Heist

Chapter 3

MARIPOSA

It was like a vise was in her chest. She hated keeping secrets, especially from people she loved and cared about. She knew it was necessary in order to keep them safe, but it was annoying and she wished whatever problems that had arisen would be resolved quickly so she wouldn't have to feel like a traitor.

She sighed and placed the worn paperback she was perusing back on the bookshelf. The smell of coffee wafted through the house. She smiled and meandered down the hall into the kitchen where Penny was sitting with a romance novel of her own, a hot cup of coffee on the counter before her. Mare poured herself a cup and took the vacant stool beside her friend, sipping the liquid.

A few minutes of silence passed before Penny closed her book and rested it on the marble. "Have you gone to the hospital since-"

"We're not talking about that. I sent her some money to take care of it, but I haven't heard back from her. Just drop it."

"But Mare, he-" Penny protested.

"Drop. It." Mare warned. "Hunter doesn't know, and I would like to keep it that way, at least for a while."

That's not the only thing Hunter doesn't know, her conscience nagged her, but she ignored it.

She thought back to the summer a year after she had left her ex-husband. Everything had changed that day. She was no longer the careful, level-headed woman who responsibly married her mate just because it was the sensible thing to do. It was because of that day. Now, she was recklessly committing crimes with her two best friends, and while she argued that it was fun, she was becoming to realize she was unhappy, unfulfilled. And then a couple of years ago-

"Mare!" a voice yelled from the driveway, breaking through her thoughts.

The women glanced at each other before making their way to the front of the house where Hunter was washing his car. He was religious about keeping his rusty sky-blue Jeep Gladiator clean, a gift from his paternal grandfather. She always had to be pristine. It was a habit Hunter developed over the years. Most of the time, the vehicle was parked in a friend's garage, but when they returned, he would wash her and have her ready to go. 

Guys consider cars, boats, any mode of transportation, as female- your house too. We constantly rely on women for major things. They're our assets, just like our partner, our female. We take care of our ladies. Ladies make men strong. Babies make us weak.

The arrogance behind that little speech, Mare inwardly seethed, and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"What's up," Penny demanded, hands on her hips as she glared at him.

He rolled his eyes and motioned toward the truck. "Once Aoki is ready, we need to hit the road. Anders texted. He's requesting our presence."

"I doubt that. The man has never asked for anything in his life." Mare scoffed as she headed back into the house to retrieve her phone and house keys.

The trio climbed into Aoki, Penny taking her preferred place in the back, and Hunter started her up, driving toward the main road. When he took a left instead of right, Mare put her hand on his leg and looked at him.

"Um, you're going the wrong way. The highway is the other way."

"We're not going to Cochiti. Anders wants us to meet him at this hotel he's staying at. Something about his house being fumigated." Hunter shrugged. "Honestly, I'm kind of just happy to be back to work, and he was talking about the Lore and destiny and bullshit."

"Fair enough," Mare said grudgingly, but Penny bursted out laughing behind them.

"Brother, you're one of the few people who are afraid of happiness. What was it about that conversation?"