A forbidding male voice filled the air which cut into me like a knife. “Let go of her.”
The cop released me and I thanked my lucky stars as I scrambled onto my knees. I turned back but a pair of large male hands were already wrapping all of our lovely green cash up in a ball.
That's our life you're taking!
I booted the fence hard, yelling my rage before turning and running as fast and as hard as I could in the opposite direction.
Whoever that guy was, he'd both saved my ass and ruined my life.
Thanks asshole.
I trudged up the four floors to our apartment, caked in mud and furious as hell with myself. My hands were jammed in my pockets and I was soaked through from the downpour I'd just experienced for ten blocks. Chicago was having mood-swings. If it wasn't the wind, it was the rain. It was September dammit, they were still sunbathing in Springfield!
I shivered as the cold trickled into my bones and made every single part of me numb apart from the pain of losing that cash and the shame that I’d failed us so deeply.
I twisted my key in the lock, marching into the forty square foot studio with flaky green paint on the walls and exposed brickwork which didn't look hipster, it looked like a half-finished job.
Tory was stretched out on the couch, thumbing her cellphone which had a jagged crack up the centre of the screen. At least she'd secured herself a smartphone, I was stuck with a Nokia from the 90s which did nothing but make calls – as if that was what a phone was for.
I shed my leather jacket with a dramatic huff and she glanced up, arching a brow. Her face transformed as she pulled herself out of technology brain and sprang to her feet.
“Where have you been?” she asked, confusion gleaming from her olive green eyes which were the exact same shade as mine. Like everything about us. Bronzed skin, our lips full and wide. We were a mirror version of each other except for my hair’s dark blue tips. Maybe that was why we drove each other crazy sometimes.
I threw my jacket on the floor without answering, tempted to stamp on it but Tory sucked in a breath, pointing at me. I looked down, finding my hem stained red with blood from the fence catastrophe.
“It's fine.” I tore the shirt off, dumping it in the garbage bag we'd strung up in the two foot kitchenette which didn't even include a toaster. I swallowed my pride and prepared to tell Tory just how much I’d failed us. “I decided to get our money back from Pete’s but the cops showed up. I ran…then I dropped the cash.” I was so angry with myself that I bashed my fist down on the counter. Clumsy idiot.
“That was two grand,” Tory gasped.
“I know.” I shut my eyes, my embarrassment devouring me from the inside out. I had to keep my head. I had to figure this out. Because we were so effing screwed if we didn't. We'd only managed a few month's rent here because we'd sold the single item of value we'd had when we left Pete's. A Gucci handbag I’d spotted in a thrift store labelled as a knock-off. Pete hadn't known that it was the real deal or he would have gotten his greasy palms all over it the second he could.
“Did they see you?” Tory demanded.
“Yes,” I sighed. “Pete must have gotten cameras installed…or maybe the neighbour. Who knows? It all amounts to the same thing. I messed up and we’re screwed.”
“They don't know where we live,” Tory said thoughtfully.
“It's the money though, Tor.” I flung myself on the threadbare couch we'd found down an alley – yeah things were that shit – and groaned. “How are we going to pay the rent?”
Tory perched on the edge of the couch, punching my shoulder in the way she always did to say she loved me. Tory wasn’t much for the feelings type, but that didn't mean they weren't there. And though I sometimes wished for a few more warm hugs, she always showed me she cared in her own way. “It's cool, Darcy. I'm doing a job tonight. We'll figure it out after that.”
“You are?” I glanced up at her with a hopeful look, my eyes anime wide.
“Yep.” She grinned, but I could tell she was still disappointed about the cash.
Dammit, if only I'd pocketed it. Why do I always mess everything up?
The rain was slowing to a drizzle as the evening rolled in and my stomach growled for a meal it wasn't going to get.
“Sorry,” I sighed as Tory stared out of the window to the street. “But one good thing came out of it.”
She glanced over her shoulder at me, giving me a curious look. “What?”
“I wiped Pete's toothbrush around the toilet bowl. The rim and all.”
Her mouth opened then she burst out laughing. My anger finally fizzled away as my own laughter joined hers and our hollow little apartment was filled with something good for once.
“SPARK,” I CURSED , glancing over my shoulder to make sure I was still alone out here. The night was dark, shadows thick and silence deep in my particular spot of the multi-storey car park but I could never be too careful. The beautiful silver bike beside me was hiding me for the most part but if anyone spotted me, the game would be up.“Spark, c’mon!”
I brushed the wires together again and still nothing happened. Was there an extra security feature on this model that I didn’t know about? I’d done my research but limited editions were prone to random upgrades.
I half considered cutting my losses and getting the hell out there.
A high-pitched laugh sounded somewhere between the cars, my heart rate spiking in response.
Can’t see me back here. Not yet. They’re nowhere near close enough yet.
I wrangled my frayed nerves into line, releasing a slow breath through my nose as I forced my heartbeat to slow down. One last shot before I gave up.
I ground my teeth together, picturing the little spark of energy that I needed so desperately. If I wanted it enough it would happen. One final try…
I brushed the wires together and the stunning creature beside me purred as life was breathed into its engine.
Oh yes.
I stood quickly, pulling the black helmet down onto my head and sliding the visor into place so that my face was completely hidden. I made sure any final strands of my long, black hair were tucked up out of sight and kicked my leg over the bike.
“Let’s go for a ride,” I breathed, anticipation stroking my spine like a feather-light caress.
My fingers tightened around the throttle and I gave it a little tug, letting the engine growl beneath me. I bit my lip, a smile splitting my face. I wasn’t clear yet, I had to get this beauty across town to Joey’s if I wanted this to pay off. But I couldn’t help but spend a moment bathing in my victory as I admired the sleek, silver beast I was about to ride off on.
“Hey!”
My head snapped up as a security guard stepped out of the stairwell to my left. He obviously knew the owner of this beauty and the fact that that wasn’t me. “You there, what do you think you’re-”
I kicked the bike into gear and released the throttle before he could finish that thought. I shot forward, leaning low as I guided the super bike down the steep, spiralling ramp as quickly as humanly possible. If anyone was coming the other way then I was dead. Splat. Gone. Bye bye Tory. But not today.
The ground levelled out and I shot towards the exit. The barriers were down but that didn’t matter; the pedestrian access was wide open and I had a huge six inch leeway to guide the bike through. With no time to slow down it felt a little hairier than it should have and I inhaled sharply as I shot through the narrow opening, my left knee brushing the wall.