Page 2 of Taming the Beasts (Crooked Point #3)

Shit. She was the last person I wanted to have that coin. But the twins had just walked into the bank and there was nothing I could do.

Huxley stared at me.

Ace smiled at my outfit.

I smiled and leaned back against the checkout counter. “Hello, boys.”

“What are you three doing here?” Huxley asked and folded his arms across his chest. But he didn’t look angry. Not even a little. He looked highly amused.

“We were pulling a bank job,” I said as I closed the distance between us. The click of my boot heels echoed in the quiet bank. “Do I need to be punished?” I placed my index finger in the center of his chest and slowly trailed it down, stopping at his belt.

“That depends,” he said. “Steal anything valuable?”

Yes, I found your cure, you beautiful hunk of a man. I sighed. “No.” I let my hand fall from his belt. “Everything of value is locked away in those vaults. And I didn’t have the code.” They’d either seen the video footage of us in there earlier or they hadn’t. I held my breath.

Ace shook his head. “Zoey, I’ve been searching everywhere for my keys.” He put out his hand. “I’m gonna need those back.”

I placed his keys in his hand.

“How long have you been planning this?” he asked. “And…why exactly?” He pocketed his keys.

“Because I’m dating a band of thieves. And I wanted to show you I could pull my weight.” That was honestly part of it. I thought they’d be impressed by this performance.

“I’m sorry, what?” Emma said from behind me.

Emma, chill. We could talk about this later. But if she questioned this any more they’d question it too. I knew she wouldn’t be cool with the idea of my pulling any more bank jobs. But this was proof that I could. We only got caught because I wanted to.

Luckily Ace was completely fixated on me and didn’t even seem fazed by Emma’s question or presence. “We’d never ask you to come with us on a heist, Zoey,” he said.

Wait, what? “Why?” I’d actually been really excited about joining them. Not that they needed to rob any museums now. I’d found the only relic they were interested in. But the coin was currently pressed between Kebe’s breasts, where it had no business being.

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“And we’d never put you in danger,” Huxley added.

But I’d just proven that I could do it. And I was always in danger with them. One of them could turn at any moment. Did they seriously not think I could handle coming with them? What the hell?

“And you never need to prove anything to us, princess.”

My anger thawed a bit when Huxley called me that.

Kebe cleared her throat and stepped forward. “What can we say? We’re just three bad girls needing a bit of attention.” She flashed Huxley a smile.

Fuck off, Kebe. I really didn’t like the way she flirted with Callum and now Huxley. They were both off-limits.

Huxley didn’t seem at all fazed by what she said. “Sorry, who are you?”

“She’s Zoey’s new roommate,” Ace said. “Kebe.” He eyed Kebe suspiciously.

“Pretty sure we’re Zoey’s new roommates,” Huxley said and turned his attention back to me. “If that’s what you want.”

I couldn’t even hide my smile. Otto had asked me to move in earlier. Right before I told them all about my camming. He must have talked to the rest of the guys about it. And apparently they were all in agreement.

“Wait, did they ask you to move in?” Emma asked. “That’s so great!”

“Mhm.” Yeah, I was pretty sure I didn’t know how to stop smiling. I wasn’t sure of the logistics of it. But I knew we’d figure it out .

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I was a little busy robbing them, Emma. She really needed to stop talking. Emma was a terrible liar. The more she opened her mouth, the more she’d start blabbing.

Kebe cleared her throat. “Do you need to pat me down?” she asked.

Huxley shook his head. “Not necessary. Unless you took something?”

Kebe looked so sad as she shook her head.

Seriously, what was her deal?

“Okay, well…I’m going to head home. I’ll see you all later.” She started walking out the front doors of the bank.

Shit. I did not want to leave her alone with the coin. I wasn’t going to find the cure just to let it slip between my fingers before I used it.

“I should probably go too,” I said. I did not plan on tonight ending with me babysitting Kebe. I could think of a million other things I wanted to do. Like whatever was running through the twins’ minds as they stared at me in my sexy catsuit.

“Home,” Ace said and grabbed my hand. “With us.”

I really didn’t want to say no to that. I squeezed his hand.

“Great,” Emma said. “You guys go do whatever it is you’re going to do. And I’m going to go do stuff with Kebe.”

That didn’t sound like what she thought it was. But I was glad she was going to go babysit Kebe.

Huxley raised his eyebrows.

Emma seemed to realize what she’d said and her face turned crimson. “Not sexual stuff. Research stuff.”

Oh. My. God. Emma!!! Stop talking !

“Whatever you say.” Huxley smirked.

“I’ll just take this,” she said and lifted the big duffel bag we’d brought over her shoulder. “And this.” She grabbed the champagne. “Have fun.” She hurried out the door after Kebe.

I looked between Ace and Huxley as the door closed. We were all alone. My heart started racing as they stared at me. The last time I was alone with the two of them, I’d loved every second.

“Time to go,” Huxley said.

“Or the three of us could stay right here.” I kept my hand in Ace’s as I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Huxley.

Ace cleared his throat and Huxley immediately pulled back.

“As much as I want to do that, Bennett is going to want to hear about you breaking into our bank,” Huxley said.

I wasn’t sure what to think of his tone. “Is he going to be mad?”

“I don’t know,” Ace said. “But he’ll be the one that decides if and how to punish you.”