Page 54

She let out a sigh, climbing the stairs ahead of Oz, because the man disliked “unknown elevators. ”

What the fuck did that even mean, anyway?

Apparently, he personally inspected the elevator in his own building every week, but in cases like this, he chose to take the stairs.

If it had been anyone else on the team, she would have suspected that he was just making them take the stairs so he could watch her ass as she climbed up the four flights in front of him. But that didn’t seem especially “Oz” to her.

She’d gladly do it, if that was his reason, but she doubted it.

Oz was a man ruled by his brain, not his libido.

Unfortunately.

She let out another sigh. “So this is what you really do all day?” She asked him, unsure if this was what being a “hero” was all about. “While the rest of us on the team are having fun and setting off cool explosions, you’re really doing boring shit like this? ”

He didn’t answer.

“Oz?” She called back to him again.

“…Huh?” He sounded distracted by something. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked if this is what being a real Cape is about?” She ran her hand through her hair. “Because this sucks . This isn’t Caping. This is like… a job.” She made a face. “In fact, I’ve got a job and it’s a lot more fun than this one.”

“Yeeeah…” Oz trailed off, still focused on something else. “This… is fun…”

Natalie held out her arms questioningly, without turning around, wondering what his deal was.

“I just don’t get you sometimes, Oz.” She let out an annoyed sound.

“And this is the worst fucking mystery in the world. We know that Rondel is behind all of this, I don’t know why we’re wasting our time on this. ”

That got Oz’s attention and he refocused on the conversation. “Why would Rondel kidnap a child?”

“I have no idea. We can ask him when we find him.” She pursed her lips in thought. “And this is going about it all wrong. We need to do it in the only logical way.”

“Which is?”

“You and I are going to fly to Thailand, where we will assume new identities as kickboxers and make names for ourselves in the street-fighting ring and as local enforcers.” She started counting off the points on her fingers, warming to the plan.

“ Then , when Ronnie asks the local martial arts dojos for any potential henchmen he could hire on, they will suggest us. And then we’ll get our foot in the door, work our way up the ranks of his organization, and know right where he is! ”

“That’s the only ‘logical’ way?” He deadpanned. “‘Professional Taiwanese street-fighting leagues’?’

“Absolutely.”

He stared at her silently for a beat. “I don’t know how to kickbox.”

“I’ll teach you on the plane, don’t worry.”

“I think there are probably better ways to find someone.”

“You just don’t understand how these things are done, that’s all.” She slapped her fist into her palm. “I’m telling you, I know how the man thinks! This will work!”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, you’re not even listening right now.”

They arrived at the correct floor and started towards apartment 4D.

“Vadik and Ilik Bespalov.” Oz informed her, once more getting back to business. “They’re brothers. Ilik is convinced that scratch-off lotto tickets are the way to get rich. And he drives a blue van.”

“How do you know this?”

“Their uncle, Andrusha, was that guy who was shoplifting inside Drews awhile back. Remember?”

“I remember knocking a shelf of shoes on you.” She glanced at him. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

He shrugged. “I lived.” They turned the corner in the hallway. “In any event, I tracked him down after, assuming that he was Multifarious. But no. Just a shoplifter. Then he died in the SPRM riot.”

“So do you just keep track of everyone’s life in this city?”

“When they live in this neighborhood I do.” He looked at her meaningfully. “Like I said, the blocks around the store are mine. Nothing goes down here that I won’t find out about.”

“No, you said that about the blocks around your a partment. ”

“Same thing.”

“No,” Mull couldn’t help but smile, “not really.”

He was patrolling the neighborhood where she worked. Because she worked there. He had been spending his free hours quietly ensuring that she was safe, without making a big deal of it.

And Natalie decided she really liked that idea.

Mull thought it was cute, but Natalie was completely charmed.

To the point that she was actually glad Mull had let Jungle Lass wear this ridiculous outfit today.

It wasn’t that Natalie was especially proud of her body or anything, but she had no issues with giving Oz a look at it every now and then.

She turned to simply look at Oz, recognizing—not for the first time—that Oz was a tremendously handsome man.

And her body was always very, very aware of him.

She loved watching that man move. He was methodical, but so smooth. For a man who questioned himself about absolutely everything, he could do some things with a confidence which was astonishing.

An elderly woman walked past them, and Oz took a step forward to stand aside for her.

Because that’s the kind of person that Oz was.

The small movement put Mull closer to Oz than she usually stood though, and the effect was like a physical blow.

Close enough that her breasts moved against his chest, and the sensation was a torture.

She drew in a quick, uneven breath, not used to the feeling of being close to someone.

Especially not someone she was almost pathetically attracted to.

For his part, Oz was probably even less used to it, but seemed to be coping quite well. He mumbled what could have been an apology, but he didn’t move away from her.

The air in the building suddenly seemed still and warm, despite her minimal wardrobe.

Natalie swallowed, meeting his eyes and feeling like her entire body was growing hot and tight.

Jungle Lass was not someone who was at all shy about acting on her natural instincts.

She moved her leg forward, feeling Oz’s arousal press against her thigh. He was already hard. For her.

The discovery made her smirk with satisfaction, and it added to her own desire, like tossing a can of gasoline onto a fire.

He didn’t shy away from her or try to hide his attraction, he simply stood there, looking into her eyes, with confidence and longing. Letting her feel him.

Oz wanted her.

She felt it at the deepest core of her rapidly warming body.

Whatever his issues were, and whatever else happened… Oz wanted her. Judging from the steely feel of his massive body as she rubbed against him, he wanted her a lot .

And even Jungle Lass was surprised by how much Natalie wanted him in return. And, truth told, how much Jungle Lass wanted him too.

One of the doors at the end of the hallway slammed, and Oz immediately turned to face the potential threat.

The movement caused him to move against her stiffened nipples though, and it made her breath catch in her throat.

Oz took a step away, assuming that she was sick or something. “I’m… sorry.” He said softly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Mull panted for breath for a moment longer, trying to keep her cool. She’d never encountered anyone who could make her feel what Oz could make her feel.

He took a step towards the door, then paused when he saw she wasn’t following. “Are you coming?” He asked.

“Just about, yeah.” She admitted sheepishly.

Since it was Oz, he missed the double entendre. Which, for some reason, Mull decided was really, really adorable.

He was so innocent and pure and strong.

And she loved the fact that he made her feel all kinds of hot and wet and throbbing thoughts, whenever she looked at him.

Yes, there were obstacles in their relationship… but Holly was right: Mull would deeply enjoy being dirty with that man. She wanted to do things with him which he hadn’t even dreamed were possible.

Sadly, the sexy moment was now broken and that left her in a bad mood. She kind of wanted to beat the shit out of someone now, just to release some of her tension.

She stepped in front of the door to the apartment, preparing to kick it down.

Oz shook his head. “We don’t have a ‘no knock’ warrant, we’re just here to talk to him.”

Mull scoffed at that idea. “Um… just a reminder: I’m currently evil. I don’t really care so much about laws and shit.”

Oz gently tried to get in front of her. “And he’s also armed.” He reminded her, sounding worried about her.

“Relax, I’m bulletproof.”

“That was Thursday.” He shook his head. “Today, you just talk to alligators and solve mysteries, remember?”

“Shit.” She made a face. “Forgot about that.”

“Want to come back tomorrow?”

“Nah, it’ll be fine.” She flipped her hand. “Tomorrow might be an even worse power.”

“What’s the worst power you’ve ever had?”

“Use your imagination.”

He turned to look at her, still looking genuinely interested.

“You really don’t want to know.” She assured him. “Trust me.”

He didn’t turn away.

“Fine.” Mull cleared her throat, feeling embarrassed but excited. “I… I was sexually attracted to myself one day. It was… weird. I didn’t even make it out of the shower that morning. It was a very long and tiring day.”

Oz’s expression didn’t change at all, he continued staring straight at her.

One moment stretched into two.

Then three.

“Told you that you didn’t want to know.” She finally told him, clearing her throat and absently straightening her fur top, wishing it covered more of her exposed skin. Oz being so close to her made her breasts so tight, it was distracting.

Natalie was all but screaming at Jungle Lass to… something. It was a strange emotion, involving both feeling naked and kinda liking Oz seeing her that way.