Page 33 of My Vigilante Valentine

“See why it’s so good that you have a team now? You get to talk about it.”

We made it to my truck, and I opened the passenger door for her. “I don’t have a team.”

“You have ame,and you plus me equalsteam.”

“You have a thing for words, don’t you?” I asked, inhaling sharply as she stepped closer to get in. Her scent wrapped around me, fogging my mind.

“Like, saying a lot of them… or choosing the right ones?”

I tilted my head. “Both?”

“True. Partnership? Is that a better word than team?”

“Get in the truck, Luna.” But because I wasn’t a monster, I held out my hand to help boost her up.

And when she took it?

That simple touch made it hard to breathe. Her skin was soft against my calloused palm, causing sparks to shoot through me like a live wire.

I closed her in, exhaling deeply as I rounded the hood, climbed in on my side, and then did a quick scan. The interior was clean, but not the kind that screamedneat freak.More likefunctional necessity.

Various tools were stored in practical places. There was a duffel bag in the back seat, half-zipped for easy access to the gear I’d tucked inside. And the glove compartment was organized within an inch of its life, because disarray wasn’t in the vocabulary of most Marines.

And the rest of my “uniform,” as she called it, was in a bag of its own behind my seat.

Everything in its place, ready at a moment’s notice.

Luna buckled herself in, and then she patted her thighs and glanced around, taking in the minimalistic interior of my truck.

“Wow,” she said, dragging out the word. “This is... veryyou.”

“It’s just my ride,” I replied, starting the engine.

“Yeah, but gold star for matching it so perfectly to your aesthetic.”

I didn’t bother responding. She wasn’t wrong, and I didn’t want to laugh again. It seemed like a bad idea to acknowledge this strange power she seemed to have over me.

As I pulled out onto the street, the city lights flickered against the windshield and threw fleeting patterns across the dashboard.

Luna fiddled with the air vent, then turned to me. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”

“We’re surveilling a guy named Marco. Mid-level criminal with ties to recent break-ins. I think he might be connected to The Valentine Villain.”

Her eyes lit up like I’d just handed her front-row tickets to a sold-out concert. “The Valentine Villain? Seriously? I thought we’d do something boring and basic. This isjuicy.”

“He kills people,” I said flatly.

My grip tightened on the wheel as images of The Villain’s victims flashed through my mind. There was no question he was sick—and very dangerous.

Why did I agree to let Luna anywhere near this case? Couldn’t I have started her off with something minor, like a jewelry store robbery or stopping a basic drug deal?

Her smiling expression slid into one of stern focus, probably a poor imitation of mine. “Right. Super serious. Got it.” She leaned back, crossing her arms. “How do you even know about Marco’s connections? Is there some vigilante newsletter I don’t know about?”

I kept my eyes on the road. “I spend a lot of time with my ear to the streets—including the virtual ones.”

“Virtual streets,” she mused, snorting. “Facebook? IG?”

“Encrypted Discord servers. Idiot criminals think they’re safe to chat there. Maybe from the cops… not from me.”

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