Page 41 of Lovesick Titan (Lovesick #2)

Danny was a terrible influence.

“Report, Hart,” Mal said over the comms.

When Dom picked Priestly up, she’d made sure the young engineer brought along everything he’d need to keep them connected.

Dom had sneered at the idea at first since they hadn’t used comms for the heist earlier that week, but Mal insisted.

They needed to be able to talk as a unified front to know if anyone became compromised.

“Nothing,” Priestly said. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s been home all day. The windows look frosted over too, which is…odd.”

“Frosted?” Mal turned back to the computer as he contemplated what that might mean, then internally praised Vaughn for being so damn ingenious. “It’s safe to go inside. Once you’ve had a look around the house, tell me what you can.”

“Safe? You know what the frosted look means?”

“I think the Grant house is Hades-proof. If I’m right, I need you to find out how.”

“On it, boss. I’ll let you know what I dig up.”

“And Hart? If you see Zeus, don’t engage him.”

“Roger that. We can save the heroics for folks with powers.”

There had been no sign of John Grant or his children.

Only Danny had been seen since last night, which was far more troubling than the Elemental’s behavior at Pronto.

It amped up Mal’s worry as much as it soothed him because at least now he knew his gut feeling was right.

But they needed to find someone, anyone other than Danny who could tell them what happened.

Mal had sent Lucy to find Vaughn when she couldn’t get a hold of him by phone or online. “Try his apartment.”

“You know, it’s cute you think I already know where he lives. But I don’t.”

“Please, give me two minutes,” Priestly had said before conducting a quick hack to acquire addresses for both Vaughn and Rivers, which was where Mal sent Dom.

“Any news on the white hats?” he asked now .

“Nothin’ at the doc’s,” Dom said. “Nicely stocked fridge and pantry though.”

Mal snorted, envisioning Dom with a few spoils from Rivers’ apartment.

“Nothing at Andre’s either,” Lucy said, though her tone was less humored, troubled and not trying to hide it.

Mal’s first goal had been to protect his own, make sure the neighborhood stayed safe.

Next, he’d wanted to find out what Zeus had been up to last night and locate everyone Danny cared about, which meant he’d had to break his first promise to Danny when he gathered his crew for this mission, but he couldn’t feel bad about it.

“Zeus is Danny Grant, youngest detective at the OCPD and Detective John Grant’s son.”

Oz’s mouth had fallen open, while Dom stared at Mal like he was out of his mind before she grinned.

“You sure do know how to pick ‘em, pal.”

Now, while Mal’s Titans were out in the field, he stayed hidden in the safe house, but he was hardly lying low unproductively.

He’d gotten lazy before, distracted, figured Team Zeus had it covered where Ludgate was concerned and could do the heavy lifting themselves.

He was paying for that mistake now. Mal needed to find out everything they knew about Ludgate and everything they didn’t.

He finished pulling up the files he needed on his computer, the one reflective item he allowed in the safe house, since he believed and dearly hoped he was right that as long as the screen constantly displayed something, Ludgate couldn’t access it.

Analyzing everything critically, Mal scanned the employee roster for Olympus City Glassworks. Manager at the time of Ludgate’s employment still worked there. Good. Then Mal looked at the shop’s shift schedule. The man in question was on the clock right now .

“I’m heading out,” he told the others as he snatched up his Prometheus gear to get changed. “Meet back at the safe house as soon as you’re finished. Oz, stay alert. We’ll call you when we’re together. Hopefully, I’ll be back in less than an hour.”

“Where are you going?” Lucy asked.

Grinning, Mal pulled on his duster. “Time for some old-fashioned interrogation, sis—a little less user-friendly than the OCPD. ”

Dom snickered over the line. “Have fun, buddy.”

R

Chris Stantz had a solo shift for the morning and early afternoon since it was Thursday and not a particularly busy time of year for the glassworks.

He worked in the back room unless the bell over the door chimed.

He’d get a little help around 2PM when one of the associate employees came in for their shift through closing time.

It worked in the shop’s favor to mostly employ part-timers, especially after Cassidy Ludgate robbed them blind a few weeks ago.

At least Chris had managed to keep his job.

A knock at the back door startled him. Pushing away from his desk, he frowned even as he headed that direction. The back exit was for emergencies—he used the front door when closing up—and deliveries only. He slowed his steps, wondering if he’d imagined the noise.

Another knock sounded. Damn it.

“Who’s there?” Chris called.

“Delivery for Stantz!” a muffled voice replied.

Here he’d been hoping for a slow day, but maybe it was something worthwhile at least. Unlocking the back door, Chris hefted it open.

“What kind of deliv…” he trailed as his eyes widened at the sight of Prometheus— the Prometheus—standing in front of him, and he attempted to slam the door shut again.

A strong grip held it open, while a second hand grabbed Chris by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him out into the alley.

“We need to have a chat, Mr. Stantz.”

R

Mal pushed the man up against the wall of the building. He could have easily strolled inside, but that wasn’t practical when the shop was filled with mirrors. The windowless alley—the type of location he was used to using to navigate his city—worked just fine.

Pressing in close to the man, Mal held one hand flat against the brick beside his head, the other on Stantz’s stomach, both icing over threateningly.

“I don’t know anything!” Stantz cried.

“About?”

“Uhh…whatever it is you’re here for?”

Mal grinned; people were so predictable.

Stantz must have something to hide. Gambling debts maybe?

A few dirty secrets someone interested in digging might turn up?

No matter. Mal was there for information.

He might be without his goggles or sunglasses, which he normally enjoyed donning for how they hooded his gaze, but his direct stare could be plenty intimidating.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Stantz. I bet you know plenty. Maybe even more than you realize.” Pressing his frozen hand further forward against Stantz’s stomach, he enjoyed making the man tremble. “I need to know everything you know about Cassidy Ludgate—everything you didn’t tell the police.”

Stantz blinked like that was the last thing he’d expected Mal to say. “I told them all I know! I swear!”

Mal leaned into him, close enough to puff breath against his face.

“We both know that isn’t true. There’s always something that slips the mind or seems unimportant.

I want to know how he took his coffee. Whether he ever wore white after Labor Day or saved all his receipts but never carried cash.

Everything . And make no mistake…Christopher,” Mal drew out the man’s name, “if I don’t leave here with something useful, I’m going to be feeling awfully frosty toward you.

” He let a bit of that frost seep out from his palm to freeze Stantz’s shirt.

“Wouldn’t want that to happen now, would we? ”

Stantz’s breathing picked up, eyes wide and lip quivering. “P-Please…I don’t know anything. I don’t know what I know! He was just a…a weird guy. No friends. Came and went, always on time, didn’t say much. Didn’t drink coffee. Only got worked up when he talked about his experiments. ”

“Experiments?” Mal let the cold from his hands dissipate as he leaned back. “Never mentioned that to the fuzz. Why? What was Ludgate experimenting on?”

Stantz shook his head before Mal even finished speaking. “It’s nuts. Crazy. If you’re looking for him, it won’t help you—”

“Didn’t ask for your opinion, Christopher,” Mal spread frost up Stantz’s shirt again, causing his mouth to snap shut. “I ask a question, you answer. That’s how this works. Got it?”

Stantz nodded frantically.

“Good. So…” he inclined his head.

“Right! O-Okay. He…he was obsessed! Cracked. Thought there was a way inside reflections. Always said he’d find some way to the ‘mirror world’, whatever that meant.

That’s why he wanted a job at the glassworks.

He was the best we ever had at making frames, fixing imperfections, but his real passion was in reflections themselves.

He was obsessed with Elementals too. Said if he couldn’t jumpstart his Awakening, he’d harness power another way so everyone would see him.

Always set things up in the back room after hours like some psycho fun house. ”

“Did he ever mention any success with his experiments?” Mal asked.

“No. Never. Said that if he did succeed, he wouldn’t dare use that knowledge until he figured out a way to anchor himself.

Said the mirror world would be impossible to navigate.

That going in would be suicide because if he got lost, he wouldn’t know which reflection connected where or how to get home. ”

“So, the night of the power station explosion—”

“That’s the last time I saw him!” Stantz cried.

Mal smiled, unamused. “I’m aware. Word has it he was at the circus that night, likely to go to the fun house to get a look at their mirrors, wouldn’t you agree?”

“P-Probably,” Stantz stammered, then seemed to put two and two together, and his eyes widened.

“Wait…you don’t think he figured it out, do you?

To get inside mirrors? Is that how he’s been doing all these robberies?

” He glanced fearfully at the closed door beside him that led into what was obviously a horror show when a psycho who could travel through reflections was on the loose. “Oh god… ”