broken thieves

eighteen

I'm tucked up in Blake's arms, his fingers threading through my hair, and I let out a small sigh. He holds me tightly and I'm surrounded by his warmth, but all too soon he pulls away, rubbing my upper arms with his comforting hands.

"I'll be back before you know it," he says, a smirk on his face. He loves it when I worry about him, I just know it.

"I know," I say. My heart is fluttering with the knowledge of what I'm about to do, but I somehow manage to stay composed in front of Blake. "Just don't die, please."

He chuckles warmly. "I won't die. We're there to have a quick look, not to kick ass."

Apparently the Lennox thieves believe that the Drakan's are at some industrial site, an abandoned one with a whole bunch of empty warehouses that no one uses anymore. It's the perfect hiding place, with plenty of room to house hundreds of cadets and the Drakan's themselves, along with all the weapons and cars they need. They might not be there, but I think the chances are high.

With his hand pressing against the side of my neck, Blake draws me in for a kiss. Then we pull apart and I say my goodbyes to Jayden and Zavier, hugging them both.

It's only a temporary goodbye, of course.

Then, right on cue, Maeve and Elodie rush over to say goodbye to the three of them, and Alyx and Aspen. I don't want to waste any time, so I silently run over to the vehicle they've chosen for the trip; a sleek, black truck. The plan is for Blake to drive and Zavier to sit in the passenger seat while the other's sit in the truck bed, so I hop over the tailgate and quickly tuck myself in the corner of the bed, covering myself with a dark blanket that's been left there.

I send a mental 'thank you' to Maeve and Elodie for distracting the others. I couldn't have done it without those two.

It's a few moments later when I hear the voices grow in volume. They're talking and chuckling amongst each other, and I hear as Blake climbs into the driver's side and starts the vehicle. Although my hiding place is utterly crap, I'm pleasantly surprised when neither Jayden, Alyx or Aspen notice me there.

I smile to myself. This was too easy.

We're driving for around twenty minutes when I start to feel uncomfortable. My butt is numb, I have pins and needles in both of my feet, but I can't move a muscle in case I accidentally catch the eyes of Jayden who I know is right beside me. I've been trying not to eavesdrop on his conversation with Aspen, but it's not exactly a top-secret conversation that they would be mortified if someone overheard.

"I can't believe it's taken me a few months to realise you need to wear glasses," Jayden says, a smile in his voice.

"Yeah, well, I'm fucking blind without them," Aspen replies. Her voice sounds somewhat self-conscious, but all I can think about is when I last saw Aspen wearing glasses and they framed her pretty face perfectly.

"Have you needed them all your life?" Jayden asks. I hear him shift slightly, his foot ever-so-slightly tapping my leg.

I imagine that Aspen shakes her head. "No. It was when I went to see my family over in Japan, I think when I was eleven? Anyway, we went sight-seeing and I realised that all of the 'sights' were blurry as fuck. It's gotten worse ever since. Contact lenses are my lifesaver."

"Why aren't you wearing them today?" Alyx's soft voice asks. They've been quiet for most of the journey, either terrified into silence about going on this trip or entirely relaxed. I can imagine it being the latter.

"I don't have any left. I'll be going to nick some when I get the chance."

"What about the tattoo on your wrist?"