Chapter Twenty-Six

Ben

Fifteen years earlier…

“You’re just the kind of guy we need, Black,” Dirk says.

“You think, huh?”

“You’ve got brains and brawn. We need some brains.”

“What the fuck for?”

“We’re going to rob the convenience store,” he says, “and you’re going to help us.”

I take another drag off my cigarette. “Yeah? Good luck with that.”

“We don’t need luck. Didn’t I just say you were going to help us?”

I throw my butt down on the asphalt, stamp it out with the bottom of my steel-toed boot. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

Dirk takes a step toward me. “You’re in now. Because you know.”

“Bullshit.”

“I could kick your ass,” Dirk says.

“You and what army?”

I’ve got five inches on him in height, and I’m just as muscled as he is. Of course, he’s got Carlos and Jerry.

“Hey, man, I’m just thinking of you. I see that shack you live in with your father and brother. Everybody knows how hard you work. Wouldn’t you like a little something for nothing for once in your life?”

My father’s not the greatest father in the world, but he’s no thief. He’d hate me even talking about something like this.

But damn…

It would sure be nice to have some extra money once in a while.

Stealing is wrong. I sure as hell know that.

So why the fuck am I actually considering this?

These three are losers. The kind who cut school half the time and smoke weed in the bathrooms the other half.

“So are you in, Black?” Jerry asks.

“No.”

“You sure about that?” From Dirk.

It’s not a threat. I could kick Dirk into next week, and we both know it. It’s a simple question, one he expects me to contemplate.

So I do.

I clear my throat. “What are the details?”

“One a.m. tomorrow night. The place is open twenty-four-seven, but there’s very little traffic that late on a weeknight. The guys and I have been staking the place. Between one and two is the best time.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. I would think between two and four would be better.”

“Yeah, you’d think, but the truckers tend to come through around then.”

I nod. I have no reason not to believe Dirk. He’s been staking the place, and I haven’t.

What I’m more concerned about is how the hell I’m supposed to be up at one in the morning. I’m so fucking tired after a day at school and then working that when I get home, I hit the sheets and don’t think about a damned thing until my alarm rings at six.

And I start the whole process over again.

Get up, grab a bite, hit school, do homework during lunch, get home, grab a bite, hit the construction site, get home, grab a bite, hit the hay.

That’s my damned life.

Granted, I’m sick to death of it, but these guys aren’t thinking big enough. How much cash is there in a damned convenience store? A convenience store that probably has a security system in place because it’s open twenty-four-fucking-seven?

These guys were never known for their smarts.

After all, they said they needed my brains.

“What if we change the plan a little?” I say.

“How so?” Dirk asks.

“How much money do you think they keep in the store?”

“About a grand,” Carlos says. “My cousin works there during the day. He says they keep a thousand in the safe in addition to what’s in the cash register at any given time.”

“Yeah, a thousand dollars is more than any of us have ever seen,” I agree, “but that’s only two fifty each after we divide it. Is it really worth it? I mean, what is two fifty going to buy us? A week of groceries?”

“Or some good weed,” Jerry says.

“Fuck no. If I help with this, not one of you is going to spend this money on drugs.”

“I don’t see how it’s any business of yours of what we spend it on, Black,” Dirk says.

Technically, he’s right.

“If you want my help—and I’ve got a plan way better than yours—no drugs. Got it?”

“What are you thinking?” Carlos asks.

“I’m thinking there are better places to hit than a damned store that never closes. We can hit a place that’s empty in the middle of the night. A place that has a hell of a lot more cash stashed away. I’m talking fifty grand at least, with absolutely no chance of getting caught.”

…

Present Day…

I already took my plunge early this morning with Braden, but I’ll do another so Tessa can see that it doesn’t kill me.

We walk into the resort to the workout room, where Spencer is waiting for us.

“Mr. Black,” he says. “There you are.”

“Hello, Spencer. This is Tessa Logan.”

Tessa holds out her hand.

Spencer shakes it. “Very nice to meet you.” He rakes his gaze over her body, of course.

Everyone does. Men and women. It’s beginning to irk me, even though I’m guilty of it myself.

“Ms. Logan and I would like to take a cold plunge.”

“Yes. I’ve got everything ready as you instructed,” Spencer says.

I take Tessa’s hand, and together we follow Spencer through the gym, out onto the deck adjacent to the workout area.

“Fifty-five degrees?” Spencer asks.

“It’s the only way I fly,” I say.

Tessa is chewing on her lower lip. “I don’t know, Ben.”

“Try it for three minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much better it gets after just the first minute. Spencer will tell you when the first minute is up, right, Spencer?”

“Absolutely, whatever you want.”

“And I’m going to go first.”

“Didn’t you say you and Braden already did one?” she asks.

“Yeah, we did. We both went eleven minutes today. Braden, of course, was determined to not let me beat him in anything.” I resist an eye roll. “But I don’t expect you to do anything without watching me do it first, so I’ll do five minutes this time, and you’ll see how easy it is for me, and you’ll have no problem with three minutes.”

Tessa draws in a breath, and then, to my surprise, she removes the sarong tied around her chest, revealing an amazing bright-red bikini.

I suck in a breath.

I’ve seen her in a bikini before, but this one is scant. Her tits are nearly falling out of the top. And the bottom? It’s a thong.

Oh my God.

Not something I expected Tessa to wear.

I unbutton my shirt and toss it on the back of a chair, right next to Tessa’s sarong.

Spencer pulls the thermometer out of the tub and glances at it. “Good news for you, Ms. Logan. It’s actually at fifty-seven.”

She scoffs. “Like I’m going to be able to tell that it’s two degrees warmer.”

“You’d be surprised,” Spencer says. “But since you’ve never done it before, no, you probably won’t be able to notice.”

“But I will,” I say. “It’ll be slightly easier for me.”

Spencer holds up his stopwatch. “I’ve got the timer ready, Mr. Black. Five minutes, you said?”

“Yeah, five minutes.” Then I look at Tessa. “Watch me. I’ll keep my eyes closed because I need to concentrate. All I need to do is breathe. Breathe and stay warm.”

“You’re not going to stay warm.”

“No I’m not, but just watch me.”

I close my eyes, draw in a deep breath, then shake my arms and legs to get ready.

Then I step into the tub, suck in a deep breath, and submerge myself up to my neck so that my chin is just touching the water.

Oh, coldness.

Sweet, sweet coldness.

I close my eyes and breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose and then in through my nose and out through my mouth.

Each time is different, and I do what feels right.

And though I know Tessa is there watching me, she flows from my mind, and all I do is concentrate on my breathing.

Five minutes is nothing, and Spencer’s timer goes off before I know it.

I pop out of the cold tub, and Spencer hands me a heated towel.

Tessa shakes her head. “I don’t know…”

“I’m certainly not going to force you,” I say, “but trust me when I tell you that this will help you.”

“Can you explain how?”

“I could, but I’d rather you try it first because I think you’ll see the benefits once you do it. Three minutes isn’t long, Tessa.”

“How about one minute?”

“One minute doesn’t really give you any benefit,” Spencer offers, “because it takes one minute to get used to the cold.”

“But you don’t really get used to the cold,” she says.

“No, not in the sense that you mean. You’re not going to all of a sudden feel warm.” I smile. “But you’ll see what he means. And that minute will go by quicker than you think. If you want, I can have Spencer tell you when each minute is over.”

She’s chewing on her lower lip. “Maybe…” She steps toward the tub. She gazes at it, clearly contemplating.

“Honestly, ma’am, the more you think about it, the more difficult it is,” Spencer says.

She darts him a look. “Fine. I’m done thinking.”

She steps in the tub, and a shiver racks her body.

“Do it, Tessa. Do it. You can do this.”

She breathes in deeply and then submerges herself up to her chin.