Whiplash: A Sports Romance (43 page)

Fox pops the trunk and lowers his head down to sift through the black duffel bag of weapons and ammo. He grabs the Model 60 revolver and slips it into his belt. I hold out my hand and he exhales hard before finally handing me the Glock.

“Keep it out of sight,” he says.

Five words. It’s the longest sentence he’s said to me all day long. Seven hours on the road and the most we could manage was brief nudges and monosyllabic mumbles. I suppose it’s better than the awkward alternative of talking about last night.

I hide the gun under my shirt and we make our way across the parking lot towards the hotel.

I glance around the lobby as we step inside and Fox’s shoulders go tense. There’s a party happening tonight and the entire lobby is packed to the brim with people in cocktail dresses and tuxedos. It’s not even nine o’clock yet and their cheeks are already pink with caviar and alcohol.

I follow Fox, lingering a few feet behind him with my sunglasses on, as he wanders over to the front desk in the corner.

“We’d like a room, please,” he tells the girl behind the desk.

She smiles wide and her eyes shift between us. “One bed?” she assumes.

“Two,”
I mutter. “For the love of god,
two
.”

Fox forces a grin. “Two beds, please.”

She returns the smile and taps away at her computer. I feel his eyes on me, but I keep my head down like he asked me to. This isn’t a diner on the highway. It’s a big hotel in the middle of a city. Excellent chance for me to get recognized.

“Room 2617, sir.” She slides two key cards across the counter and Fox takes them. “Do you have any bags?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Have a good night.”

“Thank you.” He nudges my elbow. “Come on.”

“Holy shit! Fox!”

His grip latches around my arm but quickly drops again as he recognizes the voice. We turn around to see a short man in a deep blue suit with thick-rimmed, black glasses walking towards us with his arms stretched wide.

“Boxcar!” Fox smiles wide as they throw their arms around each other. I stand back to keep from getting hit by their sloppy man hug.

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show…” Boxcar grins at him. “You didn’t even show up to your own funeral, after all.”

“I sent flowers,” Fox jokes.

Boxcar laughs and his eyes fall to me. His eyes twinkle in recognition behind his frames, but he doesn’t say a word. “So—” He looks at Fox. “You have something important for me to crack into, yes? Or can it wait until after the party? I can decrypt sober or sloshed, makes no difference.”

“You’re a talented man.” Fox tilts his head. “But time is a factor.”

“No problem. My laptop is upstairs.”

As interesting as this Boxcar character is, I’d rather not sit around and listen to them drone on about Fox’s army days. I reach out and snatch a key card from Fox’s hand. “2617, right?”

“Dani—”

“I’m going to go lay down,” I say quickly before he can complain. “Come get me when you’re done.”

He inhales fast but doesn’t attempt to argue as I turn around and make my way through the crowded lobby towards the golden elevator in the corner.

Chapter 11

Fox

“That’s
her
, huh?”

I watch as the elevator doors close on Dani’s down-turned face. “Yeah,” I answer. “That’s
her
.”

Boxcar nods with approval. “Good disguise.”

“Thanks.”

“So, what’d ya do?”

I sigh and tilt my neck until it pops. “Nothing. That’s the problem.”

He winces. “Ugh — I call that one the Caleb Special.”

“She says hello, by the way.”

“Pfft —
bullshit
. No, she fucking doesn’t.” We step towards the elevators and he taps the call button. “You still hanging around with that hag?”

I chuckle as the doors open and we step onto the empty elevator. “You two are made for each other, you know that, right?”

“Nope.” He rolls his hand into a fist and punches the button for the fifteenth floor.

“I told her you’d take care of some debts for her as thanks for helping me out,” I say, my lips curling. “Hope you don’t mind.”

Boxcar throws his head back. “
Come on, man.
Why would you do that? Now I’m obligated to help her.”

“You don’t have to even talk to her, Box. Just delete a few zeroes from her record and you’ll be square.”

“I don’t want to be
square
with Caleb. I liked the freaky trapezoid. It was comforting to know that I always had the upper hand on her.”

“Hasn’t this gone on long enough between you two?” I ask, feeling the rush of ascension. “Don’t you ever just want to make amends and be together again like a normal couple?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head with unmoving eyes. “Never again. Not with her.”

“What? You don’t believe in second chances, Box?”

He peeks at me over his glasses. “Never give a second chance to a girl with a boy’s name. It’s science. And for the record, I don’t think a man in love with his stepsister has the right to use the phrase
normal couple
when dispensing relationship advice.”

“Fair point.”

“You know,” he continues, “you could probably benefit from that wisdom at the moment.”

“Kind of need to have a first chance before worrying about a second.”

“And I
didn’t
just witness a first chance crashing and burning down in the lobby just now?”

I wince. “Maybe.”

The elevator dings and we step off onto the fifteenth floor. “But enough about
women
,” he says, waving a hand. “I want to hear about
you
and this epic journey of yours to the underworld and back.” I pause by the door as he slides his key card in. Then he studies my face. “It’s about a woman, isn’t it?”

“Pretty much.”

He sighs with rolling eyes. “All right— let’s hear it.”

We walk in and Boxcar crosses to the table by the window and folds his laptop open. I reach into my pocket for the flash drive. “I have a file on here that needs to be decrypted.”

“As you mentioned.” He cracks his knuckles and I hand him the drive. He pinches it between two fingers and points it at his USB port. “What’s on it?”

“The Snake Eyes master file.”

Boxcar drops the drive and it clatters against the keyboard. “Dude.” He sits back in his chair, his eyes sparkling like jewels. “The
what
?”

“The Snake Eyes master file.”

“Yeah, I heard you the
first
time. How the hell did you get it?”

“I stole it.”

He scoffs loudly. “From
where
?” I stare at him for several moments until his jaw drops. “And suddenly, it all comes together.”

“Box…”

“
That’s
where you’ve been?!”

“You’re shouting.”

“You’re damn right I’m shouting!” His mouth contorts, shifting between gasps and grins. “You’re in
Snake Eyes
?!”

“Not anymore.”

“Holy fucking shit, man!” He pushes his hands through his hair, ruffling it bad, but I doubt he cares. “This is
huge
.”

“What exactly were you expecting?” I ask. “I came back from the dead to hand that to you.”

He exhales. “Fox, when I woke up this morning, I certainly was not expecting to hack into the master file of the most deadly underground organization on the planet. And I say that with the greatest of respect and fear. Quite frankly, I’m appalled you even joined.”

“They didn’t give me much choice.”

“Yeah, I hear their recruitment tactics are a bit
medieval
. Never mind how you got in — how the hell did you even get out?”

“It’s a long story… but it involves me, a Russian mobster, an Italian girl, and a gunshot wound.”

“His or yours?”

“Mine.”

He sighs with admiration. “You’re a real badass, you know that, Fox?”

I smile.

“Wait—” He points a finger at my chest. “Do you have the tat?”

“Yes,” I nod. “I have the tattoo.”

“Can I see it?”

“Box—”

“Dude, you
have
to let me see it.”

I roll up my shirt, exposing the black cobra inked on my torso, and his eyebrows bounce with wonder. “Happy?”

He smirks. “Damn, you’re
taut
.”

I drop it back down. “Decrypt the file, Box.”

He hesitates for a few moments with his fingers tapping against his knees. “Fox… I have to ask.”

“Why do I need the file?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, how else would you expose the most deadly underground organization on the planet?”

“I was afraid of that…” He scratches his head. “You
don’t
. That’s the answer to that question. You fucking
don’t.
”

“I’m not here to debate it, Boxcar. I just need the file and then… you might want to lay low for a while.”

“Yeah, no shit. I’d ask why you’re so keen on killing yourself, but I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to that question.”

“They threatened her.”

“I noticed — along with the rest of the world.” He traces his thumb down his cheek. “Look… I don’t want to be a downer on this bright and sunny conversation we’re having here, Fox, but I feel like I have a moral responsibility to point out that you’re in this file, too.”

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with this?”

“With them exposed, they won’t have a reason to go after her anymore.”

“Fox…”

“Can you do it or not, Box?”

He holds up his hands. “Hey— I’m not saying I won’t do it. I’m pretty sure I still owe you like nine more favors after this one. I just want to make sure you know that you rotting in a cage is a
very
possible outcome in this — and that’s the best case scenario. The scenario directly below it includes torture and other very unpleasant things.”

I pause, staring him down. “It’s Dani.”

“She has no idea you’re doing this, does she?”

“No.”

“That’s noble as fuck, man.” He sighs and snatches the drive off the keyboard. “You know, just once,
I’d
like to be the cool guy in the room.”

I shift around to sit on the bed as he plugs the drive into his laptop. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same for Caleb.”

He inhales sharply but says nothing to argue against it. “This might take a while.”

Chapter 12

Dani

The door opens behind me. I lie still on the bed, drifting back from the edge of sleep and I stay that way. I can’t believe I’m actually faking it like a damn child but it’s better than trying to have a conversation with him.
Hey, remember last night when your hand was between my legs and your tongue was in my mouth? Good times, eh?

I never thought I’d say this but I can’t wait to go back to Los Angeles. This awkward cloud above our heads is turning my lungs black, even worse than the smog in the Hollywood Hills. Another few days of this and I’m bound to completely snap.

I close my eyes and focus my hearing. He’s moving across the room, his feet slow and soft like he’s trying not to wake me. Good. He’s probably avoiding me as much as I’m avoiding him.

“Dani.”

I open my eyes as that voice cuts down my back.

That’s not Fox. That’s—

I spin around and his gloved hand slaps against my mouth. His lips curl into a sinister smile and he brings a finger to his lips.
“Shh…”
he warns.

I look into Mercer’s icy blue eyes and fear overwhelms me. He stares back at me without his mask and I see the rest of his face for the first time. He’s far younger than I thought he’d be with dirty blond hair and only a few wrinkles around his eyes. Youthful but deadly in every way.

My hands roll into fists to slam them against his chest but he easily grabs my wrists and holds me down against the bed. I inhale deep, preparing my lungs to cry out but he grabs a knife off his belt and lays the blade against my face with a quick twist of his hand.