughs as she weaves through the suburban streets, heading for the city. “When will that woman learn that shit is hot, and she’s gonna get burned.”

“Never,” Kace growls between his clenched teeth. He lifts his fist, slamming it against the roof of the vehicle, the fake covering separating to reveal an arsenal of weapons. “I’m tempted to take the flame thrower. I’m so done with this little motherfucker.”

“Almost there,” Tanner announces, the group of us choosing to ignore our fearless leader and his sudden pyromaniac impulses.

Camilla, Kace’s mom, is a sore spot.

This woman raised him as a fighting, killing machine.

Then tried to kill his father.

Then went after Kace’s girlfriend.

All in the name of wanting the world to fall at her feet.

I think it’s safe to say we’re grateful Kace is more like his dad, Jack, than like his psycho mother, Camilla. But it could have so easily gone the other way.

Tanner yanks the steering wheel hard, the back of the SUV sliding out as we take the entrance to the underground parking lot at the museum. Looking over my shoulder, I catch a quick glimpse of Luca in the front seat of the car behind us, he’s so close up our ass, I can almost make out the shit talking he is doing to Jack, who sits stern-faced beside him, gripping the handrail over his head for dear life.

Both cars skid to a sudden halt outside the elevator. We pull our bandanas down over our faces, protecting our identities, even though the museum is closed and the sun is setting, which makes it a lot better for us to keep from making a scene.

Noah furiously types away on his tablet, his fingers tapping at a million miles an hour as we climb out of the vehicles and walk toward the entrance to The Agency—a nondescript, run-down-looking maintenance lift.

“We’re at the wrong place,” Noah announces with a frown.

“The hell do you mean?” Jack snaps, rushing forward and peering over Noah’s shoulder with his brow creased heavily.

It’s a long few seconds, all of us holding our breath, our hearts racing with anticipation. I shuffle from one foot to the other, trying to keep my adrenaline pumping, trying to keep that rush flowing. The semi-automatic in my hands is beginning to get heavy, my finger flicking at the safety, ready to destroy this piece of shit who’s caused Kenzi so much pain.

“He’s inside,” Jack finally groans.

Noah nods. “The alarm was set off from the exit inside the museum.”

“But it’s been closed for hours,” Tanner offers.

“What’s the bet the little snake was hiding inside when they closed, thinking he might be able to sneak in this way since it’s so unused,” Kace explains, his voice still rough and thick with emotion. Anger maybe but also something else.

Luca scoffs. “He’s just been hiding up inside some giant million-year-old vase or up a mammoth’s ass or something? Seriously, who does the dude think he is? Mission Impossible? Where’s Wally?”

“So, this was a waste of time?” I question, agitation taking over from the adrenaline.

“Not quite,” Noah cuts in, an excited tone to his voice I haven’t heard in a long time. It has me standing a little straighter, curiosity lighting up my eager senses. “He’s still inside.”

“He’s what?” Blair coughs, shuffling in a little closer.

Noah turns his tablet around to show us, I instantly recognize the floor plan of the museum, the exits highlighted and glowing in green. “If he tries to get through one of those exit doors, alarms will go off. Lots of them. And he will have not just us to deal with, but police, fire, homeland security, and the FBI.”

“Not quite,” Jack corrects. “But yes, museums hold a lot of valuable shit. It’s one of the reasons we use it as a base because of the amount of security it already has in place.”

“So, what you’re saying is…” I hear the tone in Luca’s voice growing higher, the excitement level rising to a new degree, “… Where’s Wally is stuck inside, probably hiding, thinking he’s just gonna wait it out until the museum opens tomorrow.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The air changes dramatically.

The disappointment quickly lifting, becoming something far different.

I can’t help the grin that lights up my face as I lift my gun, placing my eye to the scope and checking to make sure it’s set. “So, what are we waiting for?” I question, heading for the elevator. “I heard it’s huntin’ season.”