13. Rissa

13

RISSA

I pressed the speakerphone button and held the phone out. "Luce, tell your sister to back off."

Luce's unmistakable voice crackled through the speaker. "Jeanette, stand down. Rissa and I are working together now."

Jeanette scowled, her hand still gripping the door frame. She looked like she wanted to rip the phone from my grasp and crush it. I met her glare with a challenging stare.

After a tense moment, Jeanette stepped back. "Fine. But I'm watching you."

Luce sighed audibly through the phone. "Rissa, I apologize for my sister's rudeness. Let's focus on the task at hand, shall we?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. Luce was right, we needed to put aside these petty squabbles and figure out our next move. Still, I made a mental note to keep an eye on Jeanette. She clearly didn't trust me, and the feeling was mutual.

"Luce, grab Rey's phone and take this off speaker," I said, glancing warily at Jeanette. Her amber eyes narrowed as she watched me, arms crossed.

A rustling sound came through the line. "All right, it's off speaker."

I turned my back to Jeanette and walked several paces away, letting distance muffle our conversation. The cool sea breeze tugged strands of my short black hair in all directions. "Step away so we can talk privately."

"One moment." His voice grew distant as he moved, sand crunching beneath his feet. In my mind's eye, I could see him striding across the beach in long, confident strides, phone pressed to his chiseled jaw.

I shook my head, banishing the distracting mental image.

"I'm alone now," Luce said. "So, where do we meet? We need a secure location to regroup and strategize."

I had to trust him. And I kind of wanted to.

"Listen carefully," I said, my tone low and urgent. "I have a secret hideaway that we can use as our base of operations until we get this sorted out." I rattled off the address. "But Luce, you can't breathe a word of its location to anyone. The more people who know, the greater the risk that the Council could torture it out of them."

Luce let out a low chuckle, the sound sending a tingle down my spine despite the seriousness of the situation. "Of course. My lips are sealed."

I heard the rustle of fabric and the beep of buttons as he presumably pulled out his phone. "I've got my phone out, ready to plug the address into the GPS. Where am I headed?"

"No." The word came out sharper than I intended. "Luce, you can't use the GPS. It's trackable. You need to leave your phone behind. Lock it and give it to Rey for safekeeping."

Silence stretched between us for a long moment, broken only by the distant crash of waves and the cry of seagulls. I could practically hear the gears turning in Luce's head as he processed my request.

"Okay," he said at last. "I'll give my phone to Rey. What if they track it and then hurt Rey?"

I snorted. "I'll be upset I'm not there to see it, to be honest. Rey would kick their asses."

"Okay, then what?" Luce asked. "I'll give him my phone."

I nodded, already mentally plotting out our next move. "I'll throw my phone in the ocean on the way. Meet me at the grocery store on the corner by my driveway. You can just follow me to my hideout."

Luce's voice hardened. "Got it. I'll be there."

A shiver ran down my spine at the intensity of his tone, but I pushed the sensation aside. Now wasn't the time to get distracted. We had work to do.

Later, though…

"I'll be there in less than five minutes," Luce said confidently.

I shook my head. "Wait for me. It'll take me ten to get there." Turning to Jeanette, I gave her a jaunty salute, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. She rolled her eyes, but I could see a hint of worry for Luce lurking beneath her sharp exterior.

Without another word, I strode down the beach, the sand shifting beneath my feet. Once I was a good distance away, I pulled out my phone and, with a twinge of regret, snapped it in half. Holding the pieces in my hand, I closed my eyes and focused, channeling a burst of magic into my throw. The phone soared through the air, propelled by my power, and landed with a distant splash far out in the ocean.

Satisfied, I spun on my heel and raced back up the beach, my heart pounding with a mixture of exhilaration and anxiety. I hopped on my bike, the metal cool beneath my fingers, and tore down Luce's driveway.

As the wind whipped through my hair, my thoughts drifted to Luce. The way his presence filled a room, the intensity of his gaze, the electric spark that seemed to ignite between us whenever we were close. It was a distraction I couldn't afford, not now, not with so much at stake.

But even as I tried to push him from my mind, I knew it was futile. Luce had gotten under my skin in a way no one else ever had, and whether I liked it or not, he was part of this crazy, dangerous quest.

I just hoped it turned out as I hoped.

The grocery store parking lot was nearly deserted when I pulled in, my bike tires crunching over loose gravel. I scanned the handful of vehicles scattered across the faded asphalt, my gaze coming to rest on a sleek, black sports car tucked away in the corner.

Luce's car. Realization dawned. I'd passed that same car on my way to his house. It was straight out of a romcom movie.

"Damn it." The idea made me feel stupid, careless. I couldn't afford to be either, not now.

Luce's car glided toward me, the glossy paint gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights.

He pulled up beside me, the window rolling down smoothly to reveal his chiseled features. "Fancy meeting you here," he said, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the flutter in my stomach. "Just follow me. We need to move."

Luce's smirk widened, but he nodded. I pulled out of the parking lot and went slow enough he couldn't possibly lag. Too quickly, my tires crunched over the gravel as we pulled up to the copse of trees that hid my RV from view, but it had to have been almost an hour. I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as I took in the sight. This was my sanctuary, my escape from the running the sometimes lunatic shifter kingdom with Rey.

I hopped out of the car, not waiting for Luce as I made my way toward the RV. The salty sea breeze whipped through my hair, carrying with it the distant crash of waves against the shore.

"Not bad," Luce commented as he followed me, his long strides easily catching up. "Cozy."

I snorted, shooting him a look over my shoulder. "It's not the Ritz, but it'll do. Just be grateful I'm letting you crash here at all."

He held up his hands in mock surrender, but I didn't miss the glint of amusement in his dark eyes. Jerk.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the familiar scent of lemon cleaner and saltwater enveloping me like a comforting hug. I'd spent hours making this place feel like home, scrubbing every surface until it gleamed. It was a far cry from the luxury Luce was used to, but it was mine.

"Make yourself at home," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I moved to open the windows, letting in the fresh air. "Mi casa es su casa, or whatever."

Luce chuckled, the sound deep and rich. He sprawled out on the small couch, his large frame taking up all of it and overflowing into the skinny hall space. "I've stayed in much worse places. This'll do just fine."

I bit back a snarky comment about size. We had more important things to worry about than either of our comfort levels.

Luce gazed out the window, his expression contemplative as he took in the view of the beach. "Yeah, you know, I prefer my home, but this is nice for a rustic change."

Now fighting the urge to bonk a pillow on his perfectly coiffed head, I said, "You're the only person who's ever been here other than me. Thank your lucky stars that we had somewhere safe to go."

He turned to me then, his gaze intense. "You're right. And having you here makes me even more lucky."

We were truly in this together now, for better or worse. I pushed down the flutter of nerves in my stomach and focused on the task at hand.

"We need a plan," I said, settling into a business attitude. "Something they won't see coming."

Luce patted the table. "Are you sure this place is completely off the grid?"

A heartbeat passed, then two as I stared at him flatly, my arms crossed over my chest.

He held up his hands in surrender. "It was just a question. I trust you."

I let out a breath. "Good. Because trust is all we have right now."

The tension between us shifted, the air suddenly charged with something other than suspicion. I cleared my throat, to break the silence.

"You want something to drink? I think I have some bottled water in the fridge."

Luce's face broke into a grin, the sudden change in his demeanor catching me off guard. "I can get it."

He hopped up from his seat and strode over to the fridge, his movements fluid and graceful. He grabbed a couple of waters. "Here." He held out one of the bottles.

Our fingers brushed as I reached for it, a jolt of excitement shooting up my arm at the contact. I jerked back, the water sloshing in the bottle.

Now was not the time!

I risked a glance at Luce, but he seemed unaffected, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever. I took a sip of my water, hoping to cool the heat that had suddenly flared in my cheeks.

Get it together, Rissa. Focus.

Even as I tried to concentrate on our task, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between us. Something deeper than partnership or even friendship.

Something dangerous and exhilarating all at once.

I paced the small space of the RV as I ran through the details in my head. But my thoughts kept drifting back to Luce, to the way his lips had felt against mine in the bottle, the heat of his body pressed against me...

No. I couldn't think about that now. We had a job to do. It hadn't even been twelve hours since the last time, why was I so fixated?

I turned to face him, my resolve hardening. "We need to?—"

But the words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. He was leaning against the counter, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, the bottle of water dangling loosely from his fingers. The afternoon sun streaming through the window gilded his dark hair with gold, casting his features in sharp relief.

Damn it. Why did he have to be so darn gorgeous in both his shapes?

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "Luce, I?—"

He lifted his gaze to mine, his eyes dark and intense. "What is it, Rissa?"

The way he said my name…damn. I took a step forward, then another, until I was standing right in front of him. Close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body.

"I can't stop thinking about jumping you," I admitted, my voice rough.

His expression warmed, his lips curving into a smile that made my knees go weak. "Me neither."

And then I was kissing him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pulled him closer. He responded instantly, his arms wrapping around me, his mouth hot and demanding against mine.

We stumbled backwards, my legs hitting the edge of the small bed. I fell back onto the mattress, pulling him down on top of me. His weight settled over me, solid and reassuring, as his hands roamed my body, setting my skin on fire.

This was a bad idea. We had more important things to worry about than satisfying our own selfish desires. But at that moment, I didn't care. All I wanted was him.

My fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, my urgency making me clumsy. I needed to feel his skin against mine, needed to be as close to him as possible. Luce helped, shrugging out of the garment and tossing it aside.

Just as I was reaching for his belt buckle, a distant sound intruded on my fogged mind. The crunch of tires on gravel. The low rumble of an approaching vehicle.

I froze, my body going rigid with tension. "Did you hear that?"

Luce nodded, his expression instantly alert and wary. He rolled off me and to his feet in one smooth motion, A short blade appearing in his hand.

Where did that come from?

"Someone's coming," he said.

"That's impossible," I said, even as my fingertips itched as my claws slid out. "No one knows about this place."

But the sound was getting louder, leaves and twigs snapping under heavy tires. Headlights flashed through the trees, growing steadily brighter. There was no mistaking it now. Someone was driving down the hidden access road, heading straight for my secret hideaway.

Luce and I exchanged a tense glance, a thousand unspoken worries passing between us. We both knew the gravity of the situation. If the Council had somehow found us...We could probably take them, but the bloodletting would weaken us for our real mission.

Stopping the formless ones had to be the priority.

I snatched up my discarded clothes and hastily pulled them on, adrenaline flooding my system and chasing away the last remnants of desire. Luce did the same, his movements quick and efficient. In seconds, we were both clothed and ready, heading out the RV door just as the car pulled up in a spray of gravel, tires screeching to a halt. I broke to the right, getting out of direct line of sight, my claws ready. "What the fu?—"

A horn blared, cutting off my exclamation. I tensed as figures emerged from the vehicle. Then I blinked.

"Rey?" I sputtered, disbelief coloring my tone. "Cathy?"

They weren't alone. Jeanette pulled up behind them, her delicate features set in a determined expression. No one else arrived.

After a stunned moment, I turned my attention back to Rey, stalking forward, jabbing a finger in his direction. "How in the hell did you know we were here?"

Rey spread his hands, a maddening grin tugging at his lips. He looked entirely too pleased with himself, like a fox with chicken feathers sticking out of his mouth.

I ground my teeth, tamping down the urge to wipe that smirk off his face. Of all the people to show up unannounced, it had to be Rey. My alleged boss, who apparently had no concept of privacy or boundaries.

He'd better have a damn good explanation for this, or I was gonna?—

"Rissa," Luce said quietly.

I took a deep breath. As much as I wanted to tear into Rey for his little stunt, we had bigger problems to deal with.

Like the fact that my hideaway was apparently not as secret as I'd thought. And the looming threat of the Council, who could be closing in on us even now.

I met Luce's gaze, seeing my own concern mirrored in his eyes. We needed answers, and fast.

Rey laughed. "Did you forget that I have excellent hearing? I could hear you telling Luce where to meet you. When you mentioned the hideaway, I decided to meet you here too. I've known you had this place for ages now."

Uh huh. Damn nosy Rey.

I glared at him, my claws retracting as my hands clenched into fists. Of course he'd heard. Damn shifter senses. I should have known better than to underestimate Rey's abilities, but I'd been so focused on getting Luce to safety that I hadn't even considered the possibility of Rey eavesdropping and then deciding to interfere.

"Sometimes I really don't like you," I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

Rey snorted. "Back at you," he said, his tone wry. "But I'm here to help you plan. What are we planning?"

I gritted my teeth, biting back the sharp retort that sprang to my lips. As much as I wanted to throttle Rey for his flippant attitude, he was right. And he surprised people all the time, as he'd just proven.

Luce sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I've already got an idea," he said, his deep voice tinged with weariness. "But come in, trickster king. We'll do this together."