Page 26 of Heirs of Havoc

He slams on the brake, my head falling towards the dash. He stops me, a sting in my strands, his hand in my curls. “No?” Pulling from his hold, he runs his fingers through my hair, going from rough to sensual in a flicker. But hey, that’s Feliks.

“What, no gun this time?”

“The way you ran from that dude makes him seem more lethal than my gun, Bunny.” He leans over me, the scent of weed and wood coming with him. As he opens the door, his fingers brush against my thigh, a spark making me flinch. “Don’t worry, this won’t be as hard as the jail. Or as hard as I was in your bathroom.”

When my eyes widen, a small smirk spreads across his face. He leans back. “Tell his wife you’re his student. I don’t know, think of an excuse. And when you get into the office, look for a black file cabinet. Inside will be a pile of applications. Don’t come back without it.” He’s right. It’s much less of a task than their last. While I’m not the type of girl who trespasses or shoplifts, this almost sounds too simple. But if this gets me out of William’s grasp, I’m game. “You got this.”

I sure as hell hope I do.

Climbing out of the car, my feet scurry to the door. Dry patches spot McQueen’s green grass, trees lining the brick path to his big wooden door between two large columns. “You got this,” I mutter, repeating Feliks’ words. Though I know better than to take advice from a mobster. “You got this.” With a deep breath, my fingers grasp the brass knocker, banging it against the wood. With another inhale, I try to steady my racing heart. When no one answers, I knock again. Louder. But that doesn’t get anyone’s attention either.

Peering inside the small window next to the door gives me a blurred view of McQueen’s empty foyer. Nothing stirs or moves. Walking back to the car, I shrug. Guess I’m off the hook.

Feliks rises out of the car, looking around. His skinny jeans hug those long legs, his golden eyes darting around the house. Something tells me this isn’t the first house he’s cased. He tilts his head towards the side, gesturing for me to move.

“We can come back?” I ask, unsure of what he’s thinking, but I’m not sure I want to know.

“No time.” Flipping his hoodie over his head, his hand comes to my back, pushing me along. He stops at a window along the side, behind a large bushy tree. “Bingo.”

“What are we…” My words trail when Feliks pulls his hoodie over his head. The white shirt underneath lifts to reveal all his muscular glory tucked into those jeans. That cut of his lower abs leads straight down to his—

CRASH!

An alarm sounds.

“Feliks!”

“Better get in there.” He looks around. “Unless you know the code, you have ten minutes. Fifteen max.”

What the fuck?

“Wait!” I’m lifted off the ground before Felix shoves me through the broken window. My thigh scrapes against a shard as I push through, but the adrenaline pumping through me makes it easy to ignore the pain. “I can’t do this!”

“Shhh.” Turning around, Feliks fingers press to his lips, showing no sense of urgency. He tilts his chin. “Hop to it, Bunny.” Reaching his long arms in, he swivels me back around.

The office I’m standing in is much less stuffy than the one McQueen has on campus. Navy blue paint coats the walls, a large vintage map behind a large wooden desk. The medallion rug underneath adds a touch of class I’m not used to from McQueen. But the black file cabinet sitting to the side reminds me I’m here to do more than admire his decor.

“What am I looking for?” Whispering over the alarm, I rush to the cabinet. I’m only complying because I’m already fucked. If McQueen finds me breaking into his house, that’s another strike.

I can’t afford another strike.

“Applications,” Feliks responds. “Pass me whatever you get.”

“That’s far from specific.” My jaw tightens as I rummage through the filing cabinet, the loud beeping making it hard to focus.

Every time I bring a folder to the window, Feliks sends me back.

“Did you expect me to figure this out on my own?” I hand him another folder, his fingers grazing mine. I don’t know if that's what makes my stomach flip or the fact that I’m breaking and entering. Feliks sends me back again, keeping a folder. “You know, if McQueen finds me here, I’m going to be in so much trouble. And this isn’t my fault."

“Like it was Dom’s fault?”

My fingers hover over the folders, the mention of the ‘incident’ making me freeze in front of the cabinet. “I could get kicked out of my dorm. You know, where I live?”

“Edward?” My eyes widen when a high-pitched voice comes from beyond the office doors. “Is that you?”

Oh, no. I need to get out of here.

When I turn to the window, Feliks isn’t there. Rushing over, I push my head out the window before my eyes land on Feliks as he flips his hoodie over his head, walking away. “Feliks!” He doesn’t look back, disappearing around the corner.

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