Since we have to leave for the party straight from class, Victor meets us by Kota's car and hands me a little velvet bag.
"What's this?" I ask while loosening the drawstrings. I tilt the bag and a delicate silver charm bracelet slides out into the palm of my hand. I gasp as a tiny pink heart sparkles in the light, and Victor's eyes smolder at my reaction.
"It's a little something from all of us, Princess." He takes it from my fingers and rotates it slowly. "There's a charm from each of us on here, and it serves a function as well as being fashionable." He gently holds my wrist and clasps the tiny hooks closed for me. "There's a tracking chip in each one of these, and I managed to wire it for short range transmissions, in case you break your phone again-"
I cut him off and cover my mouth with my hands in horror. "I knew it!" Kota gives me a weird look and I shake my finger at both of them. "I knew that it was a different phone," I explain. "I didn't know how to bring it up, though. I mean," I turn to Victor and bite my lip, "why didn't you say anything? I'm so sorry that I broke your gift." I lower my gaze and dig my toe into the dirt beneath me.
A finger touches under my chin and lifts my face until I'm staring directly into Victor's fire eyes. "I'm not mad, Sang. You had no control over what was happening that night, and I'd let you break a thousand phones if it would spare you what you had to go through. It's not a problem, I promise."
I nod, and Kota delicately flicks the charm that looks like a wobbly stack of books. I smile at the memory it brings forth and he lifts one corner of his mouth in a lopsided grin. "The mic is in here, and so long as one of the guys is within half a mile, they'll hear you loud and clear. I'm not really sure where you've hidden your phone, but the mic on that is different, and can be heard from any of our phones no matter where we are." He wraps me into a hug and I inhale his rich spice scent. "We've got you covered, Sang. You'll be safe wherever you go."
"I just wish you all would stop spending money on me. There's no possible way that I'll ever be able to pay you back," I mumble.
Victor rolls his eyes and shushes me. "I meant it when I said that it wasn't a problem, Princess. Just say, 'thank you' and accept it."
This time it's me that rolls my eyes. "Thank you, Victor," I say shyly, and Kota gives me an extra squeeze.
"Alright." Victor hands us each a tiny earbud, and Kota shows me how to fit it in. "Mr. B...I mean, Owen, will be on comms, and Nate and Silas will be just around the corner if you need them, got it?"
I nod and Kota smiles. "We're good, Vic. Thanks for getting this all set. Let's get going."
Victor jogs off toward the other parking lot, and Kota opens my door for me. "You're going to do great, Sang. Be confident."
I lower myself into my seat and buckle up while he gets in himself. He starts the car, but turns to me instead of pulling out. "Sang?" he asks with a hint of apprehension in his voice. "I wanted to talk about how we interact around people tonight." He looks down at my fidgeting hands and then back up to my face. "You're a beautiful girl, and there are going to be some less than reputable people there tonight." He takes my clenched fingers in his hands and smooths them open. "They'll all know that you're my girlfriend, but I want to know what you're willing or unwilling to do in order to pull off the charade."
I swallow loudly and look at Kota's nervous expression. "Um, well, I don't really know. I feel more comfortable around you and the guys than I've ever felt around anyone, but I've never had a boyfriend. I mean, I've seen the way couples act in the halls at school, and I know the dynamic of it, but I've never really," I bite my lip, and he squeezes my hand in encouragement, "um, kissed anyone before?"
I don't mean for it to come out like a question, but Kota's wide eyes tell me that I got the point across, nonetheless.
"I mean, if the situation calls for it, I guess that we could-"
We both jump when Owen's voice calls out in our ears, "Absolutely not, Miss Freeman. Dakota knows how to sell it without making out in public. If and when you are ready to kiss anyone, Sang, it will be because you wish to do it, and not because the situation dictates it to be so."
I let out a tense chuckle, and I can tell that Kota forgot that we were wearing the earpieces too. I want to think that it's my imagination, but I think that I detect a hint of panic, no, jealousy, in Owen's tone.
"Um, thanks," I recover from the shock of hearing him so suddenly. "That's good to know, but your non-formal addresses could use a little work, Mr. Blackbourne. Calling Kota "Dakota" is almost worse than calling him Mr. Lee."
I hear Owen laugh in my earbud, and Kota winks at me and signs, "True, only my mom calls me Dakota, and usually only when I'm in trouble, but I think I like it coming from your mouth."
I feel butterflies twist in my stomach from the look that he's giving me, and I start to think that I wouldn't mind kissing Kota...I think I'd like it, actually. Something clicks into place, and a surprising thought occurs to me.
"Are you flirting with me?" I sign in astonishment.
A lopsided smile spreads across his face and he nods. "Why does that surprise you? You've got to know how incredible you are...everyone else does."
With that, he turns forward and pulls out of the parking lot.
***
The party is at a large, but run-down house toward the edge of town. It looks like it might have been a farmhouse at one time or another, and the nearest neighbor is at least a mile down the road. It's cut away from view of the road by a line of trees that make it the perfect setting for one of Nathan's horror movies, and I feel the little hairs at the back of my neck prickle at the analogy.
"Wow, this place is creepy," Kota remarks, mirroring my thoughts. "It's a perfect location for what we think they're doing out here, though."
We both exit the car and Kota takes my hand in his. I give him a tremulous smile. "You'll be great, Ten. Do you trust me?"
"Of course," say without hesitation.
"Good," he replies as we near the front entrance. "Because I believe in you, and if you trust me, then you trust in my judgement." He smirks at his logic and I do begin to breathe just a bit easier.
A deep bass thumping reverberates through the door, and we walk right in, realizing that there's no way that anyone will be able to hear the doorbell over the music. The front room is filled with gyrating bodies and strobing lights. Its almost primal, and I feel a deep desire to join them. Kota, who still has my hand firmly grasped in his, pulls me in the other direction, and I remind myself that I'm not here to dance. We have a job to do, and I follow him closely, keeping my eyes peeled for danger or any surprises that might come our way.
We stop in front of a table of cups, and Kota picks up two, but fills them at the kitchen faucet instead of with any of the offered beverages. He puts his lips to my ear and wraps an arm around my waist as he hands one to me. "Keep your cup in hand, and if you lose contact with it, even for just a moment, don't drink it, okay? This is a drug house, after all."
I nod my understanding, and we weave our way back into the dancing room. "We've got to look like we're partying," Kota shouts into my ear over the music. I nod and drag him right into the thick of things. His eyes widen in panic, but I don't let him pull us back out of the room.
This is where I'm the expert. I take his hand in mine and lift it up, showing him how to twirl me without spilling our drinks. I take a deep breath and let the throbbing melodies fill me. My heart begins to beat to the rhythm of the bass, and my hips swivel and sway along with the guitar. Soon, my whole body is moving, an extension of the music itself, and I place a hand on Kota's chest and start tapping out a beat against him. His eyes soften when he looks down to me, and he wraps his free arm around my back. My skin tingles warmly from the contact, and as I step in closer, his body begins to react to my movement. I'm teaching him as we go, showing him what to do with every small shift of my weight. For a short amount of time, the room fades away and nothing exists in the world except Kota, Me, and the music. Connection radiates between us, and I feel myself falling into his heated green gaze.
I'm not sure if we danced for hours, or only minutes, but I'm snapped out of our moment when another hand tries to snake around my waist. I react on instinct and shove my elbow backward sharply, making contact with something fleshy, and hearing a wheeze as I whirl around and back tightly into Kota's strong embrace.
A guy I don't know is doubled over, clutching his chest, and Devin is standing a little behind him laughing hysterically. He pats his friend on the shoulder once, and then lifts his chin, indicating that Kota and I follow him down the hallway. I spare a glance for the guy that had grabbed me and see that he's glaring at me as we walk away. There's a shiny glint of metal sticking out from beneath his shirt at his waistband, and I realize, in horror, that it's the handle of a gun! Kota gives a slight tug to my hand, and I hurry along with him, suddenly anxious to finish with whatever we need to do and get out of here.
We follow Devin through the kitchen and down a set of stairs that takes us into a basement laundry room. The music is muffled, and when we come to a serious looking door, I hear six beeps as he punches in a code. I manage to see the first three numbers before he shifts his weight and blocks the keypad from my view, and I quickly commit them to memory.
We enter a rather large office, and Devin makes a show of offering us each a drink from the bar covered in an assortment of crystal decanters. We decline, and he motions for us each to take a seat on an expensive looking leather couch.
"So here's how we're going to do this." He pulls an envelope out of the top drawer in his desk and holds it just out of Kota's reach. I see a slight bulge under his shirt and swallow down my fear when I realize that he's carrying a firearm too. "I need this delivered tonight, as soon as possible, and once you deliver it, my business partner will 'interview' you, and see if you're a good fit." He turns the letter over casually, and we see that there's an embossed wax seal along the seam, ensuring that it won't be tampered with. "Take this to the hospital, room B213, and if you can't get it there before midnight, don't bother coming back." He hands the envelope to Kota and licks his lips as he looks over at me. "You know, I'm not sure that you should take the girl with you. Maybe you should leave her here, and I'll keep her company while you're gone."
I can see lightning storm in Kota's eyes, and I hear Owen growl in the earpiece. This whole thing is about to go very wrong if I can't find a way to keep Kota from ripping Devin's head off quickly. I take Kota's hand in my own and toss out a lighthearted laugh. "Oh, he can't do that, Devin," I giggle, trying to mimic all of those girls that made my life hell in school. I pull Kota's cup up to my face and pretend to sniff it. "He's been drinking, and I don't want my man getting in a crash when I'm way more sober than him. I can drive, and that way you'll be assured that your letter is delivered, and I can be certain that my boyfriend isn't lying dead in a ditch somewhere."
Kota's quick to catch on, and he grins at me at the same time that I hear Owen mutter, "Brilliant."
"You caught me, Babe," he laughs. He downs the rest of his water in one long gulp, and winks at me. "It's probably best that you take the wheel."
I stand and do my best to saunter over to Devin. I put one hand on my hip with sass and hold my other one out. I raise an eyebrow at Devin, and after a few seconds, he drops the envelope into my outstretched fingers. "You can let your partner know that we're on our way," I say as Kota jumps to his feet. He slings an arm over my shoulders, and he's doing a fantastic job of pretending to be loose from alcohol.
Devin stares at me for a beat before grinning and slapping a hand on Kota's shoulder. "How the hell did you land a girl like her?" he sighs as we exit the office together. He locks the door behind him and motions for us to lead up the stairs. It's a short walk, and soon, we're outside and Devin is watching us walk to the car from the front porch.
"Crud," I mumble quietly.
Kota's pretending to stumble a bit, and he leans in closer to hear me. "What is it, Ten?" he asks when we're about halfway to the vehicle.
"Devin's watching us," I say under my breath. "It's going to look suspicious if you get behind the wheel."
Kota reaches into his pocket and fishes out his keys. He tosses them to me, and I catch them on instinct. I grip them tight enough that my knuckles turn white, and Kota picks up on my apprehension. "What's wrong?"
I bite my lip, unable to speak, for some reason.
When I don't answer, Owen speaks up in the earpiece. "Sang, Darling, do you know how to drive?"
I release the breath that I've been holding and shake my head. Kota's eyes go wide and I remember that Owen can't see me. "No," I mutter as we reach the car. I unlock the doors and 'help' Kota into the passenger seat. I walk unsteadily around the front and let myself in behind the wheel. We're far enough away from the house that Devin can't see us clearly, but still too close to attempt trading seats.
Kota sits up and turns my face to look at him. "You need to calm down, Ten, because you're about to get a crash course in driving."
"If you don't want to do this, Sang," Owen's disembodied voice speaks into my ear, "say so now. Kota will drive you both back here, and we'll find another way to get these guys. Say the word, and we abort the mission."
"No," my voice trembles. I take a deep breath and try again. "No. We can't abort. They have guns, and if they sense that we're not above board, they'll shoot first, ask questions later."
Kota and Owen are both silent for a minute, and I take the time to take a couple of deep, calming breaths.
"Okay," Kota shakes himself and clicks my seat belt into place. "Then we need to get moving. Sang, I want you to reach under the seat and pull the bar up so that you can adjust its location." I do as directed, and scoot the seat as far forward as it will go. Kota tilts the steering wheel down, and I place my hands on it once I'm settled. "Can your feet reach the pedals?" he asks, and I test it by lightly tapping the center one with my toes.
I nod and then re-iterate by saying, "Yes."
"Good. You only need to get us beyond the trees, and then I'll take it from there, so the first thing is that you need to know that the right pedal is the gas, and the other one is the brake. Got it?" Kota's voice is commanding and comforting all at once.
"Got it," I repeat. "Right, go. Left, stop."
I hear Owen chuckle, and a small bit of the tension eases out of my shoulders.
"Okay, Sang. Thankfully, we're in my car, which is an automatic, and pretty easy to drive. Turn the key, and put just a little bit of pressure on the gas so that the ignition turns over."
I do exactly as he says and let out a squeal when the engine begins to purr.
"Very good, Ten," Kota compliments. "Now I want you to put your right foot on the brake, and take the gear shifter that's above the key and pull it toward you and downward until the orange bar is on the 'D'."
Again, I follow his instructions to the letter, and am rewarded with a beaming Kota smile. "You're doing great, Sang. Since we parked on the street instead of the driveway, you only need to go forward. When I say to, I want you to let your foot slowly off of the brake. The car will begin to move forward slowly, but you'll have to give it a little gas. This car is older, so you'll have to apply a bit more pressure than with Owen's or Vic's, but that's a good thing in this case. You ready?"
I look over at him and then jerk my eyes back to the road in front of the car. "Take my foot off of the brake slowly, and then push down on the gas a little until we start to speed up? Got it."
I take a deep breath and grip the steering wheel tightly in both hands.
"Whenever you're ready, go for it," Kota encourages gently.
I take one more breath for good measure and then slowly release the brake. We start to roll forward and I let out another squeal as we pick up a little speed.
"Now the gas!" Kota reminds me urgently.
I'm just about to slam my foot down on the pedal when Owen shouts, "SLOWLY!"
I manage to control myself and lightly press down on the gas. We ease forward and I steer us away from the curb as we pick up speed. I keep pressing on the gas, a little harder, and I get us going about fifteen miles per hour and try to maintain that until we're beyond the trees.
Both Kota and Owen are silent while I drive, probably afraid to distract me. Once we're far enough away, Kota says softly, "You can stop now, Sweetie."
I slam my foot down on the brake, and the tires squeal as we skid to a halt. Kota and I both lurch forward in our seats and are only held in check by our straining seat belts. He reaches over and turns off the ignition. I feel myself start to tremble, and before I know it, I'm shaking with sobs.
Kota easily pulls me across the seat and into his lap, and I bawl for a minute into his chest while he holds me.
"Shh, Ten. You're okay. You did great. Better than anyone I know for your first time behind the wheel. Shh."
After a minute, I pull myself together, and Kota slides into the driver's seat.
"Alright. We've got a little less than an hour before the midnight deadline," Kota breaks the silence and brings us back to the business at hand. "Owen, I have a letter to deliver, and it's wax sealed. I don't want to deliver it without knowing what it says. We can't risk it. Have Vic meet us at Doc's office with the T-Ray scanner. We'll be cutting it close, but there's nothing for it. I'm not delivering a letter that could say something like 'Shoot the messengers'." He offers me an apologetic look, and I roll my eyes. "See what we can find out about whoever is in room B213, and we'll be there in approximately twenty five minutes."
He takes my hand in his as we accelerate toward the hospital. "Just a little longer, Sang. You're doing fantastic. I didn't even see the firearms. I'm lucky that you've got my back."
I blush a little and am about to thank him when I remember the other thing I saw.
"Guys, I think I know the code."
The car slows and Kota looks over at me and blinks a few times. Owen says into the earpiece, "Say that again. You know what?"
"The code. To his office door. I only saw the first three numbers, but there were six beeps, and I think I know what they are." I smile a little with pride for figuring it out and hope that I'm not wrong.
"Go on," Owen says slowly, and I feel my smile grow.
"Well, the first three digits were 314. Seeing as how he's the TA for an upper level science course that has a heavy mathematics focus, I think that the whole code is 314159. The six, seven, two, eight, and zero keys all looked pristine, but the numbers on the rest were wearing off, and with the first three being 314, I figured that the rest were probably the next three digits of pi."
"Wow," Kota says in wonder. "Marry me?" he asks, and I feel my stomach butterflies come back ten fold.
I smile at him, and am about to make a joke when I hear Owen mutter, "Not if I get there first."
***