Page 44 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

I tap my foot impatiently, the restlessness clawing at me with sharpened nails. My ears twitch, catching the eager tone in Aubrey’s voice as he relays the Smithsonian walrus’s message, every word like a starting pistol to my already racing thoughts. I’ve been waiting for the spicy salamander to find something with his constant library time, and now it appears we finally have something to act upon.

Thank. Fuck.

“My counterpart believes it’s a language related to a very underground sect that most preds thought was a myth,” he says, his eyes scanning the screen again before landing on each of us in turn. “They are headquartered—coincidentally enough—in some sort of small museum between Paris and l’Academie .”

A museum run by culty weirdos?

The tingle that races up my spine ignites a wildfire of excitement. Today is not just any day—it’s Sunday. That place should be a ghost town, leaving a perfect empty stage for my Mission Impossible dream sequence. I bounce on the balls of my feet, barely containing the glee bubbling inside. “We’re going today; no arguments. No one will be there and we get to be super spies,” I declare with a grin that probably stretches too wide for my face.

Felix pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out a long-suffering groan. “With no preparation, Fitz? Really? We don’t have the slightest damn clue what might be hiding in this secret headquarters.”

“Come on, bro. No one will see us coming if we just show up and break in.” I picture myself dangling from wires, sneaking in like the spy movies and it makes every cell of my body thrum with hyperactive pleasure.

I cannot fucking believe this is even a question.

Aubrey’s frown deepens as if he’s trying to calculate the probability of disaster. Chessie watches me bounce, amusement dancing in his gaze. He knows there’s no stopping this train once it’s left the station. Then there’s Renard, whose chuckle rumbles through the air like thunder—soft but foreboding. He’s a fellow lover of chaos, so he’ll side with me, if need be. I just need to convince the stubborn fuckers in my family to indulge my desire to do something more dangerous than hack a security camera.

“Super spies, huh?” Dolly steps closer, her eyes glinting with shared mischief. “Count me in.”

This is why I love this woman more than breath—she’s all-in with zero hesitation.

“Even if we have to break in?” I ask, though my heart’s already somersaulting with victory knowing she’s on board. “It’s a big gamble.”

“Especially if we have to break in,” she replies with a smirk. “I’m ready for some serious criminal shit, baby. Let’s do it, Crazypants.”

Her enthusiasm is the spark to my dynamite, and I can’t help but feel invincible with her by my side. Walking over, I pick her up and spin us around with a happy growl. “You’re the best Queen ever, Baby Girl.”

“Fine,” Felix mutters, resigned. “But I’m only doing this because I know you can get what we need before we leave, bro. And I get to call it anytime, do you all hear me?”

“Trust me, this will be epic,” I assure my twin, clapping him on the back. My mind’s already racing ahead—to gadgets, secret passages, and the thrill of the unknown.

“We’re all in this together, Fitzy, so do your thing,” Dolly says as she grins down at me.

Suddenly, I’m more alive than ever. We’re about to dive headfirst into danger, and I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side. Putting her down, I race over to the laptop I keep on the counter for situations just like this and pop it open. I have to get my shit going so we have the information we need or Felix won’t hesitate to shut down my fun.

My fingers fly across the keyboard, a blur of motion as I unleash my digital hounds into the depths of Prednet. Lines of code cascade down the screen, my eyes tracking each one like the predator I am. The adrenaline is already there, tingling at my fingertips, an electric current of excitement. I need to set up a search spider that will gather blueprints and all the info available about this damn place, confirmed or not, before we leave this campus .

“Just a few minutes, and we’ll have every scrap of info from the Prednet and beyond.” The words burst from me as information continues to unfurl before my eyes—blueprints, security systems, even whispered rumors about this so-called museum. I spin on my heel, a grin splitting my face. “Now, where is my super suit ?”

Dolly giggles, holding her hand out. “C’mon, baby. We’re the two most bendy people, so they can’t stop us from being the ones who break in. Chessie is fast, but he can’t get around shit like a cat burglar and I can.”

“I knew that yoga was gonna pay off,” I crow as I look at the rest of them smugly.

Felix’s eye-roll from where he’s fiddling with some gadget isn’t a surprise, nor is Chess’s smirk. The Winged Weenies are looking at one another, doing that odd speechless conversation they like to do when they don’t want the rest of us to hear their old dude grumbles. No arguments means I’m going to get my way, so I leave the laptop running and bound over to our girl.

“Time for our dance with danger,” I announce, scooping Dolly into my arms before she can protest. Her laughter echoes through the room as we disappear to gear up. Groans and curses chase us, but they’re music to my ears—the soundtrack to our impending caper.

This is going to be the most fun we can have outside of the bedroom and I can’t fucking wait.

Once we change, Baby Girl and I emerge from her room decked out in black thief gear that hugs our forms like shadows. I made sure we got lock picks and tech, but I’m more likely to use the former than her. We’re yin and yang in terms of experience in this kind of shit, but regardless, we’re ready to tango through lasers and leap over tripwires .

“Looking very Emma Peel,” Aubrey says wryly, giving Dolly a once-over.

She looks lethal in her catsuit and high ponytail, and my cock does that twitch it always does when she’s by my side. Dolly does a faux twirl for all the hungry eyes in the room, and I move in front of her before any of them decide to forget this excursion in pursuit of other fun.

“Don’t want to keep the insane cult people waiting,” she says to me, her eyes alight with that same wild spark that fuels my own fire.

“Could you two be any more dramatic?” Felix mutters, but I see the corner of his mouth twitching upward. He’s not used to allowing so much democracy when it comes to planning, but our girl told us that she was in charge and he’s doing his best to respect her confident statement.

My brother is almost like his old self now, and I couldn’t be happier to see it.

The rest of our patchwork family picks up the stuff Chessie packed while our girl and I got suited up. Dolly grabs my hand, then takes our cheetah’s, holding them as we all head out the back door and walk around to the front of the library.

“So how the hell are we going to—” I start, but the rumble of an engine cuts me off. A large SUV rolls up as if summoned by my voice. I blink, looking over my shoulder only to see the tricky gargoyle giving me a smug look.

Raina and the Captain jump out of the enormous thing, their entrance as grand as if they’d just docked a galleon instead of parking a car. The damn thing could hold like fifty raccoons of their size inside, so I’m baffled as to what they did to get it here on their own. “How?” I ask in amazement.

“Never underestimate the abilities of a pirate and his trusty first mate,” the Captain replies with a roguish wink, his voice gravelly with that mock-pirate accent that could charm the gold from a treasure chest. When I continue gaping at him, the small prey rolls his eyes. “One at the helm, the other manning the rudders. Yer overthinkin’ it, mate.”

“Riiiiiight,” I say as I shake my head. “Well, I think it’s best if we take over from here, yeah?”

Dolly’s eyes dance with amusement as she watches the two raccoons give me sarcastic looks. “Adventure awaits, Crazypants. Let’s get moving.”

“Hell yeah, it does, Baby Girl,” I reply, my tiger purring with delight as Felix heads for the driver’s side of the SUV. “And you and I are gonna grab it by the balls.”

Dolly’s giggle rings out like a silver bell, and she leans over to peck the raccoon pirates on their furry cheeks. “You two are brilliant,” she says, her voice bubbling with mirth. “Thank you for all your help.”

“Guess we’re adding grand theft auto to our list of crimes today—or whatever they call it here,” Aubrey mutters under his breath, but there’s a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It’s clear he’s more worried about the potential for trouble than actually disapproving of our rogue escapade.

Chess opens the door to usher Dolly in with a gentle hand on her back. She slides across the seat with the Giselle of a cat, leaving space for me to squeeze in next to her. The leather upholstery is swanky, and I can’t help but feel like a character from that heist movie Dolly adores. Chess settles beside me, his body a solid presence that brings an odd comfort despite the adrenaline already beginning to pump through my veins.

The two of them make my mind quiet a smidge, and I sigh as everything settles enough to ride in the car calmly.

“Everyone strapped in?” Felix calls from the driver’s seat, glancing back at us with a mix of determination and concern etched into his features.

I roll my eyes playfully, clicking my seatbelt into place. “Like we’re about to launch to the moon.”

“Good.” Felix’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, and there's silent communication there. We both know this is risky, maybe even reckless, but it’s necessary. We have to find out what secrets lie behind those museum walls, and I’m not wrong about hitting these people before they know we’re onto them.

I pull out my phone, tapping into the Prednet search results once more, sending the coordinates to Felix. The museum’s security setup is no joke—a labyrinth of alarms and motion detectors that would make Fort Knox proud. A small, wry smile finds its way onto my lips. “They’re either guarding the Holy Grail or something far more sinister with all this shit. You guys will have to keep a really close eye on our progress.”

“Sinister is my bet,” Renard chimes in, his eyes darkening as he looks at the info on his own device. “Places like this don’t bother with subtlety unless they’re hiding monsters in their closets, mes amis .”

“Maybe it’s vampires in their basements,” Dolly jokes lightly. She’s pretending it’s a silly idea, but there’s steel under her wisecrack. She knows that’s a possibility.

“Either way, we get in, we take what we need, and we get out,” I declare, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “Aubrey and Renard will get us to the roof without raising any red flags. Right?”

“Snack size is with me,” Aubrey responds and I groan. He just smirks and jerks his thumb at Ren. “He will take you, Fitzgerald.”

Felix clicks his tongue as he starts the engine. “Too bad for you, bro. Guess you don’t get to ride the dragon tonight, either.”

Glaring at him in the mirror, I move on without comment like a grown-up. “Meanwhile, Dolly will go vent-crawling, and I’ll take the sky entrance. Felix and Chessie, you’ve got tech and lookout. Keep us updated as we infiltrate,”

“Absolutely, love.” Chess’s voice is calm, a sturdy anchor amidst the chaos of our operation.

My brother simply offers a thumbs-up, his attention already back on the road as he navigates us toward our target.

“If we work together, we’ll get away clean and no one will be the wiser,” I finish, locking eyes with my girl. Her response is a grin, fierce and fearless, and in that moment, I know we’re ready for whatever awaits us inside that mysterious museum.

With the Giselle of my tiger helping me balance, I descend from the skylight, my harness whispering against the cable. Below me, the museum—or whatever is masquerading as one—spreads out in shadowed silence. My heart thunders in my chest with each inch I lower toward the ground, the thrill of the heist flooding my veins with electric excitement.

This shit is the fucking tits and no one will ever convince me otherwise. It’s almost as good as killing people.

“Easy does it,” I murmur to myself, mimicking the cool demeanor of an action hero though my pulse races with the fervor of our clandestine escapade.

A glance through the glass below shows Dolly, twisting her lithe body through a maze of laser beams in a dance that would have gymnasts weeping in envy. Her movements are fluid, practiced—she’s in her element, and it’s as infectious as it is intoxicating. I want to leap down and fuck her senseless, but I know I can’t—I have to focus on the task at hand.

“Show-off,” I tease through the earpiece. “Guys, I think someone needs to plan a heist roleplay in the future. This shit is so hot my dick could sub for the diamond glass cutter.”

“For fuck’s sake…”

The dragon’s irritation with me isn’t unusual, so I ignore it as I look for my mark. My eyes fixate on the spot where I need to land and I reach down to grasp the release on my harness. Humming the theme song of the movie I’m copying, I release the rigging and land on the balls of my feet, poised and ready for the prowl.

“Fitz, we’re trying not to trigger World War III here,” Felix’s voice crackles in my ear, a blend of exasperation and brotherly concern. “Don’t set off shit by singing to yourself like an idiot.”

“Relax, bro,” I retort, “I’m as silent as the ‘p’ in psycho.”

W ho says you can’t have fun when you’re risking your ass? Not me, that’s for damn sure.

The museum is eerily still, a stark contrast to the adrenaline that dances under my skin. Moving with exaggerated caution, I skirt around pressure-sensitive floors, my eyes scanning for any sign of tripwires or hidden cameras. The faint green glow of night vision goggles casts an otherworldly hue over everything, turning the mundane into something out of a spy flick.

“Find anything yet?” Dolly’s breathless voice filters through, laced with the thrill of our mission.

“Working on it,” I reply, spotting the glass case housing a book that reeks of ancient secrets. “Be patient, grasshoppers.”

Its leather cover is cracked with age, and I swear I hear the whispers of the dark shit emanating from its pages. Carefully, I pull the cutter out of my side pocket despite my assertion about my cock. I use it to cut the case open, then lift the glass out. It takes a few more moments to determine that it doesn’t have any other measures in place and once I know that, I lift the entire case off of it and set it aside.

“Fuck yeah, Tomb Raider Fitz,” I mutter. There’s a chorus of guffaws on the other end and I huff, slipping the book into the bag I have strapped flat to my chest. “You guys can suck it; I have my prize.”

“Jackpot,” says the female voice on the comms. That confirms Dolly found whatever offices they have in the building and she’s going to work on the computers. I can almost see her smirk as she plugs in the drive I gave her, the little gadget blinking to life as it copies files upon files of data that will no doubt unravel this enigma.

“Just be careful,” Renard says softly. “We don’t know if there are enemies within.”

“You need to get out before they realize their hideout has been compromised either way,” Chess advises. “So don’t snoop more, Angel. Just download whatever you can and shake your cottontail.”

“Guys, it’s transferring,” Dolly responds, and even through the static, I can tell she’s pleased. “Stop motherhenning me to death.”

My twin’s voice comes over the line, worry obvious in his tone. “You guys haven’t read all this shit Fitz found, but this place is not just a museum. The rumors are pretty dark, and if even half of them are true, it’s definitely a cult headquarters. Get the hell out as soon as possible.”

“This office is creepy as hell,” Dolly replies. “It smells like death. Trust me, I’m not staying any longer than necessary. The drive is almost done, but I can’t wait to find out what the hell this place is a front for. I mean, it’s hiding in plain sight, you know?”

“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I muse, feeling the weight of the book against my side. “Especially since I’ve got the one book they thought needed to be put in a protective case.”

Dolly sighs, and my heart stops thundering when she finally says, “Done. I’m headed out. You get moving, too, Fitzy. Time to go home and get some answers. ”

I walk over to the dangling line and hook the harness to it, grinning to myself.

No matter what info we managed to steal, getting to see Baby Girl in that catsuit was definitely worth the effort—no one will ever convince me otherwise.