Page 27 of Blackwood

“So, you had the guys build us the actual Batcave,” I mumble.

Zeke drops his bag by the couch. “It’s secure. Sensors on every entrance. Triple encryption on the system. Panic room in the master closet if shit hits the fan.”

He shoots me a look before I can even open my mouth. “And drop the Batman jokes. You’re not as funny as you think, Bells.”

“Whatever you say Bruce Wayne,” I salute, already collapsing onto the couch, “I’m gonna nap here on your vigilante furniture, and when I wake up? You’re answering everything. And giving me the tour of the Batcave.”

Zeke rolls his eyes but grins, “Deal.”

♥♥♥

I wake up a few hours later, warm and disoriented, cocooned in what might be the softest white plushy blanket on earth with Mr. Piggles in my arms. For a second, I forget where I am. Then the skyline punches into view through the giant window and everything clicks.

Right. Gotham tower. Zeke’s insane penthouse. I’m sorry,ourinsane penthouse, in a fancy Daniel Bari-somethingbuilding.

Zeke’s at the table across the room, typing on one of his laptops like he’s decoding the matrix in real time. Tex is by the window, arms crossed, eyes scanning the skyline like he expects it to shoot back. Mr. Acronym’s nowhere in sight, probably busy alphabetizing weapons or whatever the man does for fun.

I stretch, yawn, then say loud enough to echo, “Okay. I’m rested. I want the tour, the plan, and pancakes. Preferably in that order.”

Zeke doesn’t even look up. “Morning, sunshine.”

“Don’t test me,” I say, tossing the blanket off. “You promised answers. Start talking, Bruce Wayne.”

He finally glances up, one eyebrow raised. “Tour first?”

“Obviously. I need to know which room I’m claiming before I commit to this vigilante sleepover.”

Mr. Acronym and Tex give me the actual tour, not Zeke.

“Zeke came up with the design,” Mr. Acronym says as he leads me toward the kitchen. “We just followed his specs. He wanted it ready. Said it had to be perfect when the three of you got here.”

He says it like it’s no big deal. Like wiring a surveillance hub, installing a massive panic room, and building a hidden armory was just another weekly errand.

The kitchen and living room is first on the tour. Double island. Built-in espresso bar. A fridge that could totally fit a body inside. There’s an armory tucked behind a fingerprint-locked wine cabinet, like these guys actually drink wine. Should have put it behind a whiskey barrel or some shit like that.

I raise an eyebrow. Tex shrugs. “Multi-functional.”

A hidden surveillance command center, reminiscent of something you’d find at NASA, is concealed behind a bookshelf in the living room.

The view of New York from the living room is breathtaking, but it pales in comparison to the rooftop.

Zeke has created an urban oasis up there. A terrace complete with a pool, string lights, elegant loungers, and tables that all overlook the entire, sprawling city. It’s a spectacular sight that genuinely steals your breath away.

“I could totally live up here.” I say.

We come back inside, but before we continue, I stop.

“Why now?” I ask, voice quieter. “Why didn’t you get us out earlier? You said this place was supposed to be for the three of us.”

“We had to make sure everything was in place,” Mr. Acronym says after a quick pause. “Pulling you out too early could’ve tipped off the entirely wrong people. Carlos and Vince had ties. Real ones. Big ones that we still need to find. Carlos was being wa—”

“Zeke was still a minor,” Tex cuts him off, voice sharp. “The plan was always to get the three of you out when he turned eighteen. That was the safest window.”

He gives Mr. Acronym a sharp look.

“Zeke is good at what he does, Bella,” Tex continues. “You don’t understand how important the intel he’s gathering really is to the final goal. Dylan’s death was unexpected and it escalated things. Quickly.”

Something about the way he cut him off, the rehearsed sound in his voice seems off. I narrow my eyes for a second, but neither of them move. They’re not lying. Not exactly. But I can feel it, there is something that they’re also hiding.